Classification of Severity of Lung Parenchyma Using Saliency and Discrete Cosine Transform Energy in Computed Tomography of Patients With COVID-19.

This study proposes an automated system for assessing lung damage severity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients using computed tomography (CT) images. These preprocessed CT images identify the extent of pulmonary parenchyma (PP) and ground-glass opacity and pulmonary infiltrates (GGO-PIs). Two types of images-saliency () image and discrete cosine transform (DCT) energy image-were generated from these images.

First Report of Causing Soft Rot in Bananas in Ecuador.

Bananas are Ecuador's second largest non-oil export product, and the quality of its fruit has established a strong presence in international markets. One-third of the world's banana exports originate from Ecuador. The Ecuadorian banana market is diversified, exporting fruit to various countries worldwide, making it a vital socio-economic and food security support for the country.

Evaluation of the transmission of Anaplasma marginale by Amblyomma tonelliae.

This study aimed to evaluate A. marginale transstadial (TST) and transovarial transmission (TOT) by Amblyomma tonelliae through vector competence assays and analysis of natural infection in free-living ticks. This three-host tick species was chosen as model because it is a usual parasite of cattle in all their parasitic stages, making them potential vectors through TST or TOT.

Established populations of Ixodes silvanus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Chaco Serrano, Argentina.

The aim of the study was to report the occurrence of Ixodes silvanus outside its distribution range, in the Chaco Serrano vegetation unit of the Chaco Phytogeographic Province, central Argentina. Ticks were collected from vegetation and on birds between November 2021 and December 2023. A possible seasonal activity was observed in the immature stages of I.

Serovar Infantis KPC-2 Producer: First Isolate Reported in Ecuador.

Antimicrobial resistance is currently considered a public health threat. Carbapenems are antimicrobials for hospital use, and Enterobacterales resistant to these β-lactams have spread alarmingly in recent years, especially those that cause health care-associated infections. The gene is considered one of the most important genetic determinants disseminated by plasmids, promoting horizontal gene transfer.