What is expected for China's SARS-CoV-2 epidemic?

Recently, China announced that its "zero-covid" policy would end, which will bring serious challenges to the country's health system. In here we provide simple calculations that allows us to provide an estimate of what is expected as an outcome in terms of fatalities, using the fact that it is a highly contagious disease that will expose most of a highly vaccinated population to the virus. We use recent findings regarding the amount of reduction in the risk of severe outcome achieved by vaccination and arrive to an estimate of 1.1 m deaths, 60% of these are males. In our model, 84% percent of deaths occur in individuals with age 55 years or older. In a scenario in which this protection is completely lost due to waning and the infection fatality rate of the prevalent strain reaches similar levels to the observed in the beginning of the epidemic, the death toll could reach 2.4 m, 93% in 55 years or older.Comment: 6 pages pdf document, 2 of these are supplementary materia

Diplomacia, inteligencia exterior y secreto diplomático frente a los desafíos de la era global

In recent decades, especially after the end of the Cold War, profound changes occurred in the international system, which today is characterized by its new architecture and the construction of a novel international order; also some special events and revelations about the tasks of diplomats and intelligence agents have led to variations in two key institutions of international relations: diplomacy and intelligence, in addition to the revolution in information and communication technologies, which raises serious questions about the diplomatic secrecy. This is a fundamental resource in diplomacy management, both in the way of information for decision making and for transmitting messages to the population of the country where the diplomat is credited. The article used the example of Costa Rica.En las últimas décadas, sobre todo tras el fin de la Guerra Fría, se han producido cambios profundos en el sistema internacional, que hoy se caracteriza por una nueva arquitectura y la construcción de un nuevo orden internacional; además algunos eventos particulares y revelaciones sobre las tareas de los agentes diplomáticos y de inteligencia han conducido a variaciones en dos instituciones claves de las relaciones internacionales: diplomacia e inteligencia, a lo cual se suma la revolución en las tecnologías de información y comunicación, y plantea serios cuestionamientos sobre el secreto diplomático. Este constituye un recurso fundamental en la gestión de la diplomacia, tanto en la vía de obtener información para la toma de decisiones como en la de transmitir los mensajes a la población del país en donde se acredita al diplomático. En el artículo se usa como ejemplo el caso de Costa Rica

Appraisal of herbicide doses in Bean-Coffee intercropping in two localities of the central plateau in Costa Rica

En dos localidades del Valle Central de Costa Rica (Cacao de Alajuela y Santo Domingo de Heredia) se evaluaron tres dosis de los herbicidas acifluorfén, alaclor, metabenzatiazurón, cianazina y diurón, en frijol (cv.Huetar) sembrado en la hilera de poda del cafeto (cv. Caturra). La cianazina eliminó el frijol y causó clorosis en los brotes del cafeto que se recuperó 20 días después de la aplicación. El diurón afectó negativamente al frijol y en forma leve lo hizo el alaclor sin que afectaran al cafeto. El acifluorfén y metabenzatiazurón afectaron levemente ambos cultivos, con recuperación del cafeto 20 días después de la aplicación. Las malezas presentes no afectaron los rendimientos de frijol debido a varios factores de manejo del cafeto que minimizan el problema de malezas en esta asociación. Los rendimientos de frijol fueron mayores en Santo Domingo, al parecer, el sistema de poda al cafeto aplicado en esta localidad influyó en estos resultados.Three doses of the herbicides acifluorfen, alachlor, methabenzathiazuron, cianazine and diuron were tested on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv. Huetar planted on the pruned coffee row (cv. Caturra) in two localities (Cacao de Alajuela and Santo Domingo de Heredia) of the Central Plateau in Costa Rica. The cianazine eliminated the beans and caused chlorosis to the coffee sprouts, which recovered 20 days alter its application. The diuron affected negatively the bean and lightly did so the alachlor, without affecting the coffee plants. The acifluorfen and methabenzathiazuron lightly affected both crops, although the coffee recovered 20 days alter the application. The present weeds did no affect the bean yield due to several management practices on the coffee, which lessened the weed problem in this intercropping system. The bean yield was higher in Santo Domingo and it seems that the coffee pruning system applied in this locality influenced these results.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM

Modernización del Sistema Aduanero y su vinculación con la sociedad civil

Informe de investigación--Universidad de Costa Rica, Vicerrectoría de Acción Social, Trabajo Comunal Universitario. 2012. Para mayor información puede escribir a [email protected] documento es una guía a los agroexportadores para que conozcan información general sobre los formularios exigidos en el tema de exportación, tales como modernización del sistema aduanero costarricense, notificaciones previas, el compendio de leyes en materia aduanera, la inscripción como importador, entre otras. La información del presente documento se complementa con las presentaciones adjuntas en este fichero.Universidad de Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Acción Social::Trabajo Comunal Universitario (TCU

Corrigendum to ‘a horizon scan exercise for aquatic invasive alien species in Iberian inland waters’

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Black list and Alert list of the Aquatic Invasive Alien Species in the Iberian Peninsula: an action of the LIFE INVASAQUA

Resumen del trabajo presentado en VI Congreso Nacional sobre Especies Exóticas Invasoras y I Congreso Ibérico sobre EEI (EEI 2022) celebrado en Navarra del 20 al 23 de abril de 2022.One of the objectives of LIFE INVASQUA project is to develop tools that will be more efficient the Early Warning and Rapid Response (EWRR) framework for Invasive Alien Species in the Iberian Peninsula. Horizon scanning for high-risk IAS is basic in implementing measures to reduce new invasions, developing Alert lists, and to focus effort in the species already established, for instance making a Black list. We developed a trans national horizon scanning exercise focused on inland waters of Spain and Portugal in order to provide a prioritized lists (Black list and Alert list) of aquatic IAS that may pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems and socio economic sectors in the future. We followed a step approach of existing information about IAS (Plants, Freshwater Invertebrates, Estuarine Invertebrates and Vertebrates; 127 established taxa in Black list; 90 non established taxa in Alert list) combining with an expert scoring of prioritized taxa. IAS established in the Iberian aquatic system consistently highlighted as the worst included vertebrates (e.g. Cyprinus carpio, Gambusia holbrooki, Silurus glanis), freshwater and estuarine invertebrates (e.g. Procambarus clarkii, Dreissena polymorpha, Pacifastacus leniusculus, Ficopomatus enigmaticus, Callinectes sapidus, Corbicula fluminea) and plants (e.g. Eichhornia crassipes, Azolla filiculoides, Ludwigia grandiflora). Amongst taxa not yet established (Alert list), expert pointed to Perna viridis, Hydroides dirampha, Dreissena bugensis, Procambarus fallax f. virginallis, Perccottus glenii with higher risk of invasion, ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Over 20.6% of the taxa in the preliminary black list received no votes (no prioritization) by experts, 17.8% in the innitial alert list. Our horizon scanning approach is inclusive of all-taxa, prioritizes both established and emerging biological threats across trans-national scales, and considers not only the ecological impact, but also potential direct economic consequences as well as the manageability of invasive species.This work received funds from the LIFE Programme (LIFE17 GIE/ES/000515)

Towards precision medicine: defining and characterizing adipose tissue dysfunction to identify early immunometabolic risk in symptom-free adults from the GEMM family study

Interactions between macrophages and adipocytes are early molecular factors influencing adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction, resulting in high leptin, low adiponectin circulating levels and low-grade metaflammation, leading to insulin resistance (IR) with increased cardiovascular risk. We report the characterization of AT dysfunction through measurements of the adiponectin/leptin ratio (ALR), the adipo-insulin resistance index (Adipo-IRi), fasting/postprandial (F/P) immunometabolic phenotyping and direct F/P differential gene expression in AT biopsies obtained from symptom-free adults from the GEMM family study. AT dysfunction was evaluated through associations of the ALR with F/P insulin-glucose axis, lipid-lipoprotein metabolism, and inflammatory markers. A relevant pattern of negative associations between decreased ALR and markers of systemic low-grade metaflammation, HOMA, and postprandial cardiovascular risk hyperinsulinemic, triglyceride and GLP-1 curves was found. We also analysed their plasma non-coding microRNAs and shotgun lipidomics profiles finding trends that may reflect a pattern of adipose tissue dysfunction in the fed and fasted state. Direct gene differential expression data showed initial patterns of AT molecular signatures of key immunometabolic genes involved in AT expansion, angiogenic remodelling and immune cell migration. These data reinforce the central, early role of AT dysfunction at the molecular and systemic level in the pathogenesis of IR and immunometabolic disorders

Habitat quality affects the condition of Luciobarbus sclateri in the Guadiamar River (SW Iberian Peninsula): Effects of disturbances by the toxic spill of the Aznalcóllar mine

This study analyzes the somatic condition of southern Iberian barbel Luciobarbus sclateri (Günther, 1868) in the Guadiamar River (SW Iberian Peninsula). This river was seriously affected by a toxic spill of about 4 million cubic meters of acidic water and 2 million cubic meters of mud rich in heavy metals. Once the spill removal works concluded, sites affected and unaffected by the accident were sampled to study its effects on the fish fauna. The ecological variables registered were related to water quality, physical state of reaches, ecological quality, resources exploited by fish, and potential intra-specific interactions. From an initial 15 ecological variables, seasonal water flow and pH explained most of the variation in barbel condition. This study shows that the Guadiamar River, 56 months after the accident, is still undergoing a recovery process where, beyond ecological variables, proximity to the affected area is the most influential factor for fish condition. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V

Memoria del III Coloquio Internacional sobre Diversidad Cultural y Estudios Regionales

Del 05 al 07 de noviembre de 2014 se llevó a cabo en la Sede de Occidente de la Universidad de Costa Rica, el III Coloquio Internacional sobre Diversidad Cultural y Estudios Regionales, dicado a Julieta Dobles Izaguirre, Premio Nacional de Cultura Magón, 2013. Este III Coloquio Internacional fue organizado por el Centro de Investigaciones sobre Diversidad Cultural y Estudios Regionales (CIDICER), primer Centro de Investigaciones de una Sede Regional de la Universidad de Costa Rica. Se contó con personas investigacdoras nacionales e internacionales quienes presentaron sobre temas relacionados con la diversidad cultural y los estudios regionales.Universidad de Costa Rica/[836-B4-702]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Sedes Regionales::Sede de Occidente::Recinto San Ramón::Centro de Investigaciones sobre Diversidad Cultural y Estudios Regionales (CIDICER

Memoria del II Coloquio Internacional sobre Diversidad Cultural y Estudios Regionales

Desde la Sede de Occidente y, específicamente, en el seno de la Coordinación de Investigación y con el apoyo de la Dirección de la Sede y las Coordinaciones de Docencia, Administración y Acción Social, así como de la Vicerrectoría de Investigación, se han celebrado en el 2011 y en el 2012 dos coloquios internacionales sobre diversidad cultural y estudios regionales. El propósito de ambos consistió principalmente en motivar a investigadores e investigadoras de las distintas unidades académicas de la Universidad de Costa Rica y de otras instituciones de Educación Superior, así como a representantes de Centros e Institutos de Investigación nacionales e internacionales, a presentar resultados de investigaciones que contribuyeran a un mayor conocimiento de los procesos culturales y que dieran a conocer resultados que permitieran la comprensión de las realidades de distintos sectores y regiones. En el 2011 se presentaron cuarenta y seis ponencias y se dictaron tres conferencias magistrales, y en el 2012 se expusieron cincuenta ponencias y se impartieron tres conferencias magistrales.UCR::Sedes Regionales::Sede de Occidente::Recinto San Ramón::Centro de Investigaciones sobre Diversidad Cultural y Estudios Regionales (CIDICER