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Environmental heat stress is the result of ambient temperature, radiation, and relative humidity. During football practice on synthetic surfaces and no roof, solar radiation causes an important temperature increase of the playing surface. This technical note explains how heat stress is calculated according to the WBGT index (which does not consider playing surface temperature), and quantifies the increase in a synthetic surface compared to natural grass on the same site. Football practice should be avoided during those hours with the highest solar radiation and temperature on this type of surface.

En esta nota se ofrecen las razones por las cuales se deben elaborar artículos científicos construidos de acuerdo con las normas internacionales establecidas y los principios de rigurosidad y originalidad necesarios para que sean aprobados por los árbitros especialistas en el campo. Además, se desarrollan varias ideas relacionadas con la ética del escritor, destacando las buenas prácticas y aclarando lo que no debe hacerse. Se concluye que solo con buenos artículos, los profesionales e investigadores costarricenses pueden contribuir a mejorar los aportes científicos y profesionales que se puedan generar en el país. De igual manera, las revistas científicas costarricenses mejorarán su visibilidad y aportes a la ciencia mundial.

In this paper, we engaged in dialogue with a Gnöbe community leader, who was also a teacher of English, so to analyze how the Quinquennial Plan for Indigenous Peoples in Costa Rica (QPIP) caters to the needs and goals of the indigenous students enrolled in the Bachelor’s in English Teaching at Universidad Nacional, Coto Campus. The efforts made by the university authorities and the associate faculty during the implementation of the QPIP had previously been scrutinized—unraveling that the objectives of the plan have partially been met and that more courses of action are required to ensure successful outcomes (Fallas & Brand, forthcoming). By examining the interview conducted with the participant of the study, based on tenets of the Narrative Approach, we shed light on the hardships faced by Gnöbe students in the education system, the circulating discourses held by First Nation Communities regarding education and bilingualism, and the solutions proposed by the community stakeholder to alleviate the problems encountered by QPIP students in their college life. We finish this paper by translating the leader’s voice into applicable suggestions that may help professors of the English Department and the administration of the university retain indigenous students by promoting more culturally relevant pedagogies geared to their academic success and development of their cultural identity and affiliation.

This paper describes the implementation of different techniques in the English class. Those techniques are taken and adapted from the methodology of Toastmasters International Club. The authors have adapted this methodology in order to improve their students’ English performance, which has proven to be effective in the foreign language classroom. Therefore, this paper details Toastmasters techniques in two groups of the Pacific Regional Center of University of Costa Rica: freshmen from the Major of English with Business Management Training and juniors from the English Teaching Major. The authors developed different techniques depending on the students’ level and course objectives and have concluded that this methodology can provide valuable resources to improve English in the classroom.

In this paper, we scrutinize the extent to which authorities and professors from the Coto Campus, Brunca Extension, have orchestrated efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the Quinquennial Plan for the Indigenous Peoples in Costa Rica (QPIP). We focus on examining the experiences of three Gnöbe students enrolled in the B.A. in English Teaching offered at the Coto Campus and on analyzing the perceptions of professors and the administration regarding the implementation of the QPIP. Data collected by means of interviews, questionnaires and focus groups suggest that the objectives of the QPIP have been only partially met and that further efforts are needed to ensure its successful implementation. We finish this paper by translating the students’, professors’ and administration’s concerns into concrete suggestions geared towards securing the success of the QPIP.

This paper reviews how we arrived at the current state of affairs in the ethical practice of scientific research, discussing some issues that are particularly pertinent to the exercise scientist. The paper focuses on two major areas of ethics in science. The ethical principles for biomedical research involving human subjects are presented and discussed using the three basic principles from the Belmont Report (autonomy, beneficence, and justice) as a guide. The ethical presentation and publication of data are discussed as an update or expanded comment on the ten topics covered by Roy Shephard in his Ethics in Exercise Science Research paper from 2002. The manuscript closes with a reflection on personal responsibility and its importance in every scientific endeavor: placing all responsibility for action on those scientists or physicians doing the experiments was not sufficient to prevent all types of human research abuses in the first half of the twentieth century. However, intricate and cumbersome external review and approval procedures generate the perception that the system should be more than enough to ensure good practices, a perception that may dangerously prevent the scientists from assuming their individual responsibility.

In this paper, we study the uniqueness of two difference polynomials of entire functions sharing one value, polynomial and small function. Our results of this paper are improvement of the previous theorems given by Chen and Chen [2], Liu, Liu and Cao [22] and Li et al. [19].

The method of ordinary differential equations in the context of calculating the special functions of wave catastrophes is considered. Complementary numerical methods and algorithms are described. The paper shows approaches to accelerate such calculations using capabilities of modern computing systems. Methods for calculating the special functions of wave catastrophes are considered in the framework of parallel computing and distributed systems. The paper covers the development process of special software for calculating of special functions, questions of portability, extensibility and interoperability.

This article concentrates on Rabindranath’s reception in a few Latin American countries. In the history of Latin America, early twentieth century was a crucial time when various Latin American countries were striving to come out of Europe’s grasp and establish an identity of their own. Yet, in the multifarious and multiracial society of Latin America it was difficult to define their ‘own’. At such a critical juncture of history, Rabindranath represented an alternative to various Latin American authors. He was, to them, a representative of a British colony who had been recognised and acknowledged by Europe, and thus symbolized a power/knowledge equivalent to that of Europe. This paper, divided in three parts, explores this reception and its impact, firstly by analyzing the history of the direct contact; then by focusing on the Latin American translations of Rabindranath’s works; and finally, by re-reading a few essays and critical-writings on Rabindranath. Among others, the paper alludes to Victoria Ocampo (1890-1979), the first and perhaps the only Latin American author who came in direct contact with Rabindranath; and some of the most important Nobel Laureates of Latin America, like Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) and Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), to show how these authors and poets received Rabindranath in their own contexts. Este artículo se concentra en la recepción de Rabindranath Tagore en algunos países de América Latina. En la historia de este continente, los primeros años del siglo XX fueron cruciales, porque muchos países de América Latina estaban esforzándose por destruir el control de Europa y establecer una identidad propia. Sin embargo, era difícil definir “lo propio” en una sociedad tan múltiple y multirracial. En un momento tan complejo de la historia, Tagore personificaba una alternativa para algunos autores de América Latina. Él era como un representante del “tercer mundo” que había ganado el reconocimiento de Europa, de los colonizadores; por tal motivo, su poder/sabiduría era tan fuerte como el de los británicos. Este artículo, dividido en tres partes, busca primero explorar la historia del contacto directo entre el poeta hindú y algunos escritores latinoamericanos; segundo, analizar varias traducciones de las obras de Tagore, hechas por latinoamericanos; y, finalmente, discutir unos ensayos y textos críticos realizados por estudiosos de América Latina sobre Tagore. El artículo se centra en Victoria Ocampo (1890-1979), la única autora del mundo hispano con quien Tagore tenía un contacto directo, y también en poetas de nombre mundial como Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) y Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), para explicar cómo ellos recibieron a Tagore.

Abstract Specialized Scientific historiography in Freemasonry is a recent development, starting in France in the 1950 and 1960’s, in Spain in the 80’s and in Latin America since 2000.This young scientific community currently needs a critical historiographical review. This movement is necessarily collective one and is essential in providing useful guidance for future researchers. This paper is part of this process. Since Freemasonry is the founding prototype of the international public opinion (or international public spaces), masonic networks rely on a global history, referring not only to the analysis of contemporary international relations but also to public opinion and civil society studies. How does general history academia –and, especially, “world history”- deal with the masonic question? What are their favorite perspectives and historical periods? The paper is the first in a series aimed at evaluating the position Freemasonry holds in general history, it focuses on some representative "world history” works: the History of Public Opinion by Jürgen Habermas, the English speaking World History, Eric J. Hobsbawm three volumes of the 19th and 20th Centuries and the General History of the Nineteenth Century by Robert Schnerb.

This paper presents a research study about timber shear walls, with materials commercially available in Costa Rica. With new developments in engineered timber, the Costa Rican Seismic Code included a chapter on timber structures, defining diaphragms and shear walls as part of the lateral resisting system. A research study was then carried out, with the objective of determining the structural behavior of a typical shear wall. Twelve specimens were constructed and tested, varying the nail spacing and anchorage system. The specimens were tested with monotonic and cyclic loading procedures according to ASTM E564 and ASTM E2126 respectively. It was found that the specimens can develop an adequate shear strength and stiffness if the end studs are adequately anchored to the foundation. These results are an important input for the Costa Rican Seismic Code and for the development of engineered timber in Costa Rica.

This paper presents a research study about timber shear walls, with materials commercially available in Costa Rica. With new developments in engineered timber, the Costa Rican Seismic Code included a chapter on timber structures, defining diaphragms and shear walls as part of the lateral resisting system. A research study was then carried out, with the objective of determining the structural behavior of a typical shear wall. Twelve specimens were constructed and tested, varying the nail spacing and anchorage system. The specimens were tested with monotonic and cyclic loading procedures according to ASTM E564 and ASTM E2126 respectively. It was found that the specimens can develop an adequate shear strength and stiffness if the end studs are adequately anchored to the foundation. These results are an important input for the Costa Rican Seismic Code and for the development of engineered timber in Costa Rica.

El presente trabajo describe petrográfica y genéticamente, una serie de hallazgos de peperitas como ejemplos de coexistencia espacial y temporal del magmatismo con la sedimentación en Costa Rica. Los casos se presentan en complejos ígneos básicos (ofiolitas) variando desde mezclas incompletas (megabloques de radiolaritas con diabasas en el Complejo de Nicoya) hasta mezclas completas en varios grados de calizas pelágicas del Maastrictiano-Paleoceno (Formación Golfito) o del Paleoceno con basaltos (Subcomplejo Quepos o Formación Tulín) para dar peperitas brechoides y bulbosas. Dentro del arco Oligo-Mioceno, se tienen ejemplos a lo largo de la cordillera de Talamanca y sus estribaciones, así como en las llanuras de Sarapiquí, representados por peperitas brechoides, fluidales y bulbosas en cuerpos de lava latiandesíticos (Formación Pacacua) o chimeneas peperíticas brechoides en ignimbritas (Miembro Mata de Limón), o posibles peperitas brechoides en los depósitos de flujos de lava del prospecto minero de Crucitas (Formación Cureña), o simples posibles peperitas brechoides en flujos de lava andesíticas (Formación Pacacua en Talamanca), o como brechas hidroclásticas con fragmentos de composición dacítica de Carbonal en Guanacaste, justamente entre las playas Cabuyal y Naranjo. Todas ellas serían los equivalentes proximales del vulcanismo explosivo, efusivo y subvolcánico (domos endógenos y criptodomos) y su concomitancia con la sedimentación fluvial. En el Cuaternario, un ejemplo se da en la base de la Formación Tiribí al contacto con el lacustre de Palmares. Se incluyen en el presente trabajo, además, casos posibles o potenciales. Se espera que la descripción e interpretación de este tipo de rocas ayude a su identificación en otras regiones de Costa Rica y Centroamérica en general, así como una fuente potencial para la prospección de metales valiosos.This paper describes petrographically and genetically, a number of peperites, as examples of spatial and temporal coexistence of magmatism and sedimentation in Costa Rica. The cases are presented in basic igneous complexes (ophiolites), mixtures varying from incomplete (megablocks of radiolarite with diabase in the Nicoya Complex) to complete mixes in various stages of Maastrichtian-Paleocene (Golfito Formation) or Paleocene pelagic limestones with basalts (Quepos Subcomplex or Tulín Formation) to form brechoid and pillowed peperites. Within the Oligo-Miocene arc, there are examples extended along the Talamanca range and its foothills, as well as Sarapiquí’s plains represented for brechoid and bulbous (fluidal) peperites in latiandesitic lavas (Pacacua Formation) or brechoid peperitic pipes in ignimbrites (Mata de Limón Member) or possible brechoid peperites in lavas in the Crucitas mining prospect (Cureña Formation), or simple brechoid peperites in andesitic flow (Pacacua Formation, in Talamanca) or as hydroclastic breccias with fragments of dacitic composition in lava flow deposits of Carbonal Guanacaste, just between the beaches Cabuyal and Naranjo. All these rocks represented proximal equivalents of the explosive, effusive and subvolcanic volcanism (endogenous domes and criptodomes) and his concomitance with the fluvial sedimentation. In Quaternary period, we have a sample in the base of Tiribí Formation in contact with Palmares Lacustrine. Also this paper included possible and potential cases. It hopes that the description and interpretation of this type of rocks helps to its identification in other regions of Costa Rica and Central America in general, as well as a potential source for the exploration of valuable metals.

Speaking is a remarkable feature of human beings. People speak on a daily basis in order to communicate and exchange meaningful information. Therefore, the development of such ability in L2 students becomes very important. This study reflects upon the experience of using three speaking activities: 1- a role-play, 2- an interview and 3- speaking workstations to foster students’ oral production in the EFL class (English as a Foreign Language). Ad- ditionally, the methodology and the action plan are addressed. Facilitated by action research, this study reports on the use and subtleties of these speaking activities. The effectiveness and implementation of these activities are also discussed in this paper. The relevance of these activities to the teaching of speaking constitutes one of the main findings of this paper. Finally, this research project was especially useful as it heightened awareness of the re- searcher’s teaching beliefs.

The properties of almost periodical functions and some new results have been published in [CA1], [CA2] and [CA3] In this paper we show some new definitions in order to analize some singularities. For this functions we find some uniqueness sets in $$\mathbb{R}$$ and $$\mathbb{R^{n}}$$. The paper finishes analizing the relation of this functions and the function sinc.

Fuel demand during the last 50 years in Costa Rica has increased constantly. Do the price of fuels and Gross National Income contribute to explain these trends? This paper explores the existence of causal relations between economic growth, fuel price, and transport demand (represented by fuel consumption and registered vehicles). Vector autoregression (VAR) models were estimated with a time series of data of 1965-2019. Causal relations were found between fuel demand and income, but not with registered vehicles. The effect of price on demand and income were documented, which is important for policy formulation (in particular, possible taxation of fuel demand as a carbon mitigation strategy).gation strategy.

This is the first of two papers devoted to the proof of Zilber’s dichotomy for the case of difference-differential fields of characteristic zero. In this paper we use the techniques exposed in [9] to prove a weaker version of the dichotomy, more precisely, we prove the following: in DCFA the canonical base of a finite-dimensional type is internal to the fixed field of the field of constants. This will imply a weak version of Zilber’s dichotomy: a finite-dimensional type of SU-rank 1 is either 1-based or non-orthogonal to the fixed field of the field of constants.

Recently, in the field of project scheduling problems the concept of partially renewable resources has been introduced. Theoretically, it is a generalization of both renewable and non-renewable resources. From an applied point of view, partially renewable resources allow us to model a large variety of situations that do not fit into classical models, but can be found in real problems in timetabling and labour scheduling. When modelling real problems, the problem of project scheduling with partially renewable resources, as many other combinatorial problems, gets such large dimensions that it is quite difficult to apply solution procedures. In this paper, we describe some powerful preprocessing techniques that reduce significantly the dimension of the problems and therefore improve the efficiency of any algorithm used for solving them. The paper shows the excellent results obtained by these techniques on a set of test instance taken from the literature. Keywords: Project Scheduling, Preprocessing, Partially Renewable Resources.

Many data analysis problems deal with non supervised partitioning of a data set, in non empty clusters well separated between them and homogeneous within the clusters. An ideal partitioning is obtained when any object can be assigned a class without ambiguity. The present paper has two main parts; first, we present different methods and heuristics that find the number of clusters for optimal partitioning of a set; afterwards, we propose a new heuristic and we perform different comparisons in order to evaluate the advantages on well known data sets; we end the paper with some concluding remarks. Keywords: Optimal partitioning, clustering, classification, heuristics.

This paper presents a steady state approach to prevent voltage collapse in a power system. The power system operation close to stability boundaries is an important factor which may lead to voltage instability conditions. There are different ways to prevent voltage collapse in the power system; one of this is the correct coordination of the protection devices to avoid undesirable equipment disconnections.This paper proposes a new method to coordinate the back-up zone in the distance protection scheme. The methodology uses both Optimal Power Flow (OPF) and Continuation Power Flow (CPF) solutions to determine the impedance seen by the relay. These impedances are later compared to conclude which is the best option to set the parameter for the back-up zone in the relay. The methodology also considers the distance to Maximum Loading Point (MLP) and the corresponding Voltage Collapse Point (VCP). Therefore, undesirable disconnections can be avoided when the power system operates close to the stability boundaries. In order to demonstrate and validate the methodology, simulations are carried out on the IEEE 14-bus test system using MATLAB.

Language teaching is a profession that requires specialized skills. Teachers need a high level of proficiency in the language that they teach in addition to knowledge of second language acquisition and language teaching methodology. However, language teaching is frequently undervalued and misunderstood. This paper examines the (lack of) professionalism in language teaching from two different perspectives. First, the author considers the status of English language teaching around the world, which is adversely affected by the frequent practice of hiring unqualified native speakers. The second section of the paper addresses the current status of foreign language teaching in the United States. In spite of a critical need for foreign language skills in the U.S., language programs are being eliminated at universities around the country, and in some cases classroom instruction is being replaced with self-study software programs.

This paper has two primary objects. On the one hand, it presents a rigorous derivation of the Sraffa model recurring to some theorems discovered by Frobenius and Perron at the beginning of the twentieth century. This presentation is used to study the concept of productive economies or surplus economies, the solution to the price system and also to provide a clear derivation of the concept of the Standard Commodity. The second goal of the paper is to sketch von Neumann's balanced growth model and show how Sraffa's model is related to Neumann`s model. Showing the role of the assumptions, one can establish the relationship between both models, particularly the role of irreducibility to obtain uniqueness and unify the study of both models.

This paper presents estimates of how the pandemic of COVID-19 and the lockdown policies implemented in Costa Rica to contain its spread affected the firm’s decision to post vacancies and workers search behavior, using data from the online job advertisement webpage buscoempleocr. Differences in Differences estimates suggest a drop of 67.2% in the inflow of vacancies posted by firms before and after the policies were implemented, relative to previous year. Results by industry states that Accommodation and Food Services, reported the highest decline in vacancy posting. By occupations, the reduction in vacancy posting was more severe for the groups of service and sales workers and elementary occupations. By location, the most affected provinces are those that i) are characterized by their touristic industries and ii) are main cities where industries are concentrated. Regarding the labor supply, there is an increase in the number of job seekers, however their search intensity might have declined during the pandemic.

Rojas-Valverde, D., Fallas-Campos, A. & Alpízar-Alpízar, M. (2020). Esports in times of a global pandemic: opportunities and future challenges when transforming gaming into a sport in Costa Rica. PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 18(2), 1-11. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the world has undergone a series of drastic changes. Due to this, postponement and cancellation of multiple annual big sports events have been announced, giving way to new digital alternatives that follow government isolation provisions. eSports has shown to be a rapidly evolving alternative to maintain the sportsmanship and passion that sports bring to the general population. In Costa Rica, like everywhere else, this sport has seen accelerated growth with a high rate of evolution. In this regard, the country faces significant challenges to promote future eSports events, professional development, and the creation of an organizational structure for its optimal practice. This paper aims to analyze how the global pandemic exposes the need to direct the attention to digital sports alternatives such as eSport and the future challenges that Costa Rica will face to develop it in an effective and efficient way.

The object of this paper is to describe and analyze in a formal and integrated way the alternative solutions proposed to the problem of transforming labor values into prices. Considering that the literature on this topic is sometimes diffused, this paper presents in a unified way the solutions advanced following a mathematical treatment and presentation. Special emphasis is paid to a new normalization procedure that emphasize on the role of the labor theory value as a theory of value formation rather than price. In this tradition, prices will tend to assign or distribute value across society. As opposed to this approach, the paper also contrasts and analyzes the classical approach that focuses on the simultaneous determination of price and value. The paper is then a search for a unified treatment of the topic.

Nascimento,K R., Oliveira Farias, G., Campos Preira, M., Both J y Folle, A. (2019). Evaluación de la satisfacción laboral de profesores de Educación física.PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 17(2), 1-15. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar la satisfacción laboral, considerando las características personales (género, edad y estado civil) de 73 profesores de Educación Física vinculados a la Secretaría Municipal de Educación de la Ciudad de São José (SC). En la recolección de datos, se utilizó un cuestionario sociodemográfico y la escala de evaluación de la calidad de vida laboral percibida por profesores de educación física. Los datos se analizaron por medio de la prueba de U Mann-Whitney. Los resultados revelaron una diferencia significativa de la evaluación general de la satisfacción laboral solo con el grupo de edad (31 años o más> hasta 30 años) de los profesores. Las condiciones de trabajo se diferenciaron en género (mujeres> hombres) y en grupo de edad (31 años o más> hasta 30 años), mientras que la progresión en la carrera, la autonomía en el trabajo y la relevancia social se diferenciaron en la edad (31 años o más de 30años) de los docentes. Se concluyó que, en comparación con los hombres, las mujeres estaban más satisfechas con las condiciones de trabajo, mientras que los docentes más jóvenes estaban más insatisfechos tanto en la evaluación global como en la mayoría de las dimensiones con respecto a los profesores mayores. Palabras clave:satisfacción laboral, docentes, educación primaria y secundaria____________________________________________________________________________ABSTRACTNascimento,K R., Oliveira Fari as, G., Campos Preira, M., Both J & Folle, A. (2019). Evaluation of job satisfaction of physical education teachers. PENSAR ENMOVIMIENTO: Revista deCiencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 17(2 ), 1-1 5. The paper aimed to analyze job satisfaction, taking into consideration the personal characteristics (sex, age, and marital status) of 73 Physical Education coaches from São José (SC). Data was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Evaluation Scale of Quality of Life at Work Perceived by Physical Education Teachers and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-Test. Results revealed a significant difference in the overall evaluation of job satisfaction only for the age group (31 yearsof age or older>up to 30 years of age). Working conditions differed according to gender(women>men) and age (31 years of age or older>up to 30 years of age), while career progression, autonomy at work, and social relevance differed in relation to teachers’ age (31 years of age or older>up to 30 years of age). It was concluded that women were more satisfied with their working conditions than men, while younger teachers were more dissatisfied in both

Bustamante, E.E, Santiago-Rodríguez, M., Ramer, J.D., Balbim, G.M., Metha, T. & Frazier, S.L. (2019). PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 17(1), 1-25.Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by neurodevelopmental delays. Physical activity (PA) may influence many of the same neurocognitive systems affected by ADHD. Therefore, PA may be a potential tool in treatment and management plans. This review synthesizes findings from studies investigating PA, fitness, and motor coordination. Studies of PA in youth on the spectrum for ADHD were considered in this paper. Main results include: a) cross-sectional studies: children with ADHD evidence PA levels higher than children that seem to be healthy. Childhood coincides with opportunities to free play; however, this advantage dissipates by adolescence, as PA programs become increasingly structured and less inclusive. In adulthood, individuals with ADHD are more likely to be obese and less likely to meet healthy lifestyle guidelines; b) longitudinal studies: PA at earlier stages predicts symptom severity in subsequent stages; and c) further studies: moderate PA activity of limited duration offers neurocognitive benefits. Multi-week intervention studies have tested diverse formats with results that differ based upon the chosen outcome and comparison group utilized. PA interventions that challenge cognition and fundamental movement skills in childhood provide benefits to children with ADHD. They also encourage children and adolescents to participate in structured programs, meet PA guidelines, and include short-term AF as part of daily routines.

Problems in transit fare equity affect the daily commute of specific groups that depend mostly on public transportation. Previous studies showed that some routes present operational characteristics that increased the price charged to the users. To address this issue, a methodology to identify the routes that have fares much higher than expected, after considering operational parameters, is developed. This paper presents a methodology implemented to evaluate fare inequities in public transport networks. The case study is the bus public transport network in Costa Rica. The evaluation is performed using fare per kilometer as independent variable and operational variables, such as route length, monthly ridership and vehicle occupancy by using cluster analysis and Bayesian multilevel modelling. The results indicate that random coefficients models perform better than independent models for clustered data. Furthermore, the routes with higher differences between observed and estimated (i.e. expected) fares are the ones to be addressed first in individual audits, because these are the routes who charge higher operational costs into the fare, increasing inequity among the population.

Margaret Atwood’s famous work, The Handmaid’s Tale, offers innovative and intriguing perspectives on gender and gender roles, as they are dramatized and problematized in the context of a dystopian society that in many ways is a projection of our own. Particularly interesting in the novel are the roles on men, represented by the principal male characters: the Commander, Nick, and Luke. As Atwood employs these personae to describe at least three different manifestations of masculinity —all with their own conflicts and possibilities—, the first season of the television version of the novel, created by Bruce Miller and resealed in 2017, explores, expands, and exploits various visions of manhood that help understand not only the protagonist’s but also the reader’s/viewer’s world. This paper is an attempt to establish a dialogue of sorts between Atwood’s and Miller’s viewpoints on masculinity through their portrayals of these three characters and their interactions with their protagonist and their context.

The use of continuous reactors for heterogeneous catalytic ozonation is yet to be investigated in order to develop a viable technology for industrial applications. This paper presents hydrodynamic and degradation studies on the use of a co-current down flow trickle bed reactor for heterogeneous catalytic ozonation of phenol (as model pollutant) over Fe-Diatomite pellets and Fe-coated glass beads. It was found that the reactor can operate under trickle or pulsing flow regimes, promoting mass transfer augmentation. Residence time distribution data, fitted with n-CSTR and axial dispersion (ADM) models, showed low axial dispersion and high flow distribution. Just the Fe-diatomite pellets showed important phenol adsorption (16 %). Degradation experiments demonstrated that phenol conversion was substantial when using both catalysts, up to 19,7 % pollutant conversion with liquid-phase space times of just 6 s. Compared to direct ozonation, the use of the Fe-diatomite pellets and Fe-coated glass beads enhanced the reactor performance by 48 % and 23 %, respectively. It was confirmed that mass transfer is an important factor that restricts this reaction system performance; consequently, further improvement in mass transport rate is necessary for system optimization.

The following essay is a literary critique of the patriarchal dominion present in The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, parallel to Joanna Russ’s feminist arguments in The Female Man and the prism of brand naming and patenting in Modest_Witness by Donna J. Haraway. Such analysis proposes a postmodernist reading which rejects metanarratives to exam- ine literature. Instead, this paper explores and evaluates the scientific and patriarchal power over the main character in The Wasp Factory by creating tropes inspired on The Female Man. The author suggests the reader to vanish the line which divides fiction and reality since the conflicts found in one plane are also seen on the other.

This article explores students’ perceptions on the use of certain mobile devices in an oral, English course. Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) has not been widely used in language settings in the Costa Rican context. The main objective of this paper is to understand students’ ideas about activities that include MALL. Results were deduced from a 10-point survey answered by students enrolled in an oral course from a major in English. The quantitative data was gathered through a survey, following survey re- search methods. Based on these results, the writer concludes that students consider activities using MALL a valuable asset in the learning process.

One of the oldest and most interesting questions in the economic literature is how to quantify the gains from trade. Recently, Costinot & Rodríguez-Clare (2014) (CRC) developed a methodology that uses the World Input Output Database (WIOD) to compute this value for a list of countries. Costa Rica has never been part of this database given the lack of appropriate data. However, with the publication of a new Input Output Table for Costa Rica, the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX) was able to develop a domestic version of the WIOD that includes the country. This paper presents the results of the CRC methodology using this version of the WIOD to compute gains from trade for the Costa Rican economy. Counterfactual exercises that compare the current situation with autarky and other average tariff levels using different productive structures and competition schemes in the economy are also presented. The results can provide valuable information on how much a small open economy like Costa Rica’s can benefit from international trade, and what are the differences in the results when compared to similar countries.

A precise orthometric height (H) and orthometric height difference (ΔH) determination is required in many fields like construction, geodesy and geophysics. H is often obtained from an ellipsoidal height (h) and geoid height (N) of a geoid model (GM) because this computation does not have the spirit leveling restrictions on long distances. However, the H accuracy depends on the GM local area adaptation, and current global geoid models (GGMs) have not been yet evaluated for Costa Rica. Therefore, this paper aims to determine which GGM maintains a better fit with a GPS/levelling baseline that contains the gravity full spectrum. A 74 km baseline was measured using GPS, spirit leveling and gravity measurements to validate the N computed from EGM2008, EIGEN-6C4, GECO, EGM96, GGM05C and GOCO05C. First, an absolute N assessment was made, where geoid height from the GGMs (NGGM) were directly compared to the geometric geoid heights (Ngeo) obtained from GPS and spirit levelling. A bias fit (Nbias) of about 2 m was computed from this comparison for most GGMs with respect to the local vertical reference surface (W0). By subtracting the Nbias, a relative geoid height (ΔN) assessment was designed to compare the differences between GGM relative geoid height (ΔNGGM) and geometric relative geoid height (ΔNgeo) on segments along the baseline. The ΔN comparison shows that EGM2008, EIGEN-6C4 and GECO better represent the Costa Rican Central Pacific Coastal Zone and over long distances, ΔH can be computed with a decimeter to centimeter precision.

This article examines the amount of academic vocabulary used by fourth year students in a B.A. in English and B.A. English Teaching. The writer explains how academic vocabulary can be measured and the benefits it provides. This article contains a brief analysis of academic vocabulary used in 46 final research papers. Based on these results, the writer explains that, although students display a good range of academic vocabulary, curriculum programs should incorporate a tangible and substantial vocabulary teaching component.

This paper uses data from National Surveys on Sexual and Reproductive Health to test whether variables related to identity, sexuality and contraceptive knowledge are associated with the preference and demand for children in Costa Rica. Both the preferred and actual number of children are estimated with a double hurdle model. The findings indicate that preferences for children seem to be quite fixed around two children and are mainly associated with religious beliefs and the person’s gender, but they are not found to be associated with human capital. In contrast, the probability of having a child and the number of children are related to investment in human capital and sex education. Hence, human capital might be relevant in bringing a child into the world, but not in the initial preference.

Modeling wave reflection and transmission is important for a diversity of applications in physics and engineering. Examples can be found in acoustics and electromagnetism. Computational wave propagation requires high order accuracy both in space and time to get accurate phase and dissipation properties. In this paper we derive and evaluate a high order accurate method based on Discontinuous Galerkin Spectral Element Method (DGSEM) to compute reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves traveling in two homogeneous and isotropic media, separated by a thin plane interfaz, with different physical properties of permittivity " and permeability . To discretize in Space we used DGSEM over a two dimensional Transverse Electric Maxwell Equations. We derived a Riemann solver to compute the numerical flux between the interfaces of two elements of the computational mesh and to add boundary conditions. To discretize in time we use a third order low storage Runge-Kutta of Williamson. Results when compared with the analytical solution, showed spectral convergence in space and third order convergence in time.

We study a three entries vector, called “stock market sentiment”, that summarizes bear, bull and neutral feeling about the future of the market. Following the paper about “mind or spirit” in Ulate (2006), we consider such sentiment a living being and we will study its change and dynamics using evolutionary game theory. We use a dynamical system of three differential equations to study the change in the vector, and later it will be compared with the Lotka Volterra system with two equations.

In this paper we prove a version of Fubini’s Theorem for null sets in the context of vector measures, in the spirit of the classical proof for sets in the Euclidean plane.

The HIV/AIDS has cost humanity countless material and human losses. Study its dynamics has become a priority for the global scientific community, with the idea of establishing an effective control policy and subsequently analyzing its eradication. This paper presents a model based on transition matrix of Markov chains with the objective to design a future strategy to reduce the appearance of new cases and decrease the lethality of this epidemic.

In this paper we study the dynamics of HIV infection through the stochastic birth and death processes and ordinary differential equations representing a real system. For this specific case, a stochastic process is described to interpret the dynamics of HIV infection within a person’s organism in the initial stages of infection (post exposure or window period); that is to say, the initial time for the model corresponds with the very moment the virus enters the organism, and from then on the process of replication is taken into account and the incidences that the virus generates when it attacks the CD4+ T cells, which are integral parts of the patient’s immune system. The stochastic process allows one to deduce from first principles and create a basic model for HIV infection. The model is similar to those studied in the literature. It is a system based on ordinary differential equations with stochastic states. The state variables correspond to expected values (averages). We also find differential equations for the variance of the stochastic state of the variables, which provides additional information about the system. Finally, we present the local analytical study of the complete model and a numerical study of the system solutions using values of the parameters. The values of the parameters were obtained from secondary sources and were used to illustrate the analytical results.

In this paper an analysis of technical and scale efficiency of the academic units of the University of Costa Rica is presented. The methodology used is data envelopment analysis (DEA), since it allows to measure relative efficiency and provides information on how to improve each academic unit that is inefficient. The results are reported for three groupings: one based on the training process, another based on size (according to three inputs) and the third based on the knowledge area. Three inputs and three outputs are used. A sensitivity analysis through the development of four models is performed. The emphasis is on the mathematical model used, the output-oriented model, with variable returns of scale, solved each time with normalized data.

Fuzzy mathematics generalize concepts of traditional mathematics using fuzzy sets. This enables to study and model more properly phenomens characterized by imprecision. These generalizations includes concepts of algebra, analysis and topology. On the other side, cubical complexes have applications in digital image processing and in the study of dynamical systems, but in the actual literature there is not an extension of their properties using fuzzy sets. In this paper is proposed a generalization of the concept of cubical complex and of some of their properties, such as connectedness, polyhedral realization, connected component and holes, using fuzzy sets. The upper and lower trees of a fuzzy cubical complex are defined, which give information about the way in which its regional extrema are related. The homology groups of a fuzzy cubical complex are defined and it is shown that the rank of the 0-homology group of a given level is equal with the number of regional maxima of that level. Finally, it is shown how to associate a fuzzy cubical complex with a bidimensional digital grayscale image in order to study somo of its topological properties.

Rojas-Valverde, D., Morera-Castro, M., Montoya-Rodríguez, J.,& Gutiérrez-Vargas, R. (2017). Kinematic demands of two small-sided games of Costa Rican college soccer players.PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 15(1), 1-11. The purpose of this paper was to compare two small-sided games kinematics of Costa Rican college soccer players. Two SSG (2x10min, 3min rest in between), C1 (600m2) and C2 (1200m2), were played by 14 college soccer players of Costa Rica. Global Positioning System was used to measure kinematic and physiological variables in both conditions. A mixed ANOVA was used, results suggested C1 and C2 were statistically different in speed (C1 < C2), distance (C1 < C2) and heart rate (C1 > C2). When analyzing the distance covered by speed category(low, moderate and high running actions) results suggest C2 had higher intensities compared to C1. This research confirms the findings of previous studies on the effectiveness of SSG to simulate real game conditions in short periods of time. Conclusions: C2 hadhigher intensities compared to C1 game with lower physiological demand. Likewise, the C2 resembles more accurately matches in official conditions of Costa Rican players.

Van Woudenberg, R. (2017). Presuppositions of (human movement) science. PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 14(2), 1-16. This paper argues that science,human movement science included, proceeds from many presuppositions. First,it explains what sorts of things presuppositions are. Next,it argues that science proceeds from metaphysical, epistemic, and normative presuppositions. The argument entails that neither scientism nor Naturalism is a presupposition of science.

The main objective of this paper is to find the analytical solution of the autonomous equation y(k) = f (y) and prove its convergence using autonomous polynomials of order k, define here in addition of the formula of Faá di Bruno for composition of functions and Bell polynomials. Autonomous polynomials of order k are defined in terms of the boundary values of the equation. Also special values of autonomous polynomials of order 1 are given.

In this paper a novel fuzzy convergence system (SC) and its fundamentals are presented. The model was implemented on a monoobjetive PSO algorithm with three phases: 1) Stabilization, 2) generation and breadth-first search, and 3) generation and depth-first. The system SC-PSO-3P was tested with several benchmark engineering problems and with several CEC2006 problems. The computing experience and comparison with previously reported results is presented. In some cases the results reported in the literature are improved.

In this paper we give a complete description of the ordering relations in the set of catacondensed hexagonal systems, with respect to a vertex-degree-based topological index. As a consequence, extremal values of vertex-degree-based topological indices in special subsets of the set of catacondensed hexagonal systems are computed.

The recursion theory states that a decision problem is recursively solvable if there is a mechanical process to solve it. Within the context of formal logic, the decision problem consist to determine whether any wellformed formula of the system is a theorem or not. This paper first discusses, among other things, the famous problem of decision of the canonical first-order logic F0 (also called Entschei- dungsproblem) from a modern perspective. Then we study the decision problem of the partial propositional logics. It exploits the development achieved by recursion theory and semi-Thue production systems after the work of Post and Kleene in the 40’s and Davis in the early 70’s, among others, to explain a solution to these decision problems.

In this paper, we investigate the uniqueness problem on a conjecture of R. Brück concerning meromorphic function sharing the set of small functions with its derivative, and obtain some results which improve the theorems given by Zhang and Yang.