The social relations of health care and household resource allocation in neoliberal Nicaragua

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>With the transition to neoliberalism, Nicaragua's once-critically acclaimed health care services have substantially diminished. Local level social formations have been under pressure to try to bridge gaps as the state's role in the provision of health care and other vital social services has decreased. This paper presents a case study of how global and national health policies reverberated in the social relations of an extended network of female kin in a rural community during late 2002 - 2003.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The qualitative methods used in this ethnographic study included semi-structured interviews completed during bi-weekly visits to 51 households, background interviews with 20 lay and professional health practitioners working in the public and private sectors, and participant-observation conducted in the region's government health centers. Interviews and observational field notes were manually coded and iteratively reviewed to identify and conceptually organize emergent themes. Three households of extended kin were selected from the larger sample to examine as a case study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ongoing erosion of vital services formerly provided by the public sector generated considerable frustration and tension among households, networks of extended kin, and neighbors. As resource allocations for health care seeking and other needs were negotiated within and across households, longstanding ideals of reciprocal exchange persisted, but in conditions of poverty, expectations were often unfulfilled, exposing the tension between the need for social support, versus the increasingly oppositional positioning of social network members as sources of competition for limited resources.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In compliance with neoliberal structural adjustment policies mandated by multilateral and bilateral agencies, government-provided health care services have been severely restricted in Nicaragua. As the national safety net for health care has been eroded, the viability of local level social formations and their ability to respond to struggles collectively has been put at risk as well. Bi-lateral and multilateral agencies need to take into account local needs and demands, and implement policies in a manner that respects national laws, and protects both the physical and social well-being of individuals.</p

Advances in understanding bat infection dynamics across biological scales

Over the past two decades, research on bat-associated microbes such as viruses, bacteria and fungi has dramatically increased. Here, we synthesize themes from a conference symposium focused on advances in the research of bats and their microbes, including physiological, immunological, ecological and epidemiological research that has improved our understanding of bat infection dynamics at multiple biological scales. We first present metrics for measuring individual bat responses to infection and challenges associated with using these metrics. We next discuss infection dynamics within bat populations of the same species, before introducing complexities that arise in multi-species communities of bats, humans and/or livestock. Finally, we outline critical gaps and opportunities for future interdisciplinary work on topics involving bats and their microbes

Redescription of Mimoscorpius pugnator ‪(‬Butler, 1872‪)‬ ‪(‬Arachnida, Thelyphonida‪)‬, with first description of the female. American Museum novitates, no. 3633.

9 p. : ill. (some col.), map ; 26 cm.A redescription of the endemic Guatemalan whip scorpion, Mimoscorpius pugnator (Butler, 1872), including the first description of the female, new records, and natural history observations, is provided

Evaluación de adherentes y humectantes agregados al fungicida usado en el control de enfermedades de tomate

El uso del fungicidas en el control de enfermedades en los países tropicales es un asunto complejo, ya que su eficiencia es afectada por una serie de factores tales como la alta precipitación que lo lava constantemente de la superficie de la hoja, la alta humedad relativa que mantiene en la superficie de ésta una película de agua que hace difícil su adherencia y la luminosidad relativa baja, que indirectamente impide que el fungicida se seque con rápidez sobre la superficie de la hoja. Por otra parte estas condiciones son óptimas para el desarrollo de muchas enfermedades de importancia económica.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM

Exploración bibliográfica sobre el cuento erudito costarricense

lUniversidad Nacional. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje. Escuela de Bibliotecología, Documentación e InformaciónEscuela de Bibliotecología Documentación e Informació

Detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from Costa Rica

Serum samples from 315 horses from Costa Rica, Central America, were examined for the presence of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii by using the surface antigen (SAG) SnSAG2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the NhSAG1 ELISA, and the modified agglutination test, respectively. Anti-S. neurona antibodies were found in 42.2% of the horses by using the SnSAG2 ELISA. Anti-Neospora spp. antibodies were found in only 3.5% of the horses by using the NhSAG1 ELISA, and only 1 of these horses was confirmed seropositive by Western blot. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 34.0% of the horses tested, which is higher than in previous reports from North and South America. The finding of anti-S. neurona antibodies in horses from geographical areas where Didelphis marsupialis has wide distribution suggests that D. marsupialis is a potential definitive host for this parasite and a source of infection for these horses.Se examinaron muestras de suero de 315 caballos de Costa Rica América Central, se examinaron para detectar la presencia de anticuerpos contra Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp. y Toxoplasma gondii mediante la prueba de inmunoabsorción superficie (SAG) SnSAG2 mediante el ensayo inmunoenzimático (ELISA), el ELISA NhSAG1 y la prueba de aglutinación modificada, respectivamente. Se encontraron anticuerpos anti-S. neurona en el 42,2% de los caballos mediante la prueba SnSAG2 ELISA. Los anticuerpos anti-Neospora spp. sólo se encontraron en el 3,5% de los caballos mediante la prueba ELISA NhSAG1, y sólo 1 de estos caballos fue seropositivo por Western blot. Los anticuerpos contra T. gondii fueron en el 34,0% de los caballos examinados, lo que es más elevado que en los informes anteriores de América del Norte y del Sur. El hallazgo de anticuerpos anti-S. neurona en caballos de zonas geográficas en las que Didelphis marsupialis tiene una amplia distribución sugiere que D. marsupialis es un potencial huésped de este parásito y una fuente de infección para estos caballos.Universidad Nacional, Costa RicaEscuela de Medicina Veterinari