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

Siendo hoy en día tanto la inflación como la devaluación de las monedas una constante en todas las economías mundiales, y las “potencias” o economías desarrolladas no se escapan de ello aún cuando las tasas sean “de un dígito”, es importante poder tomar en cuenta sus efectos a lo largo del tiempo en un proyecto para su evaluación e impacto en sus métricas de evaluación tradicionalmente utilizadas: Valor Actual Neto (VAN) y Tasa Interna de Retorno (TIR).

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 research shows the main effects of three variables on tax compliance. Specifically, a) the goal framing message (positive or negative message) about tax compliance importance addressed to taxpayers, b) the prevention and promotion orientation of the taxpayers and, c) the audit delayed feedback. We combine these variables at the laboratory experiment because they have been underestimated in the research of tax compliance decisions. In addition, this research analyzes whether the effect of the message framing on tax compliance changes according to the promotion or prevention orientation of the taxpayers, and the delayed feedback. A total of 186 undergraduate students from engineering and business administration programs took part in an experiment to explore those effects. Results show: a) that the negative frame has a positive significant effect on tax compliance; b) a significant effect of the interaction between negative frame and promotion focus. When there is a low promotion focus, the best option is not to apply a negative frame; c) that, as time goes by, the effect of delayed feedback increases.

This article presents the result of a theoretical and empirical review of the center-periphery concept in the light of climate change, for this purpose, data and results of empirical research developed around economic and geographical dynamics are used on a global scale. This allows the identification of important asymmetries in terms of income, climate vulnerability, economic impacts of climate change and the contribution of countries to global warming, which together will allow the complementary formulation of the center-periphery model, finally these findings are discussed in relationship with the notion of risk society, proposed by sociologist Ulrich Beck.

This paper has the objective of analyzing the evolution of the quality of employment in the country in recent years and its incidence in different subpopulations, for which presents a measurement through a multidimensional approach, and this phenomenon is analyzed through the different aspects that comprise it, at the same time that a synthetic indicator is constructed to achieve a general measurement of the quality of employment. Despite the fact that between 2013 and 2015, the indicators showed a slight deterioration in the quality of employment, mainly those related to income and benefits from employment and working time and work-life balance, since 2011 the general indicator has remained relatively constant. When analyzing the quality of employment by subgroups of employed people, the precariousness of the situation is denoted for older adults, positions with medium and low qualifications, the self-employed and people employed in activities of households as employers, agriculture, construction, transportation and hotels and restaurants.

As in all human activity, public contracting has risks associated that, according to the current Costa Rican legislation, must be properly managed to establish security on each purchase process, however, it is not a common practice. This article proposes a methodology for risk analysis in public procurement that is divided into two parts: the first one includes a general analysis of the risks associated with the contracting process that is proposed to be developed once a year. The second part shows a simpler and more practical methodology for risk analysis and management on each contracting process. Finally, an example of how to use this methodology is presented in order to show how practical and applicable it is on both goods and services procurement process.

I analyze which forecast method (rational, adaptative, last inflation or the BCCR’s inflation target) is used by the informants of the Encuesta mensual de expectativas de inflación y tipo de cambio of the Central Bank of Costa Rica to form their inflation expectation. Following Branch (2004) I assume that the agents decide between different methods based on their forecast error. A logit model is used to estimate the probabilities that the agents assign to each method. Since the agents respond to the survey multiple times, I correct the estimation to incorporate the temporal dependence in the informants’ answers. The main result is that most of the informants use methods that require little information instead of forming rational expectations. Further, I present evidence that changes in the sample selection procedure have had important implications in the survey-based expectations. Therefore, it is not recommended to use them when it is required a rational expectations indicator or to make intertemporal comparisons.

La crianza y manejo de las abejas nativas sin aguijón, se conoce como “meliponicultura”, actividad ancestral de importancia ambiental y socioeconómica. En Costa Rica, se reportan más de 50 especies de abejas nativas sin aguijón; los géneros Melipona (jicotes) y Tetragonisca (mariolas) son los más utilizadas por los meliponicultores. El Pequeño Escarabajo de la Colmena, Aethina tumida (Murray 1867), es nativo de África subsahariana, donde se considera una plaga menor entre las abejas melíferas africanas. Sin embargo, desde su detección, en colmenas de abejas melíferas de origen europeo en Los Estados Unidos (1998), se considera una plaga invasora que causa serios problemas a la apicultura. Tanto larvas, como escarabajos adultos, se alimentan de miel, polen y cría de las abejas. Además, tienen una gran adaptabilidad a distintos ambientes, desde condiciones tropicales hasta clima templado. Actualmente, se encuentra en diferentes países, como: Canadá, México, Cuba y Brasil. El primer reporte de abejas africanizadas, en Centroamérica, ocurrió en El Salvador, luego en Nicaragua y posteriormente se confirmó en Costa Rica y Guatemala. A. tumida puede infestar colonias de abejas nativas sin aguijón (meliponinos) y abejorros (Bombus sp.). Se ha reportado su presencia en colonias de Melipona beecheii, Dactylurina staudingerii, Trigona carbonaria, Austroplebeia australis, Melipona rufiventris y Plebeia frontalis, así como en Bombus impatiens. En Costa Rica, aun cuando no se ha realizado una investigación sistemática del escarabajo en colonias de abejas nativas, a la fecha, no se ha reportado su presencia. En un monitoreo preliminar, se examinó colonias de M. beecheii, ubicadas cerca del foco inicial de detección del escarabajo, en la Cruz, Guanacaste, las cuales resultaron negativas. Al considerar que la meliponicultura es una actividad que se realiza en diferentes regiones de Costa Rica, se recomienda establecer vigilancia del Pequeño Escarabajo, con la finalidad de detectar o descartar su presencia en colonias de abejas nativas sin aguijón.

Las plantas del género Senna pertenecen a la familia Fabaceae, distribuidas, mundialmente, en zonas tropicales y subtropicales. Algunas especies del género contienen productos del metabolismo secundario, los cuales se han asociado con miopatía tóxica y necrosis hepática en diferentes especies animales. El objetivo de este reporte de caso fue documentar, por primera vez en Costa Rica, la miotoxicidad en terneros asociada con el consumo de Senna cobanensis, una especie de Senna que no ha sido reportada previamente como miotóxica en la literatura en la cual se observó, afectados, 4 de 18 animales, con muerte de 2 afectados. El caso se presentó en una finca de ganado bovino cebú, en el Pacífico Central de Costa Rica, durante diciembre de 2019. Se realizó examen clínico y análisis de la dieta. Se encontró problemas locomotores como paraparesia, y un aumento en la actividad de AST y CK-NAC, consistente con daño en el tejido muscular. El análisis histopatológico reveló degeneración y necrosis de las fibras musculares. Se descartó otros agentes miopáticos como la deficiencia de selenio y la intoxicación por ionóforos. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos en el estudio, se concluye que Senna cobanensis es otra especie del género que provoca miotoxicidad en bovinos.

Tamandua mexicana species has an important role in the natural ecosystem as a pest controller, feeding on insects such as termites. One of the main anatomical adaptations that this species has undergone has been to its thoracic extremities. Having detailed knowledge regarding the osteology of the thoracic limbs of T. mexicana provides a strong base for its application in clinical-surgical practice. In addition to collaborating with the greater understanding of animal physiology and behavior. Because there was a lack of description about the appendicular skeleton anatomy of this species, the objective of this investigation was to describe the osteology and the radiographic anatomy of the appendicular skeleton of the T. mexicana. The bones used belonging to the appendicular skeleton of two specimens of T. mexicana were properly cleaned using standard boiling and maceration techniques. The morphometry of the bones was performed using a measuring tape, pachymeter, and radiographies. With this study, it was possible to identify and describe the anatomical peculiarities such as the presence of the double scapular spine that shapes the caudolateral fossa, and at the end of the humerus, the supratrochlear foramen, in addition to a markedly prominent medial epicondyle. In addition, a difference was observed between metacarpal bones and the phalanges of the third digit compared to the other ones, as it is significantly thicker. These findings reinforced the evidence that a certain degree of anatomical specialization is a result of an adaptation of this species to its environment and diet. The knowledge provided by research like this contributes to the improvement of surgical techniques and diagnostic approach in the species.