Pontifical Catholic University Research Articles

Práctica reflexiva del profesorado en formación de la carrera de Historia, Geografía y Ciencias Sociales de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Introduction: The objective of the research is to identify what type of reflection the pre-services teachers in the History, Geography and Social Sciences program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso develop at the end of their professional practice, in order to recognize challenges and training opportunities for the promotion of reflective practice. Methodology: Qualitative descriptive research that analyzed the performances of 33 pre-service teachers in their reflection protocol, identifying the type of reflection carried out: descriptive, comparative or critical. Results: The majority pre-service teachers, when evaluating the impact of their teaching, based on their students' learning and reflecting pedagogically, develop a descriptive reflection, to the detriment of a comparative and critical one. When it is requested to analyze the impact of pedagogical practice from the opinions of the students, this is of the comparative type. Discussions: Systematic reflection on educational practice constitutes a possibility for the formation of teaching identity. Conclusions: It is important to understand reflective practice as a key competence of teaching practice, which is consolidated as a space for continuous learning and reflection par excellence due to its approach and experience of teaching work.

Sectoral priorities in the modernisation of engineering education in Brazil

ABSTRACT Modernising engineering education demands integrating diverse perspectives through multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches. In developing countries, collaboration with stakeholders presents a significant challenge. This study aimed to develop a novel collective approach to establish priorities for modernising engineering education. A workshop was conducted by the Modernisation of Undergraduate Education Program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in a Southern Brazilian metropolis, with 63 stakeholders from various sectors (education, experts, government, industry, and civil society organisations). The workshop consisted of three rounds discussions, including two rounds with stakeholders of the same sector and one round with stakeholders of different sectors mixed in discussion tables. Each table, comprising 3–7 participants, aimed to reach a consensus. Several topics were addressed in the discussions, including curricularization of extension, updating outdated curricular bases, and integrating soft skills and entrepreneurship into engineering programs. The resulting goals emphasised the integration of engineering education with society and industry. Participants agreed on short to medium-term deadlines for achieving these goals. This approach connected stakeholders, fostering an extensive collaborative, multisectoral network supporting engineering education modernisation.

Participatory and Healing Methodologies with ANFASEP Women: A Collaborative Learning Project

Based on collaborative work carried out with women, family members and volunteers of the National Association of Relatives of Kidnapped, Detained, and Disappeared of Peru (ANFASEP), we aim to present and analyze the development of a collaborative and healing methodology emerging from the dialogue between indigenous and urban identities. More specifically, members of ANFASEP and ourselves - the researchers – worked together to develop a deeper understanding of their collective, relational, and personal political agency within the framework of various projects conducted between the Institute of Democracy and Human Rights of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (IDEHPUCP) and ANFASEP from 2017 to 2023.

The Legacy of the Flora and Fauna Collection Professor Patricio Sánchez Reyes of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

The Legacy of the Flora and Fauna Collection Professor Patricio Sánchez Reyes of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Exploring remote work

Remote work has been widely adopted by organizations. In this context, this study aimed to answer several questions regarding the adaptation of centennials (born after 1995) to this type of work. It is in this generation that companies seek talent to meet skill needs (creativity, innovation, leadership). This is an exploratory study that began with a literature review, followed by the application of a questionnaire created in the Google Forms© tool. The forms were sent to students in the Administration course at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) via email and WhatsApp, resulting in seventy-four valid responses. The sampling of responding students was obtained through the technique known as snowball sampling. Only 28.2% stated that their productivity improved when working remotely, something that can be justified by distractions with smartphones and social networks. Another important issue was related to the time that Centennials gained in their routines, considering, for example, that they did not waste time commuting to work. In this aspect, 33.80% (24) stated that they used their time very well, 21.13% (15) used it well ("Using time well," in this context, refers to the effective utilization of time for value-generating activities, such as spending time with family, engaging in physical exercise, reading etc.). Remote work has value among centennials because it provides them with autonomy and free time. The study warns that a generation is just a generalization and that organizations will need to strive to understand that generation to get more productivity from it. The limitation of the study lies in the small number of respondents and the homogeneity of the sample; however, it does not invalidate the results and suggests the need for further studies aimed at better understanding this generation.

Predicting undergraduate academic performance in a leading Peruvian university: A machine learning approach

Despite improved higher education accessibility in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), challenges persist in student drop-out, especially for socio-economically disadvantaged students. While machine learning models have enhanced our understanding of this challenge by predicting academic performance, many studies overlook LMIC-specific institutional factors or focus on specific courses, limiting their generalizability and policy uses. To address these issues, the authors compiled a comprehensive database using administrative and census data to predict undergraduate academic performance at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). The study found that the most effective models were tree-based ensembles, particularly Random Forest, with key predictors including prior secondary school performance and university admission test scores. They present a high-performing model using only ten features that can predict future academic performance and potentially aid in reducing student drop-out at PUCP.

Cleft lip and palate surgery simulator: Open source simulation model

ObjectiveCleft lip and palate is the most common craniofacial birth anomaly and requires surgery in the first year of life. However, craniofacial surgery training opportunities are limited. The aim of this study was to present and evaluate an open-source cleft lip and palate hybrid (casting and three-dimensional (3D) printing) simulation model which can be replicated at low cost to facilitate the teaching and training of cleft surgery anatomy and techniques. DesignThe soft tissue component of the cleft surgery training model was casted using a 3D printed 5-component mold and silicone. The bony structure was designed to simulate the facial anatomy and to hold the silicone soft tissue. SettingTwo groups, one group of trainees and one group of expert surgeons, at University Hospital Basel in Switzerland and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, Chile, tested the cleft lip and palate simulation model. Participants completed a Likert-based face and content validity questionnaire to assess the realism of the model and its usefulness in surgical training. ResultsMore than 70 % of the participants agreed that the model accurately simulated human tissues found in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Over 60 % of the participants also agreed that the model realistically replicated surgical procedures. In addition, 80–90 % of the participants found the model to be a useful and appropriate tool for teaching the anatomy and surgical techniques involved in performing unilateral cleft lip and palate repair. ConclusionThis open-source protocol provides a cost-effective solution for surgeons to introduce the cleft morphology and surgical techniques to trainees on a regular basis. It addresses the current financial barrier that limits access to commercially available models during the early stages of surgeon training prior to specialization in the field.

REVALUATION OF THE CITY AND ITS RESOURCES: AN ACADEMIC METHODOLOGY FOR ADAPTATION TO CHANGES IN URBAN LAND

The architectural project is at the center of the design studios at Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador's School of Architecture. This teaching methodology integrates transversal tools that strengthen the concepts of social and technical sustainability. Therefore, the architectural project can be a way to learn, investigate and analyze potential solutions to problems found at various scales of the territory, from the neighborhood to the city. The current development of cities is focused on finding, through the architectural project, tools that can adapt to changes on urban land due to present and future development. This article presents a teaching methodology based on Project-Based Learning, which reflects on Quito’s public space, seeks to contribute to the knowledge of the city, to explore leading ways to good practices for teachers and future professionals and to contribute to that city’s urban renewal. The methodology presented here is divided into four moments (conceptual, analytical, strategic, and proactive) and three territorial scales (large, which entails a zonal analysis; medium, that leads to the analysis of the neighborhood; and small, which includes the analysis of the project’s site). This methodology allows for flexibility during the design process and triggers conversations around a more prosperous city which revalues its resources.

Car Detection for Smart Parking Systems Based on Improved YOLOv5

Nowadays, YOLOv5 is one of the most popular object detection network architectures used in real-time and industrial systems. Traffic management and regulation are typical applications. To take advantage of the YOLOv5 network and develop a parking management tool, this paper proposes a car detection network based on redesigning the YOLOv5 network architecture. This research focuses on network parameter optimization using lightweight modules from EfficientNet and PP-LCNet architectures. On the other hand, this work also presents an aerial view dataset for car detection tasks in the parking, named the AVPL. The proposed network is trained and evaluated on two benchmark datasets which are the Car Parking Lot Dataset and the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana+ Dataset and one proposed dataset. The experiments are reported on mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 measurement units. As a result, this network achieves the best performances at 95.8%, 97.4%, and 97.0% of mAP@0.5 on the Car Parking Lot Dataset, the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana+ Dataset, and the proposed AVPL dataset, respectively. A set of demonstration videos and the proposed dataset are available here: https://bit.ly/3YUoSwi .

Philosophical dietetics and symposium literature

This article is part of the research project INICIO-2022-18. "Dietetics. Historical Phenomenology of Eating and Epistemology of Culinary Taste” funded by the Vice-Rector for Research of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Dietetics is a fertile philosophical field to investigate the material conditions of the contemporary subject. It is not limited to moral philosophy or the aesthetics of taste, since most contemporary moral debates separate dietetics from the ethics of care. This consideration prevents dietetics from being conceived as a critical reflection on food as a philosophical problem. If dietetics was historically a philosophical discipline that was dedicated to theoretical reflection between ethics, aesthetics and food, contemporary practical philosophy forgot these topics as it considered them "minor" problems, problems of technical solution ---not normative---, or problems with little philosophical performance. Therefore, the rehabilitation of dietetics as a philosophical discipline is based on the assumption that the question of the correct diet and the way of life have been philosophically associated with each other.

Multimedia Murals for the Collaborative Work with Students of an Online Master’s Degree

The creation of online graduate study programs has spread due to the advance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In the virtual modality, the achievement of meaningful learning is based on the effective use of the different tools offered by the web. The experience presented here describes the results of a good practice aimed at fostering the collaborative work among the students of the Master’s degree in Computer Mediated Learning of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador through the use of multimedia murals generated in different technological tools. It was applied to four courses (subjects) with a total of 226 students belonging to the first and second levels during the years 2021 and 2022. The teaching methodology implemented matches that of the “flipped classroom.” To conclude, it can be stated that the use of these resources turned out to be a great support to the development of the videoclasses because it favors collaborative learning and helps build knowledge on the web.

The relationship of the third academic mission with traditional teaching and research activities

In the process of adapting to environmental changes, universities are moving towards new organizational models, with emphasis on the entrepreneurial university model. This is a global phenomenon that takes place in different economic and social contexts. In that regard, this research aims to identify the different ways of accomplishment of the third academic mission in universities and their relationship with traditional teaching and research activities. For this sake, this research is a case study focusing on two Brazilian universities: the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). The results show the use of several actions and mechanisms of innovation and entrepreneurship towards an entrepreneurial university model, with the establishment of links with both teaching and research. Furthermore, the studied cases show synergistic relationships between the third academic mission and the traditional academic missions, especially with research.

Motivation in the classroom to develop English Speaking skills

This research aims to show the magnitude of importance that motivation can have in the learning process of English. For this reason, various elements thay may alter student´s motivation are mentioned, making use of a questionnaire as an initiation process that were given to students from the second level of English of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ambato. The main factors of the research shows the importance of student´s interests, teachers role, daily habits, along with others. Eventually, some recommendations for improving student´s motivation to develop English speaking skills are proposed for future growth.

Association of health predictors with quality of life in children and adolescents.

To evaluate the association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) with physical activity, food consumption, sleep duration and screen time in children and adolescents. Cross-sectional study with 268 students aged 10-17 years from a public school in Brazil. The outcome variable was HRQOL score, evaluated by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™). Exposure variables were habitual physical activity, food consumption, sleep duration, and screen time. A general linear model was used to estimate age-adjusted means and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) of HRQOL scores, and a multivariable analysis of variance to identify factors associated with lower/higher HRQOL scores. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. Overall HRQOL score was 70.3 (95 % CI: 68.0-72.6). Multivariable analyses showed lower HRQOL scores for those adolescents who: 1-were physically inactive (67.3; p=0.014); 2-sleep less than 6 h per night (66.8; p=0.003); 3-eat fruits and vegetables less than five days/week (68.9; p=0.027); and 4-eat fast food twice/week or more (68.6; p=0.036) when compared to their opposite groups. Screen time was not statistically significantly associated with total HRQOL. The joint association found in our study suggests that at least three habits must change to improve the HRQOL of children and adolescents (physical activity, food consumption, and sleep duration). Therefore, interventions in schools to promote a healthy lifestyle to achieve a better HRQOL should include a multidisciplinary team to properly guide children and adolescents about these habits simultaneously.

Following the Water Uphill? The Spread of Blueberry Cultivation to the Mountains of Áncash, Peru / ¿Siguiendo el agua cuesta arriba? La expansión del cultivo del arándano en la sierra de Áncash, Perú

jlag Perspectives Landscape observers in Peru’s Áncash region have been concerned for over a decade about the impact of climate change on the shrinking glaciers of the Cordillera Blanca and the Santa River watershed (Bury et al., 2013). However, the Santa River valley, which is known locally as Callejón de Huaylas and is one of Peru’s most important Inter-Andean valleys, has been experiencing a second dramatic landscape change that has gone mostly unnoticed by outsiders. It has rapidly become covered by huge swathes of whiteplasticusedintheconstructionofhigh tunnels for blueberry production (Figure 1).1 Primarily for export, this production is transformingresourceuseaswellasvalleyaesthet ics ,withimpactsfordiversesectorsofsociety inÁncash.Furthermore,itsuggestspotential new trends in global agro-exports. CommercialblueberryproductioninPeru began in 2007 and has expanded rapidly throughanationalcampaignsince2012:from 50 hectares (ha) cultivated in 2012 to more than 18,000 ha in 2022 (Cordano, 2016; León Following the Water Uphill? The Spread of Blueberry Cultivation to the Mountains of Áncash, Peru¿Siguiendo el agua cuesta arriba? La expansión del cultivo del arándano en la sierra de Áncash, Perú Martha G. Bell Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Karl S. Zimmerer Pennsylvania State University and CEFE-University of Montpellier Odolin Saturnino Rodríguez Tinoco Institución Educativa 86648, Santo Domingo de Guazman - Yungay JOURNAL OF LATIN AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY 22(1), 1–11 Carrasco,2023).Blueberriesarecurrentlythe agro-export crop that generates the highest sales. In 2022, sales totaled US$ 1,435 million, approximately 14 percent of Peru’s total agro-export sales (Agraria.pe, 2023). Peru has also become the world’s leading exporter of the fruit (freshfruitportal.com, 2023), producing more than 276,000 metric tons in 2022 (Agraria.pe, 2023). This has corresponded to the larger expansion of “non-traditional agricultural exports” (NTAEs) across Latin America, which, beginning in the 1990s, saw production booms of grapes, avocados, mangos, asparagus, and other crops along Peru’s desert coast. This growth has depended on large-scale agribusiness and government investments in irrigation projects and “technified” agriculture as well as inexpensive labor and new trade and legal arrangements (Williams & Murray, 2019; Lombana, 2020; Crespi, 2022). Peru’s blueberry boom depends on distinctive varietal management and new geographic strategies for production. In 2023, the most prevalent blueberry varieties included Emerald and Biloxi, which are extra-large, firm, sweet, crunchy varieties that can survive cold storage and shipping (Ilyas, 2023). These are so-called zero or low chill varieties, which require reduced hours at cool temperatures (below 7 oC) compared to other varieties, and are thus suitable for Peru’s warmer temperatures (especially on the coast but also in the CalleFigure 1. Blueberries cultivated in high tunnels near Caraz, Áncash, Peru (Photograph by Marcia Castromonte, February 17, 2023). 2 Journal of Latin American Geography jón de Huaylas). In addition to these properties , which are common to agro-exports, blueberry expansion has required transforming new geographic spaces by subsuming previously “underutilized” lands into the agro-export model. While in previous agro-export growth these spaces have typicallybeenlocatedonPeru ’sdesertcoast,now itishigheraltitudezones,andspecificallythe inter-Andean valleys of Áncash, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and Piura—which are characterized by more abundant surface water, gentle rainfall, absence of frosts, and available land and labor—that are targeted for blueberry production (Cordano, 2016; Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria del Perú, 2019). We focusourdescriptiononalltheseproduction factors, with special attention to the role of water availability in the upslope spaces. The cultivation of blueberries in Inter-Andean valleys has mainly occurred near the city of Caraz, which is located in the relatively wide, flat-bottomed Santa River valley known as Callejón de Huaylas. The Santa River is fed by glacier meltwater flowing down from the Cordillera Blanca, which contains some of the most important tropical glaciers in the world. During the twentieth century, agriculturalists in the Caraz area, including indigenous peasant communities (Comunidades Campesinas) as well as smallholders and medium-size farms, used irrigation to grow products for national markets. These included purple-kernel maize (maíz morado) used for the chicha morada beverage , Andean amaranth (kiwicha), artichokes, green beans, snow peas, and flowers. The surge of blueberry producFigure 2. High tunnels for blueberry growing in the valley bottom of Callejón de Huaylas, Áncash...

Headache changes in individuals with migraine post-Covid-19: general characteristics of the acute phase and worsening of the migraine pattern

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to investigate how infection with SARS-CoV-2 affected headache in individuals with migraine, and to identify characteristics associated with a worsening of the migraine post COVID-19.MethodsObservational study composed of 157 individuals with migraine and who had been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They were recruited from the database of the headache research group at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná. The participants responded online to questions about their anthropometric data, history of infection with SARS-CoV-2, presence and characteristics of the headache in the acute phase, perception of a worsening of the migraine after infection, use of analgesics and prophylactic migraine medication. Validated digital questionnaires were used: Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12). The results of these questionnaires were compared to values previously recorded in the database, this information having been obtained prior to the infection with COVID-19.ConclusionIndividuals who notice a worsening in migraine post-COVID-19 have a more severe migraine condition prior to infection, have more prominent headache during the acute phase and, subsequently, present with greater disability.

Dog-assisted therapy for control of anxiety in pediatric dentistry.

Anxiety is common in pediatric dental care, and affects the behavioral management of children. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been shown to improve children's behavior. However, few studies have applied this technique in dentistry. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the applicability of dog-assisted therapy to control anxiety during pediatric dental treatment. Twenty children were selected from the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (PUC-Campinas), Brazil. Participants were divided into two groups: Control (n = 11; visits = 16), in which children were conditioned by methods routinely used in the clinic; and AAT (n = 9; visits = 23), in which children had contact with a dog therapist first at the reception desk and then again inside the office. The dog therapist stayed beside the dental chair with the child throughout the procedures. Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CS) and heart rate (HR) were used for evaluation of child anxiety. The results were tested for normality of distribution with the Shapiro-Wilk method, and subsequently analyzed in BioEstat 5.0. HR results were compared by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's test, and CS scores, with the Wilcoxon test. There was a significant reduction in HR in the AAT group (p = 0.0069). In the Control group, HR did not change before, during, or after treatment (p = 0.6052). Controls showed a significant increase in anxiety measured by CS before and after treatment (p = 0.0455). In the AAT group, there was no change in CS scores before and after treatment (p = 0.3739). AAT could be an alternative to reduce anxiety during pediatric dental care.

Terapia ocupacional e socioeducação: uma trajetória institucional de acompanhamento de adolescentes e jovens durante quatro décadas

Abstract The Adolescent Guidance Center of Campinas (COMEC), a civil society organization, has adopted, as pillars of assistance since its foundation in 1980, the guarantee of the fundamental principles of human rights and the promotion of social education as a tool of intervention and transformation. Its history of providing open-setting follow-up for adolescent and young offenders and their families precedes the assumptions and guidelines of the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA) of the Unified Social Assistance System and the National Socio-Educational Assistance System. COMEC has become a reference in the municipality of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil in the execution of socio-educational measures of Assisted Liberty (AL) and Provision of Services to the Community (PSC) through the development of solid work in the field of social assistance. This study aims to present the trajectory of occupational therapy at COMEC from 1984 to 2022 through a university teaching-extension partnership conducted by the Occupational Therapy Course of the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. Since then, occupational therapists have composed the technical teams of AL and PSC as essential reference professionals to develop this work, as well as assumed management activities. Occupational therapy has contributed, in a powerful and diversified way, to offer a follow-up to adolescents, young people, and their families, and has accumulated experiences in the execution of socio-educational measures that can contribute to its repertoires of action.

O impacto do apoio de docentes no uso dos serviços e recursos em bibliotecas universitárias: relato de experiência da Biblioteca Central Irmão José Otão da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

University libraries are part of an ecosystem of knowledge production and their main function is to support the research developed at universities. This experience report aims to describe the impact of the support of teachers in promoting the use of services and resources of the Central Library Irmão José Otão of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Through a project a team of librarians carried out actions that reinforced the direct communication with the teachers, making it possible to quantify the impact of the teachers' influence in the promotion of the Library's resources and services. Furthermore, this report promotes reflections about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the importance of the librarianship and university libraries.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 11 No. 4

Environmental Management and Sustainable Development (EMSD) would like to thank the following reviewers for reviewing manuscripts from August 1, 2022, to November 1, 2022. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Many authors, regardless of whether EMSD publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Macrothink Institute appreciates the following reviewers’ rigorous and conscientious efforts for this journal. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review during this period. Dilek Kaya-Akyüzlü, Ankara University, TurkeyFarhaoui Mohamed, National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, MoroccoGandhi Escajadillo Toledo, The National Technological University of South Lima, PeruHayssam Mohamed Ali, King Saud University, EgyptJoão Fernando Pereira Gomes, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, PortugueseManuel Mendoza-Carranza, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), MexicoMohammad Aghababaei, Washington State University, USASyakir Amir Ab. Rahman, International Islamic University Malaysia, MalaysiaTaina da Silva Rocha Paz, Federal Fluminense University, Brazil