Latin-American Journal of Computing

A blockchain-based identity management solution for secure personal data sharing: A systematic literature review approach.

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Africa’s digital transformation has amplified systemic vulnerabilities in personal data governance, particularly due to reliance on centralized identity systems ill-equipped to evolve cyber threats. For instance, the 2016 Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed not only global data misuse but also catalyzed African nations like Nigeria and Kenya to audit their electoral data practices, revealing similar risks. Centralized databases are frequently the backbone of conventional identity management systems, which unfortunately leaves them vulnerable to security violations and unwanted entry resulting in attackers taking advantage of these vulnerabilities and causing security incidents like identity theft or the exposure of confidential information. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) empowers individuals to take control of their personal identity and understand how their data is utilized. In this context, blockchain technology plays a pivotal role by supporting decentralized systems for identity management and access control. This literature review explores five key dimensions of blockchain-based identity and access control management, including security / privacy, scalability, interoperability, regulatory compliance, and user control through a systematic analysis of 62 African case studies and a framework synthesized from that review. The study identifies critical gaps in scalability (40% of studies) and regulatory alignment (50%), offering actionable insights for decentralized identity frameworks in emerging economies. Prior reviews lack Africa-specific insights; this SLR addresses this gap by synthesizing 62 African case studies, offering the first comprehensive analysis of blockchain-based IDMS implementations in the region.

Sentiment Analysis on the Social Network “X”, Public Perception of the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa (November 2023 - April 2024)

2025-07-07T13:55:59+00:00

This study examines public opinions and social evaluations regarding the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, on the social network “X” through sentiment analysis techniques. To this end, web scraping was implemented, allowing for the efficient and cost-effective collection of 3177 relevant tweets. Subsequently, a manual labeling process of the emotions reflected in the messages was carried out, aiming to ensure a more rigorous and representative classification of users' sentiments. The results revealed that 79.7% of the tweets were neutral, indicating a lack of a defined stance in most mentions. However, 16.6% of the messages expressed a negative orientation, showing a significant presence of criticism and disapproval toward the president. In contrast, only 3.7% of the tweets reflected a positive attitude, indicating a relatively low level of explicit support. These findings suggest that President Noboa’s image on “X” is predominantly neutral, with a significant tendency toward criticism and limited positive endorsement. The study demonstrates the usefulness of web scraping and sentiment analysis as key tools for evaluating public opinion on social media, providing valuable insights into the sociopolitical dynamics in digital environments.

When Light Meets Sound: Signal Analysis of Black Holes

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When light meets sound, a new dimension of analysis unfolds. This work explores black hole observations through the lens of signal theory and acoustic wave mechanics, revealing a resonant bridge between electromagnetic and mechanical waves. Using Event Horizon Telescope EHT data, black hole imagery is treated as a three-dimensional digital signal, where the analytic Hilbert envelope and normalized Discrete Fourier Transform DFT expose hidden structures.

The gravitational shadow is interpreted not as silence, but as a measurable energy dip—an imprint of absorption rather than absence. Euler’s identity is employed to map signal phase and symmetry into polar and complex domains, providing an intuitive mathematical pathway toward the event horizon.

By applying foundational acoustic concepts such as resonance, interference, and entropy, the field surrounding the black hole is reinterpreted as a complex communication signal. This interdisciplinary framework unifies digital signal processing, electromagnetic theory, and acoustics into a novel methodology for astronomical analysis. Notably, when a full noise assessment is conducted, EHT images exhibit a significant enhancement in resolution and information transmission

Hybrid CNN-Transformer Model for Severity Classification of Multi-organ Damage in Long COVID Patients

2025-07-07T13:55:59+00:00

Global COVID-19 spread has necessitated the use of rapid and accurate diagnostic procedures to support clinical decision-making, particularly in resource-limited environments. In this work, a hybrid deep model combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Transformer architecture is proposed to diagnose COVIDx CXR-3 dataset chest X-ray images into three classes of severity levels: Mild, Moderate, and Severe. The methodology incorporates data preprocessing techniques such as resizing, normalization, augmentation, and SimpleITK organ segmentation. A DenseNet121-based CNN extracts local features, while global dependencies are extracted by a Vision Transformer. The features from both are fused and fed to a classification head to generate the predictions. The training was done in PyTorch with learning rate 0.0001, batch size 32 and optimized with Adam optimizer for 50 epochs. Performance measures like Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1-Score, and Confusion Matrix were computed to measure performance. Results show that the CNN-transformer model which outperforms the CNN-only model that achieved 88%. This integration has demonstrated a better capability in severity classification and great potential in helping clinicians prioritize care, optimize treatment plans, and allocate resources, thereby improving outcomes in COVID-19 management.

Development of a desktop application prototype for blood banks

2025-07-07T13:55:59+00:00

In this research, a prototype desktop application was developed to optimize the management of blood banks, with emphasis on inventory control and scheduling appointments for donations. The objective of the study was to develop an accessible software solution that automates administrative processes and contributes to a more efficient and secure management of blood resources. The methodology used was the agile Scrum framework, with the development organized in biweekly iterations. SQL Server was used as the database manager due to its robustness and security. Validation was carried out in a simulated environment representative of a blood bank, using scenarios designed to emulate real tasks in the management of donations. In addition, a usability evaluation was conducted with real users through structured interviews, who identified strengths and opportunities for improvement in the interface. The results showed a significant reduction in record-keeping errors, greater operational efficiency and improved interaction with donors. The usability evaluation revealed needs for refinements to the visual experience, proposals such as the incorporation of interactive tutorials and improvements to the data entry forms. It is concluded that the prototype satisfactorily fulfills the proposed objectives, representing an effective technological solution to strengthen transfusion safety and support clinical decision making in contexts of limited infrastructure.

Evaluating and mitigating SQL injections in web applications: developing a prototype

2025-07-07T13:55:59+00:00

In the current context of increasing digital vulnerability, SQL injections continue to pose a critical threat to web application security. To address this issue, SecureSQLTester was developed—a prototype aimed at detecting and mitigating SQL injection attacks, designed to be accessible to developers and small businesses. The proposal was based on a systematic review of existing techniques, integrating both classical and advanced protection approaches. The prototype was developed using the agile Scrum methodology, which enabled progressive improvements through iterative work cycles. Usability tests were conducted with software engineering students, who evaluated the tool in simulated scenarios. The results show that SecureSQLTester accurately identifies SQL vulnerabilities in the evaluated applications. However, opportunities for improvement were identified in the user interface, as well as the need to enhance parameter customization according to the usage context. Overall, the findings support the potential of the prototype as an effective and low-cost tool to strengthen cybersecurity in small- and medium-scale development environments and to promote the adoption of best practices throughout the software lifecycle.

Cloud Computing in Ecuadorian Higher Education: A Case Study on Use, Benefits, and Challenges at UTEQ

2025-07-07T13:55:59+00:00

Digital transformation continues to reshape higher education, with cloud computing emerging as a key enabler of enhanced accessibility, collaboration, and academic management. This study investigates the use of cloud computing in Ecuadorian universities by identifying its benefits, barriers, and opportunities through a survey of key stakeholders in the education system. A quantitative approach was employed using a structured questionnaire to collect data on participants’ knowledge levels, tools used, perceived advantages, challenges, and expectations. The main benefit identified was accessibility from any location (92%), followed by enhanced collaboration (73%) and the modernization of educational practices (43%). The primary challenges included lack of training (67%), limited connectivity (58%), associated costs (46%), and concerns about data security and privacy (34%). These findings underscore the need to strengthen technological infrastructure and provide targeted training to optimize the effective use of cloud computing. Regarding future perspectives, 71% of respondents advocated for greater integration into teaching and learning, while 64% suggested expanding its use across academic and administrative domains. Cloud computing represents a strategic asset for Ecuadorian higher education. However, its full adoption requires addressing infrastructure and capacity-building challenges through policies that promote collaboration, innovation, and the efficient management of institutional resources.

Editorial

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Welcome to Volume 12, Issue 2 of the Latin-American Journal of Computing (LAJC)

It is an honor to present this new issue, which brings a collection of eight research articles that tackle today’s pressing challenges in computing with insight, innovation, and care. This issue reflects a shared commitment to advancing technical and scientific knowledge for the benefit of the Latin American region.

The contributions featured in this edition spans educational tools, sustainability efforts, and institutional change. Among them are studies that analyze the adoption of digital technologies in public universities, and the design of digital tools for estimating household greenhouse gas emissions. This issue also includes applied proposals such as educational chatbots for secondary schools, intelligent systems for analyzing black holes through digital signal processing techniques, and desktop applications to support the efficient management of blood banks. From an institutional perspective, one article explores digital transformation in universities as a mechanism to improve academic administration, while another analyzes how cloud computing is transforming higher education. Lastly, a systematic review addresses the use of blockchain technology for digital identity management in Africa, highlighting its potential in low-infrastructure contexts.

These studies demonstrate technical advancement across diverse areas in computing science and emphasize the importance of collaborative and contextualized research.

We extend our gratitude to the authors for sharing their research, to the reviewers for their constructive comments, and to the editorial team for their continuous commitment to quality and scientific dissemination.

We hope this issue inspires new ideas, collaborations, and new directions in computing science research.

Gabriela Suntaxi
Editor-in-Chief
Latin-American Journal of Computing – LAJC
Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ecuador

African National Artificial Intelligence Strategies: A review, analysis and research agendaiew, analysis and research agenda

2025-07-07T13:55:59+00:00

Some countries have developed their national artificial intelligence strategies (NAISs) while others have formed task forces to develop them. This study reviewed elements and concepts required to develop NAIS, related science, technology and innovation (STI) strategies, policies and manifestos. Some of these elements and concepts apply to both developing and developed countries while some others are specific to one of them. STI elements and concepts apply to artificial intelligence strategies since AI technology is a specialization of STI technologies. The concepts and elements identified by this study can aid strategy creators by providing important insights for creating NAISs. For instance, catch-up strategies based on learning from a country with similar past technology, catch-up successes, and others who have created NAISs are a low-cost way for developing and implementing NAISs.