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    Item type:Publication,
    Social Capital and Economic Growth: An Analysis in South America
    (2025) ;
    Ximena Morales-Urrutia
    Social capital has emerged as a key variable in explaining regional economic disparities, yet its multidimensional nature complicates measurement and policy design. In the South American context, characterized by institutional fragility and inequality, the impact of social capital on economic growth remains empirically ambiguous. Methods This study employs a quantitative methodology using panel data from 2007 to 2023 across nine South American countries. Data is sourced from the Legatum Prosperity Index, focusing on five elements of social capital: family relationships, social networks, interpersonal trust, social tolerance, and civic participation. Econometric analysis is conducted using instrumental variables and two-stage least squares models to address endogeneity. Results The econometric findings reveal heterogeneous effects among dimensions of social capital. Civic participation and family relationships exhibit a significant positive association with economic growth, while social tolerance and interpersonal trust show negative or inconsistent impacts. Notably, social networks instrumentalized in the model have a negative and significant relationship with growth, suggesting potential inefficiencies in their current form. The presence of endogeneity and multicollinearity among variables highlights the complexity of causality in this domain. Conclusions Social capital plays a critical, yet context-dependent, role in fostering economic development in South America. While some dimensions such as civic engagement promote inclusive growth, others may reinforce exclusion or inefficiencies depending on institutional quality and social structure. Policymakers should therefore target specific aspects of social capital, promoting civic participation and inclusive networks while addressing institutional weaknesses. Future research should explore longitudinal dynamics and the interaction of social capital with digitalization and labor market transformation.
  • Some of the metrics are blocked by your 
    Item type:Publication,
    Social Capital and Economic Growth: An Analysis in South America
    (2025) ;
    Ximena Morales-Urrutia
    Social capital has emerged as a key variable in explaining regional economic disparities, yet its multidimensional nature complicates measurement and policy design. In the South American context, characterized by institutional fragility and inequality, the impact of social capital on economic growth remains empirically ambiguous. Methods This study employs a quantitative methodology using panel data from 2007 to 2023 across nine South American countries. Data is sourced from the Legatum Prosperity Index, focusing on five elements of social capital: family relationships, social networks, interpersonal trust, social tolerance, and civic participation. Econometric analysis is conducted using instrumental variables and two-stage least squares models to address endogeneity. Results The econometric findings reveal heterogeneous effects among dimensions of social capital. Civic participation and family relationships exhibit a significant positive association with economic growth, while social tolerance and interpersonal trust show negative or inconsistent impacts. Notably, social networks instrumentalized in the model have a negative and significant relationship with growth, suggesting potential inefficiencies in their current form. The presence of endogeneity and multicollinearity among variables highlights the complexity of causality in this domain. Conclusions Social capital plays a critical, yet context-dependent, role in fostering economic development in South America. While some dimensions such as civic engagement promote inclusive growth, others may reinforce exclusion or inefficiencies depending on institutional quality and social structure. Policymakers should therefore target specific aspects of social capital, promoting civic participation and inclusive networks while addressing institutional weaknesses. Future research should explore longitudinal dynamics and the interaction of social capital with digitalization and labor market transformation.
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    Low-Cost Interfaces and Technological Accessibility: A Human–Computer Interaction Approach for the Inclusion of Individuals with Motor Disabilities
    Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder of prenatal or perinatal origin that affects motor control, posture, and frequently speech, thereby limiting autonomy and social participation among individuals who experience it. During the transition to adulthood, these limitations tend to intensify, highlighting the need for assistive technologies (AT) that effectively address real-world contexts of use. However, the high cost and limited adaptability of many existing solutions restrict their adoption, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study is situated within the field of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and aims to evaluate low-cost input devices based on principles of accessibility, ergonomics, and usability, to improve the work performance of individuals with motor disabilities. A qualitative methodology was employed, based on the think-aloud technique, applied to a case study involving an adult with cerebral palsy who interacted with three devices: a conventional trackpad, a MAKEY MAKEY-based interface, and a wireless keyboard with an integrated touchpad. The results indicate that, although the trackpad allows for a degree of progressive adaptation, it presents limitations in tasks requiring bimanual coordination. The MAKEY MAKEY interface provides greater discrete control but demands high levels of coordination and generates fatigue due to its physical configuration. In contrast, the wireless keyboard with an integrated touchpad emerges as the most efficient and ergonomic alternative, as it distributes functions between both hands and reduces physical effort. It is concluded that the adaptation of mass-market consumer technologies, under a user-centered design approach, can offer accessible, functional, and sustainable solutions for the digital inclusion of individuals with motor disabilities. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Smart Learning for Dyscalculia: Cognitive Support with a Pedagogical Approach
    This study explores the impact of the cognitive rehabilitation of dyscalculia, assessing its effectiveness in improving mathematical competencies and its potential as a complementary tool in educational and therapeutic settings. Preliminary results suggest a significant improvement in numerical performance, highlighting the importance of technology in inclusive education. Smart Learning for Dyscalculia represents an innovative pedagogical approach that combines adaptive technologies with inclusive educational strategies to support learners who experience persistent difficulties in mathematical cognition. Dyscalculia often affects numerical processing, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills, leading to increased anxiety and reduced confidence in formal learning contexts. To address these challenges, Smart Learning environments integrate intelligent tutoring systems, interactive applications, and serious games designed to provide personalized guidance, real-time feedback, and dynamic scaffolding. From a pedagogical perspective, this approach emphasizes student-centered learning by recognizing individual rhythms, strengthening working memory, and promoting motivation through gamification and challenge-based tasks. Immediate feedback and progressive difficulty levels foster critical thinking, while reducing frustration and promoting a sense of achievement. The role of the teacher remains essential, as educators act as facilitators who interpret data from smart systems, adapt strategies, and provide socio-emotional support to ensure equitable learning outcomes. This cognitive support framework not only leverages technology to mitigate mathematical learning barriers, but also advances inclusive education by aligning innovation with pedagogical intentionality. Ultimately, Smart Learning for Dyscalculia contributes to the development of essential mathematical competencies, ensuring that students with diverse needs can participate fully and effectively in academic and everyday contexts. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Interdisciplinary Perspectives on FinTech and Blockchain in Cryptocurrency Platforms: A Systematic Literature Review on Accessibility, Usability, and Digital Inclusion
    (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026) ;
    Luis-Chinchilla, Jose
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    Calle-Jimenez, Tania
    According to recent studies, the application of agile methodologies in the development of cryptocurrency platforms can increase efficiency in improving accessibility and usability in digital financial systems by up to 35%. This study conducts a systematic literature review on the integration of FinTech and blockchain technologies, with a particular focus on accessibility and usability in digital platforms. Based on the PRISMA 2020 framework, indexed publications from the Scopus database published between 2021 and 2025 were analyzed. The results reveal a sustained growth in scientific output, especially during the period 2023–2025, with a notable concentration of publications from countries such as Malaysia, Spain, and Ukraine. The main contributing fields include business, computer science, and economics, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the topic. Furthermore, the findings highlight the role of FinTech and blockchain in modernizing financial services, improving transactional efficiency, and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to environmental sustainability and digital inclusion. Finally, the study recommends expanding future research to include multiple databases and additional keywords in order to generalize the findings and deepen the understanding of the impact of these emerging technologies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Green transition and productive structure in Latin America: the role of innovation, finance, and the energy matrix in ALADI countries
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2026-06-22)
    Morales-Urrutia, Ximena
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    Solórzano, Melissa
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    Naranjo-Gaibor, Jefferson Napoleon
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    Acosta-Vargas, Patricia
    Introduction The green transition in Latin America takes place within structurally heterogeneous economies characterized by dependence on primary exports, uneven technological capabilities, and partially diversified energy matrices. This study examines how technological innovation, financial development, renewable energy consumption, trade openness, economic growth, and industrialization influence CO 2 emissions in member countries of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI). Methods A balanced panel dataset covering 11 ALADI countries for the period 2000–2021 was analyzed using a two-step System Generalized Method of Moments (System GMM) estimator. This approach addresses endogeneity, unobserved heterogeneity, and the dynamic persistence of emissions. Additional robustness analyses were conducted using pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Random Effects (RE) estimators. Results The findings indicate that structural factors are the main determinants of CO 2 emissions. Industrialization and trade openness exert positive and statistically significant effects, highlighting the role of productive structure and international integration in shaping environmental outcomes. Economic growth is also positively associated with emissions, suggesting that production expansion remains linked to environmental pressure. In contrast, technological innovation, renewable energy consumption, and financial development do not exhibit statistically significant effects in the dynamic specification. Discussion The results suggest that the green transition in ALADI countries is not automatic and cannot be driven solely by technological progress or financial expansion. Persistent structural characteristics, including carbon-intensive productive systems and patterns of global economic integration, continue to constrain environmental sustainability. Achieving a successful transition therefore requires deeper transformations in productive structures, industrial policies, and energy systems to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.
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    Towards Accessible and Sustainable Universities: Web Accessibility and Human–Computer Interaction in Latin America
    (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026)
    Acosta-Vargas, Patricia
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    Acosta-Vargas, Gloria
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    Salvador-Acosta, Belén
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    Salvador-Ullauri, Luis
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    This study examines web accessibility in Latin American higher education institutions from a Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) perspective, highlighting its relevance to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). A quantitative and descriptive research design was applied to 50 universities included in the 2025 Webometrics Ranking, using automated HCI-based evaluation tools (WAVE and Google Lighthouse) to assess compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. The evaluation identified 1,238 accessibility errors and 1,393 contrast-related issues, with most violations concentrated in the Perceivable (67.23%) and Operable (28.36%) principles. Countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia exhibited the highest levels of noncompliance, while others showed comparatively lower error densities. These results indicate that accessibility barriers in university websites are primarily systemic, stemming from deficiencies in visual perception, navigation, and semantic structure rather than isolated implementation flaws. The findings reinforce the view that web accessibility should not be treated solely as a technical compliance task, but rather as a human-centered, sustainability-oriented dimension of interaction design. Integrating accessibility within HCI frameworks can enhance digital inclusion, reduce educational inequalities, and promote the development of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable digital ecosystems in higher education across Latin America. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Living Heritage and Knowledge Dialogue: Intercultural Revitalization of Muleteering as a Strategy for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Saraguro, Ecuador
    (MDPI AG, 2026-07-09) ;
    Martínez-Gallego, Francesc Andreu
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    Salas-Alvarez, Wilson
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    Chango-Cañaveral, Patricia Marisol
    The rapid transformation of rural societies and the progressive decline of traditional livelihoods have placed numerous expressions of intangible cultural heritage at risk of disappearance. In the Saraguro territory of southern Ecuador, muleteering (arriería) historically functioned as a means of transportation, trade, and cultural exchange, facilitating the transmission of knowledge, values, and practices among generations and diverse social groups. This study examines muleteering as a form of living heritage and explores its revitalization through intercultural dialogue and the recovery of ancestral knowledge. A qualitative ethnographic approach was employed, integrating documentary analysis, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with former muleteers, community elders, cultural leaders, and local residents. The findings indicate that muleteering contributed significantly to territorial connectivity, economic exchange, collective memory, and the preservation of traditional ecological knowledge related to mobility, animal management, and community cooperation. Participants recognized muleteering as a central element of Saraguro’s cultural identity and emphasized its role in fostering intercultural interaction and inter-generational learning. The study concludes that the revitalization of muleteering through dialogue of knowledge can contribute to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, strengthening cultural continuity, and supporting culturally sustainable development in indigenous territories. © 2026 by the authors.
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    Road Drainage Infrastructure Diagnostics and Deficiency Indexing in ENSO-Vulnerable Andean Corridors: A STEM–PjBL Field Assessment
    (MDPI AG, 2026-05-15)
    Benavides-Muñoz, Holger Manuel
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    Benavides-Ortega, Leirys María
    Road drainage infrastructure in ENSO-vulnerable Andean regions faces compounding threats from climatic variability, geometric inadequacy, and systemic maintenance neglect. This study presents a STEM-integrated Project-Based Learning (PjBL) diagnostic framework applied to 42 road segments along corridors connecting Loja, Ecuador, selected through a purposive-stratified spatial-coverage protocol. Using ArcGIS Survey123, standardised field data were collected on structure presence, geometry, failure modes, and condition across four structure types: crown gutters, road gutters, hydraulic chutes, and culverts. The Composite Drainage Deficiency Index (DDI, 0–100) was derived from five equally weighted binary indicators and validated through Monte Carlo Dirichlet weight-perturbation analysis and jackknife leave-one-out resampling, confirming rank-order invariance to admissible alternative weightings. The results reveal severe systemic deficiencies, including crown gutters absent at 88.1% (95% CI: 75.0–94.8) and road gutters at 81.0% (95% CI: 66.7–90.0) of sites. Every segment exhibited at least one drainage failure (100%; 95% CI: 91.6–100). The DDI identified 73.8% of segments in the High or Critical band (DDI ≥ 60; mean = 60.2 ± 20.4). Hierarchical clustering isolated one geometric outlier whose exclusion altered the aggregate metrics by <1.2%. These findings establish a georeferenced baseline for maintenance prioritisation and validate the methodological reproducibility of academically integrated field protocols for infrastructure diagnostics. © 2026 by the authors.
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    The illusion of flexibility and the limits of teacher autonomy in the Ecuadorian curriculum
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2026-05-21) ;
    Introduction Curriculum reforms in Latin America emphasize flexibility, contextualization, and teacher autonomy. In Ecuador, the 2016 curriculum operationalizes these through Skills with Performance Criteria (PC). Methods An analytical–interpretive approach was applied, examining the national curriculum alongside literature on educational governance and critical pedagogy. Results The PC-based structure, with its criteria and indicators, organizes planning, evaluation, and documentation around predefined outcomes. While this promotes coherence, it fragments practice into discrete units. Contextualization occurs in teaching, but validation relies on standardized references, creating tension between adaptation and assessment. Teacher work is structured by planning and verification processes. Discussion Interpreted as controlled freedom, autonomy is recognized but bounded, and flexibility emerges as a practice shaped by technical constraints.