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Item Metadata only When Memes Become a Serious Business: Memetics as a Political Communication Strategy in the United States and Ecuador(202-10-01) Carrillo Andrade, Andrea del Carmen; López Paredes, Marco Vinicio; Andrea Carrillo, Andrade del CarmenThe media convergence model refers to a context in which the information is produced by every and anybody, without intermediates or filters. This offers new possibilities for citizens and politicians to interact and frame situations. One way to do so is by memetics. Memes have 3 main characteristics: (1) Diffuse at the micro level but shape the macro structure of society; (2) Use cultural items that people can potentially imitate; (3) Travel through competition and selection. When it comes to political memes, few research has been held. That is why the research question that arises is how memes allow prosumers to interact and opine about politicians? The present investigation based in multimodal analysis compares memes among United States and Ecuador when former Presidents were banned from social networks. It concludes that public discussion memes are the preferred ones for prosumers; they use cultural items to create situational jokes and make fun of politicians. These memes imitate instead of creating new messages, are restricted about the topics and generate polarized meanings.Item Open Access 
Detecçao rápida de Salmonella enteritidis em alimentos por ensaio imunoenzimatico Elisa(2003) Alcocer Negrete, Iliana del Rocío; Alcocer Negrete, Iliana Del RocíoTraditional cultural methods for the detection of Salmonella in foods is a labour-intensive and time-consuming, taking 4 to 5 days for the final results to be known. Therefore, simplified and rapid methods are required for both diagnosis of foodborne diseases and microbiological food quality control. The aim of this study was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of Salmonella Enteritidis in foods. The assay used a polyclonal detector antibody to flagelin raised in rabbit. The method sensitivity was of 10 cells/mL of pure culture. The horseradish peroxidase conjugate was stabel up to two months at 4°C and for this reason it should be used only during this period.Item Metadata only Would tropical climatic variations impact the genetic variability of triatomines: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, principal vector of Chagas disease in Ecuador?(2009-09) Villacis Salazar, Anita Gabriela; Yumiseva Marín, Cesar Alberto; Villacis Salazar, Anita GabrielaRhodnius ecuadoriensis is one of the most important vector species of Chagas disease in Ecuador. This species is distributed in the Central coast region and in the south Andean region, and an incipient speciation process between these geographical populations was previously proposed. The current population genetics study only focused on the Central coast region and analyzed 96 sylvatic specimens of R. ecuadoriensis associated with Phytelephas aequatorialis palm trees. We used Cytb and 16S-rRNA sequences and a Cytb-16S-rRNA concatenated set to explore (i) the genetic variability, spatial structuring, and demographic history of R. ecuadoriensis, and to determine (ii) the relationship between the genetic and climatic variabilities. A particularly high genetic variability was observed without detectable general genetic structure; only some terminal genetic clusters were observed. We did not observe isolation by geographical distance (IBD), and it is likely that ancient expansion occurred, according to Fs index and mismatch distribution for Cytb-16S-rRNA concatenated sequences. Hierarchical clustering showed that the current locality origins of the bugs were grouped into four bioclimatic clusters. Genetic and bioclimatic distances were not correlated, but some genetic clusters were associated with bioclimatic ones. The results showed an ancient evolution of the species in the region with a possible old expansion. The absence of spatial genetic structure could be due to climatic conditions (possible selection of singular genotypes) and to passive transportation of palms tree materials where R. ecuadoriensis are living.Item Open Access Sex, subdivision, and domestic dispersal of Trypanosoma Cruzi Lineage I in southern Ecuador(2010) Ocaña Mayorga, Sofía Beatriz; Costales Cordero, Jaime Alfredo; Grijalva Cobo, Mario Javier; Ocaña Mayorga, Sofía BeatrizMolecular epidemiology at the community level has an important role in zoonotic disease control programmes where genetic markers are suitably variable to unravel the dynamics of local transmission. We evaluated the molecular diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, in southern Ecuador (Loja Province). This kinetoplastid parasite has traditionally been a paradigm for clonal population structure in pathogenic organisms. However, the presence of naturally occurring hybrids, mitochondrial introgression, and evidence of genetic exchange in the laboratory question this dogma. Eighty-one parasite isolates from domiciliary, peridomiciliary, and sylvatic triatomines and mammals were genotyped across 10 variable microsatellite loci. Two discrete parasite populations were defined: one predominantly composed of isolates from domestic and peridomestic foci, and another predominantly composed of isolates from sylvatic foci. Spatial genetic variation was absent from the former, suggesting rapid parasite dispersal across our study area. Futhermore, linkage equilibrium between loci, Hardy-Weinberg allele frequencies at individual loci, and a lack of repeated genotypes are indicative of frequent genetic exchange among individuals in the domestic/peridomestic population. These data represent novel population-level evidence of an extant capacity for sex among natural cycles of T. cruzi transmission. As such they have dramatic implications for our understanding of the fundamental genetics of this parasite. Our data also elucidate local disease transmission, whereby passive anthropogenic domestic mammal and triatomine dispersal across our study area is likely to account for the rapid domestic/peridomestic spread of the parasite. Finally we discuss how this, and the observed subdivision between sympatric sylvatic and domestic/peridomestic foci, can inform efforts at Chagas disease control in Ecuador.Item Open Access Modeling disease vector occurrence when detection is imperfect: infestation of Amazonian Palm Trees by Triatomine bugs at three spatial scales(2010) Grijalva, Mario; Abad-Franch, Fernando.Failure to detect a disease agent or vector where it actually occurs constitutes a serious drawback in epidemiology. In the pervasive situation where no sampling technique is perfect, the explicit analytical treatment of detection failure becomes a key step in the estimation of epidemiological parameters. We illustrate this approach with a study of Attalea palm tree infestation by Rhodnius spp. (Triatominae), the most important vectors of Chagas disease (CD) in northern South America. The probability of detecting triatomines in infested palms is estimated by repeatedly sampling each palm. This knowledge is used to derive an unbiased estimate of the biologically relevant probability of palm infestation. We combine maximum-likelihood analysis and information-theoretic model selection to test the relationships between environmental covariates and infestation of 298 Amazonian palm trees over three spatial scales: region within Amazonia, landscape, and individual palm. Palm infestation estimates are high (40–60%) across regions, and well above the observed infestation rate (24%). Detection probability is higher (,0.55 on average) in the richest-soil region than elsewhere (,0.08). Infestation estimates are similar in forest and rural areas, but lower in urban landscapes. Finally, individual palm covariates (accumulated organic matter and stem height) explain most of infestation rate variation. Individual palm attributes appear as key drivers of infestation, suggesting that CD surveillance must incorporate local-scale knowledge and that peridomestic palm tree management might help lower transmission risk. Vector populations are probably denser in rich-soil sub-regions, where CD prevalence tends to be higher; this suggests a target for research on broad-scale risk mapping. Landscape-scale effects indicate that palm triatomine populations can endure deforestation in rural areas, but become rarer in heavily disturbed urban settings. Our methodological approach has wide application in infectious disease research; by improving eco-epidemiological parameter estimation, it can also significantly strengthen vector surveillance-control strategies.Item Open Access Hemidactylus mabouia MOREAU DE JONNES, 1818 and H. Frenatus SCHLEGEL, 1836 in western Ecuador: new records reveal range extension(2010) Torres Carvajal, Lenin Omar; Carvajal-Campos, AmarantaThe name Hemidactylus (GRAY, 1845) specifies a group of nocturnal geckos occurring naturally through much of tropical Asia and Africa (CARRANZA & ARNOLD 2006). This genus comprises more than 80 species, eight of which are known as successful invasive species, H. mabouia (MOREAU DE JONNÈS, 1818), H. frenatus SCHLEGEL in DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1836, H. turcicus (LINNAEUS, 1758), H. brookii GRAY, 1845, H. garnotii DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1836, H. persicus ANDERSON, 1872, H. flaviviridis RÜPPELL, 1835, and H. bowringii (GRAY, 1845) (CARRANZA & ARNOLD 2006). These species are frequently found in human settlements, therefore their invasive range could well be the result of human introduction, along with some natural transmarine journeys (CAR- RANZA & ARNOLD 2006). Displacement of native species by invasive Hemidactylus has been suggested (BALDO et al. 2008), and there are some cases, in which the introduction of H. mabouia and H. frenatus has affected natural populations of lizards, irrespective of their ecology and biology (PETREN et al. 1993; CASE et al. 1994; MESHAKA 2000).Item Open Access On the distribution and habitat of the Gurney`s buzzard Buteo poecilochrous in Colombia and Ecuador(2010) De Vries Postma, Tjitte; Cabot, José.We present distribution records of the Gurney´s Buzzard Buteo poecilochrous in the high Andean region of Colombia and Ecuador. We found a total of 32 localities where the species has been recorded, either as verified study skins, field observations by ourselves and other experienced observers and bibliographic citations. The buzzard is locally common in grassy paramos of the volcanoes of the western and eastern cordilleras of Ecuador above elevations of 3000 m and has so far been recorde north to 1 N in southern Nariño Department in Colombia. Furhter south in Ecuador the species becomes rare as the highlands remain mostly below 3000 m and the páramos are mainly bush páramos. All nest sites of B. poecilochrous in Ecuador were on cliffs between 3500 and 4600 m. The Gurney´s Buzzard is sedentary and territorial, and polyandrous groups have been recorded at Antisana Mountain in Ecuador.Item Open Access Taxonomic and plumage relationship between red-backed buzzards Buteo polyosoma and Buteo poecilochrous(2010) De Vries Postma, Tjitte; Cabot, José.Item Open Access Genetic differentiation within the Puccinia triticina popuation in South America and Comparison with the North American Population suggests common ancestry and intercontinental migration(2010) Ordoñez Maldonado, María Eugenia; Ordoñez, M.E.Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina, is the most prevalent and widespread disease of wheat in South America. The objective of this study was to determine whether genetically differentiated groups of P. triticina are currently present in South America and to compare the South American population with the previously characterized population in North America. In total, 130 isolates of P. triticina from the wheat- growing regions of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, mostly from the 1990s to 2008, were tested for virulence on 20 lines of wheat with single genes for leaf rust resistance and for molecular genotypes with 23 simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers. After removal of isolates with identical virulence and SSR genotypes, 99 isolates were included for further analysis. Principal coordinate analysis plots indicated five different groups of isolates based on SSR genotypes that also differed for virulence to leaf rust resistance genes. All pairs of groups, except for one pair, were significantly differentiated for SSR genotypes according to RST statistics. All but two pairs of groups were significantly differentiated for virulence phenotype according to ΦPT statistics. Isolates in all five groups had high values of fixation index for SSR alleles and linkage dis- equilibrium was high across all isolates that indicated the clonal repro- duction of urediniospores. Only one of the five P. triticina groups from South America was differentiated for SSR genotypes from all of the six P. triticina groups from North America. The high degree of similarity for SSR genotype of isolates from both South America and North America suggested a common European origin of P. triticina that was introduced to both continents. The emergence of the same P. triticina virulence phenotypes with highly related SSR genotypes in the United States in 1996 and in Uruguay in 1999 indicated the likely intercontinental migra- tion of these genotypes from Mexico to both South America and North America.Item Open Access Using museum collection to detect pathogens(2010) Grijalva Cobo, Mario Javier; Pinto, Miguel.Item Open Access Mammalia, Chiroptera, Thyropteridae, Thyroptera tricolor Spix, 1823: Distribution extension in Ecuador(2010) Burneo Núñez, Santiago Fernando; Boada, Carlos E.In Ecuador, Thyroptera tricolor is distributed on the northern coastal region, in Amazonia, and in the foothills of the Andes between 50 to 1,800 m of altitude. We reported a capture of a non-breeding female at El Descanso, Los Ríos Province, in the central coastal region of Ecuador. With this record, we have extended the geographical distribution of T. tricolor in Ecuador 55 km further south. Using the available data for Ecuador, a predictive distribution model was generated using a Maximum Entropy approach.Item Open Access Mammalia, Chiroptera, Emballonuridae, Peropteryx leucoptera Peters, 1867 and Peropteryx pallidoptera Lim, Engstrom, Reid, Simmons, Voss and Fleck, 2010: Distributional range extensions in Ecuador(2010) Burneo Núñez, Santiago Fernando; McDonough, Molly M.We reevaluate vouchered records of Peropteryx leucoptera in Ecuador with regard to the morphologically similar and newly described species, P. Pollidoptera. The western-most distributional occurence of P. Pallidoptera is documented. Additionally, we describe a new record of P. leucoptera collected at Palma Roja, Cuyabeno Faunistic Reserve in Sucumbíos Province, Ecuador that represents the first record for this species in Sucumbíos Province and the northern-most distributional occurrence for Ecuador.Item Open Access Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Lampronycteris brachyotis (Dobson, 1879): First confirmed record for Ecuador(2010) Burneo Núñez, Santiago Fernando; Tirira, Diego G.Herein we report the first record of Lampronycteris brachyotis in Ecuador, which extends its range about 570 km west of the nearest previously known publised record in Loreto, Peru. We caputed an adult male on 31 October 2008 in Tarangaro, near the Manderoyacu River, Pastaza province. This locality is placed in a flat, periodically flooded river valley, with small estuaries. The forest is well preserved with high canopy trees. There also are small agricultural patches in the zone.Item Open Access Oenocarpus bataua Mart. (Arecaceae): Rediscovering a Source of High Oleic Vegetable Oil from Amazonia(2010) Montufar Galarraga, Rommel Joselo; Montúfar, Rommel.The fatty acid (FA) composition of Oenocarpus bataua oil from 38 samples collected over a large geographical range (i.e. French Guiana and Peru) was analyzed. Fifteen fatty acids were obtained from the mesocarp of this palm species. Oleic (72.7%) and palmitic (18.1%) acids were the predominant FAs. Minor FAs were cis- vaccenic acid (2.3%), linoleic acid (1.9%), stearic acid (1.7%), palmitoleic (0.9%) and alpha-linolenic acid (0.8%). The mean lipid content of the dry mesocarp was 51.6%. The O. bataua oil samples analyzed were remarkably rich in alfa-tocopherol. By contrast, the other fractions of the unsaponifiable matter (sterols, carotenoids) did not show any noteworthy specificity in comparison with common vegetable oils. However, the particularly high percentage in 5-avenasterol of O. bataua oil could serve as a marker for its authentication. Results are discussed in terms of the potential nutritional value of O. bataua oil.Item Open Access Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic position of Osteocephalus festae (Anura, Hylidae) with description of its larva(2010) Ron Melo, Santiago Rafael; Ron, Santiago R.Osteocephalus festae is an Amazonian species recently resurrected from a synonymy with O. buckleyi. Be- cause few specimens are known, its morphological variation, diagnostic characters, and distribution are poorly understood. Herein we determine its phylogenetic relationships and provide a complete taxonomic account based on recently collected specimens (adults and larvae) from nine localities in Ecuador and Peru. Osteocephalus festae is most similar to O. verruciger from which it differs in having less tuberculate dorsal skin on males, smaller tympanum, and more tooth rows in the oral disk of larvae. A phylogeny based on mitochondrial DNA sequences, genes 12S and ND1, shows that O. festae is closely related to O. buckleyi, O. mutabor and O. verruciger. A clade consisting of O. festae, O. verruciger, and O. buckleyi is characterized by stream dwelling tadpoles. Surprisingly, we found paraphyly among Ecuadorian popula- tions of O. buckleyi and O. verruciger. The causes for paraphyly are unknown but in O. buckleyi may result from the existence of cryptic species.Item Open Access A new species of Engystomops (Anura: Leiuperidae) from southwestern Ecuador(2010) Ron Melo, Santiago Rafael; Ron, Santiago R.We describe Engystomops puyango sp. nov. from the lowlands of southwestern Ecuador. The new species is closely related to E. pustulatus from which it differs in skin texture, advertisement call, and karyotype features. The new species also differs from E. pustulatus at genes 12S and 16S of mitochondrial DNA (6.5%–6.8% of sequence divergence). A phylogeny based on mtDNA shows that E. sp. nov. is part of a clade of Engystomops distributed below 1300 m in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The new species occurs in Evergreen Lower Montane Forest and Foothill Semideciduous Costa Forest. The karyotype of the new species has 2n = 20 chromosomes which represents the first known reduction in chromosome number in Leiuperidae (2n = 22). Its advertisement calls as well as those of E. pustulatus have a facultative component that resembles the chuck in calls of E. pustulosus but that are less discrete and have lower acoustic complexity.Item Open Access A new species of dactyloid anole (Iguanidae, Polychrotinae, Anolis) from the southeastern slopes of the Andes of Ecuador(2010) Torres Carvajal, Lenin Omar; Ayala-Varela, FernandoWe describe a new species of Anolis from the southeastern slopes of the Andes of Ecuador, province of Zamora-Chinchipe, Parque Nacional Podocarpus. It belongs to (1) the aequatorialis species-group by be- ing of moderate to large size with narrow toe lamellae, and (2) the eulaemus sub-group by having a typical Anolis digit, in which the distal lamellae of phalanx II distinctly overlap the proximal scales of phalanx I. The new species is most similar morphologically to A. fitchi but differs from it mainly by having a dewlap with longitudinal rows of 2−5 granular, minute scales separated by naked skin (longitudinal rows of one or two keeled, large scales separated by naked skin in A. fitchi) and a vertically shorter dewlap (longer dewlap in A. fitchi).Item Open Access Absence of domestic triatomine colonies in an area of the coastal region of Ecuador where Chagas disease is endemic(2010) Grijalva Cobo, Mario Javier; Grijalva, Mario J.Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is considered the second most important vector of Chagas disease in Ecuador. It is distributed across six of the 24 provinces and occupies intradomiciliary, peridomiciliary and sylvatic habitats. This study was conducted in six communities within the coastal province of Guayas. Triatomine searches were conducted in domestic and peridomestic habitats and bird nests using manual searches, live-bait traps and sensor boxes. Synantrhopic mammals were captured in the domestic and peridomestic habitats. Household searches (n = 429) and randomly placed sensor boxes (n = 360) produced no live triatomine adults or nymphs. In contrast, eight nymphs were found in two out of six searched Campylorhynchus fasciatus (Troglodytidae) nests. Finally, Trypanosoma cruzi DNA was amplified from the blood of 10% of the 115 examined mammals. Environmental changes in land use (in- tensive rice farming), mosquito control interventions and lack of intradomestic adaptation are suggested among the possible reasons for the lack of domestic triatomine colonies.Item Open Access Ciprofloxacin susceptibility reduction of Salmonella strains isolated from outbreaks(2010) Alcocer Negrete, Iliana del Rocío; Souza, Roberta B.The antimicrobial susceptibility of 212 Salmonella strains isolated from patients and foods was evaluated and 45% were found to be resistant to nalidixic acid. Nalidixic acid resistant strains showed an higher minimal inhibitory concentration for ciprofloxacin than sensitive strains. During the study an increase of strains with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin was also observed.Item Open Access Theoretical Studies of Reactivity and Selectivity in some organic Reactions(2010) Meneses Olmedo, Lorena Maribel; Meneses, Lorena.Some organic reactions with biological or commercial interest have been studied by using reactivity and selectivity indices proposed in the density functional theory. The reactions studied include the electrophilic additions, the Baeyer- Villiger oxidations, and the nucleophilic substitutions. For the study, the concepts of electrophilicity and nucleophilicity have been applied as reactivity descriptors. The local hardness has been applied as well as a selectivity descriptor. In this way, the reactivity and selectivity patterns have been studied for the reactants involved in these organic reactions. They have been ranked in theoretical scales which are comparable with experimental scales obtained from kinetic data.