Formación del dibujo en educación inicial en condiciones de vulnerabilidad

El dibujo se constituye en una de las actividades esenciales de la edad preescolar. La adquisición del dibujo garantiza la formación de la imagen del objeto, la percepción diferencial de los objetos y la percepción espacial en preparación para la escritura (Solovieva y Quintanar, 2012, 2013). Desde la psicología pedagógica del enfoque histórico-cultural (Vigotsky, 1996) y la teoría de la actividad (Talizina, 2009), se requiere de una metodología específica que permita introducir y desarrollar el dibujo en la edad preescolar. En esta investigación se tuvo como propósito la formación dirigida del dibujo en niños preescolares en condiciones de vulnerabilidad. Para lograr esto se trabajó con dos grupos: uno considerado como control, que estaba conformado por 27 niños (20 niñas y 7 niños) y otro como experimental, conformado por 24 niños (12 niñas y 12 niños).The drawing is one of the essential activities of preschool age. The acquisition of drawing ensures the formation of the image of the object, the differential perceptions of the objects and the spatial perception in preparation for the writing (Solovieva and Quintanar, 2012, 2013). From the educational psychology of the culture-historical approach (Vigotsky, 1996) and the activity theory (Talizina, 2009) is required of a specific methodology that allow it to introduce and develop the drawing in the preschool years. The aim of this research is the directed training of the drawing in preschool children in conditions of vulnerability. To achieve this it is working with two groups: one considered as control group which was comprised of 27 children (20 girls and 7 boys) and another as experimental group, consisting of 24 children (12 girls and 12 boys). The experimental group was that participated in the program designed in this study. The intervention program had a duration of 67 sessions. An initial assessment (pre-test) and a final assessment (post-test) through the protocol of the graphic activity and the formation of the image of the object (Quintanar and Solovieva, 2010) were accomplished to the two groups. The results showed that after the intervention program the children in the experimental group have advanced significantly in regard to the graphic activity, the differential perceptions of objects, the wide spatial perception and the formation of the images of the object.Licenciado (a) en Pedagogía InfantilPregrad

Notes on the geographic range and distribution of two free-tailed bat species (Chiroptera, Molossidae) in Costa Rica

Nyctinomops laticaudatus (É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1805) and Eumops nanus (Miller, 1900) are 2 species with distributions that are expected for Costa Rica. However, voucher specimens that confirm the presence of these species in the country are absent or missing in museum collections. Here we document voucher specimens and present data that confirm the presence of N. laticaudatus and E. nanus in Costa Rica

Medidas para la reducción del riesgo de contaminación ambiental con residuos de antibióticos y propagación de bacterias resistentes

Environmental pollution with antibiotics and the spread of resistant bacteria may cause health damage, the emergence of new pandemics, the disruption of the balance of ecosystems, food insecurity, and a global economic crisis. Given this context, this article broaches a documentary analysis of the causes and consequences of the problem, with the main objective of proposingmeasures to reduce risks. As a result of the research, access to this problem is proposed from the “One world, one health” approach, where it is crucial to implement good practices for the prevention of infectious diseases and the optimal use of antibiotics in human, animal, and plant health. This must be accompanied by research processes, social awareness, citizen participation, political incidence and management that allow the preservation of a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.La contaminación ambiental con antibióticos y la propagación de bacterias resistentes pueden provocar daños a la salud, el surgimiento de nuevas pandemias, la alteración del equilibrio de los ecosistemas, la inseguridad alimentaria y una crisis económica mundial. Ante este contexto, se plantea un análisis documental de las causas y consecuencias del problema, con el propósito de proponer medidas para la reducción de los riesgos. Como resultado de la investigación, se plantea el abordaje de la problemática a partir del enfoque “Un mundo, una salud”, donde es fundamental la implementación de buenas prácticas para la prevención de enfermedades infecciosas y el uso óptimo de antibiótico sen la salud humana, animal y vegetal. Esto debe estar acompañado de procesos de investigación y concientización social, participación ciudadana, incidencia y gestión política, que permitan conservar un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Los seguros de transporte en el comercio internacional el caso de Costa Rica: período 2000-2006

Determina la importancia en el comercio internacional del uso de los seguros en el transporte marítimo, aéreo y terrestre en el caso de las exportaciones agrícolas e industriales costarricenses. El seminario esta dividido en dos ciclos lectivos, la promoción; en el I ciclo le asegura la continuidad para el segundo, la reprobación en el I ciclo implica que no podrá continuar en el segundo.Determines the importance in international trade of the use of insurance in maritime, air and land transportation in the case of Costa Rican agricultural and industrial exports. The seminar is divided in two academic cycles, the promotion in the first cycle assures the continuity for the second cycle, the failure in the first cycle implies that the student will not be able to continue in the second cycle.Escuela de Relaciones Internacionale

Toxin B Variants from Clostridium difficile Strains VPI 10463 and NAP1/027 Share Similar Substrate Profile and Cellular Intoxication Kinetics but Use Different Host Cell Entry Factors

Clostridium difficile induces antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to the release of toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), the latter being its main virulence factor. The epidemic strain NAP1/027 has an increased virulence attributed to different factors. We compared cellular intoxication by TcdBNAP1 with that by the reference strain VPI 10463 (TcdBVPI). In a mouse ligated intestinal loop model, TcdBNAP1 induced higher neutrophil recruitment, cytokine release, and epithelial damage than TcdBVPI. Both toxins modified the same panel of small GTPases and exhibited similar in vitro autoprocessing kinetics. On the basis of sequence variations in the frizzled-binding domain (FBD), we reasoned that TcdBVPI and TcdBNAP1 might have different receptor specificities. To test this possibility, we used a TcdB from a NAP1 variant strain (TcdBNAP1v) unable to glucosylate RhoA but with the same receptor-binding domains as TcdBNAP1. Cells were preincubated with TcdBNAP1v to block cellular receptors, prior to intoxication with either TcdBVPI or TcdBNAP1. Preincubation with TcdBNAP1v blocked RhoA glucosylation by TcdBNAP1 but not by TcdBVPI, indicating that the toxins use different host factors for cell entry. This crucial difference might explain the increased biological activity of TcdBNAP1 in the intestine, representing a contributing factor for the increased virulence of the NAP1/027 strain.Universidad de Costa Rica/[803-B8-117]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[803-B7-183]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[803-B7-158]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[803-B6-657]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de MicrobiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de FarmaciaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos (LEBI)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de Medicina::Escuela de Medicin

Arsenic levels present in water supply systems of Chorotega and Huetar Northern Regions of Costa Rica, Central America

Se determinaron las concentraciones de Arsénico (As) presentes en muestras de agua para uso y consumo humano recolectadas en 106 operadores comunales de sistemas de abastecimiento en las regiones Chorotega y Huetar Norte de Costa Rica durante 2013-2017. A las muestras que registraron concentraciones de As por encima de la norma nacional se le evaluaron los restantes parámetros incluidos en el nivel N2 del Reglamento para agua potable de Costa Rica. La determinación de arsénico se hizo utilizando espectrometría de absorción atómica con horno de grafito. Los principales incumplimientos se registraron en los distritos de Bagaces y Cañas mientras que en la Región Huetar Norte se presentan en Agua Zarcas y Los Chiles. En estos distritos se registra un nivel de incumplimiento de la norma nacional (10 μg/l) que varía desde 66,7 % en el caso de Los Chiles hasta un 50 % en Cañas. Los sistemas que presentan incumplimientos no registraron variaciones temporales significativas en las concentraciones de As en el periodo 2013-2017. Al analizar los parámetros de correlaciones significativas registradas entre el As y las otras especies analizadas se obtiene información valiosa relacionada con los procesos hidrogeoquímicos que determinan la presencia de este metaloide.Arsenic (As) concentrations in water samples for human consumption and use were determined in 106 communal supply system operators in the Chorotega and Huetar Norte regions of Costa Rica during 2013-2017. The samples that recorded As concentrations above the national standard were evaluated for the remaining parameters included in level N3 of the Regulation for drinking water of Costa Rica. The determination of arsenic was made using atomic absorption spectrometry with graphite furnace. The main non-compliances were registered in the districts of Bagaces and Cañas, while in the Huetar Norte region they are presented in Agua Zarcas and Los Chiles. In these districts there is a level of non-compliance with the national standard (10 μg / l) that varies from 66.7% in the case of Los Chiles to 50% in Cañas. The systems that present breaches by As did not register significant temporal variations in the 2013-2017 period. When analyzing the parameters of significant correlations recorded between the As and the other species analyzed, valuable information is obtained related to the hydrogeochemical processes that determine the presence of this metalloid.Universidad Nacional, Costa Ric