La Combustión con Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) es una tecnología emergente que permite generar energía con captura inherente de CO₂, posicionándose como alternativa sostenible frente a métodos convencionales. Este estudio evalúa modelos de simulación de reactores, desde enfoques de equilibrio hasta modelos cinéticos, aplicados en softwares como ANSYS Fluent y COMSOL Multiphysics. Se destacan aplicaciones en generación eléctrica, producción de hidrógeno y procesamiento de combustibles fósiles, junto con retos como selección de materiales, reducción de costos y adaptación a diversas fuentes. Los minerales de manganeso OXMN009 y OXMN009P muestran alta eficiencia, confirmando que la optimización de modelos y materiales es clave para la viabilidad industrial del CLC
Background and Aim: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli represents an increasing One Health threat because of its dissemination among humans, animals, and the environment and its frequent association with multidrug resistance (MDR). Companion animals may serve as reservoirs of clinically important resistant bacteria; however, molecular epidemiological information on ESBL-producing E. coli in domestic cats from Ecuador remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, β-lactamase gene distribution, and potential risk factors associated with ESBL-producing E. coli carriage in domestic cats from Machala, Ecuador. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2023 to August 2024 involving 199 domestic cats presented to the Veterinary Clinic of the Universidad Técnica de Machala. Rectal swabs were cultured on CHROMagar™ ESBL, and ESBL production was phenotypically confirmed using the double-disk synergy test according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against 12 agents was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect 𝑏𝑙𝑎CTX−M, 𝑏𝑙𝑎SHV, and 𝑏𝑙𝑎TEM. MDR was defined as non-susceptibility to at least one antimicrobial agent in three or more categories. Risk factor associations were evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. Results: ESBL-producing E. coli was detected in 83 of 199 cats, corresponding to a prevalence of 41.7% (95% confidence interval: 35.1–48.7). The 𝑏𝑙𝑎CTX−M gene predominated in 60/83 isolates (72.3%), followed by 𝑏𝑙𝑎TEM in 19/83 (22.9%) and 𝑏𝑙𝑎SHV in 1/83 (1.2%). At least one targeted gene was detected in 64/83 isolates (77.1%), whereas 19/83 phenotypically positive isolates lacked all three targeted genes. MDR was observed in 74/83 isolates (89.2%). All isolates remained susceptible to imipenem and meropenem, whereas the highest resistance rates were recorded for trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, cefepime, levofloxacin, and doxycycline. None of the evaluated risk factors was significantly associated with ESBL gene positivity. Conclusion: Domestic cats in Machala showed a high prevalence of 𝑏𝑙𝑎CTX−M-dominant, multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli. These findings indicate widespread community dissemination and support the inclusion of companion animals in Ecuadorian antimicrobial resistance surveillance and stewardship programs under a coordinated One Health framework.
Background:Acute bronchiolitis, mainly attributed to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), is the leading cause of infant hospitalization for lower respiratory tract disease worldwide. Nirsevimab and maternal RSVpreF (Abrysvo) confer about 6 months of protection, so timing relative to the season affects their impact. Ecuador spans the equator from sea level to valleys above 4,000 m and is considering introducing these products, yet lacks subnational evidence on the seasonality of bronchiolitis, altitudinal patterning, or post-pandemic stability. Methods:We conducted a national ecological time-series analysis of hospital discharges from the Ecuadorian Statistics Institute, 2007-2024 (19,788,097 discharges; 204 of 224 cantons had complete data and formed the analytic panel). The primary outcome was acute bronchiolitis (ICD-10 code J21) in children younger than 12 months (n = 23,190 nationally; 22,724 in the panel), with secondary outcomes across three RSV-relevant age bands, ICD-10 code J21 under 5 years, and two RSV-specific ICD-10 codes (J12.1 and J20.5; 2018-2024). K35 (appendicitis) was a negative control. Analyses combined circular seasonality metrics with block-bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs), year-by-year disaggregation, and complementary sensitivity analyses [Moving Epidemics Method (MEM), Bai-Perron breaks, and lagged climate correlations]. Results:The weighted circular peak month of infant bronchiolitis hospitalizations shifted after the pandemic in Costa (+2.16 months), Sierra (+1.22), and Amazonía (+1.91), attenuating with altitude from +2.19 months below 500 m to +0.88 at 1,500-3,000 m. Costa was stable across 2022-2024; Sierra and, more so, Amazonía varied widely year to year (Amazonía peak ranged March-July, n = 37-42/year), so the pooled estimate should be read with caution. The composite RSV-coded outcome tracked ICD-10 code J21's timing closely in Costa (0.15-month difference) and Sierra (0.40), supporting ICD-10 code J21 as a reasonable RSV proxy in both, and the three regional peaks now span 2 months. Conclusion:Bronchiolitis seasonality in Ecuador changed after the pandemic, most clearly and stably in Costa; Sierra showed a transient 2022 perturbation with partial reversion by 2023-2024, and Amazonía's estimates remained unstable and underpowered. As region-tailored estimates are less stable in Sierra and Amazonía than in Costa, a single national window (nirsevimab February-April; maternal RSVpreF for pregnancies expected to deliver January-May) is a more defensible starting point, pending confirmation from further seasons and, ideally, laboratory-confirmed surveillance.
Mosquitoes are major vectors of human and animal diseases, making their accurate identification essential for vector surveillance and control. However, morphological identification has often been challenging, requiring taxonomic expertise and well-preserved specimens. Molecular markers, particularly DNA barcoding, offer an effective alternative for identifying both adult and immature stages. Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, a diversity that is also evident in its Culicidae fauna. This study provides a comprehensive revision of Ecuadorian mosquitoes, updating the national checklist and emphasizing species of public health importance. For species identification, an integrative approach was used combining morphology and DNA barcoding (COI and ITS2 regions). We list 266 species in 22 genera, of which 17 species are new national records, and 33 species are validated through molecular analysis. The updated checklist highlights Ecuador’s Culicidae diversity across its biogeographic regions, which represent 7% of the world’s mosquito diversity. These findings provide a critical foundation for future entomological research and vector control in the country.
Klebsiella quasipneumoniae are Gram-negative capsulated, non-motile, facultative anaerobic rods. It is one of the species that belongs to K. pneumoniae complex. Human infections related to K. quasipneumoniae are exceedingly rare. Here, we present a case of K. quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae pneumonia in hospitalized patient with liver cancer. Strain identification was performed by mass spectrometry method and whole-genome sequencing. The isolate was extended spectrum beta-lactamase positive and possessed the blaSHV-18 gene. Genome sequence analysis of the isolate revealed the presence of virulence factors genes entA, entB, fepC, ompA, ykgK, and yagVWXYZ. The isolate demonstrated in vitro susceptibility to carbapenems, but, however, was classified as multidrug resistant with limited therapeutic options. To understand the significance of K. quasipneumoniae in human infections, it is important to distinguish it from other species of the K. pneumoniae complex.
