César Vallejo University

Díaz-Ortega J.L., Caballero-Vidal J., Yupari-Azabache I.L., Sevilla J.M., Conde-Parada N.E.

Background and Objectives: Various adiposity indicators have been used to predict metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictive ability of known adiposity indicators, such as abdominal girth, girth/height and fat percentage, as well as less commonly used indicators, such as the conicity index (CI), body roundness index (BRI), visceral adiposity index (VAI) and body shape index (ABSI), to predict MetS. Materials and Methods: A total of 261 participants, including family members and graduates of a flagship school in the city of Trujillo, Peru, participated. Metabolic syndrome was assessed according to the harmonised ATP III criteria. ROC curves were analysed for each of the adiposity indicators using SPSS 26.0 statistical software. Results: The prevalence of MetS was found to be 43.4%, with a higher proportion in men (25.8%). The area under the curve (AUC) for the prediction of MetS exceeded a value of 0.8 for VAI, abdominal circumference, circumference/height and relative fat mass in both men and women, with VAI showing the highest values of 0.858 and 0.875 in women and men, with cut-off points for MetS of 2.57 and 1.73, respectively. Conclusions: VAI can be used in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome during lipid profile and anthropometric assessment.

Alvarado-García P.A., Soto-Vásquez M.R., Infantes Gomez F.M., Guzman Rodriguez N.M., Castro-Paniagua W.G.

IntroductionThe university experience often brings various personal and academic challenges that can negatively impact students’ mental health. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of a mindfulness program on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, social support, and life satisfaction among university students.MethodsA quasi-experimental study was conducted with 128 participants, divided into experimental and waiting list control groups. The experimental group participated in a mindfulness meditation program consisting of 12 weekly sessions. Pre-test and post-test measurements were performed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) to assess the variables.ResultsThe experimental group showed statistically significant differences between the study phases and the groups after the intervention for all the variables examined (p < 0.05). The effect sizes calculated using the HC3 model were stress (η2 = 0.376), anxiety (η2 = 0.538), depression (η2 = 0.091), sleep quality (η2 = 0.306), social support (η2 = 0.704), and life satisfaction (η2 = 0.510). The mindfulness program was shown to be effective in reducing levels of stress, anxiety, and depression while also improving sleep quality, social support, and life satisfaction in college students.ConclusionThese findings indicate that mindfulness meditation may be valuable for enhancing psychological well-being in educational settings.

Meneses-La-Riva M.E., Fernández-Bedoya V.H., Suyo-Vega J.A., Ocupa-Cabrera H.G., Grijalva-Salazar R.V., Ocupa-Meneses G.D.

Background: Effective communication in healthcare is essential for ensuring teamwork that is continuous, effective, and efficient. It plays a crucial role in supporting comprehensive and holistic care for patients while also guaranteeing the safety and satisfaction of the services provided. Objective: To determine the relationship between effective communication (as well as its dimensions: transmission of institutional culture, source of employee motivation, and facilitation of teamwork and conflict resolution) and teamwork among nurses in a national hospital in Peru. Methods: The research employed a quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional approach with a non-experimental design. The study population consisted of 328 nurses working in various hospital departments between January and October 2024. Data were collected using two questionnaires: The first assessed effective communication through three dimensions: transmission of institutional culture, source of employee motivation, and facilitation of teamwork and conflict resolution. The second instrument evaluated teamwork across three dimensions: institutional context, composition, and process. Results: A very strong positive correlation was observed between effective communication and teamwork among nurses, with a coefficient of 0.925 and a p value < 0.01. Conclusions: The study found a strong link between effective communication and teamwork among nurses. It underscores the role of communication, organizational culture, and motivation in strengthening teamwork, which enhances patient care and healthcare delivery. The findings highlight the impact of institutional culture, motivation, and conflict resolution, emphasizing soft skills and ethical behavior in improving team dynamics and organizational strategies.

Gago-Galvagno L.G., Elgier A.M., Tabullo A.J., Huaire-Inacio E.J., Herrera-Alvarez A.M., Zambrano-Villalba C., López F.R., Herrera-González E., Morán-Núñez O., Ochoa-Vega N.J., Ferreira de Carvalho C., Spencer R., Giraldo-Huertas J.J., del Carpio P., Robles E., et. al.

Children’s screen use is ubiquitous, with toddlers in particular demonstrating increases after the pandemic and negative associations with cognitive abilities. Thus, the objective of this cross-cultural study was to broaden and deepen existing results by describing Latin American toddlers’ screen use and its association with parental reports of language skills, developmental milestones, and sociodemographic variables. A sample of 1878 toddlers from 12 to 48 months (M.age = 27.55, SD = 9.68, male = 933, low-SES = 945) from 19 different Latin American countries was evaluated. Parent-report measures of children’s use of screens, SES, language, and developmental milestones were administered virtually or face-to-face. Results indicated that infants’ screen exposure times were longer than recommended, with TV and smartphone being the most frequent screen media among them. Also, most of the screen time was shared with an adult. These results were consistent across parent-reported SES and nationality. In addition, negative and significant associations were generally found between screen time and language skills, which were in turn positively associated with shared reading times. The frequency of shared screen use with adults demonstrated positive correlations with language skills, after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Lastly, entertainment and educational content was associated with higher levels of language skills compared to music. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the importance of promoting responsible and accompanied use of screens with age-appropriate content during the first years of life across different contexts.

López N., Coronado J., Ripoll-Córdoba D., Caldichoury N., Quispe-Ayala C., Morales-Asencio B., Quincho-Apumayta R., Castellanos C., Martínez J., Cárdenas-Valverde J., Castellanos-Alvarenga L.M., Salazar D., Flores-Poma I., Herrera-Pino J., Bada W., et. al.

IntroductionThe prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) has increased rapidly, highlighting the importance of its detection using quick tools applicable to men and women from different countries.ObjectiveTo analyze the psychometric properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test (GAD-7) by gender and country in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).MethodA cross-sectional e-health study with 12,124 participants from 15 LAC countries (54.32% women, 45.68% men) was conducted, including participants from Argentina (7.3%), Bolivia (6.7%), Colombia (10.3%), Chile (6.9%), Costa Rica (4.9%), El Salvador (5.7%), Ecuador (7.2%), Guatemala (4.7%), Panama (5.1%), Paraguay (5.7%), Peru (8.6%), Puerto Rico (5.8%), the Dominican Republic (6.6%), Uruguay (6.3%), and Venezuela (8.2%). All participants completed the GAD-7 scale digitally.ResultsA unidimensional structure of the GAD-7 was confirmed, explaining 70% of the variance. The model fit indices were adequate (RMSEA = 0.062; CFI = 0.997; TLI = 0.995; SRMR = 0.017; p &lt; 0.001), and the factor loadings for each item were satisfactory (&gt; 0.70). Additionally, the factor structure showed measurement invariance between genders and countries, with adequate fit indices at all levels (configural, metric, scalar, and strict), suggesting that the measurements are equivalent in both contexts. Finally, the internal consistency of the GAD-7 was high, with a McDonald’s Omega coefficient of 0.91.ConclusionsThe GAD-7 exhibits a factor structure that is equivalent across genders and countries, demonstrating its validity and reliability for the rapid detection of GAD symptoms in different countries within the region.

Rosales-Márquez C., Carbonell-García C.E., Miranda-Vargas V., Diaz-Zavala R., Laura-De La Cruz K.M.

Contemporary higher education must prepare students for a digital world by equipping them with both technical and critical competencies. In this context, self-confidence is key, as believing in oneself facilitates the acquisition and use of digital tools. This research aims to examine the role of self-confidence as a predictor of digital competency development among university students in Peru. A mixed-approach was employed, utilizing predictive calculations on one hand, alongside quantitative data collection and analysis through interviews. The sample consisted of 213 postgraduate students from various regions of Peru, along with 20 university professors at the postgraduate level. The study's findings confirm that self-confidence is a significant predictor of the development of digital skills in Peruvian university students. A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.484, p &lt; 0.001) was identified between the two variables, indicating that students with higher levels of self-confidence are more likely to develop advanced digital skills. These results are further reinforced by qualitative analysis, as the digitalization of education cannot be contemplated with students who lack digital skills.

Dai N., Briceno R.K., Castaneda A., Tresierra M., Esteban M., Rosas M., Hinojosa R.

Abstract Background COVID-19 has infected over 4.5 million and killed more than 222,000 people in Peru. Research on key factors for in-hospital mortality in these patients is limited. Our study aims to understand prognostic factors linked to the mortality of patients with COVID-19 receiving treatment in Peru. A modified SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was proposed. Table 1 Methods Clinical and laboratory data were collected prospectively about all patients that were admitted in the inpatient setting at Hospital De Alta Complejidad Virgen De La Puerta and Hospital víctor Lazarte Echegaray Essalud from March 1st to December 31st 2020 with a COVID-19 diagnosis clinically. Ten base predictors were first implemented using the ML algorithms such as Random Forest. Prediction performance on the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) was computed. The SHAP method was then applied to each predictor based on resampled train sets for 30 trials. Factor importance in each trial was estimated by averaging SHAP scores across all predictors, weighted by AUC. Table 2 (Part 1/3) Results After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria (n=) 1,857 patients were selected from a total of 2,000 admitted patients. Several factors out of 281 in total achieved stable importance scores with statistical significance while others were not. Among poor prognostic factors were low PaO2/FiO2 ratio (SV: 4.135, 95% CI: [4.107, 4.163]), shortness of breath (SV: 4.975, 95% CI: [4.864, 5.086]), and productive cough (SV: 2.037, 95% CI: [1.99, 2.080]). Among favorable factors were high PaO2/FiO2 ratio (SV: 3.832, 95% CI: [3.816, 3.848]), low D dimer (SV: 0.875, 95% CI: [0.859, 0.891]) and lymphocyte counts (SV: 1.319, 95% CI: [1.297, 1.340]). For medications, dexamethasone w. air (SV: 2.186, [2.095, 2.277]) was the most effective. For oxygen support, binasal cannula (SV: 0.841, 95% CI: [0.826, 0.857]) and high flow cannula (SV: 0.663, 95% CI: [0.633, 0.693]) are associated with more favorable prognosis than invasive ones. Table 2 (Part 2/3) Conclusion Clinical symptoms and evidence associating acute respiratory distress and sepsis, as well as immune responses less specific to viruses, suggest a likelihood of COVID-19 mortality, consistent with global findings. Our SHAP variant generated reasonable prognostic interpretation about COVID-19 mortality in Peru. Table 2 (Part 3/3) Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Fernández-Bedoya V.H., Ruiz-Palacios M.A., Meneses-La-Riva M.E., Suyo-Vega J.A.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the global tourism industry, forcing tourism entrepreneurs to adapt and innovate in order to recover. This systematic review aims to identify scientific evidence on tourism entrepreneurship experiences in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the review seeks to uncover key challenges faced by tourism entrepreneurs, the locations and types of tourism most affected, and to draw lessons from these experiences. The authors followed the PRISMA protocol, identifying 15 research studies on tourism entrepreneurship in Latin America. The review analyzed articles from seven key databases—Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, EBSCO, Proquest, Gale Academic Onefile, and LA Referencia—focusing on studies that examined tourism entrepreneurship within the context of COVID-19. These studies employed diverse methodologies, including case studies, surveys, and data analysis. The results show tourism entrepreneurs in Latin America faced challenges like economic crises, business closures, and unemployment. They responded with biosecurity protocols, domestic tourism, and digital tools such as online platforms and QR codes. A shift toward sustainable models like ecotourism highlighted local development and conservation. The pandemic spurred innovation and resilience, with adaptability, digital transformation, and collaboration, driving recovery. Sustainable practices and authentic experiences are key to long-term success.

Reyes-Perez M.D., Facho-Cornejo J.L., Li-Vega F.V., López-Ñiquen K.E., Calonge-De la Piedra D.M., Cabanillas-Palomino R., Padilla-Caballero J.E., Jaime-Rodríguez J.P., Fernández-Altamirano A.E.

This study explores the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between spirituality and happiness among environmental engineering students in northern Peru, emphasizing its implications for sustainability in education and professional development. Through a quantitative cross-sectional study involving 392 students from public and private universities, two key hypotheses were tested: the direct influence of spirituality on happiness and the mediating effect of resilience. Data were gathered using validated instruments, including the Personal Spirituality Scale (SPI), Connor-Davidson Brief Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10), and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). Structural equation modeling revealed that spirituality has a significant direct effect on happiness and an indirect effect through resilience. The model showed high explanatory power, with spirituality explaining 87% of the variance in resilience, and both variables accounting for 76% of the variance in happiness. These findings highlight the importance of promoting spiritual and resilience-building practices as key strategies for enhancing subjective well-being, a critical factor for preparing sustainable professionals capable of addressing complex environmental challenges. This study contributes to the understanding of how spiritual resources and resilience mechanisms can support the development of socially and psychologically sustainable future engineers.

Solórzano-Acosta R., Chanco M., Seminario M., Cabello-Torres R., Camel V., Lastra S., Arias A., Verástegui P., Quispe K., Carbajal-Llosa C., Cuevas J.P., Cruz J., Turín C.

IntroductionMonoculture is a significant concern due to its negative impact on soil quality, resource productivity, and agricultural sustainability, particularly in vulnerable communities. This research aims to evaluate high Andean soil management for maca monoculture.Materials and methodsTo this end, interviews were conducted with maca farmers adjacent to Lake Chinchaycocha. The effect on soil quality was evaluated based on principal component analysis (PCA), weighted soil quality index (SQIw), and physico-chemical characteristics.ResultsThe results indicated differences between farmers in agronomic management, monoculture period (from 5 to 9 years), and fallow time (up to 10 years in the best cases). Regarding soil quality, the PCA highlighted boron and total nitrogen locations in the same quadrant, with the highest contribution to the analysis. Finally, the SQIw showed that soils without maca cultivation presented better quality.ConclusionThis research’s results indicate a need to optimize soil management practices, especially for small farmers, who are the most vulnerable group. In addition, further studies on boron and nitrogen availability in soils cultivated with maca are required, emphasizing areas that exceed 10 years of continuous use.

Oliveira G.C., Rosario de Oliveira V.A., Alvarado Silva C.A., Guidi E.S., Silva F.D.

This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation into the stress field in cylinders manufactured from photosensitive resin using the Masked Stereolithography (MSLA) technique. For material characterization, tensile and bending test data from resin specimens were utilized. The stress field in resin disks was experimentally analyzed using photoelasticity and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) methods, subjected to compressive loads, according to the cylinder–plane contact model. Images were captured during the experiments using polarizing film and a low-cost CPL lens, coupled to a smartphone. The experimental results were compared with numerical and analytical simulations, where the formation of fringes and regions indicating the direction and magnitude of normal and shear stresses were observed, with variations ranging from 0.6% to 8.2%. The convergence of the results demonstrates the feasibility of using parts produced with commercially available photosensitive resin on non-professional printers for studying contact theory and stress fields. In the future, this methodology is intended to be applied to studies on stress in gears.

Ticona Machaca A., Cano Ccoa D.M., Gutiérrez Castillo F.H., Quispe Gomez F., Arroyo Beltrán M., Zirena Cano M.G., Sánchez-Chávez-Arroyo V., Manrique Chavez C.P., Romualdo Rosario A., Adauto-Medina W.A., Montes Salcedo M.

This study presents new empirical findings on the multidimensional barriers that disadvantaged communities must overcome to equitably access quality education and health services. Equitable access to education and health services in disadvantaged communities requires comprehensive public policies that address multidimensional barriers. Through an innovative econometric analysis of primary data collected in 50 rural communities, the most influential factors hindering access to these basic services are identified. This article discusses the most effective public policy strategies for improving access to and the quality of education and health services in disadvantaged communities, and outlines how to implement them sustainably and equitably. The results reveal that a lack of adequate infrastructure, a shortage of qualified personnel, and socioeconomic and cultural barriers are the main obstacles. Based on these findings, a new comprehensive intervention model is proposed, which simultaneously addresses these interconnected barriers. These strategies contribute directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education), by addressing critical barriers to equitable access to essential health and education services in marginalized communities. These strategies are based on theories that highlight the importance of investing in education and health for human and economic development, and support the fact that investments in these sectors boost productivity, income, well-being, and equity. The study concludes with practical and applicable recommendations for public policymakers, emphasizing the importance of adapting them to the local context and ensuring the active participation of the beneficiary communities.

Zisti F., Kaur I., Awad S.A., Juraev N., Bokov D.O., AlMohamadi H., Rodriguez-Benites C., Alhadrawi M., Al-Abdeen S.H., Balarak D.

An investigation into the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light was carried out using an efficient photocatalyst, i.e., CoFe2O4@3D-TiO2@GA, synthesized by doping CoFe2O4@three-dimensional-TiO2 into a hierarchical porous graphene aerogel. Optimal conditions for achieving complete removal of CIP involved a reaction time of 60 min, a catalyst dose of 0.6 g/L, an initial CIP concentration of 25 mg/L, and a solution pH range of 3–5. The reusability of CoFe2O4@3D-TiO2@GA was observed to remain high even after four consecutive cycles, as the CIP degradation only slightly decreased from 94.3 to 87.1%. Following a 2-h photocatalytic degradation process, the intermediate products within the CIP solution no longer posed a threat to E. coli. The TOC analysis confirmed that CIP achieved 86% total mineralization. In the raw sewage, the BOD5/COD and BOD5/TOC ratios were 0.774 and 0.232, respectively. However, after a 120-min photocatalytic reaction, these ratios increased to 1.38 and 0.754, respectively. These findings suggest that non-biological sewage can be successfully transformed into biodegradable effluent through photocatalytic degradation. The photocatalytic process has a reaction rate coefficient that is 8.7 to 20.7 times higher than the adsorption process, depending on the concentration. The half-life constant is 117.4 min for the optimal concentration of 10 mg/L for the adsorption process, while for the photocatalytic process, it is 6.24 min. The research has highlighted the importance of integrating adsorption and photocatalysis, whereby primary reactive oxidative species, including superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, were identified. The study presents a pioneering approach for producing CoFe2O4@3D-TiO2@GA, which has promising potential for environmental applications utilizing visible light.

Acosta-Enriquez B.G., Guzmán Valle M.D., Arbulú Ballesteros M., Arbulú Castillo J.C., Arbulu Perez Vargas C.G., Torres I.S., Silva León P.M., Saavedra Tirado K.

In recent years, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly relevant in various sectors, including higher education. This study investigates the psychosocial factors influencing AI adoption among Peruvian university students and uses an extended UTAUT2 model to examine various constructs that may impact AI acceptance and use. This study employed a quantitative approach with a survey-based design. A total of 482 students from public and private universities in Peru participated in the research. The study utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships between the constructs. The findings revealed that three out of the six hypothesized factors significantly influenced AI adoption among Peruvian university students. Performance expectancy (β = 0.274), social influence (β = 0.355), and AI learning self-efficacy (β = 0.431) were found to have significant positive effects on AI adoption. In contrast to expectations, ethical awareness, perceived playfulness, AI readiness and AI anxiety did not have significant impacts on AI appropriation in this context. This study highlights the importance of practical benefits, the social context, and self-confidence in the adoption of AI within Peruvian higher education. These findings contribute to the understanding of AI adoption in diverse educational settings and provide a framework for developing effective AI implementation strategies in higher education institutions. The results can guide universities and policymakers in creating targeted approaches to enhance AI adoption and integration in academic environments, focusing on demonstrating the practical value of AI, leveraging social networks, and building students’ confidence in their ability to learn and use AI technologies.

Mondragon Regalado J.R., Heredia Pérez G., Mundaca Araujo J., Suárez Peña W., Saldaña Mendoza N., Huaman Monteza A., Montenegro Juárez J.C., Montenegro Juarez J.A., Adrianzén Guerrero O.D., Rodríguez Estacio J.S., Huaman Llanos A.A.

The purpose of this research is to explore and analyze how the adoption and use of free software in the field of university higher education can offer significant opportunities to improve the quality of teaching and learning, as well as promote innovation, equity and technological independence in universities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to promote the adoption of free software in university higher education as a tool for the integral formation of students, the development of research and innovation, and the construction of a freer and fairer society. The results have led to the conclusion that free software can improve the quality of education; reduce the costs of information technologies; foster creativity and innovation; promote inclusion and accessibility, as well as contribute to the development of a democratic and just society.