Universidad Técnica del Norte

Located in the northern Ecuadorian Andes and surrounded by the city of Otavalo, numerous smaller settlements, and intensively used agricultural land, Lake San Pablo experiences declining water quality and increasing eutrophication. The lake and its water quality are of great importance to the local population, including indigenous communities. Last year, a community-driven effort led to legal recognition of the lake under the Rights of Nature, committing public resources to restoration. Under this legal framework, community-driven initiatives such as the “Tejiendo Agua en el Territorio” network that includes local indigenous worldviews, have been started to improve links between the lake and livelihoods in its catchment. These actions are guided by repeated, but non-continuous, limnological surveys since the 1970s, but lack a long-term baseline.The lake’s longer-term environmental history, including natural variability and human-driven eutrophication, remains poorly constrained. To address this gap, we adopt a paleolimnological approach based on multi-proxy analyses of lake sediments. We analyzed a 1.18 m long sediment core retrieved from 21 m water depth in September 2024, which spans approximately the last two millennia based on a radiocarbon age-depth model using pollen concentrates. A multi-proxy approach integrates biological indicators (pollen, microcrustaceans, chironomids, and testate amoebae) with geochemistry (LOI, TC, TN, C/N, δ13C, δ15N, XRF). Biological indicators are used to track biodiversity change and to infer trophic state, habitat structure, oxygenation, littoral/macrophyte development, and water chemistry. Geochemical analyses aim to quantify internal and external sediment sources from in-lake productivity, nitrogen cycling, soil erosion and volcanic ash input, and include loss-on-ignition to estimate organic matter, carbonate, and other detrital mass fractions, C/N to partition autochthonous versus allochthonous organic matter, and stable isotopes of bulk sediment. For an assessment of trace-metal enrichment indicative of anthropogenic inputs, we combine XRF core scanning and pXRF data. Throughout the core, the sediment is homogeneous, organic-rich, and comprises macrophyte remains. Despite sedimentological uniformity, biological and geochemical proxies vary throughout the sequence and especially in the upper part of the core (representing the last century). In this upper part, preliminary results indicate increased terrestrial organic-matter input to the lake and higher sedimentation rates consistent with intensified land use in the catchment as reconstructed from pollen data.This long-term perspective aims to constrain the timing, sources, and drivers of eutrophication and contaminant loading to inform evidence-based lake and catchment management. Our findings will ultimately support locally grounded actions by defining realistic reference conditions.

Background: Hypertension is a multifactorial condition influenced by physiological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. Muscle strength, physical activity, sleep quality, and perceived stress may contribute to blood pressure variability, although their relative influence remains unclear. This study examined associations between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and demographic, anthropometric, neuromuscular, behavioral, and psychosocial variables in adults with primary hypertension, with secondary analyses for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and sex differences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 391 adults with hypertension (165 men, 226 women). Predictors included age, body mass index, lower-limb muscle strength, physical activity (GPAQ), sleep quality (PSQI), and perceived stress. Associations were analyzed using correlation analyses and sex-stratified multivariable regression models. Results: In men, SBP correlated positively with age and negatively with lower-limb strength. In women, SBP showed associations with physical activity and perceived stress. Regression analyses indicated that sleep quality and perceived stress were independently associated with SBP in women (adjusted R2 = 0.13), whereas hamstring strength was associated with DBP in men with low explanatory capacity (R2 = 0.05). Moderate-to-high collinearity was observed among strength variables. Conclusions: Blood pressure variability was associated with neuromuscular and psychosocial factors with sex-specific patterns; however, the modest explained variance suggests these factors act as complementary rather than primary determinants. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal relationships.

La transformación pedagógica en educación superior exige el fortalecimiento de prácticas inclusivas que respondan a la diversidad estudiantil. En este contexto, la Facultad de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología enfrenta el desafío de incorporar estrategias innovadoras que articulen motivación, accesibilidad y equidad formativa. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la producción científica publicada entre 2015 y 2025 sobre la gamificación en educación superior y su relación con principios de educación inclusiva, a fin de identificar orientaciones aplicables a contextos formadores de docentes. Se desarrolló una revisión sistemática de literatura conforme a las directrices PRISMA 2020, mediante búsqueda en bases de datos académicas indexadas. Tras aplicar criterios de inclusión y exclusión, se incluyeron 25 estudios en la síntesis cualitativa final. Los hallazgos evidencian que la gamificación favorece la motivación y el compromiso académico; sin embargo, su aporte a la inclusión depende del diseño pedagógico, la incorporación de principios de accesibilidad y la alineación con marcos como el Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje. Se concluye que la gamificación puede constituir una herramienta potencialmente inclusiva para la Facultad de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología, siempre que se implemente desde una perspectiva crítica y fundamentada.

Los pacientes con alto riesgo cardiovascular representan un desafío significativo en el contexto de las intervenciones quirúrgicas debido a su vulnerabilidad a complicaciones perioperatorias graves. Este artículo de revisión narrativa aborda las estrategias anestésicas más relevantes y actualizadas para optimizar el manejo de estos pacientes, con el objetivo de minimizar los riesgos cardiovasculares asociados. Se analizan enfoques personalizados basados en la evaluación integral preoperatoria, que incluye la estratificación del riesgo cardiovascular, la optimización de comorbilidades y la selección de técnicas anestésicas adecuadas. Entre las estrategias destacadas se encuentran el uso de anestesia regional para reducir la carga hemodinámica, la monitorización avanzada para detectar y tratar eventos adversos de forma temprana, y la implementación de protocolos multimodales de analgesia que disminuyan el uso de opioides. Además, se enfatiza la importancia de la comunicación interdisciplinaria entre anestesiólogos, cirujanos y cardiólogos para garantizar un manejo coordinado y basado en evidencia. Finalmente, se discuten las recomendaciones actuales sobre el manejo farmacológico perioperatorio, incluyendo el ajuste de agentes antiplaquetarios, anticoagulantes y betabloqueadores. Este enfoque integral busca mejorar los resultados clínicos y la seguridad en este grupo de pacientes complejos, destacando la necesidad de una atención individualizada y centrada en el paciente.

IntroductionThe genus Weissella comprises a diverse group of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) widely distributed across plant- and food-associated ecosystems and recognized for their functional and technological versatility. Weissella confusa UTNCys2-2, a plant-derived strain isolated from Amazonian spiral ginger (Costus sp.), that produces exopolysaccharides (EPS) with documented antioxidant activity and promising probiotic properties.MethodsWhole-genome sequencing of UTNCys2-2 was performed to establish its taxonomic assignment, phylogenomic analysis, while genome mining was conducted to evaluate safety, metabolic potential, and biosynthetic capabilities. Carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and MetaCyc pathways were analyzed for functional insights. Moreover, the metabolite composition of the cell-free supernatant (CFS) was examined using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) combined with Sequential Windowed Acquisition of all Theoretical Fragment Ion Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS).ResultsThe genome consists of a 2.32 Mb circular chromosome (44.59% GC) encoding 2,194 proteins, 76 tRNAs, and 10 rRNAs, with no plasmids. Phylogenomic analyses assigned the strain to the W. confusa clade, clustering closely with the reference strain DSM 20196. UTNCys2-2 harbors a complete Type II-A CRISPR-Cas system, intact prophages, and mobile elements, while lacking virulence determinants and transferable antimicrobial resistance genes. Functional annotation revealed 118 CAZymes supporting EPS biosynthesis, polysaccharide utilization, and carbohydrate metabolism. KEGG and MetaCyc pathways highlighted glycogen and riboflavin biosynthesis, stress tolerance, and metabolic versatility. Genome mining identified a Type III polyketide synthase (T3PKS) gene cluster with low similarity to known pathways, suggesting potential for novel secondary metabolites. Pangenome analysis showed extensive strain-specific genes linked to carbohydrate metabolism and EPS production. Metabolomic profiling of the CFS detected alkaloids, bioactive peptides, functional carbohydrates, and phenolics, supporting antimicrobial, probiotic, and host-interactive activities.ConclusionW. confusa UTNCys2-2 represents a biosafe and metabolically versatile strain with strong genomic capacity for EPS production, potential for novel secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and diverse bioactive properties, supporting its applicability in food fermentation, probiotic development, and microbial biotechnology.

This research evaluates the effect of different concentrations of lead and chromium on root architecture and germination percentage of Typha latifolia. Seeds of Typha latifolia were collected from Yahuarcocha Lagoon (Ibarra-Ecuador). Pre-germinative treatments and exposure to lead concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 ppm, as well as 10, 20, and 40 ppm of chromium concentrations were applied to the seeds to measure the germination percentage. Regarding root architecture analysis, T. latifolia seedlings were grown for four weeks in 50% Hoagland solution and then transferred to rhizotrons, where the heavy metals were added to concentrations like the germination test. The seedlings were kept in these conditions for 15 days and variables such as number of roots, total area, and total length were recorded. Photographic records of the parameters under study were taken and analyzed in Image J and its SmartRoot extension. It was found that both heavy metals affected (significantly) the germination process, especially chromium. Germination percentages lower than 15% and 25% for lead were also obtained. Concerning root architecture, the number of roots and total length from heavy metal treatments were not significantly different from control. However, the total area treatment with chromium showed significant differences with respect to the control.

This article critically examines the role of Social Network Analysis (SNA) in stakeholder mapping for territorial sustainability. Based on a systematic literature review of 14 highly relevant peer-reviewed articles (2018–2025) focused on critical application, the study interrogates the epistemological and normative assumptions embedded in common SNA applications. While SNA is often used to identify actor centrality and coordination, this review explores its potential to reveal power asymmetries, inclusion gaps, and governance legitimacy. Emergent thematic domains include stakeholder diversity, institutional performance, and reflexive approach to SNA, reframing it as both technical instrument and critical lens for democratic governance. This contribution aligns with deliberative models of public administration and aims to advance theoretical dialogue on collaborative networks, territorial resilience, and ethical governance in the sustainability context. Systematic review registration https://www.osf.io/d6qfy/overview .

Teaching Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in higher education faces the challenge of engaging students accustomed to interactive and digital learning environments. Although gamification has emerged as a promising pedagogical strategy to enhance motivation, participation, and learning, there is still no consensus on which gamification elements and strategies should be prioritized in ICT courses. To address this gap, this study aimed to identify, through expert consensus, the most relevant gamification components for ICT teaching in higher education. A modified Delphi study with a mixed-methods design was conducted in two rounds: an open exploratory phase and a structured round using a five-point Likert scale. Twelve experts were selected based on a competence coefficient (K ≥ 0.75). Quantitative analyses included means, standard deviations, interquartile range (IQR), coefficient of variation (CV), and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W), complemented by qualitative thematic coding with an inter-coder reliability of κ = 0.82. Consensus thresholds followed current Delphi standards (≥ 80% agreement, IQR ≤ 1, CV ≤ 0.30, and W ≥ 0.60). The results indicate that experts prioritized challenges and quests (83% agreement; W = 0.66), followed by points and rewards (67%) and the complementary use of badges and leaderboards. Strong consensus was reached regarding the potential of gamification to strengthen problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration (100%; W = 0.90), and to increase active participation (100%) and promote deep understanding (83%). However, heterogeneity persisted in relation to the selection of technological platforms (W = 0.27) and specific strategies (W = 0.28), and the effects on academic performance were reported as inconsistent. Overall, the findings suggest that gamification is most effective when systematically integrated into ICT curricula, supported by teacher training and immediate feedback mechanisms. As no universal technological platform is recommended, the use of contextual selection criteria is essential. These results provide a conceptually validated reference framework for the design of gamified learning experiences in higher education and underscore the need for further empirical validation across diverse educational contexts.

Esta investigación aborda el problema del bajo rendimiento en Física, a menudo relacionado con una alta carga cognitiva intrínseca que dificulta la comprensión de conceptos abstractos. El propósito fue analizar cómo el aprendizaje colaborativo apoyado en el software interactivo GeoGebra favorece el procesamiento de la información y mejora los resultados del aprendizaje. Se planteó una intervención pedagógica apoyada en simulaciones dinámicas para externalizar procesos mentales complejos y construir conocimiento de manera colaborativa. A través de un diseño cuasi experimental, se compararon los niveles de aprovechamiento antes y después de la implementación. Los resultados iniciales revelan que la visualización interactiva en GeoGebra apoya como andamiaje cognitivo que disminuye la carga cognitiva extraña, liberando al estudiante para que centre sus recursos cognitivos en los esquemas pertinentes de la Física. Se determina que la incorporación de software de geometría dinámica en un contexto colaborativo mejora el rendimiento académico, la autonomía y la motivación. Estos resultados confirman la efectividad de las TIC como herramientas potenciadoras del desarrollo cognitivo en ciencias exactas, generando un modelo replicable para la educación media y superior.

This proposal outlines the design and development of a Java-based software artifact implementing a custom API Gateway to manage security and access control, replacing the need for JWT token systems. The proposal encompasses the definition of functional requirements, software design and architecture, implementation, and system deployment, aiming to offer a secure and efficient solution for communication and control between clients and a REST API. The Design Science Research (DSR) methodology was applied, focusing on the design and implementation process of the software product, which enables secure integration between a client and a REST API. Security in web applications and REST API architectures is essential to protect system integrity, confidentiality, and availability in an increasingly threat-exposed digital environment. Additionally, the Scrum methodology facilitates agile and collaborative project management, ideal for iteratively and adaptively implementing security solutions. During the design and coding phases in Java, the custom API Gateway is defined to manage incoming requests and safely route traffic to REST APIs. The custom API Gateway incorporates features such as authentication, user role validation, and request logging. Simple endpoints are created on the REST API to ensure seamless communication with the gateway. This proposal provides a robust solution for managing security and access control in distributed applications. By using the API Gateway instead of JWT tokens, the system centralizes security and authentication efficiently, enhancing fault tolerance and maintaining stable performance.