The Distance State University (Universidad Estatal a Distancia) (UNED), is one of five public universities in the Republic of Costa Rica. It is in Sabanilla, Montes de Oca. UNED is the second university in number of students, and it is the largest coverage in the country. It has its own publishing house that produces textbooks that cover most of the needs of the university, as essayistic works, research, etc. This institution was created in 1977. Its first president was Don Francisco Antonio Pacheco Fernandez.The university has programs classified into four categories:It also offers graduate programs for master's and doctorate.
En el presente artículo se analizan los factores que inciden en el éxito y en la efectividad operativa de las asociaciones de desarrollo comunal del distrito primero de Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Para ello, se empleó una metodología descriptiva con enfoque mixto y se aplicaron encuestas y entrevistas estructuradas a miembros de juntas directivas y a otros actores clave del territorio. Los resultados revelan que el 66,6 % de las asociaciones cuentan con planificación estratégica, aunque persisten limitaciones en procesos de monitoreo, evaluación y participación comunitaria. Entre las prácticas exitosas se identifican la diversificación de ingresos, las alianzas estratégicas y la paridad de género en las juntas directivas. En el estudio se concluye que la planificación colaborativa, la comunicación efectiva y la corresponsabilidad entre el Estado y la comunidad son esenciales para impulsar un desarrollo local inclusivo y sostenible.
The analysis of the wind frequency distribution is usually modeled by single Weibull curves. In some cases, the annual distribution is influenced by changes in wind patterns that may be seasonal or local effects, generating multimodal frequency distributions that cannot be modeled by a single Weibull curve. A deconvolution procedure with the sum of weighted Weibull curves is then proposed, which allows for the establishment of the main domains and, on them, facilities a specific analysis of their temporal variability parameters. The analysis enables the establishment of the importance of the winds according to their weighting, as well as their temporal characteristics. The latter requires an assessment of the months of the year (seasonality) and the hours of the day (day/night effect). In addition, it is necessary to establish the directionality of the winds considered in relation to the time parameters indicated. For this article, the Belén meteorological station located in the Western Central Valley (WCV) of Costa Rica is analyzed as an example, because there is an important industrial zone and it is necessary to establish the effect of wind on the dispersion of pollutant emissions. In this case, Belén, which presents three types of superimposed winds, associated with seasonal periodic winds (trade winds with a typical speed 6.64 ± 2.02 m· s^-1 ) and local winds (valley-mountain a typical speed 2.46± 0.85, m· s^-1 ).
Este estudio diagnóstico tuvo como objetivo identificar e interpretar cómo los estudiantes de química de la Cátedra de Ciencias Químicas para Ingeniería de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) están utilizando la IA generativa en sus actividades académicas, y si su percepción cambiaba tras recibir orientación sobre su uso ético y académico. Se empleó una metodología mixta que incorporó la recolección de datos a través de una encuesta de opinión a 82 estudiantes antes y después de una capacitación enfocada en el uso ético de herramientas como Semantic Scholar, ChatGPT, Copilot y DeepSeek. Los datos se analizaron mediante estadística descriptiva y la prueba t-Student, considerando diferencias entre ambos momentos. Los resultados evidenciaron que, aunque las actitudes hacia la IA se mantuvieron positivas, no se observaron variaciones estadísticamente significativas después de recibir la capacitación. El estudio concluye que la alfabetización ética en IA debe incorporarse de manera transversal en la educación superior, acompañada de orientación docente y prácticas sostenidas.
The transformation of the Mesoamerican landscape is degrading broadleaf and montane forests, increasing their vulnerability and ecosystem risk. The research analyzed the relationship between transformation, fragmentation, and anthropogenic threats in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, with the aim of generating spatial evidence to prioritize areas for ecological restoration. Forest cover data from 2015 and 2022, landscape metrics, and Markovian land-use change models were used, integrated with criteria A2a, B1, and B2 of the Red List of Ecosystems. The results show losses of undisturbed forest of 55.3% in Mexico and 35.2% in Guatemala. In Honduras, fragmentation increased by 99.7%, while in El Salvador deforested land could increase by 872% by 2030. These trends are associated with agricultural and livestock expansion, urbanization, and forest fires. It is concluded that ecosystem risk arises from the spatial interaction between cover loss, fragmentation, and human pressures. The integration of spatial analysis, change modeling, and risk assessment offers a useful tool for guiding ecological restoration, strengthening territorial planning, and targeting interventions in the most vulnerable forest landscapes of Mesoamerica over the coming decades through sustainable strategic decisions.
Experimentation in science education faces significant access limitations, both in face-to-face and distance learning settings; in light of this situation, remote laboratories are emerging as a strategic solution. The aim of this study is to present the design and development of an ultra-concurrent remote laboratory focused on the study of projectile motion. Using the Design-Based Research methodology, the resource has been structured around an iterative five-phase approach: design, data capture, development, test and improvement, and integration. The data acquisition system was developed using a hardware setup comprising a projectile launcher, photo gates, a digital interface and a time sensor, implemented and managed via the LabsLand platform. The laboratory integrates semi-parabolic and full-parabolic configurations via an interactive interface that guides the user from connecting components to the multimedia observation of real experimental data. The results of the experimental validation confirm the system’s viability, as the data obtained compare with ideal kinematic equations and reflect, as expected, the behaviour and physical limitations of the real-world environment. This laboratory offers a potential pedagogical advantage, reporting percentage errors around 3–11%, as it exposes students to experimental uncertainty whilst simultaneously ensuring simultaneous and free access for multiple users in science education.
