University of Camagüey

This study examines whether size-contingent employment regulations are associated with distortions in firm size distribution and whether such patterns are more consistent with productivity-based selection or with broader constraints on firm scaling. Using 2024 census data covering 86,758 formal firms in Ecuador, we combine bunching analysis, regression discontinuity design (RDD), and logistic regression to analyze firm responses at the 10- and 50-employee thresholds. We document significant bunching below the 50-employee threshold, consistent with an economically meaningful implicit regulatory tax on firm scaling. However, RDD estimates reveal no productivity discontinuity at the cutoff, indicating that the observed threshold effects are more consistent with broad-based scaling constraints than with selective filtering of low-productivity firms. Sectoral analyses show a consistent pattern of bunching across technologically diverse industries, supporting an institutional rather than technological interpretation. Conditional on threshold proximity, firm crossing is more strongly associated with sales growth than with productivity advantages. By distinguishing between compositional avoidance and local crossing, the study sheds new light on the puzzle of absent productivity selection. These findings provide the first rigorous evidence of regulatory threshold effects in Ecuador and show how size-based regulations may distort firm scaling and contribute to allocative inefficiencies.

The use of high-sulfur crude oil in power generation plants has increased SO₂ emissions and reduced the service life of steam generators due to corrosive effects in the low-temperature zone, with consequent economic and environmental impacts. The introduction of SO₂ reduction technology using CaO requires an understanding of how the reacting system develops, its governing parameters, the stages controlling the reaction rate, and the kinetic model to which it conforms, among other critical aspects. The objective of this study was to determine the kinetic parameters characterizing the reaction between SO₂ and CaO at low temperatures, as described by the unreacted core model. In a laboratory-scale facility, the reaction temperature was set at 200, 300, and 400 °C, and the SO₂ concentration in air at 2%, 4%, and 6%. Gas-film resistance and gas diffusion within the solid bed were eliminated. The results showed that the rate-controlling step is the resistance of the product layer. SO₂ reduction increased with rising temperature and SO₂ concentration, and CaO conversion did not exceed 20%. The pre-exponential factor was 2.938 × 10⁻¹⁴ m²/s, and the activation energy was 17.23 kJ/mol, values characteristic of processes limited by physical diffusion.

La gestión pedagógica representa un factor esencial en el desarrollo de prácticas sólidas durante la formación inicial en educación primaria. La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la gestión pedagógica en las prácticas de formación inicial de docentes en la Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) y el Instituto Superior de Formación Docente Salomé Ureña (ISFODOSU). Se trabajó un e un enfoque cuantitativo, de tipo descriptivo y diseño pre-experimental. Se seleccionó una muestra intencional no probabilística compuesta por 17 participantes. Los resultados destacan que el modelo tridimensional de gestión pedagógica con dimensiones cognitiva (β = 0.42), instrumental (β = 0.51) y actitudinal (β = 0.38) mostró un ajuste estadístico sólido (CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.062), confirmando su validez estructural y relevancia en contextos formativos. Se concluye que la gestión pedagógica, estructurada en tres dimensiones, mejora tras el entrenamiento y permite perfilar docentes mediante factores latentes explicativos del desempeño profesional.

Background:Knowledge about the structure and type of palliative psychological care is limited and heterogeneous in most countries. Due to the lack of legal regulations in Germany, it is unclear how psychologists are integrated into multiprofessional palliative care teams (MPCT).Objectives:To describe how palliative psychology is organised in the various specialist palliative care settings for adults in Germany, how psychologists/psycho-oncologists assess their professional attitude and how satisfied they are with their work.Design:Online survey with psychologists/psycho-oncologists working in specialist palliative settings in Germany.Methods:The quantitative data was analysed descriptively and inferentially (correlations, group differences) using SPSS; category-based evaluation of free text comments.Results:One hundred and five of 210 respondents worked in a predominantly specialist palliative setting, mainly on palliative care units (137/210), mostly in combination with other settings (158/210), with a small proportion working in specialist palliative home care (29/210), palliative care support team within a hospital (28/210) or a hospice (16/210); the professional attitude did not differ between the predominantly and less palliative setting or the levels of professional experience. A high level of satisfaction with integration into and perceived appreciation by the MPCT, perceived effectiveness, supervision/intervision/exchange within the MPCT and overall job satisfaction was reported; when dissatisfaction was mentioned, the most common reasons given were a lack of resources, unfavourable structures or communication deficits; the predominantly palliative setting had a positive effect on satisfaction with integration into the MPCT, perceived effectiveness and overall satisfaction; a higher level of professional experience also showed a positive influence on perceived effectiveness.Conclusion:Although psychologists/psycho-oncologists were present in all palliative settings, they were not regularly a core member of the MPCT. Besides structural differences in palliative psychological care, there was also heterogeneity in the qualifications of the psychologists/psycho-oncologists. These results make the structure of psychological care in palliative care facilities in Germany more transparent and could be used to promote palliative psychology expertise as an integral part of multiprofessional care.

Phthalic anhydride (PA) is a key industrial compound, particularly relevant for the large-scale production of plasticizers. This study aimed to develop the conceptual design of a proposed PA production process using the ChemCAD 7.1.2 simulation software, in which maleic anhydride (MA) wasidentified as the principal byproduct. Several parameters were obtained for the heat exchangers, including heat curves, heat duty, logarithmic mean temperature difference (LMTD), and overall heat transfer coefficient. Additionally, the mass flow rate and composition of the main process streams were determined through simulation, along with their temperature, pressure, and vapor fraction. Design parameters for both distillation columns were also calculated, as well as the heat duty of the catalytic reactor.Finally, the total purchase and installation costs of selected equipment were estimated. The mass flow rate of the bottom stream from the purification column was 10,921.083 kg/h, composed primarily of PA (99.19% purity) and o-xylene (0.80%), while MA was recovered in the top stream with a mass flow rate of 973.342 kg/h and a purity of 83.36%.

Efficient clarification of sugarcane juice is crucial for producing high-quality sugar, and the precise characterization of flow profiles in clarifiers is fundamental in this process. This study aimed to compare the hydrodynamic behavior of Rapid and BTR type clarifiers using Technetium-99m radiotracers under different operating conditions. The nuclear technique of the stimulus-response method was employed using Tc-99m as a radiotracer. Several experiments were conducted, injecting the radiotracer at different entry points of the clarifiers and considering the residence time distribution (RTD) at the outlets of clarified juice and sludge. The results reveal that the BTR type clarifier can handle the plant’s total milling capacity, maintaining a flow pattern close to dispersed plug flow and residence times around 1 h. The Rapid type clarifier operates at flow rates significantly lower than the plant’s capacity, with residence times close to 2 h, suggesting operational inefficiencies and possible design issues. While the BTR type clarifier proves to be more robust and capable of handling higher flow capacities, the Rapid type clarifier shows greater susceptibility to operational fluctuations and lower efficiencies. This study highlights the importance of using nuclear techniques for the precise characterization of flow profiles in clarifiers.

Los autistas presentan particularidades que dificultan su participación en la Educación Física. En consonancia el objetivo del estudio fue diseñar un programa de ejercicios físicos que potencie el desarrollo de la interacción social de un estudiante autista en la clase de Educación Física. Se seleccionó como muestra a 39 niños, incluyendo un estudiante con autismo, mediante un muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. Se empleó un enfoque cuantitativo. Se aplicaron los métodos inductivo-deductivo y analítico-sintético, así como técnicas de observación, revisión documental y un preexperimento con grupo único. Como instrumentos se utilizó una guía de observación. La estadística descriptiva, determinándose la media, la desviación estándar. Como principal resultado se obtiene un programa integrado por objetivo general, contenidos, fases, descripción de los ejercicios e indicaciones metodológicas. Se concluye que el programa de ejercicios físicos favorece de modo significativo la interacción social.

Los indicadores ofrecen la posibilidad de evaluar y monitorear el estado del medio ambiente y el impacto de las actividades humanas sobre él. Son esenciales porque ayudan a identificar problemas, orientar políticas públicas, mejorar la gestión ambiental y medir el avance hacia objetivos de sostenibilidad. Además, son una herramienta clave para entender, comparar y mejorar la relación entre sociedad y naturaleza, en este sentido, se desarrolló la investigación, que tuvo como objetivo identificar indicadores para determinar la calidad ambiental a escala municipal. Para esta investigación, se consultaron varias metodologías que fueron diseñadas para ciudades grandes y regiones y no para un municipio. El estudio realizado utilizó el método de consulta a expertos y se obtienen como resultado, 17 indicadores para evaluar la calidad ambiental a escala municipal.

Introducción. El desafío actual en la producción de alimentos saludables es implementar estrategias innovadoras que generen soberanía alimentaria y ofrezcan soluciones frente a la crisis climática, por ello se propone el diseño de un modelo de producción sustentable que integre sistemas silvopastoriles, principios de agroecología, conservación de la biodiversidad y el desarrollo del turismo rural. Su filosofía combina saberes tradicionales con prácticas ambientales innovadoras, promoviendo un equilibrio entre producción y conservación (Vázquez, 2019). Objetivo. Evidenciar que la integración de sistemas agroecológicos y silvopastoriles contribuye a generar beneficios productivos, ambientales y sociales, y a fomentar el turismo rural y la educación ambiental. Métodos. Desde 2021 la finca La Liliana, ubicada en Camagüey, Cuba, cuenta con un plan de manejo integral que abarca programas agrícolas, ganaderos, forestales y turísticos, complementados con capacitaciones en agroecología y conservación ambiental. En sus 52 hectáreas se aplican prácticas de manejo regenerativo, principios de permacultura, conservación de la flora y la fauna, así como estrategias de economía circular, como la transformación de residuos orgánicos en abono. Además, se promueve el uso de energías renovables, incluyendo la energía eólica y sistemas de captación de agua. Resultados y discusión. La finca tiene 14.8 hectáreas de bosques naturales, donde se protegen especies endémicas y se desarrollan sistemas silvopastoriles que enriquecen la biodiversidad; además, ofrece actividades ecoturísticas (senderismo, avistamiento de aves) y experiencias agroturísticas que permiten la participación en los procesos de producción alimentos orgánicos dirigidos a personas con necesidades específicas, como celiacos y veganos. La finca posee certificaciones en turismo seguro y forma parte del movimiento Slow Food, reforzando con ello su compromiso con una producción sostenible y responsable. Lo anterior evidencia que la combinación de producción agroecológica y turismo rural puede ser económicamente viable y ambientalmente sostenible; sin embargo, se requiere mayor divulgación del modelo y el fortalecimiento de alianzas institucionales para su réplica en otros contextos. Conclusiones. La finca La Liliana incorpora prácticas sostenibles, como tecnologías silvopastoriles y acciones de restauración ecosistémica, lo que permite generar ingresos, fortalecer la cultura local, preservar sus tradiciones y promover el arraigo y amor por la tierra.

Purpose: This study examines how Innovative Financial Risk Management Paradigms or financial management practices affect the financial performance of credit unions in Cameroon. Methodology: The study employs panel data analysis using fixed-effects and random-effects models to address heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation and endogeneity issues. Data from 2021 to 2025 are sourced from audited financial reports of the CamCCUL Network from its nine (09) chapters, with the dependent variable indicators normalized into a financial performance index. Findings: The findings reveal that effective liquidity management and asset quality improvements positively affect financial performance, while higher risk exposure has a detrimental effect. Recommendations: These findings underscore the importance of prudent innovative financial risk management paradigms. The study offers policy recommendations for regulators and managers to strengthen liquidity buffers, improve asset quality and enforce risk controls, thus promoting financial stability and inclusive growth. These contributions highlight the dynamic relationships between financial management and financial performance, emphasizing; compliance, transparency and governance as key to financial resilience in Cameroon and similar developing contexts.