Landslides are hazardous events that occur mainly in mountainous areas and cause substantial losses of various kinds worldwide; therefore, it is important to investigate them. In this study, a specific Machine Learning (ML) method was further analyze...
Landslides are events that cause great impact in different parts of the world. Their destructive capacity generates loss of life and considerable economic damage. In this research, several Machine Learning (ML) methods were explored to select the mos...
Natural hazards generate disasters and huge losses in several aspects, with landslides being one of the natural risks that have caused great impacts worldwide. The aim of this research was to explore a method based on machine learning to evaluate sus...
The study aims to analyze the determinants for being an immigrant in Cuenca (Ecuador). Our analysis is based on the answers given to a scale formed by 30 items included in a questionnaire administered to a representative sample of 369 immigrants. A f...
In recent years, the dental treatment of children under sedation and/or general anesthesia on an outpatient basis has been developed as a behavioral management model in pediatric dentistry. The objective of this study was to establish the percentage...
Responsible marketing (RM) helps companies make products that improve people’s lives and is in line with public policies that provide a positive impact on society; an example of this is traffic light nutritional labelling (TLNL). Ecuador was a...
(1) Background: pregnant women in underprivileged areas may face challenges that affect their oral health. The analysis of these issues such as toothaches or cavities, among others could be crucial for them. However, no studies have been conducted in...
Urban mining by recyclers represents a positive environmental impact as well as being part of the waste management chain. This paper analyzes the contribution of waste pickers in the city of Cuenca in Ecuador and the conditions of their activity. Thi...
Water chlorination, fundamental for its microbiological safety, generates by-products, such as trihalomethanes (THMs), potentially associated with carcinogenic and reproductive risks. This study determined the levels of chloroform (CHCl3) in drinking...
Traffic collisions are the seventh leading cause of death in Ecuador, with reckless driving being one of the main causes. Although there are statistical data on traffic crashes, there has not yet been a comprehensive investigation of the causes. Ther...
The impact of climate change dynamics has a multiplicative effect when the interlinkages between water and energy are considered. This also applies to climate change co-benefits that derive from adaptation and mitigation initiatives implemented at th...
On-road traffic is the primary source of air pollutants in Cuenca (2500 m. a.s.l.), an Andean city in Ecuador. Most of the buses in the country run on diesel, emitting high amounts of NOx (NO + NO2) and PM2.5, among other air pollutants. Currently, a...
A key factor for achieving healthy environments in residential buildings is the provision of high indoor environmental quality (IEQ) with respect to the acceptance by its occupants, based on levels of the physical parameters which contribute to IEQ....
Concrete is the most commonly construction material used worldwide. In contrast to other countries, Ecuador lacks studies that determine the environmental impact of the production of construction materials. This research presents a quantification of...
The accelerated development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has had an impact on the way tourism is carried out today. The concept of smart cities and smart destinations is gaining momentum, which also requires smart consumers, i...
Combined sewer overflow (CSO) is one of the main causes of contamination in receiving bodies during the rainy period. The objective of this research was to evaluate the behavior of three combined sewage discharges into the Tomebamba River in the city...
27 April 2021
A door-to-door survey was organised in Cuenca, Ecuador, to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 infection and adherence of the population to COVID-19 preventive measures. A total of 2457 persons participated in the study; 584 (23.7%) reported having...
Urban architectural heritage and its social manifestations are immersed in dynamics beyond their origin and conservation vision. Contemporary society reinterprets, reconfigures and resignifies it according to its own logics of empowerment. In this co...
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is dangerous to human health. At midnight on 31 December, in Ecuadorian cities, people burn puppets and fireworks, emitting high amounts of PM2.5. On 1 January 2022, concentrations between 27.3 and 40.6 µg m&minu...
Several cities in developing countries are challenging the permanent process of urbanization. This generates a great disturbance on the hydrological response of the urbanized area during rainfall events, which can cause floods. Among the disturbances...
Integrating renewable energy into heritage buildings poses technical, aesthetic, and regulatory challenges, especially in Andean cities with a rich historical legacy, such as Cuenca, Ecuador. This study addresses the design and implementation of a pr...
Background: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a serious public health issue due to their high prevalence and a substantial percentage of women being asymptomatic. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of three STD-causative patho...
A main restriction of renewables from intermittent sources is the mismatch between energy resource availability and energy requirements, especially when extensive power plants are producing at their highest potential causing huge energy surpluses. In...
The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon is caused by the anthropic alteration of the natural environment by urban expansion, its impermeable surfaces, and anthropic activities. In addition, urban morphology can also contribute to the increase in tempe...
Energy development based on renewable energy has gained widespread acceptance in society, especially in recent years. Among the initiatives currently being promoted are those promoted by higher education institutions that utilize available space on t...
A park-and-ride (P&R) system is a set of facilities where private vehicle users can transfer to public transport to continue their journey. The main advantage of the system is decreasing the congestion in the central business district. This paper...
12 April 2022
Background: HPV primary screening has shown effectiveness for cancer prevention; however, gynaecological examination is considered uncomfortable. Self-sampling methods increase the acceptance of screening. The aim of this study is to compare the sens...
This research presents a renewable energy system that takes advantage of the energy potential available in the territory. This study emerges as a relevant option to provide solutions to geological risk areas where there are buildings that, due to eme...
This study evaluates a solar-powered electric mobility pilot implemented at the University of Cuenca (Ecuador), combining two electric vans with daytime charging from a 35 kWp PV microgrid. Real-world monitoring with SCADA covered one year of operati...
Cryptosporidium and Giardia are infectious parasitic forms widely distributed in aquatic ecosystems and resistant to disinfection of drinking water. Their presence was investigated in the lower areas of the city’s four rivers through a four-sta...
Understanding the relationship between urban fabrics and sustainability is essential for addressing contemporary urban challenges, as urban fabrics provide critical morphological and socio-economic data that enhance our understanding of the performan...
Due to the environmental impact of using fossil fuels, alternatives for the generation of biofuels are being studied. An option for this problem is to obtain biodiesel from recycled vegetable oil. Studies show that basic homogeneous catalysis has adv...
In most countries, landslides have caused severe socioeconomic impacts on people, cities, industrial establishments, and lifelines, such as highways, railways, and communication network systems. Socioeconomic losses due to slope failures are very hig...
Background/Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) significantly affects women’s health worldwide, but its specific prevalence in Ecuador is not well documented. This research aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence among sexual...
Self-sampling methods for HPV testing have been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and specific. The implementation of these methods in settings with a lack of infrastructure or medical attention has been shown to increase the coverage of cervical c...
Active mobility to school (AMS) has been identified as a pivotal element in promoting health and physical activity during childhood, adolescence, and beyond. However, the importance of AMS is often downplayed or disregarded in urban and transportatio...
Petroleum-derived products, such as lubricant oils, are non-renewable resources that, after use, must be collected and processed properly to avoid negative environmental impacts. A circular economy of used oils requires the re-refining and reuse of t...
A case study of domestic abuse is presented from the perspective of the socio-structural basis of gender violence. The research analyzes gender violence based on the accounts of a group of 30 women who have suffered abuse and have filed reports at th...
In remote areas with steep topography, such as the Tropical Andes, reliable precipitation data with a high temporal resolution are scarce. Therefore, studies focusing on the diurnal properties of precipitation are hampered. In this paper, we investig...
The transition to electric public transportation is crucial for reducing the carbon footprint and promoting environmental sustainability. However, successful implementation requires strong public policies, including tax incentives and educational pro...
Previous research has assessed the potential of solar energy against possible demand; however, the sustainability issues associated with the use of large-scale photovoltaic deployment in urban areas have not been jointly established. In this paper, t...
Low-temperature solar thermal energy is a viable and mature alternative to reduce the use of fossil fuels for domestic hot water heating. The impact of the inclusion of this technology in the energy matrix in the Andean city of Cuenca, Ecuador, is an...
Vehicular emissions are a major contributor to air pollution and respiratory morbidity in Ecuador’s urban centers. Despite increasing evidence of traffic-related health impacts, national research remains fragmented and unevenly distributed. Thi...
In 2017, the government of Ecuador established the minimum quantity of water required to be provided for free by drinking water utilities. Ecuador recognized the access to water as a fundamental human right because it guarantees the good living, know...
Ecuador, like every country in the world, urgently requires a conversion of transportation to electric power, both for economic and environmental reasons. This paper focuses on the technical and economic feasibility of a solar-powered electric chargi...
The high penetration of photovoltaic solar generation and electric vehicles in developing countries and with vertically integrated electricity markets with restrictive regulatory policies enhance demand management and the participation of prosumers i...
Cities play a vital role in creating wealth and ensuring the well-being of all their inhabitants. However, major international efforts aimed at fostering fairer, healthier, and a more sustainable world have been compromised by the widespread effects...
This research focuses on the measurement of the solar generation potential on the roads of the Andean city of Cuenca, Ecuador, and its application in electric vehicles. The tests were conducted in real environments, whereby natural and artificial str...
The popular and solidarity economy (EPS) emerges as an alternative approach to poverty aligned with the principles of sustainable development; in this sense, some countries in the region have adopted policies for its growth and development, among the...
17 October 2019
Many deaf women face the lack of numerous resources related to their personal development. The unavailability of proper information on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), in particular, causes problems of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted p...
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