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This needs analysis study sought to identify the contextual requirements to design and implement a blended learning program in English at a Colombian public university. Data on teachers' and administrators' perceptions were gathered through a questionnaire, interviews, and focus groups and analyzed using grounded theory. Findings revealed the need to invest considerably in new personnel and e-infrastructure. Likewise, students' context should be considered to design EFL blended programs. Teachers and students should be offered ICT and methodological professional development. Finally, the program should carefully balance the integration of face-to-face and online modalities. This investigation can help the academic community of language educators and curriculum designers carry out needs analysis studies for creating contextualized blended learning programs.

The professional development for teachers is an important component of the quality of education. However, few systems for monitoring and analysing the quality and impact of teacher professional development programmes have been created. In this article, we present the effects on classroom practices of a Colombian professional development programme for in-service secondary mathematics teachers. We compare the teachers' classroom practices of planning, implementation, and assessment, before and after participating in the programme. We found that the professional development programme shows a statistically significant and positive effect on planning, implementing and assessment practices. These results serve as evidence of teacher training policy in terms of changes in classroom practices.

This article is an effort to unveil how colonialism gets inscribed in research education initiatives during peace-building. To this end, we look behind the scenes of an education development project that sought to support a rural school in consolidating high-quality education during Colombia's recent peace process. We examine how, in our roles as principal investigator and research assistant, our enthusiasm inadvertently contributed to perpetuating the colonial rule of the state in an area traditionally controlled by revolutionary groups. To do so, we follow the project from its design and negotiation to the delivery of results. By depicting how enthusiasm may shape a researcher's reasoning, we aim to complicate our understanding of the research process and the enthusiasm that underpins peace efforts.

Purpose: The aim of the research was to propose probable scenarios for the year 2030 for the cocoa value chain in the department of Antioquia (Colombia), based on functional approach to analysing territorial innovation systems (TIS). Methodology: TIS in the cocoa value chain was analysed by comparing two rural municipalities as case studies, where different actors respectively participated. Prospective analysis approach, Delphi method, MICMAC program and morphological analysis were combined for the construction of scenarios. Findings: Case study comparison indicates that analysis at the territorial level is an appropriate perspective to identify key aspects of the TIS functions that lead to different scenarios for promoting local innovation in agri-food value chains. The results provide specific scenarios including short-, medium- and long-term strategies for the promotion of territorial innovation systems. Practical implications: This approach has the potential for multiple heterogeneous TIS actors to explore different innovation pathways and prospective scenarios that contribute to action planning to reduce uncertainty and promote innovation in TIS. Theoretical implications: This study contributes with a new way of approaching the functions of TIS, where dynamics that occur in the local geography are highlighted. Also based on the prospective analysis, scenarios are configured that arise from a set of aspects analysed by local and external actors of the territories. Originality/value: The study generates important knowledge about TIS and the functional approach regarding the design of prospective scenarios to promote innovation in agri-food value chains.

In this study we use data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to investigate the effect of teachers' motivation on students' scientific literacy and motivation in Colombia. These relationships are explored using a multilevel modeling framework and through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. Although difficulties in achieving education quality in developing and emerging economies are commonly attributed to teacher motivation issues, and important policy measures are implemented based on this assumption, this topic remains largely empirically unexplored. The purpose of the study is to contribute to fill this gap and provide empirically based insights for a broader and more informed dialogue regarding the effect of motivation in the development of scientific literacy, and to the design and implementation of evidence-based policies, instructional practices, and interventions. In this analysis, we did not find a significant relationship between teacher motivation and either students' scientific literacy or motivation. However, students' interest in science and sense of self-efficacy were significantly associated with their own achievement. The results also show that teacher-directed instruction is the strongest predictor of scientific literacy as opposed to inquiry-based teaching. However, inquiry-based teaching was found to be a positive predictor of increased students' motivation.

Some human activities have caused a serious environmental crisis, producing irreversible damage and loss of resources and diversity, which is why a strong sustainability approach is required to keep human activities within planetary boundaries. However, a strong sustainability concept can be difficult for teachers to convey and for students to grasp, because it has few practical examples and applying it seems utopian. This article presents a teaching strategy of active learning for teaching strong sustainability at the university level and evaluates its usefulness for empowering students for another type of relationship with the environment. The teaching strategy is supported by a pedagogy that promotes critical thinking and recognizes learning as a way of questioning and empowering oneself. The teaching strategy was successfully applied in three university subjects that promote environmental education. Based on an online questionnaire to enrolled students (N = 87; 46F, 41M), the perspective of the teacher and the critical-thinking of authors, it was demonstrated that the teaching strategy allowed the strong sustainability concept to be appropriated by students of different disciplines, and demonstrated the feasibility of its practical application. Finally, the teaching strategy can be useful for teaching several disciplines, for curricular integration, and for promoting societal changes to achieve sustainability.

This paper describes the implementation and student learning outcomes of a nationwide professional development program for lower secondary and upper secondary school teachers to integrate computational thinking into the K-12 curriculum. Computational thinking comprises important concepts and skills that all students should develop to take an active role in a global society. However, teaching computational thinking is challenging. There are few teachers with the knowledge and skills to integrate computation into their courses. In this program, the participating teachers implemented a set of lesson plans that included both unplugged activities to scaffold student learning, and 'plugged' activities following a use-modify-create learning progression with the Micro:bit device to practice these skills. The study used a quasi-experimental design to compare students' level of computational thinking between the program participants and a control group. The results suggest a positive effect of the learning activities on student computational thinking knowledge and skills as compared to the control group. This result persists after controlling for school context and student gender. This study provides an explicit approach to implementing these activities in the context of a developing country and assesses their effectiveness in a large-scale study.

A part of students learning in the classroom depends on how the teacher responds to their thinking. The literature has separately addressed teachers' feedback responses to errors and unexpected strategies that students put into play when solving tasks. We propose a framework to analyze these responses together based on three criteria: the focus of the answers (teacher or student), the type of knowledge (conceptual or procedural) that the teacher puts into play in the teacher-centered answers, and the types of actions (asking and proposing) involved in student-centered responses. We codified and analyzed the feedback responses of a group of mathematics teachers to a questionnaire that inquired about their curricular practices. We found similarities in their reports of responses to students' errors and unexpected strategies: two-thirds of teachers have a teacher-centered response. For the student-centered answers, the number of responses of the teacher in which he/she proposes activities is three times the number of responses in which he/she asks students questions. Furthermore, responses to unexpected strategies differ from responses to errors because teachers evaluate, correct, and accept those strategies.

We characterize the thematic trends of the "Geometry and its Applications Meeting." This meeting is held periodically in Colombia, country in which our study was carried out. We used a taxonomy of key terms specific to mathematics education to code the proceedings of this meeting. The study variables are purpose, educational level, pedagogical notions, and topics. We establish the thematic trends in terms of the values of the variables. We describe their evolution over time and, using a normalization process, we compare the extent to which geometry topics are treated with respect to the other variables. The meeting has disseminated activities and curricular innovations to a lesser extent. The community that attends the meeting is focused on the theoretical development associated with geometry and on higher educational levels. The papers that address pedagogical notions focus on learning and the classroom. The topics with the highest percentage of research are geometry in three dimensions and Euclidean geometry. We suggest that the meeting should promote the dissemination of curricular innovations and give more attention to the notions of teaching, curriculum and assessment in both research and innovations. We perceive the need to address learning and teaching in preschool and primary education.

This action research study sought to foster dialogic action through the expansion of English language learners' communicative repertoires in a 6th-grade class at a public school in a Colombian town. During the first action research cycle, the restricted concept of communication of the grammar based syllabus and the competitive and violent interactions between the learners were identified as key issues to address. From a critical perspective of pedagogy and literacy, this study understands that communication in language education should transcend the use of a standard target language, and include multiple linguistic codes and multimodal representative forms. Considering these principles and the issues identified, we designed an action plan for the second action research cycle. This plan consisted of activities that sought to expand English language learners' communicative repertoires and promote reflections on violence and conflict resolution through the analysis and creation of different visual representations. Data were collected through journal entries, semi-structured interviews, and students' artifacts. Findings show how the learners have a diverse and differentiated access to communicative repertoires and how they manipulated available representations to transform meanings. As a conclusion, not enough evidence of the emergence of dialogic action was found since competitiveness and violent interactions in the classroom did not significantly change during the intervention. Nonetheless, embracing the learners' communicative practices created spaces for reflection on complex social and moral topics in the classroom, even if their English linguistic resources were still limited.

Nature degradation is rooted in the disruption of the human-land connection. Its restoration requires the regeneration of environmental stewardship as a way to live within environmental limits, especially for younger generations. In this study we used the implementation of a year-round, non-formal environmental education program during COVID-19 times to explore environmental stewardship in adolescents between 14- and 18-years old from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Using a qualitative methodology, we mapped expressions of environmental stewardship among local youth. We found several barriers that can be challenged and levers that can be nurtured through inclusive, place-based and collaborative environmental education strategies to foster youth's environmental stewardship in Colombian's high-biodiverse regions.

Environmental education has an important role in higher education institutions as it leads to understanding the importance of sustainability, thus creating a positive impact on students. This impact extends beyond the classroom, inspiring them to actively engage in environmentally responsible behaviors and become conscientious stewards of our planet. The aim of the research was to analyze the environmental perception and ecological attitude of university students at the University of Medellín, that is, this study consisted of examining whether environmental education programs positively influenced the perception of the green campus and the ecological attitude. A structural model was proposed to empirically contrast this phenomenon at a university accredited as a green campus. The results explored that the universities that carry out environmental programs and that offer educational activities on this topic generate a responsible attitude towards sustainability and ecology in their students. This has short, medium and long-term impacts for the university.

This article examines the future as a technique of government aimed at controlling young people's relationships to the present. It analyses the futures deemed feasible in a school located in a border area affected by the Colombian armed conflict. Based on ethnographic data collected primarily between 2013 and 2014, this study highlights the future's regulatory nature and the types of commitments it seeks to generate in students. By examining the ideas and practices that align students' horizons with state needs, this research reveals the tensions between an institutionalised future packaged as a rural entrepreneurship project and students' aspirations for geographical and social mobility.

This is a cross-sectional study conducted to examine the associations between the composition of friendship networks and health-related behaviors of 988 adolescents (11-18 years old) from Colombia. Participants were asked to self-report behaviors and to nominate their best friends. "Egocentric network analysis" (i.e., analysis of personal networks formed by egos and alters) was conducted to identify "network composition" (i.e., the proportion of network members with a particular attribute or behavior), and associations were analyzed with logistic regression models. Results show that network composition was associated with individual physical activity by boys and with consumption of fruits and vegetables, smoking, and drug use by girls. Regardless of gender, network composition was associated with screen time, fast-food consumption, excessive alcohol consumption, and having had sexual intercourse. These findings highlight the role of the social and behavioral environment in health-related behaviors in adolescents.

A growing body of research addresses students' images of scientists using the Draw-a-Scientist-Test (DAST) and its Checklist (DAST-C). These protocols rest on the assumption that stereotypical views of scientists, as identified by the presence of multiple indicators in student drawings (e.g. lab coat, male gender; eyeglasses; facial hair), may affect science career interest. Yet, such an assumption remains unexplored. This study investigated whether stereotyped images of scientists identified by the DAST and DAST-C predicted and affected students' science career interests. A total of 1799 students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 11 in Colombia drew a picture of a scientist at work and reported their interest in a scientific career. Contrary to theoretical expectations, neither the original seven DAST stereotypical indicators nor the eight alternative DAST-C indicators predicted students' science career interests. Similarly, drawings of male or female scientists had no predictive power of students' science career interest. On the contrary, students interested in a science career drew significantly more stereotyped indicators than their counterparts with low interest. This study failed to find evidence supporting the contention of DAST and DAST-C protocols, and raises questions about their validity in identifying stereotipical images of scientists.

This study draws on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) proposed by Ajzen to explore the existing relationships between entrepreneurial intentions and the proposed determinants, as well as the mediation of advantages, limitations and individual values in entrepreneurship. For empirical work, a questionnaire was designed and validated using Likert scales, applied to university students in Colombia. The basic constructs were measured using 56 variables. The findings show a positive relationship between the main constructs of the TPB as well as variables that indirectly mediate entrepreneurial intentions.

Colombia has endured one of the world's longest internal displacement crises in recent history. Programs that address the practices and psychosocial wellbeing of the community of caregivers of young children in protracted crises are urgently needed. We developed and implemented a program aimed at strengthening the resilience and wellbeing of caregivers (parents, grandparents, and educators) of children enrolled in home-based and institutional centers for early childhood development in Colombia. The program, Conmigo, Contigo, Con Todos, or 3Cs, used purposive sampling across 14 municipalities disproportionately impacted by the armed conflict in Colombia. It consisted of two modules, a skills-building program (SBP) module and a psychotherapy intervention (PTI). The program content drew from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, and from inputs from local stakeholders. By applying a pragmatic evaluation strategy, we explored the pre-post intervention changes in parental resilience (the primary outcome of interest) through self-reports on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The analysis of the pre-post intervention outcomes showed statistically significant improvements in CD-RISC in both intervention arms (SBP and PTI). Caregivers in the PTI group started with lower CD-RISC scores than caregivers who did not receive the PTI, and they showed the most improvement over time. Caregivers who had lower than average participation in the SBP (M=1-3 sessions out of a total of 6) did not show significant changes in CD-RISC. Additionally, caregivers who had higher than average participation in the SBP showed significantly more improvement in CD-RISC scores than caregivers who did not attend any sessions. We discuss the implications of these findings for future applications of the program and substantiate the measurable impact of interventions for caregivers in conflict settings.

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Virtual Universidad Católica del Norte is the property of Revista Virtual Universidad Catolica del Norte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the interrelation between two innovating strategies (product and process) on total factor productivity (TFP) growth and the dynamic linkages between these strategies, for Colombia. The authors first explore whether ex ante more productive firms are those that introduce innovations (the self-selection hypothesis) and if the introduction of innovations boosts TFP growth (the returns-to-innovation hypothesis). Second, the authors study the firm's joint dynamic decision to implement process and/or product innovations. The authors use Colombian manufacturing data from the Annual Manufacturing and the Technological Development and Innovation Surveys. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a four-stage procedure. First, the authors estimate TFP using a modified version of Olley and Pakes (1996) and Levinsohn and Petrin (2003), proposed by De Loecker (2010), that implements an endogenous Markov process where past firm innovations are endogenized. This TFP would be estimated by GMM, Wooldridge (2009). Second, the authors use multivariate discrete choice models to test the self-selection hypothesis. Third, the authors explore, using multi-value treatment evaluation techniques, the life span of the impact of innovations on productivity growth (returns to innovation hypothesis). Fourth, the authors analyse the joint likelihood of implementing process and product innovations using dynamic panel data bivariate probit models. Findings: The investigation reveals that the self-selection effect is notably more pronounced in the adoption of process innovations only, as opposed to the adoption of product innovations only or the simultaneous adoption of both process and product innovations. Moreover, our results uncover distinct temporal patterns concerning innovation returns. Specifically, process innovations yield immediate benefits, whereas implementing both product innovations only and jointly process and product innovations exhibit significant, albeit delayed, advantages. Finally, the analysis confirms the existence of dynamic interconnections between the adoption of process and product innovations. Originality/value: The contribution of this work to the literature is manifold. First, the authors thoroughly investigate the relationship between the implementation of process and product innovations and productivity for Colombian manufacturing explicitly recognising that firms' decisions of adopting product and process innovations are very likely interrelated. Therefore, the authors start exploring the self-selection and the returns to innovation hypotheses accounting for the fact that firms might implement process innovations only, product innovations only and both process and product innovations. In the analysis of the returns of innovation, the fact that firms may choose among a menu of three innovation strategies implies the use of evaluation methods for multi-value treatments. Second, the authors study the dynamic inter-linkages between the decisions to implement process and/or product innovations, that remains under studied, at least for emerging economies. Third, the estimation of TFP is performed using an endogenous Markov process, where past firms' innovations are endogenized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of road infrastructure such as bridges that do not meet current design criteria, the deterioration of these due to use, environmental factors and extraordinary or unforeseen conditions, and the increase in seismic and gravitational design loads due to regulatory updates, generate the need for search of new design and retrofitting alternatives for this type of structure. Thus, the conditions of these structures need to be assessed and corresponding interventions need to be identified. It is important to implement alternatives that are both economically and functionally efficient. For example, base isolation can reduce direct construction costs by using devices designed and built in the country of origin, but the unfamiliarity and importation costs of these devices are the main obstacles to mass use. In this article, a comparative analysis is performed of a conventional design and an integrated design for base isolation using low-cost unbonded fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (U-FREIs) made in Colombia. A methodology is proposed for the analysis of new and existing isolated structures, in which the isolators are placed between the substructure and superstructure. This methodology is used to design and strengthen a typical prestressed concrete girder bridge, and the results are compared against those obtained using a conventional scheme. Finally, an existing bridge is analyzed using on-site measurements to determine the dynamic properties and modify the numerical model used for analysis, design, and retrofitting. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology as a tool for the design of new bridges and the retrofitting of existing structures was verified for all cases. Economic and structural benefits were evidenced by reductions in direct costs of up to 15% and the seismic force of up to 20%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the intellectual journey of Lauchlin Currie, Canadian by origin and Colombian by destination. His contributions were notable in the US at the time of the great world crisis of 1929-1932 in the field of monetary theory and policy and his first publication dates back to 1931, as referenced by his biographer. He directed the first World Bank mission to an underdeveloped country, Colombia, in 1949- 1950. He proposed an original development theory applicable to the country and called it Operation Colombia (1961) supported by a book called "Accelerating Development: the necessity and the means". He was the inspirer and architect of the Development Plan of the Four Strategies in the early 1970s. He made recommendations to the 1991 constituent on free central banking and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deviations occur in the neuropsychomotor development of premature infants; early interventions minimize delay motor. This study aimed to determine the effect of an interdisciplinary hospital-home intervention addressing motor development adaptation in premature infants in Colombia in comparison with traditional interventions. This study was based on a parallel design, with two groups, namely, experimental and control. The experimental group, hospital-home intervention (HHI) performed in two settings (i.e., hospital neonatal care units and homes), and the control group, traditional intervention, (TI) performed in institutions for premature infants. The sample will be composed of 130 randomly-allocated infants, 65 in the experimental group (HHI) and 65 in the control group (TI) of moderate to late preterm infants (gestational age between 34 and 37 weeks), weighing more than or equal to 1.800 g, who are hemodynamically stable and reside in the cities of Tunja and Bogotá-Colombia recruited between 2021 and 2022. For the pre- and post-intervention assessments, the TIMPSI and the CapDMP are the instruments used to assess motor development and the degree of parents' or caregivers' knowledge about motor development. The HHI is composed of 10 intervention strategies based on stimulation of motor development, performed twice a day for 10 min for two months, in combination with calls to a mobile device, using software (Baby Motor Skills) and an instant messaging system (WhatsApp). This hospital-home intervention program proposes an approach focused on the motor development of premature infants, based on sensory and motor stimulation strategies, in addition to follow-up performed at home with the use of a mobile application that improves the motor development of premature infants. Register Clinical Trial: NCT04563364. The HHI provides the opportunity to determine whether the individualized four-week from admission to follow up at home with parent training will improve the motor skills of premature infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: There is a limited knowledge about the emotional and interpersonal effects of the more than five-decade armed conflict in Colombia. The aim of the present study was to identify differences and relationships between emotional response, empathy, and aggressive behavior in three groups who have had different exposure to the Colombian armed conflict: victims (N = 54), indirect victims (N = 52), and members of the military (N = 32). Method: For the evaluation of the emotional response, a passive affective image visualization paradigm was used. Empathy was measured through the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and aggression through the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Results: Victims showed higher levels of arousal and lower levels of dominance as compared to the other groups. Differences were found in Fantasy and Personal Distress; in both scales, the military group scored lower than the other two groups. Regarding the BPAQ, subscale and total scores were higher in the group of victims. Moderation analyses indicated that the relationship between perspective-taking, arousal, and aggression varies across groups (e.g., at low arousal, a negative relationship between perspective taking and aggression was found for direct and indirect victims). Conclusions: Our results overall suggest that the Colombian armed conflict has resulted in greater emotional reactivity and a tendency to aggressiveness in victims. The lower levels of empathy observed in the military group could be related to experiences during the conflict. These findings are expected to guide public policy, including development and implementation of psychosocial programs in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Psiquiatria is the property of Asociacion Colombiana de Psiquiatria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Colombia there are few chemical engineering programs and those have been historically linked to the industrial development of the country, supporting the training needs for industrial development in several regions of economic importance. The southwestern Colombian region contributes with the largest industrial production in the country, and the chemical engineering program of Universidad del Valle has been the only one in the region for 78 years. The last curriculum reform took place 20 years ago and the accelerated technological change urged the adoption of deep changes in the curriculum structure. A student-centered constructivist approach was applied in the faculty-wide transformation in the mesocurriculum and microcurriculum levels, defining the so-called Sensitivities, Capacities and Competencies (SCCs) as the set of attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary for an integral performance of engineers. Those were considered from two standpoints: general and disciplinary formation. In the disciplinary level, the historic traditional pillars of chemical engineering were maintained, but taking advantage on the areas of academic research, development and innovation (R+D+I) expertise demanded by the industry around the university in addition to transversal priority areas for modern chemical engineering professionals. This contribution discussed the elements of the curriculum reform for modernizing the chemical engineering curriculum of a high-impact program in a stablished university with a regional vocation. • Chemical engineering has been historically linked to local industrial development. • A student-centered approach was applied in the meso and microcurriculum planification. • Sensitivities, Capacities and Competencies (SCCs) are the core of the curriculum reform. • Two standpoints were considered: general and disciplinary formation in engineering. • R+I+D expertise demanded by the industry and key areas are transversal to formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposed the use of a Participatory Methodology to design a biogas-based power plant (ADPMDesign). The power plant treats the organic waste from Sabana Centro, Colombia. ADPMDesign considered the involvement of relevant stakeholders in different tasks during the design process. Stakeholders included researchers, biogas producers, members of the community, waste collector associations, representatives of local public services companies, and environmental entities. Researchers evaluated technical feasibility through pilot-scale experiments. Interviews with other stakeholders of Sabana Centro enabled the identification of two different production scenarios to forecast organic fraction of municipal solid waste generation capacity in Sabana Centro by 2030. The final use of the biogas produced during anaerobic digestion was defined through the application of a combined Analytical Hierarchy Process with Benefit Opportunity Cost and Risks in focus groups with relevant stakeholders. Then, workshops with biogas producers in the United Kingdom allowed the identification of key lessons based on their experience to improve the process design. After applying ADPMDesign, the best biogas production scenario was determined. Stakeholders in Sabana Centro, including the Municipal Government of the eleven municipalities and public service companies, should collaborate to build a single municipal plant for processing organic waste from all eleven municipalities instead of three small-scale biogas plants. This approach would not only be more efficient, but it would also facilitate better coordination and management of resources. The plant will have a capacity to treat 126.22 t/day and a power generation capacity of 3659 kW providing electricity for around 12,000 homes. The estimated cost of energy production is 78.92 COP/kWh (0.017 USD/kWh), and a payback time of 4.8 years could be achieved dispatching electricity to the national grid and selling fertilizers to local farmers. • A novel participatory methodology is presented to support process design. • The methodology was applied to design a biogas anaerobic digestion plant. • Different stakeholders were included at different stages of process design. • The best alternative was to build one municipal plant for power generation. • Engineers were able to address specific needs of local stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Virtual Universidad Católica del Norte is the property of Revista Virtual Universidad Catolica del Norte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Ciencias de la Salud is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Copyright of Universidad & Empresa is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Copyright of Revista Electrónica Interuniversitaria De Formación del Profesorado is the property of Asociacion Universitaria de Formacion del Profesorado (AUFOP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Biotecnología is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Multidisciplinary teams often undertake engineering projects beyond their original discipline involving different kinds of risks. Risk perception is an inherent and embedded part of the decision-making process, which depends on the personal background and instinctive attitudes or behaviors. Process safety and risk analysis training for engineers, and education for engineering students, provide valuable tools seeking safer workplaces; however, personnel's risk perception is commonly neglected. This paper analyzes the risk perception and appetite of undergraduate engineering students in Colombia based on a survey strategy and a weighted-approach following a Factor Analysis. The survey considered financial, social, physical, and professional risks, and four main reasons for risk-taking or risk-avoiding actions. The Factor Analysis allows us to classify the students tendency as risk-averse o risk-prone, and propose didactic teaching planning using a modular toolbox for process safety education, based on skills identified for junior engineers in Colombian Oil & Gas Industry. A total of 465 engineering students from 12 Colombian universities completed the survey in 2016. The results suggest that risk perception depends on the location, possible risk training, and accessible information. The obtained factors allow describing the students' overall risk profiles, which can serve as an input for refining the content and curriculum content of current engineering programs regarding process safety. Improving the training of risk management in the engineering curriculum will benefit upcoming multidisciplinary teams in high-risk industries. • Risk perception and appetite of engineering undergraduate students was evaluated. • A survey strategy and a weighted-approach using a Factor Analysis were considered. • The survey contemplated professional, financial, physical and social risks. • It considers preventive, adventurous, inspirational, or rewarding risk reasons. • Factor Analysis allow classifying each student as risk-averse or risk-prone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Virtual Universidad Católica del Norte is the property of Revista Virtual Universidad Catolica del Norte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change has affected the geographical distributions of most species worldwide; in particular, insects of economic importance inhabiting tropical regions have been impacted. Current and future predictions of change in geographic distribution are frequently included in species distribution models (SDMs). The potential spatial distributions of the fruit fly Anastrepha striata Schiner, the main species of agricultural importance in guava crops, under current and possible future scenarios in Colombia were modeled, and the establishment risk was assessed for each guava-producing municipality in the country. SDMs were developed using 221 geographical records in conjunction with nine scenopoetic variables. The model for current climate conditions indicated an extensive suitable area for the establishment of A. striata in the Andean region, smaller areas in the Caribbean and Pacific, and almost no areas in the Orinoquia and Amazonian regions. A brief discussion regarding the area's suitability for the fly is offered. According to the results, altitude is one of the main factors that direct the distribution of A. striata in the tropics. The Colombian guava-producing municipalities were classified according to the degree of vulnerability to fly establishment as follows: 42 were high risk, 16 were intermediate risk, and 17 were low risk. The implementation of future integrated management plans must include optimal spatial data and must consider environmental aspects, such as those suggested by the models presented here. Control decisions should aim to mitigate the positive relationship between global warming and the increase in the dispersal area of the fruit fly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zona Próxima is the property of Fundacion Universidad del Norte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Biotecnología is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Memorias is the property of Fundacion Universidad del Norte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bitácora Urbano/Territorial is the property of Bitacora Urbano/Territorial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SG-SST) encompasses a discipline that aims to improve working conditions and the work environment, which leads to the inclusion of policy, planning, evaluation, improvement actions continuous and promotion of the maintenance of the physical, mental, and social well-being of the employees in the workspaces. Therefore, the objective of the article is to analyze the occupational safety and health management system (SGSST) as a component of labor productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), exporters of the metal-mechanic sector of Barranquilla-Colombia. Methodologically, it is developed under the quantitative paradigm, non-experimental design, cross-sectional and descriptive scope. The results determine that in this type of companies the SGSST are developed from the conception of security programs. The degree of commitment of the strategic direction in promoting the effectiveness of the programs is evident, but it is necessary to consolidate processes for the adoption and awareness of these, by the employees promoting labor productivity. It is recommended the implementation of strategies that guarantee compliance with the SGSST, generating a high impact on productivity processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)