Los Andes Peruvian University

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in modulating host metabolism, influencing energy production, nutrient utilization, and overall physiological adaptation. In athletes, these microbial functions may be further specialized to meet the unique metabolic demands of different sports disciplines. This study explored the role of the gut microbiome in modulating host metabolism among Colombian athletes by comparing elite weightlifters (n = 16) and cyclists (n = 13) through integrative omics analysis. Fecal and plasma samples collected one month before an international event underwent metagenomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic profiling. Metagenomic analysis revealed significant microbial pathways, including L-arginine biosynthesis III and fatty acid biosynthesis initiation. Key metabolic pathways, such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; arginine biosynthesis; and folate biosynthesis, were enriched in both athlete groups. Plasma metabolomics and lipidomics revealed distinct metabolic profiles and a separation between athlete types through multivariate models, with lipid-related pathways such as lipid droplet formation and glycolipid synthesis driving the differences. Notably, elevated carnitine, amino acid, and glycerolipid levels in weightlifters suggest energy system-specific metabolic adaptations. These findings underscore the complex relationship between the gut microbiota composition and metabolic responses tailored to athletic demands, laying the groundwork for personalized strategies to optimize performance. This research highlights the potential for targeted modulation of the gut microbiota as a basis for tailored interventions to support specific energy demands in athletic disciplines.

In this research, species distribution prediction models (i.e., MaxEnt) were applied to analyze the suitability of the ecological environment among the clades of the genus Gynoxys in Peru. Bioclimatic, edaphic, and topographic variables were integrated to predict the areas with the most significant potential for optimal development of this genus. These data were combined to generate potential distribution maps, taking into account the most relevant variables for each clade. The validation of the MaxEnt model showed an outstanding performance, reaching AUC indices above 0.9, reflecting the high accuracy of the predictions. The results reveal that the key variables influencing the selection of the clade occurrence areas are: mintempwarmest (47.70% contribution) in the Discoide clade, topowet (33.20%) in the Gynoxys clade, and monthcountbytemp10 (33.30%) in the Praegynoxys clade. The potential distribution areas of these clades were 132,594 km² for Discoide, 168,574 km² for Gynoxys, and 37,392 km² for Praegynoxys. The areas with the highest probability of presence of the genus were found in the Andean regions of northern and central Peru. However, a significant proportion of these areas were threatened by habitat fragmentation and land degradation. In terms of conservation, it was found that 32.05, 35.46, and 61.02% of the potential distribution areas of the discoid, Gynoxys, and Praegynoxys clades, respectively, are conserved, which could be a relevant factor for the preservation of this genus. These findings underscore the relevance of safeguarding key areas for conserving Gynoxys and montane ecosystems in Peru, emphasizing the need for protection strategies that guarantee the long-term sustainability of these species and their associated habitats.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10) is a neurodegenerative disease predominant in Latin American individuals with Indigenous American ancestry. SCA10 is caused by an expansion of ATTCT repeat within the ATXN10 gene. Healthy individuals carry 9–32 ATTCT repeats, whereas SCA10 patients carry an expansion of 280 repeats and higher. Recently, intermediate alleles (over than 32 repeats) have been identified in healthy Peruvian Indigenous American individuals, with unclear significance. This study aims to characterize the variability of the ATTCT repeats within the ATXN10 gene across self-declared Indigenous American and Mestizo subpopulations from Peru. A total of 871 samples (754 Mestizo and 117 Indigenous American) were analyzed using PCR, and RP-PCR when suspecting apparent homozygosity due to larger alleles. 8.7% of the total of healthy individuals (76/871) carry at least one intermediate allele. The 14-repeat allele being the most common for both subpopulations (41.5%). Intermediate alleles were detected in the Peruvian population (4.5%) with a significantly higher frequency among self-declared Indigenous American compared to Mestizo, suggesting a possible association with the ethnic origin. The G allele at the SNP rs41524547 had a frequency of 51.39% in individuals with intermediate alleles, with not significantly difference between subpopulations. Further analysis should be performed to confirm the size and composition of ATTCT repeat tract, as well as the contribution of rs41524547 in SCA10.

The knowledge on financial management highly matters as it assists the micro-entrepreneurs in the making of right and sustainable business decisions. This research seeks to examine the effects of financial literacy on microenterprise decision-making in order to improve rational decision-making in financial management. A structured questionnaire with Likert-scaled options was used to measure micro-entrepreneurs’ financial decision-making capacity in terms of information processing and decision-making. They demonstrate a favorable relationship between financial education and rationality, which refers to micro-entrepreneurs’ capacity to select from a range of acceptable options. Based on the findings presented in this research, it is suggested that greater efforts should be paid to the integration of financial literacy within any form of entrepreneurial training targeting improvement in sustainability dimensions and qualities of decisions made by micro-entrepreneurs. Through increased financial knowledge, micro-entrepreneurs can manage financial problems effectively and thereby support the growth of sustainable microenterprises. Moreover, such observations suggest that all future policies must focus on and incorporate financial literacy as the defining strategy towards the improvement of the microenterprise sector and, therefore, economic growth.

The purpose of this study is to examine how tax incentives resulting from the so-called Amazon Law (Law No. 27037) affect small- and medium-sized agro-industrial producers (SMEAPs) in the Junín and Huánuco regions in Peru. This research fills a void that relates to the exclusion of these producers regarding the Law’s incentives that aim to encourage investment in the Amazon. In this study, the research design was non-experimental, and since the data were descriptive–correlational in nature, a structured questionnaire with a Likert scale was used to gauge participants’ opinions about economic progress and tax benefits. The survey participants included 72 co-operatives drawn from a population of 88, and their awareness and use of tax incentives were targeted. SPSS and similar statistical analysis tools were used and showed that there was a positive correlation between tax benefits and economic development, with a correlation coefficient of 0.873, indicating a strong relationship. However, most co-operatives ranked the benefits only as average or poor, with 34.72% rating them as regular and 31.94% as poor. This study indicates that the present laws do not provide these producers with sufficient opportunities for development. The authors suggest that changes to the Law are required to improve the inclusion of small- and medium-sized agricultural producers so that proposals for improvements in their economic development and management of the agricultural lands in the Amazon region can be promoted.

Soil is a vital nonrenewable resource characterized by rapid degradation and slow regeneration processes. In this study, soil degradation in Jaén and San Ignacio was assessed via a multicriteria evaluation approach combined with remote sensing (RS) data. Nine factors were analyzed classified three categories: environmental, topographic, and edaphological factors. The results revealed that the slope (59.07%) was the main influencing factor, followed by land use and land cover (LULC) (56.36%). The degradation map revealed that 83.48% of the area exhibited moderate degradation, 14.49% low degradation, and 1.56% high degradation. The districts of Pomahuaca and San José de Lourdes demonstrated the largest areas of moderate degradation, accounting for 13.71% and 22.54%, respectively. Bellavista and Huarango exhibited the largest areas of very high degradation, accounting for 0.27% and 0.08%, respectively. The (AHP) method and RS data were employed to assess soil degradation, highlighting the need for sustainable soil restoration and conservation strategies.

The main objective of this research study is to identify the attitude level of professors and students towards scientific research at a university branch campus located in the Central Jungle of Peru. The present study applied a basic research quantitative method at a descriptive level. The sample consists of 264 students and 56 professors from all the professional schools at the Central Jungle of Peru university branch campus. A simple and stratified random probabilistic sampling is conducted. A scale of attitudes towards research “EACIN” made up of 43 items is applied as an instrument. The results show that 78.57% of professors and 53.41% students have high favorable attitudes towards scientific research. Students 19 to 26 years old display high favorable attitudes, being outstanding among females. In conclusion, there are high favorable attitudes towards scientific research among the youngest professors and students.

Essential oils are a subject of study due to the heterogeneity of their components, which vary according to the genus and species of the plant material. The objective of this study was the physicochemical characterization and bioactive components of the essential oil (EO) extracted from wild punamuña (Satureja Boliviana) and runtuhuayra (Clinopodium Weberbaueri (Mansf.) Govaerts) herbs from high Andean areas of southern Peru. The extraction of the EO from both species was carried out using the steam distillation technique, the density characterization using gravimetric methods and the acidity, peroxide index and refraction by analytical methods recommended by the Norma Tecnica Peruana (NTP). The bioactive compounds were quantified using gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS). A better EO performance was obtained from punañuna 0.38% (w/w) compared to runtuhuayra 0.28% (w/w); In both samples, the density and refractive index were similar values (0.93-0.94) g/mL and (1.528-1.520) (p>0.05) respectively; However, the acid and peroxide index showed a significant difference between the samples studied (p<0.05). 37 bioactive compounds synthesized as secondary metabolites in Satureja Boliviana EO were identified, with the majority being monoterpenes (62%) highlighted by menthone, L-menthone, pulegone and 3-cyclohexen-1-one. 2-isopropyl-5-methyl, linalool, α-cadinene and α-cadinol; Meanwhile, in the EO of Clinopodium Weberbaueri, 28 compounds were detected and quantified, in which monoterpenes predominate (61%) made up of pulegone (45.67%); isomenthol (13.85%), menthone (6.05%), carvacrol (5.39%), and also D-limonene; o-cymene; 3-octanol; β-pinene and α-terpineol successively. This characterization of the EO of the aforementioned samples reveals recent a new additive or ingredient alternative for the industry due to its biological value associated with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory activities and psychotherapeutics.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10) is a neurodegenerative disease predominant in Latin American individuals with Indigenous American ancestry. SCA10 is caused by an expansion of ATTCT repeat within the ATXN10 gene. Healthy individuals carry 9-32 ATTCT repeats, whereas SCA10 patients carry an expansion of 280 repeats and higher. Recently, expanded alleles (>32 repeats) have been identified in healthy Peruvian Indigenous American individuals, with unclear significance. This study aims to characterize the variability of the ATTCT repeats within the ATXN10 gene across self-declared Indigenous American and Mestizo subpopulations from Peru. A total of 871 samples (754 Mestizo and 117 Indigenous American) were analyzed using PCR, and RP-PCR when suspecting apparent homozygosity due to expanded alleles. 8.7% of the total of healthy individuals (76/871) carry at least an expanded allele. The 14-repeat allele being the most common for both subpopulations (41.5%). Expanded alleles were detected in the Peruvian population (4.5%) with a significantly higher frequency among self-declared Indigenous American compared to Mestizo, suggesting a possible association with the ethnic origin. The G allele at the SNP rs41524547 had a frequency of 51.39% in individuals with expanded alleles, with not significantly difference between subpopulations. Further analysis should be performed to confirm the size and composition of ATTCT repeat tract, as well as the contribution of rs41524547 in SCA10.

This study focuses on determining the correlation between digital competencies and academic self-efficacy of students in universities in the Selva Central (Central Jungle) region of Peru to establish the significance of these factors in academic achievement. This study employs a quantitative, hypothesis-testing design and is both fundamental and co-relational in nature; 84 students from Universidad de la Selva Central were selected. Validated questionnaires were used to gather data on the participants’ DCs including information literacy, communication, content creation, security, and problem-solving skills, as well as the academic self-efficacy of the participants, with all having reliability scores of 0.823 and 0.895, respectively, for the Spearman correlation coefficient. By using statistical analysis, it was established that there is a stronger positive relationship between academic self-efficacy and every dimension of the digital competencies; this was particularly the case with communication and collaboration, rho = 0.853, and digital content creation, rho = 0.863. As such, there is evidence that increasing digital literacy may help improve the learners’ self-confidence in achieving academic success and address the problem of early school leaving, as well as improve competitiveness in the European Union labor market. This study suggests that appropriate curricula and/or workshops to strengthen these effectiveness- and efficiency-related competencies be disseminated to education stakeholders and the findings published in relevant outlets. This research therefore fits within the larger body of literature on the inclusion of digital literacy within tertiary education, information science, and technology.

This research aims at investigating factors affecting entrepreneurial intention among university students in Selva Central-Peru. The study seeks to explore how perceptions of behavioural and social norms, as well as entrepreneurs’ self-efficacy, impact entrepreneurial intentions among students. The research method used is a quantitative one, which in turn praises data obtained through questionnaires applied to 114 active students and analysed by statistical methods. Confirmed the positive influences of self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intention are six times larger than those of attitude and subjective norms, with 79.2% explained variance, respectively, in relation to the proposal model’s findings. Results showed that although the majority of students demonstrated medium to high entrepreneurship intentions, much scope remains for increasing this. These findings confirm just how critical it is to provide an educational context that supports entrepreneurial locus of control-building and, in so doing, draws on broader conversation within the education-occupational landscape. With this, the study highlights avenues to better leverage entrepreneurship as a pathway toward sustainable livelihoods and economic inclusion in an economically divided region.

The Junín sheep contribute to livestock production in the Peruvian Andes, but face problems related to gastrointestinal parasitism. In this study, we estimated the heritability and repeatability of traits associated with resistance to gastrointestinal parasitism in the genetic nucleus of Junín sheep raised at altitudes above 3600 m. For this purpose, fecal and blood samples were collected from 101 female lambs and 88 male lambs (4-6 months old) during the rainy and dry seasons. The data on live weight (LW), the FAMACHA score (FS), blood hematocrit (HCT), and the fecal egg count (FEC) were analyzed using a repeated multiple-trait animal model; the variance components and genetic parameters were estimated using a Bayesian inferential approach. The results showed that heritability estimates ranged from 0.09 (FS) to 0.27 (LW), with 95% high posterior density intervals (HPD95%) between [0.02-0.19] and [0.12-0.43], respectively. The repeatability ranged from 0.15 (FS) [HPD95%: 0.04-0.27] to 0.74 (LW) [HPD95%: 0.67-0.81]. The genetic correlations were moderate to low, with HPD95% intervals including zero. This indicated that, at least based on the data collected, no clear relationships occurred between traits that were selected for application in a breeding program. However, focusing the breeding program on the FEC, with a heritability of 0.16 [HPD95%: 0.05-0.28], could be a viable strategy to increase resistance to parasitism. Additional data on other traits are also needed to achieve more precise estimates for this population. Index terms: Fecal egg count; FAMACHA score; hematocrit; heritability; repeatability

Urban growth and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) changes have increased in recent decades due to anthropogenic activities. This study explored past and projected future LULC changes and urban growth patterns in the Bagua Grande and Chachapoyas districts using Landsat imagery, cloud computing, and predictive models for 1990 to 2031. The analysis of satellite images was grouped into four time periods (1990–2000, 2000–2011, 2011–2021 and 2021–2031). The Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based system facilitated the classification of Landsat 5 ETM (1990, 2000, and 2011) and Landsat 8 OLI (2021) images using the Random Forest (RF) model. A simulation model integrating Cellular Automata (CA) and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) in the MOLUSCE plugin of QGIS was used to forecast urban sprawl to 2031. The resulting maps showed an overall accuracy (OA) of over 92%. A decrease in forested area was observed, from 20,807.97 ha in 1990 to 14,629.44 ha in 2021 in Bagua Grande and from 7,796.08 ha to 3,598.19 ha in Chachapoyas. In contrast, urban areas experienced a significant increase, from 287.49 to 1,128.77 ha in Bagua Grande and from 185.65 to 924.50 ha in Chachapoyas between 1990 and 2021. By 2031, the urban area of Bagua Grande is expected to increase from 1,128.77 to 1,459.25 ha (29%) in a southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest direction. Chachapoyas expanded from 924.50 to 1138.05 ha (23%) in the southwest, north, northeast, and southeast directions. The study presents an analytical method integrating cloud processing, GIS, and change simulation modeling to evaluate urban growth spatio-temporal patterns and LULC changes. This approach effectively identified the main LULC changes and trends in the study area. In addition, potential urbanization areas are highlighted where there are still opportunities for developing planned and managed urban settlements.

This study comparatively evaluated effluent reuse from two TWs—a horizontal subsurface flow (HF) and a vertical subsurface flow (VF)—used for rural wastewater treatment in Central Chile during the initial operation stage. The two TWs were planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica and were operated for 10 months at a pilot scale. The water quality of the influent and effluents was measured and compared with reuse regulations. The results showed similarities in the behavior of the effluents from the two TWs, presenting differences only in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and different forms of nitrogen, suggesting the necessity of complementary treatment stages or modifications to the operation. The effluents from the HF better fulfilled the reuse standards for irrigation, as the VF faced problems associated with its size. However, a complementary disinfection system is necessary to improve pathogen removal in the effluents coming from the two TWs, especially to be reused as irrigation water for crops. Finally, this work showed the potential for applying subsurface TWs for wastewater treatment in rural areas and reusing their effluents as irrigation water, practice that can contribute to reducing the pressure on water resources in Chile, and that can be used as an example for other countries facing similar problems.