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This article challenges a narrative of “decomunalization” and the loss of native culture and identity in the Andes. We ask in what way have formal community jurisdictions supported development and individual aspirations beyond the boundaries of rural places and economies? This research draws primarily on interviews conducted in 2023 with elected community council officials. In tracking changing aspirations of three generations of indigenous activists, we demonstrate how early leaders of the indigenous communities always looked beyond local circumstances in their plans, even as they consolidated immediate zones of relative organizational autonomy. We then show that while young people have moved from rural places, communities themselves are evolving and incorporating youth leadership. This paper seeks to contribute to emerging discussion on global indigeneity for the way it addresses a hemispheric issue of young people's exodus from rural places and the concerns that emigration raises about inter‐generational connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a special section that features four Indigenous anthropologists from two different world regions—Africa and Latin America. This section is unique in that the contributions of these anthropologists are being published in the scholars' Native languages—IsiZulu, Kichwa, Nahua, and Wolof—and in English. There are a number of reasons we felt it important to bring together the work of these scholars in one journal. First, we felt that it was important to highlight the work that non‐Western scholars are contributing to a field that is overwhelmingly dominated by Euro‐American and European scholars. Second, as Indigenous scholars ourselves, we are committed to the project of decentering anthropology by facilitating direct conversations between Indigenous scholars in different parts of the world—in this case, Africa and Latin America—that are not mediated by non‐Indigenous voices. By doing this, we are hoping to promote the emergence of a truly Indigenous Anthropology. Our decision to foreground the authors' Native languages draws attention to the problem of linguistic imperialism within anthropology—a problem that has marginalized Indigenous languages. This special section is a modest step towards addressing this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The expansion of mining in Ecuador has stirred resistance among some Indigenous peasant communities in the name of territorial rights; others have offered their land and labour to mining companies. In this and similar land grab contexts, Indigenous peasant communities are often broadly represented as natural resisters or as corrupted collaborators, which, we argue, does not account for how peasants with territorial and/or land rights weigh their options. In Napo province, we examine how peasants have adjudicated contradictory socioeconomic pressures and, in turn, opted to work with miners. We highlight the methodological and political implications of centering how local ‘participants’ in land grabs experience untenable choices or ‘double binds’ to understand the efficacy of land grabs and the obstacles to resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Here, we developed and applied models to quantitatively reconstruct forest cover and biomass changes at three lakes in northwestern Amazonia over the past > 1500 yr. We used remotely sensed data and a modern dataset of 50 Amazonian lakes to develop generalized linear models that predict aboveground biomass, using phytolith morphotypes and forest cover as predictor variables. Also, we applied a published beta regression model to predict forest cover within 200 m of each lake, using Poaceae phytoliths. Charcoal and maize phytoliths were analysed to identify past land use. Results showed forest cover and biomass changes at our study sites ranged between 48–84% and 142–438 Mg ha−1, respectively. Human occupation was discontinuous, with major changes in forest cover and biomass coinciding with periods of land use. Forest cover and biomass decreased notably after fire (at all sites) or cultivation events (Lakes Zancudococha, Kumpaka). The timing and ecological impact of past land use were spatially and temporally variable. Our results suggest past human impact was small‐scaled and heterogenous in northwestern Amazonia, with a significant impact of fire on forest cover and biomass changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The COVID‐19 pandemic triggered a worldwide socio‐sanitary crisis, continuing to impact societies worldwide. With many school systems shifted to online education, the current study presents a unique opportunity to investigate relevant phenomena related to serious health issues during the schooling and later in life, cyberbullying and bullying. This study began just before the COVID‐19 lockdown was declared and resumed 5 months later allowing to explore 2 main objectives: first, to explore whether cyberbullying increased during the lockdown, and second, to analyze transitions from to time of bullying and cyberbullying. METHODS: The participants included 792 students from sixth and seventh years of Primary Education (Meanage = 10.81, SD = 0.85) in Ecuador. This is a quantitative longitudinal study. Cyberbullying and bullying scales were used for data collection before the lockdown in January and February 2020 (T1), and after 5 months of lockdown, at the end of the same academic year in July 2020 (T2). Descriptive, comparative and predictive analyses, a latent transition analysis was used to identify latent status of cyberbullying and bullying behavior at T1 and T2. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant increase of cyberbullying after 5 months of the lockdown. Interestingly, only a small percentage of students who were uninvolved in cyberbullying and bullying in T1 remained uninvolved in T2. CONCLUSIONS: The discussion explores the dynamics of cyberbullying involvement and examines changes in the roles and groups of bullying and cyberbullying after 5 months of lockdown. The political‐ and school‐related implications of these findings are thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household food and water insecurity has been previously associated with adverse health consequences in children. However, these relationships are understudied in middle‐income Latin American populations such as in Ecuador, where a high prevalence of food and water insecurity has been reported. Using cross‐sectional data from 2018 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey, we examined the association of household food insecurity (HFI), household water insecurity (HWI), and concurrent HFI‐HWI with diarrhoea, respiratory illness (RI), and stunting in 20,510 children aged ≤59 months. HFI was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. HWI was defined when households responded negatively to one or more of four drinking water indicators. Maternal caregivers reported on child diarrhoea and RI episodes during the previous 2 weeks. Measured length or height was used to assess stunting. We constructed log‐binomial regression models to estimate the associations of HFI, HWI, and concurrent HFI‐HWI with child outcomes. Moderate‐severe HFI was associated with a higher prevalence of diarrhoea (PR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.63) and RI (PR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.22, 1.47), HWI with a higher prevalence of RI (PR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.22), and concurrent HFI‐HWI with a higher prevalence of diarrhoea (PR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.62) and RI (PR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.29, 1.62). Stunting was not associated with HFI, HWI nor concurrent HFI‐HWI. These findings suggest that HFI and HWI can independently and jointly act to negatively affect children's health. Policies and interventions aimed at alleviating both food and water insecurity are needed to bring sustained health improvements in Ecuadorian children. Key messages: High prevalence of household food insecurity, household water insecurity, and concurrent household food and water insecurity exist in Ecuadorian households.Household food insecurity and household water insecurity were independently associated with detrimental health outcomes in Ecuadorian infants and young children.Infants and young children experiencing concurrent moderate‐severe household food insecurity and household water insecurity appear to be particularly vulnerable to diarrhoea and respiratory illness symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We investigated the relationship between thermal physiology, elevational distribution and thermal stress among nine closely related dendrobatid frogs during their aquatic stage by employing an integrated approach, combining thermal physiology, environmental temperature modelling and predictive assessments of current and future exposure to thermal variation. Location: Ecuador. Taxon: Amphibians; Anura, Dendrobatidae, Epipedobates, Hyloxalus. Methods: We determined the thermal performance curves (TPCs) of larval growth for each species and modelled the thermal variation in contrasting aquatic larval environments for both present and future times. This allowed us to estimate the expected elevational distributions and forecast periods of exposure to stressful temperatures that inhibit larval growth due to elevation and global warming. Results: We found significant correlations between optimum temperature (Topt), 50% maximum performance temperature (maxB50), 50% minimum performance temperature (minB50) and cold resistance (survival at 9°C) with the current elevational distributions. However, thermal physiology predicted lower than observed distributions for high‐elevation dendrobatids and higher than observed maximum elevations for lowland species. Nonetheless, our models predicted that low thermal variability habitats (i.e. streams and deep permanent ponds) can buffer the future temperature increase for all taxa, even when considering the most extreme scenario. In contrast, all species within high thermal variation habitats (open forest temporary ponds) are expected to experience stressful temperatures under present conditions. Main Conclusions: The findings indicate that thermal physiology may not be a limiting factor for dendrobatid frog species' ranges in this equatorial mountain gradient. Highland species may need to adapt to suboptimal performance, while some lowland species could occupy higher elevations. This study emphasizes the importance of habitat buffering to mitigate thermal stress in the face of climate change for amphibians in tropical mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co‐evolutionary arms race between herbivores and plants forces plants to evolve protection strategies that reduce the palatability of the plant modules attacked by the herbivores. These characteristics of traits have consequences for both the survival of plant individuals and the composition of plant communities. Thus, correlating traits of for instance leaves with herbivory is an important step toward understanding the dynamics of plant populations and communities. Traits can either be measured using conventional lab methods or recently developed spectral sensing techniques. We examined whether leaf traits of trees are related to herbivory in a multispecies approach. Furthermore, we explored whether leaf traits characterized by spectral sensing provide similar relations to herbivory as lab‐based leaf traits. We established nine 1‐ha square plots evenly distributed over three different forest types in Ecuadorian tropical montane rainforests where we estimated herbivory as the leaf area loss (in square centimeters) of 20 (±5) leaves sampled from the canopies of 380 tree individuals belonging to 51 tree species (7 ± 1 individuals/species) using lab‐ and spectral‐sensing‐based methods. For each methodological approach, we ran 100 linear mixed‐effects models with all respective leaf traits as predictor and herbivory as response variables for data subsets containing one randomly selected tree individual of each species to estimate the range of the regression coefficients for each trait. Automated stepwise backward selections determined the frequency of each trait having an important influence on herbivory. We found no clear relations between leaf traits and herbivory for neither lab‐ nor spectral‐sensing‐based traits. A nested variance component analysis demonstrated that the observed variability was mainly due to the variation in trait concentrations between tree individuals of a species. Our results suggest that snapshot data lead to a mismatch between herbivory and the concentrations of traits during the peak of herbivory. Another explanation could be that environmental conditions or processes along the food web are more important in structuring herbivory than leaf traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary People with excess weight and obesity compose 64.5% of the Ecuadorian population. The Allurion Intragastric Balloon (IGB) is a noninvasive weight loss alternative for patients ineligible for other bariatric procedures. The impact of the procedure on weight loss and body composition, along with insertion complications and secondary effects were investigated. This is a single‐centre retrospective study of patients who underwent Allurion IGB insertion from July 2020 to March 2021. This study followed 167 patients for 12 months after EIGB insertion. Our sample had a mean initial weight of 83.6 ± 13.8 kg and initial body mass index of 31.3 ± 3.6 kg/m2. Percentage total weight loss was 4.65% ± 0.56%, 8.5% ± 4%, 12.29% ± 4.65%, 15.68% ± 5.22%, 17.14% ± 6.05%, and 14.68% ± 18.02% for months 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12, respectively. In the fourth month, 92 patients (56.4%) had lost ≥50% excess body weight; at month 6, 104 patients (67.5%) achieved this goal. Regarding body composition, body fat percentage started at 38.99% ± 7.92%, and at month 6 was 35.67% ± 6.84%, this was the only significance in the statistical analysis.This study aligns with the literature's safety and efficacy results for the Allurion IGB while illustrating the need for further research regarding weight behaviour after its expulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classic theories of political ambition assume relatively stable and programmatic party systems. However, in many parts of the world, ‘fluid’ or ‘inchoate’ party systems do not provide ambitious legislators with the electoral benefits associated with stable party brands. In this paper, we examine ambition in fluid party systems: What is the frequency of party switching for legislators who seek re‐election, and what are their characteristics? What incentives do parties create to push away or retain legislators? And which parties do ambitious legislators seek out? Using a systems approach, we argue that in fluid party systems, legislators' office‐seeking behavior is driven by their attitudes towards parties and their constituents, their prospective evaluation of party performance, and ideology. Incentives for politicians to switch parties act as negative feedback mechanisms which keep the party system stuck in a fluid state. We test the determinants of party switching using two data sources from Ecuador: a public records dataset of every legislator who earned re‐election from 1979 to 2021, and the Parliamentary Elites in Latin America (PELA) surveys of all legislators from 1994 to 2017. Both sources distinguish between switchers and non‐switchers. The results support the conclusion that ambitious legislators in fluid party systems are strategic actors that seek or keep parties to maximize their probability of re‐election—and thereby further exacerbate the party system's fluidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the scarcity of studies addressing substance consumption and its relationship with attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas in adolescents, the present study is proposed. Aims of this study are to analyze the relationship among attachment styles, early maladaptive schemas, and substance use; test the predictive role of attachment styles on substance use; and observe the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between attachment and substance use. The sample consisted of 1533 adolescents from Ecuador (53.9% males) aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.76; SD = 1.25). The attachment styles of security, value to parental authority, parental permissiveness, parental interference, self‐sufficiency and resentment against parents, childhood trauma, and family concern predict substance use (tobacco, alcohol, tranquilizers/sedatives or sleeping pills, hashish or marijuana, cocaine, GHB or liquid ecstasy, ecstasy, amphetamines/speed, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants/volatiles), and the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas is confirmed (explained variance up to 33.33%). Identifying risk or vulnerability factors, such as attachment and early maladaptive schemas related to substance consumption, is especially relevant for designing and implementing preventive interventions in the adolescent population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to analyze sociodemographic factors associated with cesarean sections (c‐sections) in Ecuador. Methods: Data were extracted from the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC). Multivariate binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to assess sociodemographic factors associated with c‐sections overall and with each type of c‐section (elective or emergency c‐section). Results: This study included 1 118 842 in‐hospital deliveries during 2015–2022 in Ecuador, of which 41.3% were c‐sections. This exceeds the recommended levels of medical justified c‐sections. Those who were older than 20–29 years showed a higher probability for c‐sections overall. Regarding ethnicity, Montubios had 57% higher probability for c‐sectioned with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.57 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.45–1.71; while indigenous, black, and white individuals exhibited 73%, 29%, and 21% lower probabilities, respectively. However, this varied according to specific type of c‐sections: black individuals had 11% higher probability of elective c‐section but 44% lower probability of emergency c‐section. Deliveries in private healthcare facilities exhibited significantly higher probabilities of c‐sections overall (aOR 15.38, 95% CI 15.20–15.56). Higher probability of emergency c‐section was also observed during 2020–2022. Conclusion: Cesarean sections in Ecuador still exceed the recommended levels of medically justified c‐sections, highlighting the importance of adopting an approach to childbirth that reduces unnecessary interventions. These results suggest an important role of sociodemographic factors, which aligns with the reported need for multicomponent and locally tailored strategies for addressing c‐section overuse. The increase in c‐sections during the COVID‐19 pandemic (2020–2022) might suggest the influence of external health crises on maternal healthcare. Synopsis: Ecuador's cesarean sections continue to exceed the medically justified ranges, and socioeconomic and ethnic disparities seem to play a role in these excess numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus, Prytanoidesgen. nov., is described to accommodate the new species Prytanoides prorrectusgen. et sp. nov. from Argentina. Its relationship with the presumably closely related Prytanes Distant,1893 is discussed. The distributional range of four Prytanes species is also extended: Prytanes formosus (Distant, 1882) and Prytanes foedus (Stål, 1860) are recorded for many provinces in Argentina; Prytanes oblongus (Stål, 1862) is recorded from Ecuador for the first time; and Prytanes tumens (Stål, 1874) from Mexico. For each species, we provide a colour habitus of the adult, together with photographs of the male genitalia of the new genus and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stratiform and convective precipitation are known to be associated with distinct isotopic fingerprints in the tropics. Such rain type specific isotope signals are of key importance for climate reconstructions derived from climate proxies (e.g., stable isotopes in tree rings). Recently, the relation between rain type and isotope signal in present‐day climate has been intensively discussed. While some studies point out the importance of deep convection, other studies emphasize the role of stratiform precipitation for strongly depleted isotope signals in precipitation. Uncertainties arise from observational studies due to data scarcity while modeling approaches with global climate models cannot explicitly resolve convective processes and rely on parameterizations. High‐resolution climate models are particularly important for studies over complex topography and for the simulation of convective cloud formation and organization. Therefore, we applied the isotope‐enabled version of the high‐resolution climate model from the Consortium for Small‐Scale Modeling (COSMOiso) over the Andes of tropical south Ecuador, South America, to investigate the influence of stratiform and convective rain on the stable oxygen isotope signal of precipitation (δ18OP). Our results highlight the importance of deep convection for depleting the isotopic signal of precipitation and increasing its deuterium excess. Due to the opposing effect of shallow and deep convection on the δ18OP signal, the use of a stratiform fraction might be misleading. We therefore propose to use a shallow and deep convective fraction to analyze the effect of rain types on δ18OP. Plain Language Summary: Tropical rainfall can be classified as convective and stratiform rain, which carry distinct fingerprints in their water isotope signal. This implies that climate reconstructions of convective activity can be made because the isotopic signal in precipitation is conserved in climate archives (e.g., tree rings). Contrasting results emerged from observations, due to data scarcity, and from global climate models, which have shortcomings due to coarse spatial and temporal resolutions. We addressed the question of the influence of different rain types on the isotopic signal of precipitation by using a high‐resolution, isotope‐enabled climate model over the tropical Andes. We found out that particularly deep convection leads to the most negative isotope signals, whereas stratiform rain and shallow convection are related to less negative, even slightly positive isotope values. Consequently, for analyzing the effect of rain types on the isotopic signal, we recommend to avoid using the stratiform fraction, which is misleading. Instead, we introduce a shallow and deep convective fraction, which are better predictors of the isotope signal of rain in the Andes. Key Points: Rain types (stratiform, shallow, and deep convection) are associated with distinct δ18O and deuterium excess signals in precipitationDeep convection leads to low δ18O and the highest deuterium excess anomalies in precipitationIn the Andes, δ18O of precipitation reflects the fraction of deep (or shallow) convective rain rather than the fraction of stratiform rain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin America (LATAM) plays an important role in the world's production of aquatic animals and is the second most productive region in the world. Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Perú contribute 87% of LATAM aquaculture production. The fish welfare in aquaculture is of increasing public concern globally, and LATAM is no exception, growing in importance for fish farmers, authorities, and scientists. Although the topic is somewhat controversial, the welfare status of farmed fish has direct implications for their production and the sustainability of the industry. Therefore, this study analyses scientific papers on animal welfare in farmed fish, from the six countries in LATAM with the highest aquaculture production. The main objectives were to quantify the number of papers published between 2000 and 2023 on fish welfare by using scientific databases. A total of 285 papers were found for the period analysed. The country with the largest number of publications was Brazil (75.79%), followed by Chile (13.33%), Mexico (7.02%), Peru (1.75%), Ecuador, and Colombia (1.05%). Nile tilapia was the most studied species, appearing in 30.18% of the publications, with most of the studies mainly dealing with nutrition (32.28%). The growth of aquaculture is leading to joint efforts to generate knowledge on welfare issues, especially in poorly studied species with high production, to create policies that help minimize welfare risks. Given this, the insights generated by this review could be a useful addition to approaches investigating the trends and concepts of fish welfare in LATAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia was one of the first countries to decriminalise euthanasia. However, what is known in the international academic literature about the country's regulations is scarce and outdated. Such lack of information on the situation in Latin America is even more evident in the case of Peru, where the Lima Superior Court of Justice set a precedent by allowing a person to have access to euthanasia in 2021. Ecuador, which has just decriminalised euthanasia for all its citizens in February 2024, risks being similarly absent from the international dialogue. This article summarises for the first time all the regulations in force regarding euthanasia in Latin America, through a study of primary sources in Spanish, and analyses some of the convergences between these three neighbouring countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years in Latin America, a small number of contributory social protection programmes have been extended on a voluntary basis to cover migrant workers, with affiliation financed by these workers' remittances. That remittances offer a means to finance social protection programmes demonstrates the possibilities presented by international migration not only as regards improving social protection coverage but in contributing towards achieving target 1.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda. This article addresses voluntary insurance programmes introduced in Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico for nationals working abroad and by means of which the families of such international migrant workers can also access health care and benefits in their home countries. In turn, international migrant workers on returning home can gain eligibility for a contributory retirement pension and disability benefits if they satisfy eligibility as well as the contribution conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blue shark Prionace glauca plays a critical role as a predator in marine ecosystems but is threatened by by‐catch. To obtain more precise biological data, a Bayesian approach was used, and 536 vertebrae samples collected during 1 year at the landing stage called "Playita Mía" Manta, Ecuador, were analysed. The objective was to estimate the age and growth parameters of the species. The size of the specimens varied between 116 and 310 cm in total length (TL). Using a Bayesian approach based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, growth parameters were evaluated. The von Bertalanffy model was the one that best fitted the data and provided more adequate estimates (females: L∞ = 325.50 cm, L0 = 53.23 cm, and k = 0.12 years; males: L∞ = 331.47 cm, L0 = 51.59 cm, k = 0.12 years −1; combined sexes: L∞ = 329.65 cm, L0 = 53.64 cm, k = 0.11 year−1). The results indicated that females and males have a similar growth, and that the species has a slow growth. Further studies using multi‐model Bayesian approaches and covering a broader range of sizes in the Pacific Ocean are suggested. These studies will provide crucial information for the management and conservation of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic lays bare the centrality of social reproduction in upholding global commodity networks. Capitalism's reliance on gendered and racialized systems of social reproduction has deepened structural contradictions and socio‐economic divides across agro‐export sectors and agrarian communities. We analyse how COVID‐19 policies and responses in Ecuador and Chile are reshaping systems of social and labour protection in feminized agro‐export sectors. We integrate labour regime and gender regime frameworks, showing how they are (1) co‐constituted via global forces, national policies, institutional pressures and local practices; (2) intertwined in neoliberal and social‐democratic development models; and (3) forged through control, consent and resistance. We analyse national legal frameworks and policy responses to COVID‐19, as well as industry, union and worker reactions, illustrating how 'neutral' policies have gendered outcomes, (re)creating false binaries between production and reproduction and paid and unpaid work. We find that the pandemic has reshaped gendered labour regimes in agro‐exports: in Ecuador, undermining the fragile commitment to a social‐democratic gendered labour regime and in Chile, strengthening social‐democratic supports and promises of a more equitable gendered labour regime. In both cases, states and firms have neglected to include social reproduction in the 'costs' of development, thus threatening national development models grounded in the exploitation of cheap female labour in agro‐export sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Palms provide vital plant resources and ecosystem services to people across the tropics. To improve conservation guidance, a "health check" of palms in two highly threatened biodiversity hotspots in Colombia and Ecuador was undertaken. Palms are very diverse in these regions, but over one third are threatened with extinction now, especially among endemic species. Widespread and useful palms are also under intense human pressure and need to be prioritized in terms of sustainable management practices. Given the importance of palms for humans, inclusive conservation actions should be continued in both countries in order to safeguard this resource. Summary: Palms provide central plant resources to societies in the tropics, especially in the Global South. The western Pacific and Andean regions of Colombia and Ecuador host two hotspots of biodiversity. To prioritize conservation policies towards palms, we undertook a conservation assessment of species in the region.We compiled a taxonomically verified database of specimens collected in both hotspots. We inferred preliminary conservation assessments using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Criteria B. In addition, we evaluated the level of exposure of palms to human use and population density using the anthrome concept.We documented 144 native palm species in 33 genera occurring in both hotspots of Colombia and Ecuador. Of these, 55 are endemic to this region. We recorded 133 species for Colombia, 43 endemic, and 71 species for Ecuador, 9 endemic. A third of all palm species in the region are potentially threatened with extinction (50/144) and 12 as preliminary Critically Endangered. Aiphanes and Geonoma have the highest number of threatened species. In total, 60% of palm specimens were collected in the "low human impact" anthrome type. In contrast, 41% of specimens occur in high human density areas.The two hotspots of biodiversity in Colombia and Ecuador are very diverse in palms. However, we show that this diversity is under threat and is predominantly found in areas impacted by human activities. Extinction risk is highest in endemic species in both countries. Widespread and useful palm species also face threats linked to overexploitation or habitat loss. Inclusive conservation measures should be designed to conserve, together with communities, this plant resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study focuses on the AMR profiles in E. coli isolated from captive mammals at EcoZoo San Martín, Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador, highlighting the role of wildlife as reservoirs of resistant bacteria. Aims: The aim of this research is to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of E. coli strains isolated from various species of captive mammals, emphasizing the potential zoonotic risks and the necessity for integrated AMR management strategies. Materials & Methods: A total of 189 fecal samples were collected from 70 mammals across 27 species. These samples were screened for E. coli, resulting in 90 identified strains. The resistance profiles of these strains to 16 antibiotics, including 10 β‐lactams and 6 non‐β‐lactams, were determined using the disk diffusion method. Additionally, the presence of Extended‐Spectrum Beta‐Lactamase (ESBL) genes and other resistance genes was analyzed using PCR. Results: Significant resistance was observed, with 52.22% of isolates resistant to ampicillin, 42.22% to ceftriaxone and cefuroxime, and 27.78% identified as ESBL‐producing E. coli. Multiresistance (resistance to more than three antibiotic groups) was found in 35.56% of isolates. Carnivorous and omnivorous animals, particularly those with prior antibiotic treatments, were more likely to harbor resistant strains. Discussion: These findings underscore the role of captive mammals as indicators of environmental AMR. The high prevalence of resistant E. coli in these animals suggests that zoos could be significant reservoirs for the spread of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria. The results align with other studies showing that diet and antibiotic treatment history influence resistance profiles. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for an integrated approach involving veterinary care, habitat management, and public awareness to prevent captive wildlife from becoming reservoirs of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria. Improved waste management practices and responsible antibiotic use are crucial to mitigate the risks of AMR in zoo environments and reduce zoonotic threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We present notable distributional updates for 14 species from western Ecuador (seven amphibians and seven reptiles). Our findings include the northernmost confirmed sighting of Pristimantis kuri and the southernmost documented record of Imantodes inornatus and Lepidoblepharis buchwaldi. Additionally, we document new records and notes on the distribution range of Agalychnis spurrelli, Hyloscirtus alytolylax, Engystomops montubio, Pristimantis muricatus, Pristimantis nyctophylax, Pristimantis walkeri, Chironius flavopictus, Chironius grandisquamis, Dendrophidion graciliverpa, Ninia schmidti, and Urotheca fulviceps. These observations significantly contribute to filling information gaps in our understanding of these species' distributions. The data, derived from samples collected across diverse forested areas in the western region of Ecuador (provinces of Bolívar, Cañar, Guayas, El Oro, and Los Ríos), provide valuable insights into the ecology and conservation of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century in Latin America began with a widespread shift to the left politically, a phenomenon called the 'pink tide'. Following a period of right‐wing re‐ascendancy, left wing governments are again gaining traction across the continent. This article analyses the end of the last pink tide via a dialogue between the post‐extractivism and degrowth literature by examining Bolivia, Ecuador, and Brazil. This is done through a look at the impacts of both economic growth as a normative policy aim and extractivism as the engine to produce this growth on political developments in these countries. In the tradition of Gramsci this is interpreted as a hegemonic force, recast here as growth‐through‐extraction, that serves to perpetuate the interests of wealthy classes despite political changes. This article concludes with a brief analysis of how academic debates and political processes have moved on since Escobar 2015 and what this might mean for the new left‐wing governments of Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role played by Dominican missions in Ecuador's Amazonian territory from approximately 1930–1970. In the Dominicans' own monthly magazine, they claimed not only the roles of infrastructural development, "civilisation" of indigenous peoples, and nationalisation of territory, as did Catholic missions elsewhere; but also the roles of mediator of competing interests and redeemer of the entire country. The central Pastaza River region and important cities like Mera and Puyo were administered and developed chiefly by the Dominican missions ahead of massive colonisation and economic development linked to agriculture and oil drilling. This research contributes to our understanding of the role of Catholic missions in Ecuador's twentieth century by demonstrating that print media allowed them to be more than just frontier institutions. It also illustrates how Ecuador's "Oriente" came to be more fully integrated into the nation prior to the oil boom of the 1970s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native microbial consortia have been proposed for biological wastewater treatment, but their diversity and function remain poorly understood. This study investigated three native microalgae‐bacteria consortia collected from the Amazon, Highlands, and Galapagos regions of Ecuador to assess their metagenomes and wastewater remediation potential. The consortia were evaluated for 12 days under light (LC) and continuous dark conditions (CDC) to measure their capacity for nutrient and organic matter removal from synthetic wastewater (SWW). Overall, all three consortia demonstrated higher nutrient removal efficiencies under LC than CDC, with the Amazon and Galapagos consortia outperforming the Highlands consortium in nutrient removal capabilities. Despite differences in α‐ and β‐diversity, microbial species diversity within and between consortia did not directly correlate with their nutrient removal capabilities. However, all three consortia were enriched with core taxonomic groups associated with wastewater remediation activities. Our analyses further revealed higher abundances for nutrient removing microorganisms in the Amazon and Galapagos consortia compared with the Highland consortium. Finally, this study also uncovered the contribution of novel microbial groups that enhance wastewater bioremediation processes. These groups have not previously been reported as part of the core microbial groups commonly found in wastewater communities, thereby highlighting the potential of investigating microbial consortia isolated from ecosystems of megadiverse countries like Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrepancies between parent and youth perceptions of their relationship are a common aspect of generational acculturation gaps influencing immigrant families. Programs designed to strengthen parenting practices among immigrant Latino families commonly address immigration stresses, including differences between parent and youth perceptions, but little is known about discrepancies in their appraisals of program effects on parenting behavior. A randomized trial was conducted examining effects on parent behavior of a program for immigrant families with youth aged 10–14, developed through community‐based participatory research principles. Families (346 parents and youth) were recruited by organizations serving Latino families in a Midwestern metropolitan area and randomly assigned to the eight‐session psychoeducation and skill‐building program or a waitlist control. Parents and youth completed self‐report measures at pre‐intervention, post‐intervention (4 months), and a 6‐month follow‐up regarding parents' expression of acceptance, efforts to solicit information about the child's experiences, and consistency of discipline, key foci of the program. Based on social cognition theory, the study focused on possible differences in parents' and youths' perceptions of change in parenting behavior. Parents in the treatment group reported pre‐post improved acceptance, consistent discipline, and solicitation, whereas youth reported improvement only in parental solicitation, a pattern maintained at follow‐up. In the control group, the only change was youth‐reported reduction in parental acceptance. Parents' perceptions of improvement are encouraging, but overall lack of improvements from the youth perspective poses a potential problem for impact on parent–child relations. Interventions may need to target both parent and youth cognitions about behavior changes directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question whether the strategies of above‐ and belowground plant organs are coordinated as predicted by the plant economics spectrum theory is still under debate. We aim to determine the leading dimensions of tree trait variation for above‐ and belowground functional traits, and test whether they represent spectra of adaptation along a soil fertility gradient in tropical Andean forests.We measured leaf, stem and fine root functional traits, and individual‐level soil nutrient availability for 433 trees from 52 species at three elevations between 1000 and 3000 m a.s.l.We found close coordination between above– and belowground functional traits related to the trade‐off between resource acquisition and conservation, whereas root diameter and specific root length formed an independent axis of covarying traits. The position of a tree species along the acquisition–conservation axis of the trait space was closely associated with local soil nitrogen, but not phosphorus, availability.Our results imply that above‐ and belowground plant functional traits determine at which edaphic microhabitats coexisting tree species can grow, which is potentially crucial for understanding community assembly in species‐rich tropical montane forests. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Public Administration is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To identify abuse and other risk factors associated with depression in older Ecuadorian adults using data from the 2012 Ecuador's Survey of Health, Welfare, and Aging (SABE). Methods: This cross‐sectional study analyzed data from the 2012 SABE survey, which included 5235 adults aged 60 and above. The study evaluated residence, education level, ethnic self‐identification, self‐perceived health and memory, loneliness, cognitive status, and abuse. Depression was assessed using the Yesavage Depression Scale, short version (YDS‐SV). Categorical variables were analyzed with the Chi‐square test, differences between groups were calculated with the Kruskal–Wallis test, and multiple linear regression analysis was performed. A p‐value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 71.39 ± 8.59 years and 55.10% of the sample were women. Abuse was absent in 72.1% (3.773) of the population. The Chi‐square test indicated significant associations between depression and poor self‐reported health (P = 0.000) and indigenous ethnicity (P = 0.000). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (P < 0.001), abuse (p < 0.001), cognitive status (P = 0.002), and living alone (P = 0.034) significantly contributed to mood as assessed by the YDS‐SV. No statistically significant association was found for perceived health status or place of residence (urban or rural). Conclusions: Risk factors associated with depression in older Ecuadorian adults include advanced age, living alone, cognitive decline, poor self‐perception of health and cognition, and abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of People & Nature is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Latin American Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Latin American Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Anthropology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A'ingae (or Cofán, ISO 639‐3: con) is an indigenous language isolate spoken in northeast Ecuador and southern Colombia. This paper presents the first comprehensive overview of the A'ingae phonology, including descriptions of (i) the language's phonemic inventory, (ii) phonotactics and a number of related phonological rules, (iii) nasality and nasal spreading, as well as (iv) stress, glottalisation, their morphophonology, and aspects of clause‐level prosody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest degradation is increasingly recognized as a major threat to global biodiversity and the multiple ecosystem services forests provide. This study examined the impacts of forest degradation on soil quality and function in a seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) of Ecuador. Previous studies of SDTFs have focused on the impacts of land‐use conversion on soils, while this study assessed the less visible but pervasive effects of degradation. We compared soil physical–chemical properties, enzymatic activity, particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral‐associated organic carbon (MAOC) along a gradient of SDTF degradation in both the dry and rainy season. Our findings showed a consistent and steady reduction in soil quality (total C and N) and function (dehydrogenase and β‐glucosidase activity) that paralleled the loss of vegetative structure and diversity along the degradation gradient. Soil physical–chemical properties were less variable and enzymatic activity was generally higher in the dry season compared to the rainy season. We also showed for the first time a significant and uniform decrease in POC and MAOC with degradation in SDTF. The relative proportion of these two components was constant along the gradient except in the most degraded state (arid land), where POC was higher in proportion to MAOC, suggesting that extreme forest degradation may cause this ecosystem to cross a functional tipping point. These findings address an important knowledge gap for SDTFs by showing a consistent loss of soil quality and functionality with degradation, and suggest that extreme degradation can result in an alternate state with compromised resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: How do seed rain biomass and richness change from old‐growth tropical forests to pastures at different elevations? How do seed mass and seed dispersal mode change from forests to pastures across these elevations? What implications do these changes have for the recovery of deforested areas in tropical mountains? Location: Old‐growth montane forests and livestock pastures along an elevational gradient (1,000–3,000 m a.s.l.), located at Podocarpus National Park, San Francisco Reserve and surrounding agricultural lands, Andes of southern Ecuador. Methods: We collected seed rain for a 3‐month period using 324 traps installed at eighteen 1‐ha plots across elevations. Half of the traps were installed in nine 1‐ha forest plots, and the other half in nine 1‐ha pasture plots. For each trap, we identified the seeds and measured seed rain biomass and richness. We also recorded seed traits and calculated community‐weighted means of seed mass and seed dispersal mode (proportion of endozoochory). Results: Forests received a higher seed rain biomass than pastures, but only at the lowest elevation. Seed rain richness did not differ between habitat types at all elevations. Community‐weighted means of seed mass and the proportion of endozoochorous species declined from forests to pastures, especially at the lower elevations. Conclusions: Although seed rain biomass and richness were overall similar between forests and pastures, large‐seeded and endozoochorous species were generally poorly represented in the seed rain of pastures compared with that of forests. These findings show that biomass and richness of seed rain may be insufficient to quantify the restoration potential of natural seed rain in deforested areas. Information on seed traits, such as seed mass and seed dispersal mode, is important to optimize restoration efforts towards the regeneration of diverse old‐growth forests along elevational gradients in tropical mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Connectivity is a parameter that plays a fundamental role in highly fragmented ecosystems, such as the seasonal tropical dry forest. Objectives: The objective of this research is to calculate the evolution of fragmentation and the functional connectivity of the Ecuadorian seasonal dry forest from 1990 to 2018, and to compare the Ecuadorian state's reforestation plan with our reforestation plan, which is based on maximising connectivity with the smallest possible reforested area. Methods: The land cover changes, fragmentation and functional connectivity, measured by employing cumulative cost analyses at three different distances (0.5, 5 and 10 km), that occurred in Ecuadorian seasonal dry forests between 1990 and 2018 were verified using GIS environments, vector layers and Graphab software. A reforestation plan was also developed using various connectivity metrics and was then compared with that proposed by the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment. Results: Between 1990 and 2018, 2647 km2 of dry forest was lost in the study area. Former forest areas were put mainly to agricultural uses, which increased by 12.96%. The total number of patches decreased from 6908 to 5357, signifying a loss of 30% of the forest area and leading to losses of up to 75% of connectivity. Areas with low connectivity and a risk of disappearance were identified, and a new reforestation plan was proposed, which was based on maximising connectivity with small patches. Conclusions: Because of the fragmentation, the connectivity of the seasonal dry forest in Ecuador is dramatically decreasing in the last decades. Therefore, the reforestation plans should prioritise areas whose reforestation increases habitat functional connectivity, which could provide more benefits than increasing the forest area without considering the global connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through four tableaux, this article explores the historical efforts of the Siekopai (Secoya) people to claim territorial rights over Pëekë'ya—an area of black water lagoons and flooded forests on the border between Peru and Ecuador—and unfolds their various enactments of land through performative acts of contestation and collaboration. By emulating shamanic thoughts about the wetland as a transition zone between villages and worlds, the tableaux as form represent a rethinking of land as multiple and partially overlapping realities where shifting territorial and conservation management regimes never result in stable environmental subjectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarayaku, an Amazonian Kichwa community in Pastaza province, Ecuador, is suspected to be rich in oil reserves. This fact has generated outside interest in the region and in turn pushed Sarayaku Runa (Sarayaku people) to defend their territory against state‐led extractivist projects. In this context, the conflict in Sarayaku territory, among the state, multinational oil companies and the Indigenous Peoples who inhabit it, goes beyond natural resources. In an effort to distance themselves from the current use of terms such as buen vivir and Pachamama rights, Sarayaku Runa are now inventing new legal and social concepts, such as Kawsak Sacha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no evidence evaluating the IL10 epigenetic upregulation among mestizo children in a high‐altitude Andean city in Latin America. Objective: To identify polymorphisms and methylation profiles in the IL10 gene associated with asthma in children aged 5 to 11. Methods: A case–control study was conducted with asthmatic and non‐asthmatic children aged 5 to 11 years in Cuenca‐Ecuador. Data on allergic diseases and risk factors were collected through a questionnaire for parents. Atopy was measured by skin prick test (SPT) to relevant aeroallergens. Three IL10 single nucleotide polymorphisms were evaluated in all participants, and methylation analysis was performed in 54 participants. Association between risk factors, allergic diseases and genetic factors were estimated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: The results of polymorphisms showed no differences between cases and controls when comparing the SNPs rs3024495, rs3024496, rs1800896 allelic and genotypic frequencies. In the methylation analysis, no differences in the IL10 methylation profile were found between cases and controls; however, the multivariate analysis showed an association between the mother's smoking habits and the IL10 methylation profile. Conclusion: Smoking habit could be essential as an environmental exposure factor in regulating gene expression in children with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate if children's oral health and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) were associated with school performance. Moreover, the study aimed to examine whether school environment factors influenced this association. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was based on a population‐based sample of 998 12‐year‐old schoolchildren from 31 public schools in Quito, Ecuador. Trained and calibrated examiners conducted clinical exams for dental caries, dental trauma and malocclusion. Furthermore, children completed the Spanish version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11‐14), and their parents answered questions about socio‐economic status. School coordinators provided information on the physical environment, promotion of health practices and the occurrence of negative episodes in the school. There were three outcomes: grades obtained in Spanish language and mathematics and the number of missed school days. Multilevel linear and Poisson regression models were conducted using a hierarchical approach to include the variables guided by a previously created direct acyclic graph. Results: Children with dental trauma and higher CPQ11‐14 scores showed lower grades and school attendance. Schoolchildren from schools with episodes of vandalism had more school days missed. Conclusion: The school performance of 12‐year‐old children is affected by dental trauma and by a worse OHRQoL, as well as a negative school environment. Therefore, supportive environments and promoting health measures in schools could overcome this worse academic performance in children with oral health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the estimated prevalence of ADHD in the school population is 5%, various studies carried out in Latin America have obtained higher figures. This descriptive‐cross‐sectional research analysed the prevalence of ADHD symptomatology in a random and probabilistic sample of 1535 schoolchildren from Cuenca‐Ecuador (aged from 72 to 164 months, 51.3% were female and 50% attended public schools). IQ was evaluated using the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. The ADHD symptomatology was evaluated using the short version of Conners‐3. Descriptive statistics, chisquares and prevalence data were calculated. We found a total prevalence of ADHD symptomatology of 20.3%. A higher prevalence of ADHD symptomatology was reported among girls compared to boys; and in public schools (compared to private schools). These findings may reflect a higher occurrence of ADHD in vulnerable populations that tend to be less well cared for. Although the results do not come from complete individual clinical evaluations, the representativeness of the sample and the simultaneous presence of scores above the cut‐off points in the home and school contexts show a worrying situation that should be taken into account by agents responsible for the design of public health and education policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of increased uncertainty and a slow economic recovery, it is crucial to protect populations from the effects of systemic crises beyond the narrow goal of poverty reduction. In Ecuador, social assistance programs had little effect in reducing earnings losses caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, leading to a renewed discussion on the implementation of a universal basic income (UBI). This study evaluates the potential impact of social assistance reforms using tax‐benefit microsimulation techniques. Four simulated counterfactual reforms are assessed, ranging from an extension of current social assistance programs to the implementation of UBI, which would replace existing programs and be partially funded through progressive personal income tax and social security contributions. Our findings demonstrate that poverty and inequality would decrease significantly under the more generous UBI scenarios. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on the potential benefits of UBI in reducing poverty and inequality and emphasizes the importance of considering alternative social assistance reforms in the face of growing systemic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferns are known to have a lower incidence of mycorrhization than angiosperms. It has been suggested that this results from carbon being more limiting to fern growth than nutrient availability, but this assertion has not been tested yet. In the present study, we took advantage of a fertilization experiment with nitrogen and phosphorus on cloud forest plots of the Ecuadorean Andes for 15 years. A previous analysis revealed changes in the abundances of fern species in the fertilized plots compared to the control plots and hypothesized that this might be related to the responses of the mycorrhizal relationships to nutrient availability. We revisited the plots to assess the root‐associated fungal communities of two epiphytic and two terrestrial fern species that showed shifts in abundance. We sampled and analyzed the roots of 125 individuals following a metabarcoding approach. We recovered 1382 fungal ASVs, with a dominance of members of Tremellales (Basidiomycota) and Heliotales (Ascomycota). The fungal diversity was highly partitioned with little overlap between individuals. We found marked differences between terrestrial and epiphytic species, with the latter fundamentally missing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We found no effect of fertilization on the diversity or relative abundance of the fungal assemblages. Still, we observed a direct impact of phosphorus fertilization on its concentration in the fern leaves. We conclude that fern–fungi relationships in the study site are not restricted by nutrient availability and suggest the existence of little specificity on the fungal partners relative to the host fern species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nectarivorous bats have evolved various adaptations to feeding from flowers, such as long, extensible tongues and the ability to hover. The champion of tongue length, Anoura fistulata, can extend its tongue to 150% of its body length, yet little is known about its interactions with flowers in the wild. Here we analyzed the diet of A. fistulata and co‐occurring nectar bats in eight sites across Ecuador. Results demonstrate that, despite its phenotypic specialization, A. fistulata is no more ecologically specialized in its dietary breadth than co‐occurring nectar bats. However, it prefers deeper flowers, and is the sole visitor to two species (Centropogon nigricans and Marcgravia williamsii) whose extremely deep flowers make their nectar inaccessible to other bats. Furthermore, A. fistulata only occurred in sites with at least one flower deeper than the tongue length of other nectar bats, suggesting it needs such a guaranteed nectar source to maintain a population. Finally, we found strong covariation across sites between the local tongue length of A. fistulata and the depth of the deepest flowers it visits. This suggests that the coevolutionary race that selected for the exceptional tongue length of this bat over time is also playing out in a geographic mosaic across space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Army ants are widely recognized as keystone species in neotropical rainforests due to their role as important arthropod predators. Their large‐scale raids involve thousands of workers scouring the forest floor in pursuit of prey, primarily capturing other invertebrates. Up to 20 species of army ants coexist in a rainforest, and dietary niche differentiation has been proposed as a mechanism to alleviate competition among them. Based on only a handful of study sites, however, our understanding of the precise dietary preferences and the extent of niche differentiation remains notably limited. In this study, we aimed to expand our knowledge of army ant communities by resolving an Ecuadorian predation network consisting of 244 prey species and 13 army ant species representing the five known neotropical army ant genera: Cheliomyrmex, Eciton, Labidus, Neivamyrmex, and Nomamyrmex. We collected 2156 prey items from 180 army ant raids/emigrations, and of these, we identified 1945 prey items to the family level, 1313 to the genus level, and 664 to the species level based on morphological identifications and DNA barcodes. Prey consisted primarily of other ants (1843 prey items; 153 ant species), to the largest part ant brood (N = 1726). Hence, most army ant species chiefly plundered the nests of other ants, while the three swarm raiding species, that is, Lab. praedator, Lab. spininodis, and Ec. burchellii, exhibited a relatively high proportion of non‐ant invertebrate prey in their diet. The predation network showed a high degree of specialization (H2′ = 0.65), characterized by little dietary niche overlap among sympatric species. We compared the Ecuadorian network with one previously studied in Costa Rica and found that, despite the large geographic distance, prey preferences remained remarkably similar. We discovered species‐specific preferences for captured ant genera and species, despite some species turnover in both army ants and prey. Additionally, army ants also exhibited consistent spatiotemporal raiding preferences across study sites. In conclusion, predation preferences within army ant communities exhibited consistency in multiple niche dimensions across two distant neotropical rainforests, suggesting a notable level of predictability within army ant predation networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we estimate the technical efficiency ratio for a sample of 24 financial institutions in Ecuador over the period 2015–2019. To do so, we first apply a non‐parametric method such as the data envelopment analysis (DEA). Under variable returns to scale and output‐oriented "Interest Income", the average technical efficiency for the 24 banks is 84.26% and, under output‐oriented "Other Operating Income", the average technical efficiency is 73.22%. We find that the group of large banks has higher levels of efficiency and that there are still opportunities for improvement in the group of medium and small banks. We also estimate that 80% of Ecuadorian banks need to make potential improvements either by increasing their output or reducing their inputs, such as salary costs, to increase the efficiency. In addition, the growth of the banking sector is crucial to achieve the financial development in Ecuador, being significant the efficiency indices, which show that a 1% increase in banking efficiency could increase its size by USD 605 million. By using the random effects panel data econometric model, we demonstrate that the growth of the banking industry is mostly influenced by the concentration of deposits and taxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late Permian and Triassic, the continental Mitu Group formed in extensional basins along the length of the Cordillera Oriental and Altiplano of present-day Peru. Given the presence of coeval arc systems only in northern Chile and southern Ecuador but not in Peru the tectonic setting of the Mitu basin has been interpreted variably as orthogonal continental rift, sinistral transtensional rift, aulacogen and back-arc basin. The Mitu Group comprises continental mass flow and alluvial fan, fluvial, aeolian and minor lacustrian facies and hosts thick piles of subalkaline and alkaline intermediate and felsic ignimbrites and mafic lavas. The age of the Mitu Group had originally been established as ranging from the Late Permian to the late Triassic on the basis of structural considerations and scarce biostratigraphic data. Recently, U-Pb zircon ages from ignimbrites and sedimentary rocks have been taken to constrain the Mitu Group to the Middle and Late Triassic. We performed a sedimentological, heavy mineral, and zircon geochronological and Lu-Hf isotope study of the Mitu Group in 14 sections mainly in southern and central Peru, and one section in northern Peru. Ten new U-Pb concordia ages on ignimbrites intercalated in the Mitu Group successions offer a new robust stratigraphic framework and constrain the stratigraphy of the Mitu Group between 260 and 205 Ma. In combination with maximum likelihood ages of deposition derived from detrital zircon, U-Pb geochronology places the deposition of the Mitu Group between ca. 270 and 194 Ma (lower Guadalupian into the Sinemurian). Detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions and heavy mineral assemblages reflect a strongly recycled Precambrian Amazonian and Palaeozoic proto-Andean provenance. The Palaeozoic detrital age patterns are highly variable, and temporally and spatially random. A local provenance can generally not be identified. εHf(t) values in zircon obtained from ignimbrites and sedimentary rocks indicate variable degrees of crustal recycling. In the course of the Palaeozoic, εHf(t) values become on average progressively less negative, with a large proportion particularly of Mitu age zircons' εHf(t) values encompassing less evolved and moderately juvenile compositions. Along strike of the basin stratigraphic thicknesses, and rates and times of accumulation vary strongly with larger thicknesses and rates being registered in southern Peru. This suggests that the Mitu basin had been divided into a number of subbasins with individual histories of subsidence, accumulation, and volcanism. Absent a magmatic arc, late Permian-Triassic Peru evolved in a sinistral plate tectonic and regional framework expressed particularly in the sinistral Late Gondwanide orogeny predating the Mitu Group. We interpret that a sinistral transform fault linked the subduction zones in southern Ecuador and northern Chile and that the Mitu Group basin has formed by sinistral transtensional and transpressional movements along a related transcurrent fault inboard of the transform margin. In the broader framework of the accretionary Terra Australis orogen along the western Gondwana margin, this interpretation fits its evolution in the Andean segment in an internally consistent way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori gastric infection is complex and associated with increased rates of therapeutic failure. This research aimed to characterize the H. pylori infection status, strain resistance to antimicrobial agents, and the predominant lesion pattern in the gastroduodenal mucosa of patients with clinical suspicion of refractoriness to first‐ and second‐line treatment who were diagnosed and treated in a health center in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Methods: A total of 374 patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms and H. pylori infection were preselected and prescribed one of three triple therapy regimens for primary infection, as judged by the treating physician. Subsequently, 121 patients who returned to the follow‐up visit with persistent symptoms after treatment were studied. Results: All patients had H. pylori infection. Histopathological examination diagnosed chronic active gastritis in 91.7% of cases; premalignant lesions were observed in 15.8%. The three triple therapy schemes applied showed suboptimal efficacy (between 47.6% and 77.2%), with the best performance corresponding to the scheme consisting of a proton pump inhibitor + amoxicillin + levofloxacin. Bacterial strains showed very high phenotypic resistance to all five antimicrobials tested: clarithromycin, 82.9%; metronidazole, 69.7%; amoxicillin and levofloxacin, almost 50%; tetracycline, 38.2%. Concurrent resistance to clarithromycin–amoxicillin was 43.4%, to tetracycline–metronidazole 30.3%, to amoxicillin–levofloxacin 27.6%, and to clarithromycin–metronidazole 59.2%. Conclusions: In vitro testing revealed resistance to all five antibiotics, indicating that H. pylori exhibited resistance phenotypes to these antibiotics. Consequently, the effectiveness of triple treatments may be compromised, and further studies are needed to assess refractoriness in quadruple and concomitant therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]