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Introducción: El cáncer de próstata (CP) el segundo cáncer diagnosticado en hombres, con mayor incidencia a los 66 años. La obesidad, el tabaquismo, alcoholismo y antecedentes familiares de CP se han encontrado asociados al riesgo de metástasis. El objetivo del presente estudio fue medir la aso-ciación entre factores y el estado metastásico en pacientes con CP en un centro único de referencia en Ecuador. Metodología: El presente estudio analítico, se realizó en el Hospital "Teodoro Maldonado Carbo", en Guayaquil-Ecuador, en el período enero-diciembre del 2019. El cálculo muestral fue no probabilístico, tipo censo. Se incluyeron casos con CP. Las variables fueron: edad, PSA, escala de Gleason, presencia de metástasis, sintomatología, tabaquismo, obesidad y antecedentes. Se presenta Odds Ratio como medida de asociación con intervalo de confianza del 95% y valor P. Resultados: El estudio incluyó 363 pacientes, con edad promedio de 75.2 ± 9.6 años. El grupo con metástasis fue de 202 casos (55.65%). Metástasis ósea 32.5%, pulmonar 9.6%, ganglionar 8.8% y hepático 4.75%. En la sintomatología la más frecuente fue, disuria (44.4%); el 33.6% con polaquiuria, un 13.2% hematuria y 8.8% tenesmo. El estadio Gleason-9 OR=24.85 (IC 95% 1.47-419.8) P=0.0259. El nivel de PSA >19 ng/ml OR= 6.996 (IC 95% 2.68-18.29) P=0.0001. El tabaquismo OR=2.34 (IC 95% 1.52-3.60) P=0.0001. Fueron factores protectores el valor de PSA <19 ng/ml OR=0.082 (IC 95% 0.043-0.157) P<0.0001, acudir a consulta de Hipertensión arterial OR=0.33 (IC 95% 0.161-0.691) P=0.0032 y el estadío Gleason-6 OR=0.108 (IC 95% 0.0665-9.1736) P<0.0001. Conclusión: Los niveles de PSA >19 ng/ml y el estadio Gleason >9 se asocian a la presencia de metástasis en pacientes con CP.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men, with the highest incidence at 66 years of age. Obesity, smoking, alcoholism, and a family history of PC are associated with the risk of metastasis. This study aimed to measure the association between factors and the metastatic state in patients with PC in a single reference center in Ecuador. Methodology: This analytical study was conducted at the "Teodoro Maldonado Carbo" Hospital in Guayaquil-Ecuador, January-December 2019. The sample calculation was nonprobabilistic, census type, and cases with PC were included. The variables were age, PSA, Gleason score, presence of me-tastases, symptoms, smoking, obesity, and history. The odds ratio was used to measure the associa-tion with a 95% confidence interval and P value. Results: The study included 363 patients, with a mean age of 75.2 ± 9.6 years. The group with me-tastasis included 202 patients (55.65%). Bone metastasis 32.5%, lung 9.6%, lymph nodes 8.8%, and liver 4.75%. In the symptomatology, the most frequent were dysuria (44.4%), 33.6% with pollakiuria, 13.2% hematuria, and 8.8% tenesmus. Gleason stage-9 OR=24.85 (95% CI 1.47-419.8) P=0.0259. PSA level >19 ng/ml OR= 6.996 (95% CI 2.68-18.29) P =0.0001. Smoking OR=2.34 (95% CI 1.52-3.60) P=0.0001. Protective factors were PSA value <19 ng/ml OR=0.082 (95% CI 0.043-0.157) P<0.0001, arterial hypertension consultation OR=0.33 (95% CI 0.161-0.691) P=0.0032 and stage Gleason-6 OR=0.108 (95% CI 0.0665-9.1736) P<0.0001. Conclusión: PSA levels >19 ng/ml and Gleason stage > nine are associated with metastases in patients with PC.

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The COVID-19 pandemic required a wide range of adaptations to the way that water sector operated globally. This paper looks into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Brazilian water sector and evaluates the water sector's organisational resilience from the lens of water professionals. This study uses British Standard (BS 65000:2014)'s Resilience Maturity Scale method to evaluate organisational resilience in water sector under two defined scenarios of before and during the pandemic. For this purpose, the self-assessment framework developed by Southern Water in the United Kingdom (based on BS 65000:2014), comprising of the core resilience elements of Direction, Awareness, Alignment, Learning, Strengthening, and Assurance, are used for evaluations. A qualitative-quantitative surveying method is used for data collection. A total of 14 responses to the whole questionnaire were received from May 2021 to August 2021, each representing one water company in Brazil (four local companies and ten state-owned ones). The analyses identified COVID-19 as a threat multiplier particularly to already existing financial challenges due to the pre-existing threats in water sector. Bad debt and the COVID-19 emergency measures are recognised as the main challenges by 21 % and 14 % of the survey respondents. The state-owned and local companies scored an almost similar maturity level 3, 35 % and 34 % respectively, while the local companies scored much lower at maturity level 4 i.e., 26 % as opposed to 47 % in state-owned sector. This indicates that COVID-19 has a greater impact on local companies and the needs to increase preparedness. This study replicates an international experience to raise awareness on water sector's resiliency in Brazil and how it can be improved to withstand future external shocks. It sheds light on how and what existing challenges can be exacerbated facing a global shock and proposes opportunities for improvement of resilience maturity in water sector in Brazil.

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RESUMEN En Ecuador las especies exóticas invasoras (EEI) provocan consecuencias negativas en los aspectos ecológicos, económicos y de seguridad alimentaria. Los agroecosistemas hacen parte de los sectores productivos a nivel mundial, pero son vulnerables a sufrir invasiones biológicas por la constante actividad humana y por el traslado de vegetación, tierra y semillas, por lo que deben ser constantemente monitoreados, pues desempeñan un papel importante en la economía al ser fuente de empleo. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar la influencia potencial de las EEI sobre los agroecosistemas de Ecuador continental a través del modelado del nicho ecológico. Se usó como método de modelación el algoritmo de máxima entropía y se emplearon los registros de presencia de seis especies de plantas, tres insectos y un molusco en sus regiones nativas y en zonas invadidas a nivel mundial. Los registros provienen de Global Biodiversity Information Facility y de Tropicos. Como variables explicativas se emplearon 19 variables bioclimáticas y seis variables de vegetación. Se obtuvieron los mapas de distribución geográfica potencial, las áreas de superposición de la distribución de las especies y la delimitación de las zonas de mayor riesgo. Se determinó que las condiciones ambientales de las regiones Sierra y Amazónica son idóneas para una posible invasión de seis y siete especies. Además, más del 50 % de la cobertura agropecuaria del país podría ser afectada por las especies Wasmannia rochai, Spondias purpurea L., Lissachatina fúlica y Conium maculatum L., siendo los cultivos de ciclo corto los más vulnerables a la invasión por estas especies.

ABSTRACT In Ecuador, invasive alien species (IAS) cause negative consequences in ecology, economy, and food security. Agroecosystems belong to one of the productive sectors worldwide but are vulnerable to biological invasions by constant human activity and the transfer of vegetation, soil, and seeds, so they must be constantly monitored because of their important role in the economy to be a source of employment. The objective of this research was to evaluate the potential influence of IAS on the agroecosystems of continental Ecuador through the modeling of the ecological niche. The maximum entropy algorithm was used as a modeling method, and the presence register in the native region and invaded areas at a global level of six plant species, three insect species and one mollusc species were used. Data were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Tropicos. As explanatory variables, 19 bioclimatic variables, and six vegetation variables were used. Maps of potential geographical distribution, the overlap areas of the distribution of the species, and the delimitation of the zones of greater risk were obtained. It was determined that the environmental conditions of the Sierra and the Amazonian regions are ideal for a possible invasion of most species. Moreover, more than 50 % of the agricultural coverage of the country could be affected by Wasmannia rochai, Spondias purpurea L., Lissachatina fulica, and Conium maculatum L., with short cycle crops being the most vulnerable to invasion.

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RESUMEN El síndrome de Lyme crónico representa un término controversial que agrupa un conjunto de síntomas persistentes e inespecíficos, en su mayoría reumatológicos o neurológicos, dentro de los cuales se encuentra la enfermedad postLyme, cuya incidencia epidemiológica es baja, el conocimiento fisiopatológico es controversial y el abordaje diagnóstico se basa especialmente en la interpretación clínica, dirigiendo su enfoque terapéutico hacia la resolución sintomática. Se presenta un caso de una mujer de 17 años, con enfermedad de Lyme de reciente diagnóstico, de aparente evolución de 3 años, con diagnóstico previo de enfermedad desmielinizante, que consultó por deterioro neurológico. Se revisan consideraciones científicas sobre su aproximación clínica y principios terapéuticos, los cuales se contrastan con los aplicados.

SUMMARY Chronic Lyme syndrome represents a controversial term that groups together a set of persistent and nonspecific symptoms, mostly rheumatological and / or neurological, among which is the Post Lyme Disease, whose epidemiological incidence is low, pathophysiology is controversial and the diagnostic approach is based especially on clinical interpretation, directing its therapeutic approach towards symptomatic resolution. We present a case of a female patient of 17 years of age with Lyme disease of recent diagnosis of apparent evolution of 3 years, with previous diagnosis of demyelinating disease, who consulted for neurological deterioration. Scientific considerations on its clinical approach and therapeutic principles are reviewed, contrasting them with those applied.

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A new environmental friendly methodology based on fluorescent signal enhancement of rhodamine B dye is proposed for Pb(II) traces quantification using a preconcentration step based on the coacervation phenomenon. A cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) and potassium iodine were chosen for this aim. The coacervate phase was collected on a filter paper disk and the solid surface fluorescence signal was determined in a spectrofluorometer. Experimental variables that influence on preconcentration step and fluorimetric sensitivity have been optimized using uni-variation assays. The calibration graph using zero th order regression was linear from 7.4×10(-4) to 3.4 µg L(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. Under the optimal conditions, a limit of detection of 2.2×10(-4) µg L(-1) and a limit of quantification of 7.4×10(-4) µg L(-1) were obtained. The method showed good sensitivity, adequate selectivity with good tolerance to foreign ions, and was applied to the determination of trace amounts of Pb(II) in refill solutions for e-cigarettes with satisfactory results validated by ICP-MS. The proposed method represents an innovative application of coacervation processes and of paper filters to solid surface fluorescence methodology.

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