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The emerging concept of university social responsibility (USR) consists in the fulfillment of the mission of the university in terms of ethical standards, community support, respect for human beings, and respect for the environment. Thus, universities must not only provide professional training but also instill ethical principles in students to allow them to behave as good citizens and help solve community problems. On the other hand, competition for students requires efficient management of university reputation and communication with their stakeholders, to demonstrate the accomplishment of the university's mission and attract potential students. The objective of this paper is thus to explain the causal relationship between communication about university social responsibility (USR) activities through institutional websites and university selection, as well as the role of reputation. Research work was carried out based on an explanatory cross-sectional design, with a sample of 356 subjects from a population of 11th-grade students from public and private schools in the City of Barranquilla (Colombia). The results revealed that USR communication through institutional websites has a significant influence on university selection, not only directly but also indirectly, through reputation as a mediating variable. These findings contribute at a theoretical level by providing empirical evidence to understand and explain the analyzed topic. Furthermore, the results provide useful information to evaluate USR disclosure and implement strategies to make progress on USR issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Identify the prevalence of internal and external parasites in ex situ snakes at the Fundación Botánica y Zoológica de Barranquilla “Barranquilla Zoo”. Materials and methods. Stool samples and ectoparasites of 2 colubrids (Leptophis ahaetulla and Spilotes pullatus), 2 diapsids (Oxybelys aeneus and Thamnodynastes paraguanae) and 13 boids (9 individuals of Boa constrictor, 2 of Epicrates maurus and 2 Eunectes murinus) were analyzed using flotation method in saturated sugar solution and direct observation. Results. The results showed that 65% (11/17) of the population was positive to the presence of parasites. In relation to the positive specimens, 91% (10/11) belong to the Boidae family, presenting mostly nematodes, in the dipsadid’s samples mainly protozoans were observed and the colubrid´s samples were negative. Regarding ectoparasites, 2 species of ticks (Amblyomma dissimile and Ornothodoros turicata) were found in specimens of Boa constrictor, Epicrates maurus and Spilotes pullatus. Conclusions. The identification of parasitic forms in this paper represents a contribution to the knowledge of parasites in snakes ex situ in Colombia. It provides information to develop prophylactic measures against these pathological agents and also allows comparing the data about the parasitic forms found with other researches in the wild and in captivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is a problem in the city of Barranquilla regarding the ignorance of the generation of used tires and their treatment at the end of their life cycle. This difficulty also occurs in Colombia, even globally. It is known that tire sales have a directly proportional relationship with the increase in the car fleet. Barranquilla shows a vehicle increase of 6% in 2015, 5% in 2016 and 4% in 2017. To date, the number of registered vehicles continues growing. As of December of 2018, the date on which this project is being carried on; there is no official system regulating the generation and proper disposal of used tires. While there are laws that oversee this issue, and preliminary projects that formulate systems for the proper collection and disposal of waste tires [1], most of them made in the capital city of Bogotá, are not duly reinforced by environmental authorities. Being the ignorance of generation is one of the main problems, a survey was applied to a sample of establishments that handle used tires in Barranquilla, where the existence of the problem was diagnosed and validated, and the number of used tires generated was estimated. Additionally, a forecast was made to analyze the behavior in later years. Following this, the most appropriate final disposal strategy for the treatment of this special solid waste was identified. Objective: analyze the current status of the generation, disposition and environmental effects of used tires in the city, focusing on the Riomar and Northern Historic Centre, as the field data on which the analysis is based on was collected there, due most concentration of establishments. This paper provides a starting point for an estimate of the used tires generated and forecasts the size of the environmental impact generated. Further, explores existing alternatives and processes for handling the disposed of used tires enabling the use of the materials and compounds within its structure for efficient uses of this resource while diminishing its impact on the environment. Method: Initially, 91 surveys were applied to establishments that handle used tires selected by sample size. The result of the study, whose consistency was verified through a Cronbach's Alpha analysis, shows in numbers the generation of weekly used tires at these active points. Then, the current factors that influence the generation of used tires are identified and expanded with a forecast for the generation of used tires in the next 5 years, covering the range of years from 2019 to 2023. Following the forecast, it will be in the foreground the existing methods for handling discarded tires, selecting the most appropriate by means of AHP method to contribute to the reduction of the environmental impact generated by improper disposal. Results: The results show that the problem of used tires is indisputable since most of these are eliminated in landfills. On the other hand, it's evident that there is a strong correlation between economic growth and registered vehicles. In the same way, the influence of the factors shows that there is a growing positive relationship between the registered vehicles and the number of used tires generated in the year. To give solution to the generation of used tires, it is found that the best final disposal strategy is the mechanical crushing of tires since, in addition to mitigating the environmental impact of the waste treatment, it also eliminates the possibility of contributing with pollutants. Conclusion: According to the results of the surveys and the forecasts made, it's evident that in 2023 the number of vehicles in Barranquilla will reach near that 231.918, which means an exponential growth in the generation of used tires; therefore, the importance of controlling the disposal of used tires is highlighted. Through the AHP methodology, it's established that the best practice to reduce or eliminate used tires is mechanical crushing due to its zero-carbon dioxide emission factor, and its products can be applied for rubber road asphalt and rubber coating for public playgrounds, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the levels of competitiveness and productivity of the Metalworking Sector of the city of Barranquilla, based on the design of an evaluation model for the supply chain of companies belonging to that sector. The model consists of five critical aspects: supply, storage, inventory management, distribution and transport, and reverse logistics. These factors include a set of variables that evaluate the planning, execution, measurement, and control of supply chain management. The model was validated in five companies of the Metalworking Sector of the city of Barranquilla. Solutions for integral logistics practices were established in the procurement processes, taking into account quality standards of processes and security of the supply chain. It is concluded that the sector has presented a great economic growth in the country and it is necessary the optimization and continuous improvement of the productive processes through the monitoring and control of appropriate indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Barranquilla, Colombia, the risk of deaths and property losses is associated with flash floods in the streets, which is very high. Therefore, this paper shows the design of a wireless sensor network to monitor realtime hydrological parameters that influence the detecting of dangerousness level of flash floods familiarly known as "arroyos", product of sudden and heavy rains in a short time. The design of the network is made through a site survey to obtain the data and results that are used in this work. It has also developed a mobile web application that uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML®) based on a list of requirements that displays real-time, on a street map of the city the dangerousness level of the stream at different points along its path. The designed system will be useful for preventive decision making by the end user and it is further developed to be replicable and scalable in similar environments. Furthermore, in this work it was tested the platform Waspmote and the XBee-PRO ZB (S2) Modules as a technological tool for the WSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is the result of the following investigation: "Design of a model to improve the cost estimation processes for software developing companies". It is presented a revision of the literature at an international level for identifying tendencies and methods for more accurate software cost estimations. Trough the Delphi predictive method, a group of experts in the field of software development in Barranquilla qualified and assessed from the probability of occurrence five realistic estimation scenarios. A completely random experiment was designed whose results point to two scenarios statistically similar in a cualitative manner, from that a three agents model was built: Metodology, capacity of the work team and technological products; each of those with three categories of fulfilment to achieve more precise estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]