Universidad Nacional

Molecular data on wildlife trypanosomatids in Central America remain limited, constraining our understanding of host associations and sylvatic transmission cycles in the region. We characterized Leishmania and Trypanosoma infections in Costa Rican bats and assessed contemporary circulation of Trypanosoma minasense in howler monkeys within a comparative phylogenetic framework. Whole blood from 98 bats across 11 Costa Rican localities (2013–2014) was screened by PCR for Leishmania kDNA (120 bp), ITS-1 (~ 330 bp), and Trypanosoma 18 S SSU rRNA (nested PCR) with species-level identification based on sequence-confirmed amplicons. ITS-1 and 18 S amplicons were Sanger-sequenced and assigned by BLAST. For context, 18 S sequences from howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) sampled in Costa Rica (2011–2025), including 20 animals from 2025, were included in phylogenetic analyses. Leishmania kDNA was detected in 4/98 bats (4.1%), but only one (Sturnira parvidens) yielded ITS-1 and clustered within the Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis complex. Trypanosoma DNA was detected in 9/98 bats (9.2%): T. cruzi (n = 3), T. minasense (n = 3), and undetermined Trypanosoma spp. (n = 3). In 2025, 17/20 howler monkeys were PCR-positive for T. minasense; two were successfully sequenced and clustered within the Costa Rican T. minasense clade alongside bat-derived sequences. We report the first ITS-1- confirmed molecular evidence of the L. (V.) guyanensis complex in Costa Rican bats, supporting evidence of a broader host association and long-term local persistence of T. minasense across bats and primates.

Extreme heat is intensifying across the tropics, often coinciding with high atmospheric drought, forcing trees to balance evaporative cooling against the risk of hydraulic failure. A possible response that challenges major climate–vegetation stomatal model assumptions is the decoupling of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance (gs), where gs stays high while photosynthesis declines.We aimed to quantify how widespread photosynthesis–gs decoupling is across tropical tree species from contrasting climates and test whether it trades off with sensitivity to heat, drought, or vapour pressure deficit (VPD). We measured in-situ temperature responses (22-49°C, VPD=2.5kPa) of photosynthesis, gs, and g1 in 80 mature individuals encompassing 16 species along an elevation gradient in Panama, as well as leaf-level turgor loss point and VPD sensitivity.All individuals showed an exponential rise in g1 with temperature, indicating widespread decoupling between photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. Although both photosynthesis and gs declined above their thermal optima, stomatal re-opening at extreme temperatures (~45°C) occurred in 55% of curves. Notably, the temperature at which gs increased again was higher in lowland than upland individuals, potentially indicating greater heat tolerance in trees from hotter environments. Contrary to expectations, there was no coordination between stomatal sensitivity to extreme heat, stomatal sensitivity to vapour pressure deficit, and turgor loss point, indicating that heat avoidance and hydraulic drought tolerance represent largely independent axes of variation in the tropical trees studied.These results provide rare field-based evidence that tropical trees exhibit diverse temperature-dependent stomatal strategies that may shape forest resilience under future heatwaves. Future research must prioritise in situ measurements at extreme leaf temperatures (>45 °C), where tropical trees approach critical thermal thresholds and where the physiological mechanisms governing survival under heatwaves remain largely unresolved.

Introducción: la cultura organizacional constituye un elemento intangible que influye directamente en el comportamiento del personal y determina la eficacia de los sistemas de gestión, su cuantificación permite identificar oportunidades de mejora. Objetivo: diseñar y validar un instrumento capaz de estimar el nivel de cultura de inocuidad alimentaria en organizaciones del sector alimentario. Métodos: validamos el instrumento mediante la metodología Delphi con la participación de 21 expertos del sector. Determinamos la validez de contenido utilizando el método Lawshe modificado, evaluamos la confiabilidad mediante el coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach y analizamos la concordancia con la prueba W de Kendall. Finalmente, aplicamos el instrumento en cuatro empresas de la industria alimentaria para comprobar su utilidad práctica. Conclusión: obtuvimos una validez de contenido de 0,8 (40 ítems aceptados), un Alfa de Cronbach de 0,99 y una concordancia de 0,47. Los resultados mostraron variación en los niveles de cultura de inocuidad entre las empresas evaluadas: muy alto en la embutidora (84) y en el ente verificador (95), moderado en la planta de pescado (51) y muy alto en la distribuidora de carne (91). Concluimos que el instrumento es válido, confiable y aplicable para evaluar y fortalecer la cultura de inocuidad alimentaria en la industria.

Marine renewable energy could support Costa Rica’s decarbonization pathway, but its offshore resource base and enabling conditions remain poorly characterized in the body of knowledge. This study provides the first integrated assessment of marine energy resources, grid integration opportunities, and governance challenges in Costa Rica. A meta-analysis of 76 technical, legal, and policy sources is combined with qualitative doctrinal analysis, GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), and satellite and reanalysis data for winds, waves, currents, and sea surface temperature to estimate power densities and extractable energy. Results show a contrast between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. For instance, on the Northern Pacific coast, there are strong Papagayo winds, and persistent swells yield high offshore wind and wave energy potentials, with technical offshore wind resources of around 14.4 GW and Pacific wave power frequently exceeding 20–25 kW/m with relatively low seasonal variability. Furthermore, twelve OTEC-suitable zones are identified with two priority areas in the southern Pacific that combine steep bathymetry and strong thermal gradients with limited environmental conflicts, but they overlap with sensitive conservation and Indigenous territories. Current energy potential is more localized and modest in the Caribbean coast. The analysis highlights major infrastructural, legal, and social barriers but concludes that marine energy can play a pivotal role in diversifying Costa Rica’s renewable-dominated electricity market.

El artículo tuvo como objetivo general analizar el lugar que asume la persona emprendedora en el discurso de la innovación y valorar si, en las condiciones actuales del ecosistema emprendedor costarricense, emprender constituye una promesa de desarrollo socioeconómico o un engaño. La metodología combinó un análisis cuantitativo de la Encuesta Nacional de Microempresas de los Hogares (ENAMEH 2024) del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, que permitió caracterizar a la población emprendedora en Costa Rica, con un acercamiento cualitativo mediante un taller con 20 personas emprendedoras, a fin de explorar sus percepciones, motivaciones y barreras. Asimismo, se revisaron leyes e iniciativas públicas vinculadas al emprendedurismo. Esta triangulación metodológica permitió articular dimensiones objetivas y subjetivas del fenómeno en diálogo con debates latinoamericanos, que destacan tanto los avances en innovación como las limitaciones derivadas de desigualdades estructurales, concentración de capital y debilidad institucional. Los resultados muestran que el emprendedurismo es una actividad diversa en cuanto a edad y nivel educativo, pero con una mayor participación masculina. Predomina el emprendimiento por necesidad, operando como estrategia de sobrevivencia en contextos informales y con escaso acompañamiento institucional. En conclusión, lejos de responder al ideal hegemónico de innovación y desarrollo, el emprendedurismo aparece como una práctica condicionada por factores estructurales que las personas enfrentan individualmente.

Abstract Food loss significantly impacts productivity, sustainability, and food security in common bean production systems. Dedicated research to investigate the contribution of specific smallholder farming practices to these losses in the Latin American context is still limited. This study addresses this gap by examining the practices of 56 common bean farmers from a characteristic production area in Costa Rica. The methodology includes four steps. The first, Screening , provides a preliminary overview of the context using secondary data, expert consultations, and local reports. The second, Survey , applies questionnaires and field observations to deepen understanding of food value chain actors, local conditions, and perceptions. The third, Sampling , derives from load tracking at different stages of the supply chain. Finally, the Synthesis step triangulates previous findings to identify causes and potential solutions to food loss. Results indicate that average productivity in the sample was 0,76 t/ha, which is only half of the global average (1,5 t/ha) due to intercropping, low seed rates and poor post-harvest storage facilities. Losses at harvest and post-harvest stages reached 12–18% of production and were more prevalent on farms relying on manual harvesting and minimal post-harvest infrastructure. These insights underscore the need for interventions to enhance mechanisation, adoption of technologies, and provision of productivity incentives for reducing food loss and food insecurity in common bean production systems. The successful application of the 4 S methodology sets an example for similar cases in the region, where diagnosis should be a first step for pertinent interventions.