Universidad Indoamérica
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EC
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Quito
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INDOAMÉRICA es una Institución de educación superior con más de tres décadas al servicio de la ciencia y la formación de profesionales de excelencia. Nuestros orígenes se remontan a los años ochenta, cuando fue constituido el Centro de Estudios de Computación “Servisistemas Informáticos Indoamérica”. Su nombre, INDOAMÉRICA, expresa un profundo sentido de pertenencia a la cultura latinoamericana, lo cual constituye la base fundamental de nuestra identidad.

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Microplastics in Two Tropical Andean Lakes: Contrasting Human-Impacted and Minimally Disturbed Watersheds

2026 , Andrés Arévalo-Moreno , Silvana Gallegos-Sánchez , Kevin Valencia , Tobes, Ibon

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants in freshwater systems, yet their sources and transport pathways in tropical high-altitude lakes remain poorly understood. This study quantified and characterized MPs in two Andean lakes in Ecuador with contrasting watershed conditions: San Pablo (2672 m a.s.l.), influenced by agricultural and urban land use, and Caricocha (3724 m a.s.l.), a protected high-Andean lake. Sixteen samples per lake were collected during four field campaigns. MPs were identified using visual and morphological criteria, and classified by shape, color, and size. MP concentrations were higher in San Pablo (238 ± 32 MP m−3, mean ± SD) than in Caricocha (32 ± 10 MP m−3). Fibers dominated (87.3%), followed by fragments, while microspheres were detected only in Caricocha. MP concentrations showed positive correlations with urban-agricultural land use (ρ = 0.87, p < 0.0001) and negative correlations with natural vegetation cover (ρ = −0.87, p < 0.0001). Principal Component Analysis linked fiber abundance and small size classes (<500 µm) and anthropogenic land use, consistent with surface runoff and wastewater-associated pathways. In contrast, MPs in the protected lake may originate from long-range atmospheric deposition. These results indicate that watershed configuration and protection status shape MP inputs in high-Andean lakes.

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Association between type of menopause and mild cognitive impairment: The REDLINC XII study

2024 , María T. Espinoza , Juan E. Blümel , Peter Chedraui , María S. Vallejo , Mónica Ñañez , Eliana Ojeda , Claudia Rey , Doris Rodríguez , Marcio A. Rodrigues , Carlos Salinas , Konstantinos Tserotas , Calle Miñaca, Andrés , Maribel Dextre , Alejandra Elizalde , Carlos Escalante , Gustavo Gómez-Tabares , Álvaro Monterrosa-Castro

Objective: To evaluate the association between type of menopause (spontaneous or surgical) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Study design: This study was a cross-sectional, observational, and sub-analytical investigation conducted within gynecological consultations across nine Latin American countries. Method: We assessed sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data, family history of dementia, and the presence of MCI using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool. Results: The study involved 1185 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 55.3 years and a body mass index of 26.4 kg/m2. They had an average of 13.3 years of education, and 37 % were homemakers. Three hundred ninety-nine experienced menopause before 40, including 136 with surgical menopause (bilateral oophorectomy). Out of the 786 women who experienced menopause at 40 or more years, 110 did so due to bilateral oophorectomy. There were no differences in MoCA scores among women who experienced menopause before or after the age of 40. However, lower MoCA scores were observed in women with surgical menopause than in those with spontaneous menopause (23.8 ± 4.9 vs. 25.0 ± 4.3 points, respectively, p < 0.001). Our logistic regression model with clustering of patients within countries found a significant association between MCI and surgical menopause (OR 1.47, 95 % CI: 1.01–2.16), use (ever) of menopausal hormone therapy (OR 0.33, 95 % CI: 0.21–0.50), and having >12 years of education (OR 0.21, 95 % CI: 0.14–0.30). Conclusion: When comparing women who experience spontaneous menopause over the age of 40 with those who undergo it before this age, there was no observed increased risk of developing MCI, while those with surgical menopause, independent of age, are more prone to cognitive decline. Women who have ever used menopausal hormone therapy have a lower MCI risk. Further research is warranted to delve deeper into this topic.

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Bibliometric Analysis of Existing Knowledge on Digital Transformation in Higher Education

2022 , Cruz Cárdenas, Jorge , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Guadalupe-Lanas J. , Palacio-Fierro A. , Galarraga Carvajal, Mercedes

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been feeling great pressure to advance in digital transformation. This pressure has been intensified with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of 2019. Because the digital transformation of HEIs has been attracting a growing number of publications, the present study sought to carry out a bibliometric analysis of such titles. For this purpose, 643 relevant documents were identified from the Scopus database in January 2022. The descriptive results show an accelerated growth of the relevant literature, with conference papers being the main form of publication, followed by articles, conference reviews, and book chapters. The areas with which the majority of documents were associated were computer science, followed by social science, engineering, and business and management. An analysis of the co-occurrence of terms based on the titles and abstracts enabled the identification of three thematic areas of interest: 1) digital transformation in teaching, particularly under the pressure exerted by COVID-19; 2) environmental influences on the digital transformation of HEIs; and 3) enabling technologies for digital transformation. A longitudinal analysis also based on titles and abstracts allows us to see how the primary focus shifted from the economic issue (in 2019) to the COVID issue (in 2021). This study concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of the findings, demonstrating as a particularly interesting area for future research the study of the digital transformation of HEIs in a future post-COVID scenario. © 2022, The Author(s).

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Diversidad de los géneros Monactinus, Pediastrum, Pseudopediastrum y Stauridium (Chlorophyta: Hydrodictyaceae), de dos lagunas eutróficas andino-ecuatorianas

2025 , Andrés Arévalo Moreno , Mabel F. Cadena

Se investigó la diversidad de los géneros Monactinus, Pediastrum, Pseudopediastrum y Stauridium en dos lagos eutróficos de alta montaña en los Andes ecuatorianos: San Pablo y Yahuarcocha, a fin de aportar al conocimiento de la ficoflora local. Estas algas verdes, pertenecientes a la familia Hydrodictyaceae, presentan variedad en cuanto a forma y tamaño; además pueden ser utilizadas como bioindicadores de la calidad del agua y revelar variaciones de temperatura. Las muestras se recolectaron entre noviembre de 2023 y enero de 2024, mediante arrastres con red de plancton de 24 µm de abertura de poro en la zona limnética y raspado de raíces de plantas acuáticas en zonas litorales. Las muestras fueron preservadas con solución de Transeau. Se identificaron once especies, de los cuales cinco fueron exclusivas de la Laguna de Yahuarcocha, cuatro del Lago San Pablo y dos se encontraron en ambos cuerpos de agua. Este estudio amplía el conocimiento de la ficoflora andina ecuatoriana, superando registros previos en el país. Se reportan siete nuevos registros: Monactinus simplex var. duodenarium, M. simplex var. echinulatum, M. simplex var. sturmii, Pseudopediastrum boryanum var. longicorne, Ps. brevicorne, Stauridium tetras var. apiculatum y S. tetras var. excisum. Esta contribución resalta la importancia de continuar y ampliar los estudios taxonómicos de la ficoflora del Ecuador.

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Digital Twins in Higher Education: Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

2026 , Pinto Almeida, Carlos

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has introduced emerging technologies that are reshaping educational models, among them digital twins, originally developed in the aerospace industry as virtual representations of real systems. Their integration into higher education now enables the simulation of complex learning environments, monitoring of student performance, and personalization of learning processes. However, their adoption within university settings remains incipient, fragmented, and lacking in standardization, which limits their transformative potential. This situation underscores the need to systematize dispersed knowledge on their educational use. This study presents a review with a descriptive and exploratory approach, based on peer-reviewed scientific articles selected from databases such as Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Web of Science, published between 2018 and 2024. The findings indicate that digital twins are primarily applied for simulations (68%), learning monitoring (52%), and educational personalization (44%). Reported outcomes highlight improvements not only in learner autonomy, motivation, and acquisition of practical skills, but also in conceptual understanding, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration among students in project-based environments. At the institutional level, benefits include greater efficiency in resource management, reduction of physical laboratory costs, and continuity of teaching in hybrid or remote learning contexts. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including limited connectivity, high implementation costs, insufficient teacher training, and ethical risks. Digital twins represent a strategic technology for transforming higher education into more flexible, personalized, and sustainable models, provided they are supported by inclusive policies and adequate investment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

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Genotyping‐by‐sequencing informs conservation of Andean palms sources of non‐timber forest products

2024 , Nicolás Peñafiel Loaiza , Abigail H. Chafe , Mónica Moraes R , Oleas Gallo, Nora Helena , Julissa Roncal

Conservation and sustainable management of lineages providing non‐timber forest products are imperative under the current global biodiversity loss. Most non‐timber forest species, however, lack genomic studies that characterize their intraspecific variation and evolutionary history, which inform species' conservation practices. Contrary to many lineages in the Andean biodiversity hotspot that exhibit high diversification, the genus Parajubaea (Arecaceae) has only three species despite the genus' origin 22 million years ago. Two of the three palm species, P. torallyi and P. sunkha, are non‐timber forest species endemic to the Andes of Bolivia and are listed as IUCN endangered. The third species, P. cocoides, is a vulnerable species with unknown wild populations. We investigated the evolutionary relationships of Parajubaea species and the genetic diversity and structure of wild Bolivian populations. Sequencing of five low‐copy nuclear genes (3753 bp) challenged the hypothesis that P. cocoides is a cultigen that originated from the wild Bolivian species. We further obtained up to 15,134 de novo single‐nucleotide polymorphism markers by genotyping‐by‐sequencing of 194 wild Parajubaea individuals. Our total DNA sequencing effort rejected the taxonomic separation of the two Bolivian species. As expected for narrow endemic species, we observed low genetic diversity, but no inbreeding signal. We found three genetic clusters shaped by geographic distance, which we use to propose three management units. Different percentages of missing genotypic data did not impact the genetic structure of populations. We use the management units to recommend in situ conservation by creating new protected areas, and ex situ conservation through seed collection.

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Phonological Awareness and Reading Skills: Impact in the Digital Society

2025 , Alba Yépez-Moreno , Núñez-Naranjo, Aracelly Fernanda , Catya Torres-Cordero , Patricia Lucero-Albán , Ximena Andrade-Cáceres , María Quimbiulco-García

This study investigates the factors influencing the development of phonological awareness and its impact on reading skills among third-year basic education students. Employing a descriptive-exploratory approach at a correlational level, it is based on a comprehensive review of bibliographic sources and field-collected data. The Phonological Knowledge Evaluation Test (PECO) was used to measure phonological awareness, evaluating the manipulation of syllables and phonemes. To assess reading skills, the revised Battery of Evaluation of Reading Processes (PROLEC-R) was utilized. The results reveal significant associations between phonological awareness and lexical, semantic, and syntactic processes, although difficulties in reading comprehension persist. It is concluded that reading challenges could be linked to communicational variables within the context of a digital society, dominated by multimedia stimuli. This study highlights the importance of strengthening phonological awareness from the early stages of education to improve reading skills in basic education students.

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VPD Monitoring with ESP32 and Flask API for Early Detection of Powdery Mildew in Rose Greenhouses

2026 , Herrera, Vicente-D.

In this study, a vapor pressure deficit (VPD) monitoring system was developed using an ESP32 and a Flask-based API for the early detection of powdery mildew in rose greenhouses. The research demonstrated that the integration of intelligent systems and real-time analysis of environmental conditions allows for the rapid identification of factors that favor the development of powdery mildew. The SVM model employed achieved high accuracy, with a classification accuracy rate of 96% in identifying conditions conducive to this disease, which is crucial for reducing unnecessary interventions and optimizing resource management in greenhouses. Additionally, the use of an API facilitates the integration of the system with other management platforms, enhancing data accessibility and decision-making. This approach promotes more responsible agricultural practices aligned with environmental sustainability. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

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Direct Color Observation of Light-Driven Molecular Conformation-Induced Stress

2022 , Pujol-Vila F. , Escudero P. , Güell-Grau P. , Pascual-Izarra C. , Villa R. , Alvarez M.

Although usually complex to handle, nanomechanical sensors are exceptional, label-free tools for monitoring molecular conformational changes, which makes them of paramount importance in understanding biomolecular interactions. Herein, a simple and inexpensive mechanical imaging approach based on low-stiffness cantilevers with structural coloration (mechanochromic cantilevers (MMC)) is demonstrated, able to monitor and quantify molecular conformational changes with similar sensitivity to the classical optical beam detection method of cantilever-based sensors (≈4.6 × 10–3 N m–1). This high sensitivity is achieved by using a white light and an RGB camera working in the reflection configuration. The sensor performance is demonstrated by monitoring the UV-light induced reversible conformational changes of azobenzene molecules coating. The trans-cis isomerization of the azobenzene molecules induces a deflection of the cantilevers modifying their diffracted color, which returns to the initial state by cis-trans relaxation. Interestingly, the mechanical imaging enables a simultaneous 2D mapping of the response thus enhancing the spatial resolution of the measurements. A tight correlation is found between the color output and the cantilever's deflection and curvature angle (sensitivities of 5 × 10–3 Hue µm–1 and 1.5 × 10–1 Hue (°)–1). These findings highlight the suitability of low-stiffness MMC as an enabling technology for monitoring molecular changes with unprecedented simplicity, high-throughput capability, and functionalities. © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

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Sci-Fi Digital Narratives in the Classroom: Black Mirror's “Be Right Back” Case

2024 , Londoño Proaño, Cristián

This study examines the use of digital science fiction narratives, specifically the episode 'Be Right Back' of Black Mirror, as a pedagogical tool in the classroom. The aim is to analyze how these narratives can encourage critical and ethical reflection in students on issues of technology and humanity. Through non-participant observation, a content analysis was carried out focused on the ethical and emotional aspects of the episode. The conclusions indicate that this type of narrative facilitates the development of analytical skills and allows connecting contemporary concerns with the students' daily lives.

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