Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introduction: This research article explores the perception of the need to manage a simulation software or tool that allows for the improvement of skills in planning and decision-making from a financial management perspective. Objective: The main goal is to analyze the importance of financial simulation applications that professionals learn to use to improve personal and business finances. Methodology: The research was of a mixed type and approach, with a quasi-experimental design, a descriptive, cross-sectional, and field study scope, and the Delphi method was used. Results: The findings were established through the applied instrument, which was a structured interview with 25 financial experts based on two theoretical variables: the first is software application, and the second is management. Although some applications are used, experts tend to create their own tools to contribute to effective decision-making from basic to advanced levels. Conclusions: Based on this, it is concluded that decision-making by professionals, with or without postgraduate studies, is deeply influenced by their expertise and the effective handling and analysis of results obtained from free software, Excel add-ons, and paid applications, both at the personal and business levels.

Introduction: This study is part of the analysis of the Latin American Integrated Market (MILA) made up of the Peruvian, Chilean and Colombian stock exchanges since 2011, and expanded in 2014 with the incorporation of Mexico. Objective: The main objective is to analyze the behavior of the stock market indices of the MILA member countries and the dynamics of their interrelationship. Methodology: Indices were normalized, stationarity was evaluated using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test (ADF), the Johansen cointegration test was applied, and a VAR in differences was estimated to analyze the interactions between stock indices. The period of analysis covers from 2015 to 2022. Results: The series were non-stationary at level and integrated in order one. No evidence of cointegration was found between MILA indices, nor in subsets. The VAR model showed significant short-term relationships, especially between the Mexican Index of Prices and Quotations (IPC), the General Index of the Lima Stock Exchange (IGBVL), the Selective Stock Price Index (IPSA) and the Colombian Capitalization Index (COLCAP). Impulse-response analyses confirmed transient interdependencies. Conclusions: There is no long-term stock market integration between the MILA markets. However, significant short-term interactions are detected. This suggests the transmission of shocks and common reactions to external events, with implications for regional diversification and more effective financial integration policies.

Introduction: This article analyzes the potential of Fair Trade as an internationalization strategy for cocoa farmers in Santander, Colombia. In a globalized economy, Fair Trade offers fair trading conditions, facilitating access for small producers to international markets. Objective: To examine how the Fair Trade model can generate concrete benefits for cocoa farmers in Santander. Methodology: A descriptive and qualitative approach is used, based on a literature review and the analysis of experiences of producers in other regions. Results: The study identifies that Fair Trade can improve access to international markets, guarantee fair prices and promote sustainable practices. Its principles, certification mechanisms and social, economic and environmental benefits are also analyzed. Conclusion: Fair Trade represents an opportunity to strengthen the position of Santander's cocoa producers in the global market. The adoption of this model can contribute to regional sustainable development and the improvement of the living conditions of producers. The results provide useful information for producers, organizations and government entities interested in promoting fair trade strategies.

Introduction: This study analyzes the evolution of public revenues and expenditures in eight municipalities of the department of Cesar, Colombia, between 2019 and 2023, paying special attention to local fiscal dynamics and their relationship with social indicators such as Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN). Objective: To analyze financial disparities in municipalities in the department of Cesar. Methodology: A descriptive-comparative approach was applied based on the analysis of budget and population data. The sources of income and the destinations of expenditure in each municipality were observed and contrasted throughout the study period. Results: Municipalities with larger populations do not always generate more of their own income. Becerril and La Jagua de Ibirico stand out for their income from the exploitation of natural resources, while Agustín Codazzi shows a high dependence on royalties. A positive correlation was found between public social expenditure per capita and tax revenues, and based on the descriptive statistical analysis, it is observed that higher expenditure does not guarantee improvements in the UBN. Conclusions: The efficiency and quality of social spending are fundamental, since some municipalities, such as Aguachica and San Alberto, show stability in their financing, while others such as Becerril and Agustín Codazzi present significant variability, which reflects differences in their capacity for self-financing.

Introduction: This study examines the resilience of the Quindío agroindustrial cluster in the face of economic shocks, analyzing how integration and collaboration between firms, influence its adaptive capacity. Objective: To evaluate the impact of business networks on the resilience of the cluster, considering different levels of integration and their effect on the absorption of economic shocks and the diffusion of ideas. Methodology: A qualitative approach was used, complemented with business network simulations to model low and high integration scenarios. Results: Higher integration among cluster firms significantly strengthens their resilience to market shocks and facilitates access to knowledge and innovation. In addition, the importance of strengthening inter-firm linkages and R&D activities to enhance the competitiveness of the sector is highlighted.  Conclusions: It was found that, at different levels of integration, networks influence the cluster's capacity to absorb shocks and disseminate innovations, determining aspects to guarantee sustainability and competitiveness in the long term. This provides empirical evidence on clusters and highlights the need to strengthen business networks, in addition to offering guidelines for the design and formulation of territorial planning policies and instruments.

Introduction: Pasto behaved as a receiver and expeller of population within the Department of Nariño, Colombia, in a context of socioeconomic, political and cultural changes. Objective: To analyze the correlation between socioeconomic, political and cultural indicators of Nariño and recent intradepartmental migration to and from Pasto, according to the 2018 National Population and Housing Census (DANE, 2018). Methodology: Geometric means of contextual variables and migration data were related using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r), prioritizing the associations of greater magnitude. Results: The highest correlations were observed in the socioeconomic dimension. Migration, immigration and emigration rates were positively related to the percentage of formal workers and contributory health insurance, and negatively related to net coverage in primary and secondary education. In the political sphere, medium associations were identified with hectares under coca cultivation and forced displacement. Cultural variables showed low links, except for a slight relationship between higher education and emigration. Conclusions: Socioeconomic variables explained recent migration flows in Pasto to a greater extent, compared to the political and cultural dimensions.

Introduction: This study examines how management thinking approaches can be integrated into knowledge management in order to promote innovation and improve operational efficiency in contemporary organizations. Objective: To analyze management strategies that optimize the use of organizational knowledge and highlight its impact on innovation and business performance. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA method, collecting studies published between 2019 and 2023 in ScienceDirect, SpringerLink and Emerald Insight databases. Twenty-seven articles exploring the relationship between management thinking, knowledge management, innovation and operational efficiency were selected. Results: Findings show that collaborative strategies, such as communities of practice and learning, facilitate knowledge creation and transfer; while technological tools, such as knowledge management systems and data analytics, optimize decision making and improve operational efficiency.Conclusions: The integration of administrative approaches with advanced technologies enables organizations to increase their adaptability, foster continuous innovation and achieve greater operational efficiency. This highlights the need to promote a collaborative culture and invest in technologies that enhance the flow of organizational knowledge in order to ensure sustainable and competitive performance.

Phytophthora sp. is a significant phytopathogen that affects fruits, stems, leaves, and shoots of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), causing considerable yield losses. The characterization of pathogenic strains is very useful to optimize disease management. For this reason, the objective of this study was to evaluate the virulence of Phytophthora sp. in cocoa shoots under controlled in vitro culture conditions. Initially, a morphological characterization of Phytophthora isolates was carried out. Subsequently, this phytopathogen was inoculated into disinfected shoots of two cocoa varieties: Nacional fino de aroma and CCN-51, following a completely randomized factorial design with seven replications, using the shoots as experimental units. Phytophthora sp. is a significant phytopathogen that affects fruits, stems, leaves, and shoots of cocoa, causing considerable yield losses. The variables evaluated included incidence, severity, resistance, and the area under the disease progress curve, which were evaluated daily for four days. Identification of the genus Phytophthora sp was performed through molecular testing using internal transcribed spacer primers ITS4-ITS6. The results showed that the incidence and severity in National Fine aroma cocoa shoots reached 100% when infected with strain PP8, evidencing a high susceptibility to the disease known as black pod. In contrast, CCN-51 cocoa shoots did not show any infection by the strains evaluated. It is concluded that the virulence of Phytophthora sp. depends specifically on both the pathogen strain and the host. These findings highlight the importance of considering the phenotypic variability of the pathogen and host resistance to effectively manage fungal diseases in cocoa crops.

The integration of distributed energy resources into smart microgrids frequently necessitates seamless communication between heterogeneous devices and centralized supervisory systems. However, specific power electronics equipment, such as the SMA Sunny Island inverter, relies on proprietary communication protocols that are incompatible with standard SCADA interfaces. The present work delineates the design and implementation of a protocol converter that facilitates transparent translation between SMA Data and Modbus TCP, thereby enabling native integration of the Sunny Island inverter into Modbus-based SCADA environments. The proposed converter was developed using a Raspberry Pi platform and employs a modular architecture that combines the YASDI communication library with a custom Python-based Modbus TCP server. The system retrieves operational data from the inverter, maps it to Modbus input registers, and allows configuration commands to be issued from the SCADA system and applied to the inverter in a controlled manner. The experimental validation was carried out in the Microgrid Laboratory at the University of Cuenca. In this setting, the converter demonstrated reliable performance in two specific tasks: data acquisition and parameter configuration. The response times exhibited a range of 10 to 30 seconds, contingent upon the system's state. Following power cycles and communication interruptions, the converter demonstrated complete recovery capability. The findings substantiate the viability of the proposed method as a cost-effective and resilient solution for integrating proprietary energy devices with industrial monitoring platforms. Its flexibility and resilience render it suitable for broader deployment in smart grid infrastructures and distributed energy management systems.

The assignment of teachers to courses in higher education represents a critical challenge for academic management, as it directly impacts the quality of the teaching-learning process. Despite their continued use, manual assignment processes face evident challenges, such as subjectivity, lack of standardization, and a high administrative workload. In response to this scenario, this study proposes a recommender system that combines sentiment analysis, using locally adapted transformer-based language models (RoBERTuito), with mathematical optimization techniques, aiming to align teachers' competencies with specific academic requirements. To achieve this, enriched teacher profiles were developed based on historical evaluations, automatically classified student comments, and institutionally defined competencies within the framework of the Competency Pentagon. Additionally, dynamic weights were incorporated to adjust the relevance of pedagogical and technical factors according to the particularities of each academic cycle. The results obtained from the recommender system demonstrate a high correlation between generated recommendations and manual assignments, particularly in technically oriented degree programs. Moreover, program directors who participated in a pilot test positively evaluated the system, noting that it not only significantly reduces the operational workload but also establishes itself as a strategic tool with high potential for scalability and replicability across diverse educational contexts.