De Costa Rica Research Articles

Costa Rica’s potential for entotechnology development: an ecosystem and entomophagy perspective

Abstract Entotechnology integrates scientific and technical knowledge to leverage the potential of insects for societal benefit, encompassing fields such as medicine, agriculture, food, and biotechnology. This article aims to assess and promote the potential of Costa Rica to develop entotechnology from an ecosystem and entomophagy perspective, including an updated list of edible insect species in the region. Costa Rica boasts a biodiversity of 48 edible insect species. To date, two notable projects by the Universidad de Costa Rica have been successfully implemented. However, the current legislation in Costa Rica needs to provide better conditions to foster industrial insect farming within a circular economy. Universities play a crucial role in encouraging the formalization and appreciation of insect rearing, entomophagy, and entotechnology studies. Prioritizing the exploration of new uses for edible insect species is essential for the advancement of this field.

Spectrum of Oral Lesions Histopathologically Diagnosed at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Costa Rica

Spectrum of Oral Lesions Histopathologically Diagnosed at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Costa Rica

Extraction of Knowledge Models from Textbooks

Isaac Alpizar-Chacon is an assistant professor in the Software Technology for Learning and Teaching group at the Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University. In addition to his primary role, he is also an associate professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica. His research interests focus on the impact of GenAI tools in computing education, the integration of these tools into the classroom, the teaching and learning of computational thinking skills, and knowledge extraction. Dr. Alpizar-Chacon holds a MSc degree in Computer Science from Saarland University (Saarbrücken, Germany) and a PhD degree in Information and Computing Sciences from Utrecht University (Utrecht, Netherlands). Homepage: https://isaacalpizar.info/

Reading in English

In 2021, Costa Rica was still dealing with the sanitary conditions caused by the COVID-19 virus, which eminently impacted the educational system. Therefore, at Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), the pedagogical praxis had to be mostly developed through the remote learning modality; this research explains the mediation process carried out in two English I courses, which specifically addressed the reading skill through four main principles and seven determined strategies. The results of this study show that students highly benefited and improved in the reading ability, which in turn, helped them in the listening, speaking, and writing macro-skills as well as in the grammar, phonetics, and vocabulary micro-abilities.

Debriefing, a dialogical space for the development of reflective thinking in nursing.

To understand the pedagogical elements necessary for the debriefing to favor the development of reflective thinking. A single case study developed at the Centro de Simulación en Salud of the Escuela de Enfermería of the Universidad de Costa Rica in October 2018. Data were collected through interviews, observation and document analysis. For data analysis, the strategy of theoretical propositions and the construction of explanation technique were used. The data originated two categories: 1) pedagogy of the organization, addressed elements thought by the professor to facilitate the dialogue; 2) facilitation pedagogy, brought elements from the dialogue itself that enrich the discussion, mobilize the group, provoke reflection and engagement. It is essential to include the following as pedagogical elements in order to favor the development of reflective thinking: prior planning, adequate environment, systematization, pedagogical training in facilitating debriefing, openness to dialogue, pedagogical respect, valorization of positive aspects, patience, and motivation.

Analysis of the School Climate Scale in University Environments (ECEAU)

[Objective] The aim of this paper is to verify the factorial structure of the School Climate Scale in University Environments (ECEAU) through structural equation models (SEM). [Methodology] A non-experimental cross-sectional study was carried out with a random sample of 381 students of the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), to whom the ECEAU was applied. A SEM model was proposed to confirm the factor structure of the scale and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to provide the basis for an alternative SEM model with a different structure. The reliability of scales was determined using McDonald’s omega, and the goodness of fit indexes used for the SEM models were the RMSEA, the CFI, the TLI and the GFI. The analysis was carried out using R software. [Results] The reliability of the scales in both models was adequate (w >0.70), although the metrics in the proposed model produced better results. The AFE suggested a different structure for the ECEAU, keeping some dimensions of the original structure and modifying and eliminating others. The goodness of fit indexes in both models were almost identical, with RMSEA=0.02, CFI=0.99, TLI=0.99 and GFI=0.98, which provides supporting evidence for the factorial structures proposed. [Conclusions] The original structure of the ECEAU was confirmed, while the differences in the results of the estimation and rotation methods generated another equally valid factorial structure for measuring the school climate construct in this university, and could be applied to other similar contexts.

Cover, Content, and Editorial Note from Borneo J Pharm Vol. 6 No. 4 November 2023

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.
 Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin. The next edition of Borneo Journal of Pharmacy (Borneo J Pharm) has been published in November 2023. This edition contains ten articles: Analytical Pharmacy-Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology-Toxicology, Pharmaceutical, Natural Product Development, Clinical-Community Pharmacy, and Management Pharmacy. This edition includes writings from four countries: Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, and Sudan. The authors come from several institutions, including Universitas Airlangga, Matoshri College of Pharmacy, Universitas Pancasila, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Borneo Lestari, Universitas Surabaya, Akademi Farmasi Yarsi Pontianak, Universidad de Costa Rica, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Universitas Padjadjaran, Omdurman Islamic University, and Universitas Sebelas Maret.
 Editorial boards are fully aware that there is still room for improvement in this edition, hence with all humility willing to accept constructive suggestions and feedback for improvements to the publication for the next editions. The editorial board would like to thank all editors and reviewers, and contributors of the scientific articles who have provided the repertoire in this issue. We hope all parties, especially the contributors, could re-participate for publication in the next edition in February 2024.
 Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

La Cultura y su Relación con la Interpretación de Implicaturas Conversacionales

Language and culture are two components that cannot be separated when learning a language; therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the impact of Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) and Universidad Hispanoamericana (UH)’s English teaching major's cultural courses in 2022 senior students’ interpretation of conversational implicatures. The methodology involves a qualitative study in which a survey, a questionnaire, and an interview were applied. Findings showed that media is participants’ primary source of cultural knowledge, certain implicatures are harder to interpret due to the nature of their corresponding maxims, and that lack of cultural knowledge is a factor that influences implicature interpretation. Few participants was the most relevant limitation of the study. It is recommended to carry similar research with a bigger sample of participants and implementing different methodologies.

Teaching mathematics in physics. a study of the mathematics programs of a Costa Rican university

The objective of this research was to describe the mathematical contents that are part of the mathematics programs of a Physics course at a certain Costa Rican university. In order to respond to the proposed research objective, data were collected from the mathematics study programs of the bachelor’s degree in Physics at Universidad de Costa Rica, which were analyzed through a thematic analysis, braided with documentary analysis techniques, where the ATLAS.ti computational tool served as support to carry out such analysis. The results of this research allowed describing the mathematical contents studied in this career through ten topics. Based on these results, a discussion was held about modeling situations that can be implemented in mathematics courses of this major with the purpose of strengthening the link between mathematics and physics. Among the conclusions, the educational community is left with the task of incorporating different theoretical modeling perspectives into the mathematics programs of this career that will strengthen its link with physics.

Mean Platelet Volume-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is a Biomarker of 1-Year Mortality in Patients With Diabetic Foot Infections.

We aimed to evaluate the value of 2 peripheral blood cell ratios, the mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as prognostic biomarkers of mortality in patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs). We conducted a prospective observational study consisting of a cohort of 200 patients with moderate to severe DFIs consecutively recruited from our Diabetic Foot Unit, Hospital San Juan de Dios, San José de Costa Rica, Costa Rica from October 15, 2020, to December 15, 2021. We studied the variables associated with one-year all-cause mortality using a multivariate backward Cox's regression model. Nonparametric Spearman Rho was used to study the linear correlation between NLR and MPVLR and other inflammatory markers. The variables associated with all-cause mortality were retinopathy (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-5.33, P = .01), estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR: 0.979, 95% CI: 0.969-0.990, P < .001), HbA1c (HR: 0.825, 95% CI: 0.702-0.969, P = .01), and MPVLR (HR: 1.093, 95% CI: 1.020-1.172, P = .01). NLR showed a strong correlation with white blood cell count (r = 0.60 [<0.001]) and c-reactive protein (r = 0.63 [<0.001]), and a weak correlation with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.33 [<0.001]), though it was not associated with mortality. In conclusion, apart from other risk factors of mortality, we have for the first time demonstrated that the increasing value of MPVLR is a factor associated with one-year mortality in patients with DFIs.

A potential consequence for urban birds’ fitness: Exposed anthropogenic nest materials reduce nest survival in the clay-colored thrush

Urban bird dwellers survive and reproduce in highly urbanized ecosystems. Some individuals adjust to these novel conditions by changing natural nesting materials for artificial materials, thus making nests more conspicuous in the environment. The consequences of using artificial materials for nesting remain poorly understood, especially from a nest-predator perspective. We studied if exposed artificial materials on bird nests affect the daily survival rate in a common dweller species, the clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi). We used previously collected nests with a different area of exposed artificial materials and placed them with clay eggs on the main campus of the Universidad de Costa Rica. During 12 days of the reproductive season, we monitored the nests using trap cameras located in front of each nest. We found that nest survival decreased as the proportion of exposed artificial materials increased in the nest and, unexpectedly, that the principal predators were conspecifics. Thus, artificial materials used in the outer layer of nests make them more susceptible to predation. The use of artificial materials likely reduce reproductive success and population size in urban clay-colored thrush, but further field experiments measuring the effect of waste in birds' nests on the reproductive success of urban birds are needed.

Could an electronic tool to assess asthma control with a 1-day timeframe be useful for clinical management?

Could an electronic tool to assess asthma control with a 1-day timeframe be useful for clinical management?

Cover, Content, and Editorial Note from Borneo J Pharm Vol. 6 No. 1 February 2023

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.&#x0D; Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin. The next edition of Borneo Journal of Pharmacy (Borneo J Pharm), has been published in February 2023. This edition contains ten articles: Pharmacology-Toxicology, Pharmacognosy-Phytochemistry, Pharmaceutical, Analytical Pharmacy-Medicinal Chemistry, Clinical-Community Pharmacy, and Management Pharmacy. This edition includes writings from six countries: Anguilla, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russian Federation. The authors come from several institutions, including Universitas Islam Indonesia, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Farmasi Riau, Universitas Andalas, Pyatigorsk Medical and Pharmaceutical Institute, Universitas Muhammadiyah Banjarmasin, Universitas Tanjungpura, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ahmadu Bello University, Akademi Farmasi Surabaya, Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Senior Medan, Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Saint James School of Medicine, Vaagdevi Degree and PG College, and Vydehi Institute of Medical Science and Research Center.&#x0D; Editorial boards are fully aware that there are still room for improvement in this edition, hence with all humility willing to accept constructive suggestions and feedback for improvements to the publication for the next editions. The editorial board would like to thank all editors and reviewers, and contributors of the scientific articles who have provided the repetoire in this issue. We hope that all parties, especially the contributors, could re-participate for the publication in the next edition on May 2023.&#x0D; Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Nanotechnological Applications in Dermocosmetics

Objective: Identify the types of nanoparticles used in dermocosmetics and their main applications. Methods: A bibliographic review was carried out in the databases Google Scholar, and PubMed, as well as databases subscribed to the system of libraries, documents, and information of the Universidad de Costa Rica such as ScienceDirect, Elsevier, EBSCO, MEDLINE, Clinical-Key, among others. The search was conducted in both English and Spanish. Conclusion: Nanotechnology in the cosmetic industry has been an area that has grown exponentially in recent years. Various types of nanoparticles are used in different skincare applications in the cosmetics industry; however, much research remains to be done on the safety and toxicity of their use for humans and the environment.

Teachers’ Perception of the English Curriculum Change in Costa Rica: The Action-Oriented Approach

This qualitative study explores the perception of eight seventh-grade teachers from academic schools in the western region of Costa Rica about implementing the action-oriented approach (AOA). As the main objective, the researchers sought to assess the professors' perception of the execution of this approach in order to explore its precision regarding its principles and the guidelines of the Ministerio de Educación Pública de Costa Rica. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview and then coded considering three primary constructs: the participants’ definition of AOA, its strengths and weaknesses, and the continuities, variations, and innovations that arose with the change from the CLT to the AOA. Regarding the coding, the researchers carried it out under the principles of grounded theory to identify commonalities among participants. The results show a favorable perception of the approach, yet the individuals could not clearly define the AOA for they perceived the materials, the student, and the teacher’s roles as strengths; and tests, materials, and planning as weaknesses. The continuities and variations were not tied to the approach and the most salient innovations were the teacher’s guide and the mini-project. The researchers concluded that there exist discrepancies between the participants’ understanding of the AOA and the actual tenets of the approach.

Reflexões e experiências do Programa de Capacitação, Atualização e Difusão da Escola de Geografia da Universidade da Costa Rica no período 2015-2021

Teaching extensions are one of the functions of the Vicerrectoría de Acción Social at the Universidad de Costa Rica. Through this modality an academic exchange between teachers. and communities is offered to improve the welfare of society through the transfer of knowledge in an agile and direct way. These activities are beneficial for communities and contribute to the country's social and economic development. The Training, Update and Dissemination Program of the School of Geography (PROCADI) was created to promote geographical trade through teaching extension, attending non-formal educational needs aimed at companies, institutions, career graduates, university students, professionals and technicians from various competencies. Through a systematization of data associated with the PROCADI that are administered from the Academic and Budget Information Management System of the Vicerrectoría de Acción Social (BITE) in the 2015-2021 period it was determined that the PROCADI issues annually on average between 10 and 15 activities such as: courses, conferences, forums, seminars, among others that correspond to the themes of geomatic, society and population, environment, teaching and research, ordering and territorial planning. In general, the development of geomatic activities in the last 7 years predominate in quantity and frequencies. Traditionally, the PROCADI and the School of Geography have developed their in-person training in different spaces such as in the field, in laboratories, in auditoriums and in classrooms. However, the Covid-19 pandemic required a methodological change towards virtuality with the support of digital platforms. Among the challenges for the PROCADI, it is identified the ability to offer greater opportunities in training in the fields of territorial ordering and planning, environment, society and population, in addition to consulting and articulating the professional demands of the target audiences, as well as internationalization.

Violence and prison: an approach to culture within walls from overcrowding in Costa Rica

This work has been undertaken as part of the academic project UNA pedagogía para el reencuentro: derechos humanos, educación y literatura en centros de atención institucional de Costa Rica of Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) and the Instituto de Estudios Latinoamericanos (IDELA). It covers the problem of prison overcrowding in the Costa Rican penal system: due to this issue, a large number of human rights are violated day by day to the extent of becoming a worrying and urgent problem to address. The country has entered a prison crisis where the dignity of people deprived of liberty has been diminishing with ill-treatment in terms of food, recreation, and health. The accumulation of these factors has generated the constitution of a violent prison culture; human interaction between walls is constituted between tensions and indifference among inmates.

Fast seed histology protocols: Benzene derivatives-free vs xylene-dependent

Introduction. Seeds are complex structures that allow the biological and crop propagation of plants. Seed histology can be used for teaching, researching, and for pathological diagnostic. Histology protocols are commonly divided into 5 different stages: fixation, processing, cutting, staining, and mounting. Xylene is a dangerous reagent used during the processing, staining, and mounting of histological specimens that can contaminate the environment and is toxic for users. Objective. To compare two new protocols for seed histology accelerated with microwave, tested on seeds of economic importance species. Materials and methods. The experiments were done between January and May of 2022 at the Centro de Investigaciones en Granos y Semillas (CIGRAS) of the Universidad de Costa Rica. The compared protocols were: a benzene derivatives-free (BDF) and a xylene-dependent (XD). Seeds of Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) var. Pococí, Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae) var. Obata, Glycine max L. (Fabaceae) var. CIGRAS-06, Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae) var. Tayni, Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae) var. Lazarroz FL, and Zea mays L. (Poaceae) var. EJN-2 were used. Three technical replicates of five seeds of each species were tested with the XD and BDF protocols, on different days each replicate. Results. The photomicrographs obtained with both protocols showed that the samples maintained the morphology integrity of embryo, endosperm or cotyledons, and other seed structures. BDF and XD protocols produced seed histology slides and microphotographs. PAS-Coomassie Blue staining made a good differentiation of carbohydrates and proteins. Fastness of both protocols is a benefit compared with other protocols for plant histology that can take several days or even weeks. Conclusions. The BDF and XD protocols were suitable for seed histology analysis of bean, coffee, maize, papaya, and soybean, slides were obtained in less than 5 hours. BDF protocol is the first for plant tissue processing that does not use benzene derivatives and that uses paraffin as embedding medium.

34714 Contextualization of skin cancer incidence rates in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the only Central American country with a higher life expectancy than the United States. However, there are limited studies that characterize the country’s skin cancer burden. We contextualize regional trends on the incidence of skin cancer in Costa Rica through the lens of poverty rates and the estimated proportional density of dermatologists per province. The last report from the Ministerio de Salud de Costa Rica on the incidence of malignancies includes data from 2014. When combining incidence data on the female and male populations through an average weighing the country’s sex ratio, the highest rate was seen in San José (72.99 per 100,000 individuals) and the lowest rates in Limón and Guanacaste (31.78 and 38.56 per 100,000 individuals, respectively). A weak negative correlation was identified between skin cancer incidence and poverty rates across provinces (r = -0.195, r2 = 0.038). We identified a strong positive correlation between the incidence rate of skin cancer and the proportional density of dermatologists across provinces (r = 0.6464, r2 = 0.4178), and a strong negative correlation between the latter and poverty rates (r = -0.739, r2 = 0.546 ) These relationships suggest several possibilities, including: (1) more dermatologists translates to better access to skin examinations and biopsies, (2) a lower number of dermatologists in poorer provinces contributes to underdetection of skin cancer, and/or (3) overdiagnosis of skin cancer may be occurring and is more pronounced in provinces with more dermatologists. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the implications of these findings.

Cover, Content, and Editorial Note from Borneo J Pharm Vol. 5 No. 3 August 2022

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.&#x0D; Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin. The next edition of the Borneo Journal of Pharmacy (Borneo J Pharm), has been published at August 2022. This edition contains ten articles: Pharmacognosy-Phytochemistry, Pharmaceutical, Microbiology Pharmacy, Natural Product Development, Clinical-Community Pharmacy, and Management Pharmacy. This edition includes writings from four countries: Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Netherlands, and Nigeria. The authors come from several institutions, including Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, K24 Indonesia, Institut Sains dan Teknologi Nasional, Universidad de Costa Rica, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Industri dan Farmasi Bogor, IPB University, National Research and Innovation Agency Republic of Indonesia, Poltekkes Kemenkes Bandung, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Farmasi Riau, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim, Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Hang Tuah, Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira, University of Groningen, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Hasanuddin, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Poltekkes Kemenkes Maluku, and Universitas Islam Sultan Agung.&#x0D; Editorial boards are fully aware that there are still room for improvement in this edition, hence with all humility willing to accept constructive suggestions and feedback for improvements to the publication for the next editions. The editorial board would like to thank all editors and reviewers, and contributors of the scientific articles who have provided the repetoire in this issue. We hope that all parties, especially the contributors, could re-participate for the publication in the next edition on November 2022.&#x0D; Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.