Latin University of Costa Rica

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing medical education by enabling adaptive learning, AI-assisted assessment, and scalable instructional tools. Natural language processing, machine learning, and generative large language models offer innovative ways to support teaching and learning, yet their integration raises ethical, pedagogical, and infrastructural challenges. This viewpoint article aims to examine the current applications, benefits, and challenges of AI in medical education and propose strategies for responsible and effective integration. AI tools such as chatbots, virtual patients, and intelligent tutoring systems enhance personalized and immersive learning. Automated grading and predictive analytics support efficient evaluations, while AI-assisted writing tools streamline content creation. Despite these advances, concerns persist around data privacy, algorithmic bias, unequal access, and diminished critical thinking. Key solutions include AI literacy training, data oversight, equitable infrastructure, and curriculum reform. The FACETS framework offers 6 dimensions (ie, form, application, context, instructional mode, technology, and the SAMR [substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition model]) to evaluate AI integration effectively. AI offers substantial opportunities to transform medical education, but its adoption must be ethical, equitable, and pedagogically grounded. Strategic frameworks such as FACETS, combined with institutional governance and cross-sector collaboration, are essential to guide implementation so that AI enhances learning outcomes while preserving the humanistic foundations of medical practice.

The relationship between food consumption and eating disorders (ED) is pivotal, given that eating disorders are characterized by abnormal eating habits which can result in significant health issues. However, research on this topic in non-western, economically underdeveloped countries is limited, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. To gather and examine the available evidence on food consumption and eating patterns in people diagnosed with eating disorders (ED), in studies conducted in Latin American and Caribbean countries, with particular interest in identifying food consumption assessment tools used in this population. The scoping review was carried out in three bibliographic databases: Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, and LILACS, with no restrictions, up to November 2025. PRISMA guidelines were used for reporting this review. Four studies were identified that met the eligibility criteria, all conducted in Brazil. The studies included adults diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa (BN). No participants with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) were included in these studies. High energy variability was observed in the diets; when considering only binge eating episodes, the highest intake was found in participants diagnosed with BED. Among the most common macronutrients consumed are carbohydrates, lipids, and finally, proteins; there is no greater variation when considering only binge eating episodes. Micronutrient intake is below the RDI levels, with deficiencies of vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, and iron. Among the most frequently consumed foods are highly palatable foods, as well as beef, rice, and beans. The most common methods for assessing food consumption were food diary, food frecuency, and 24-hour recall, among others. Common foods in Brasil, such as rice and beans were frequently consumed in the studies selected. Consumption in patients with BN varies, ranging from 19,257 to 158 kcal/day. More studies are needed to validate and culturally adapt food consumption and eating patterns assessment tools in this population. Few studies have been published that address food consumption and Eating Disorders in Latin America and the Caribbean with the use of instruments that approximate actual food consumption in this population. The four selected studies belong to Brazil and have a 20-year difference between the first one and the other two more recent ones. The studies addressed BED and BN as diagnosis. The summary findings show a high variability in the diets in terms of calories. Important micronutrients, such as iron, magnesium and folic acid, are below recommended intakes. Beef, rice, and beans were the most consumed foods. Further research should be conducted on the foods most commonly consumed by these patients in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve the recommendations.

Objective:To determine the feasibility and acceptability of a coordinated community-based intervention for low-income adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) that included (1) screening and referral, (2) shared decision-making (SDM), and (3) diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). Methods:Participants were screened for T2D through a mobile health unit in a low-income community in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and referred for follow-up in a primary care health center serving that community. Primary care physicians (PCPs) within the health center were trained on SDM for T2D, and community health workers (CHWs) were trained to deliver DSMES. Feasibility was measured by the number of community members screened and referred for care, the number of PCPs implementing SDM, and the number of CHWs hired and trained on DSMES. Acceptability was assessed by the percentage of participants who completed the 3-month DSMES program. Potential clinical impact was determined by effect sizes of changes in HbA1c between baseline and 3 months. Other measurements included waist circumference (WC), body weight, diabetes distress, and diabetes self-care activities, assessed at baseline, and at 1 and 3 months during the study period. Results:With respect to feasibility, all PCPs from the clinic completed the SDM training and were able to implement it in their primary practice. The DSMES training was completed by 4 (50%) of CHWs, and 3 were selected to deliver the course to study participants. Related to acceptability, 182 community members were screened, of which 42 were eligible for participation and 23 were successfully enrolled. Out of six programmed sessions, average participant attendance was 80% with 60.9% of participants retained at three months. Changes in HbA1c from baseline to 3 months were 10.1 ± 2.7 to 9.4 ± 3.1. Discussion:The use of community screening to refer low-income people living with T2D to a clinic-based SDM and DSMES intervention was feasible with large effect sizes for changes in HbA1c. The high attrition rates suggest that alternative strategies may be necessary to keep patients engaged in care.

Live press conferences from the Presidency of the Republic of Costa Rica, led by President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, are a determining factor in the legitimacy of the current Costa Rican government's political management. These conferences have high audience ratings, in the context of direct confrontation between the executive branch, the media, and other public authorities. In this quantitative study, the audience is monitored during 76 press appearances between 2022 and 2024, and digital listening on the public web during the same period is analyzed to determine the digital audience trend for these appearances; identify the points of highest digital audience for these conferences, as an element of attention to the messages of the Executive Branch; and establish the correlation between the level of digital audience reached and the sentiment in the digital conversation. Therefore, this communication resource is no longer merely an informative space. It has become a key tactic for the legitimization of the Costa Rican Executive, reducing the mediation of traditional media and prioritizing direct communication with citizens.

Aim of study: Tropical forests are increasingly threatened by deforestation and fragmentation. In Costa Rica, extensive land-use change has left forest fragments whose long-term ecological dynamics remain poorly understood. This study assessed changes in tree diversity, composition, structure, and aboveground carbon stocks during a 22-year period (2000-2022) in a premontane moist forest fragment in Costa Rica. Area of study: Municipal Forest of Atenas (26.4-ha), Alajuela, Costa Rica. Material and methods: Tree inventories were conducted in 32 plots (10 m radius) in 2000 and 33 plots in 2022. We analysed diversity and composition using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, Hill numbers, and Importance Value Index, while tree structure and carbon stocks were assessed using tree size distributions, PERMANOVA, and allometric models. Main results: We identified 71 species and 69 genera in 2000 (N = 535), and 62 species and 60 genera in 2022 (N = 534). We found high compositional stability, with a 76% similarity in genus abundance between years, and consistent dominance by the early successional species Inga densiflora Benth and the invasive Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston. A gradual shift toward intermediate and late-successional genera suggests ongoing successional processes. Carbon storage more than doubled, from 1,847.2 to 3,903.7 tC (70.0 tC/ha in 2000 and 147.9 tC/ha in 2022), approaching values reported for old-growth tropical forests. These changes may be driven by the presence of large individuals of Ficus and Anacardium excelsum (Bertero & Balb.) Skeels, supporting the mass-ratio hypothesis. Research highlights: These findings underscore the ecological importance of conserving secondary forest fragments in human-modified tropical landscapes, which can support long-term forest recovery and contribute to ecological resilience, carbon storage and climate change mitigation.