Organización y características del turismo rural comunitario en Costa Rica

Community-based rural tourism in Costa Rica is an advanced stage of ecotourism, under which tourism development is led by families and local communities, who assume responsibility for protecting and capitalising on their natural and cultural heritage. At the national level, the sector is articulated through two networks, Red Ecoturística COOprena R.L. and Asociación Comunitaria de Turismo Rural , who conduct support and promotion programmes aimed at member cooperatives and associations. In order to gain insight into how the sector operates, this article identifies and breaks down by type the main local community-based rural tourism associations, and, based on an analysis of over 50 cases, offers a profile of the main characteristics of current rural tourism initiatives. All of the above should enable an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms and factors that determine the success or failure of any given project.Le tourisme rural au Costa Rica représente une étape avancée de l'écotourisme, donc il incorpore comme le protagoniste de son développement aux communautés locales, qui deviennent responsables pour protéger et mettre en valeur économique le patrimoine naturel et culturel. Au niveau national le secteur s'articule dans deux réseaux: le réseau COOprena R.L. et l'Association Communautaire du Tourisme Rural, qui développent des programmes d'appui et de la promotion dirigés vers les associations et les coopératives membres. Dans l'objectif d'approfondir dans la connaissance du fonctionnement du secteur, dans cet article ils ont été identifiés et classifiés par des typologies les principales associations locales de tourisme rural communautaire et, à partir d'une analyse de plus de 50 cas, les principales caractéristiques profilent. Tous cela doit permettre de comprendre mieux les mécanismes et facteurs qu'ils permettent ou ils compliquent le succès d'une initiative locale.El turismo rural en Costa Rica representa una etapa avanzada del ecoturismo, pues incorpora como protagonista de su desarrollo a las comunidades locales, que se convierten en los encargados de proteger y poner en valor económico el patrimonio natural y cultural. A nivel nacional el sector se articula en dos redes: la Red COOprena R.L. y la Asociación Comunitaria de Turismo Rural, quienes desarrollan programas de apoyo y promoción dirigidos a las asociaciones y cooperativas socias. Con el objetivo de profundizar en el conocimiento del funcionamiento del sector, en este artículo se han identificando y clasificado por tipologías las principales asociaciones locales de turismo rural comunitario y, a partir de un análisis de más de 50 casos, se perfilan las principales características. Todo ello debe permitir entender mejor los mecanismos y factores que permiten o dificultan el éxito de una iniciativa local

I Seminario Internacional de la Red Internacional de Investigadores en Turismo, Cooperación y Desarrollo-COODTUR

Crónica de event

La planificación y gestión del turismo en las áreas protegidas de Panamá. El caso del Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriqui (Panamá)

Texto resumen

The state of tourism management and planning in the protected areas of Panama. The case of the Chiriquí Gulf National Marine Park, Panama

Resume

The International Cooperation of the Spanish University in the field of Tourism

Durante los últimos años el número de investigadores españoles trabajando en la cooperación al desarrollo en el ámbito del turismo ha sido importante. Así lo constata la cantidad de proyectos financiados por el Programa de Cooperación Interuniversitario (PCI) de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional al Desarrollo (AECID) cuyos resultados han sido publicados en revistas científicas o se han difundido en diferentes encuentros. A pesar de ello, existen pocos estudios y reflexiones sobre aspectos como: temáticas que abordan dichos proyectos; su distribución geográfica; financiación adjudicada o qué universidades españolas han liderado los mencionados proyectos. Este artículo, mediante el análisis de estos parámetros, persigue reflexionar sobre la importancia del turismo en la ayuda al desarrollo e identificar sus principales características, aumentando el conocimiento de lo sucedido recientemente en materia de proyectos de investigación en turismo y cooperación en España.In recent years, the number of Spanish researchers working on development cooperation in the field of tourism has been important. This is evidenced by the number of projects funded by the Interuniversitary Cooperation Programme (Programa de Cooperación Interuniversitaria, PCI) of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, AECID) whose results have been published in scientific journals or disseminated in different congresses and meetings. Nevertheless there are few studies and reflections on such aspects as: the themes in the field of tourism on which these projects have focused, their geographical distribution and their economic importance, etc. The aim of this work is to reflect the importance of tourism in granting development aid and to identify its main characteristics, broadening knowledge of what has happened in recent years in terms of research projects and cooperation in tourism in Spain

Education-job (mis)match and interregional migration:Italian university graduates’ transition to work

This paper analyses the micro-level determinants of the education-job (mis)matches of recent university graduates in Italy. As the Italian graduate population has experienced increasing internal migration, we focus in particular on the role of interregional migration in driving education-job match. The methodology takes into account both the endogenous relationship between migration and employment, and the self-selection bias between employment and education-job (mis)match. Using a survey on Italian graduates’ entry into the labour market, we find that whilst migration at the national level is confirmed to have a positive role in both finding a job and decreasing the probability of overeducation, robust differences emerge when looking at the subnational dimension. Indeed, the Northern regions by receiving inflows of Southern graduates that manage to attain a good education-job match in the recipient labour markets, are apparently reaping part of the return to the investment in university education bore in the Sout

Drought Impact Is Alleviated in Sugar Beets (Beta vulgaris L.) by Foliar Application of Fullerenol Nanoparticles

Over the past few years, significant efforts have been made to decrease the effects of drought stress on plant productivity and quality. We propose that fullerenol nanoparticles (FNPs, molecular formula C-60(OH)(24)) may help alleviate drought stress by serving as an additional intercellular water supply. Specifically, FNPs are able to penetrate plant leaf and root tissues, where they bind water in various cell compartments. This hydroscopic activity suggests that FNPs could be beneficial in plants. The aim of the present study was to analyse the influence of FNPs on sugar beet plants exposed to drought stress. Our results indicate that intracellular water metabolism can be modified by foliar application of FNPs in drought exposed plants. Drought stress induced a significant increase in the compatible osmolyte proline in both the leaves and roots of control plants, but not in FNP treated plants. These results indicate that FNPs could act as intracellular binders of water, creating an additional water reserve, and enabling adaptation to drought stress. Moreover, analysis of plant antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, APx and GPx), MDA and GSH content indicate that fullerenol foliar application could have some beneficial effect on alleviating oxidative effects of drought stress, depending on the concentration of nanoparticles applied. Although further studies are necessary to elucidate the biochemical impact of FNPs on plants; the present results could directly impact agricultural practice, where available water supplies are often a limiting factor in plant bioproductivity

Localización histórico-geográfica de las tierras explotadas por la familia de Cristóbal Colón en el puerto de San Juan (Huelva, España)

This research presents as novelty the geographical location of certain places that were part of the process of gestation of the discovery of America In addition, it also confirms the linking of the portuguese Briolanja Muñiz —sister in law of Christopher Columbus— with the port of San Juan (Huelva, Spain), and at the same time, offers unpublished data on the boundaries of the estate where the family of the famous discoverer was seated while he managed and organized his first overseas trip.Este trabajo de investigación presenta como novedad la localización geográfica concreta de lugares que fueron partícipes del proceso de gestación del descubrimiento de América Además, confirma la vinculación de la portuguesa Briolanja Muñiz —cuñada de Cristóbal Colón— con el puerto de San Juan (Huelva, España) y, al mismo tiempo, ofrece datos inéditos sobre los límites de la finca en la que estaba asentada la familia del famoso descubridor mientras que gestionaba y organizaba su primer viaje ultramarin

Systematic Collaborative Reanalysis of Genomic Data Improves Diagnostic Yield in Neurologic Rare Diseases

Altres ajuts: Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Salut; Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Empresa i Coneixement i CERCA Program; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; Instituto Nacional de Bioinformática; ELIXIR Implementation Studies (CNAG-CRG); Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Raras; Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa; European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).Many patients experiencing a rare disease remain undiagnosed even after genomic testing. Reanalysis of existing genomic data has shown to increase diagnostic yield, although there are few systematic and comprehensive reanalysis efforts that enable collaborative interpretation and future reinterpretation. The Undiagnosed Rare Disease Program of Catalonia project collated previously inconclusive good quality genomic data (panels, exomes, and genomes) and standardized phenotypic profiles from 323 families (543 individuals) with a neurologic rare disease. The data were reanalyzed systematically to identify relatedness, runs of homozygosity, consanguinity, single-nucleotide variants, insertions and deletions, and copy number variants. Data were shared and collaboratively interpreted within the consortium through a customized Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform, which also enables future data reinterpretation. Reanalysis of existing genomic data provided a diagnosis for 20.7% of the patients, including 1.8% diagnosed after the generation of additional genomic data to identify a second pathogenic heterozygous variant. Diagnostic rate was significantly higher for family-based exome/genome reanalysis compared with singleton panels. Most new diagnoses were attributable to recent gene-disease associations (50.8%), additional or improved bioinformatic analysis (19.7%), and standardized phenotyping data integrated within the Undiagnosed Rare Disease Program of Catalonia Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform functionalities (18%)

Capturing "extraordinary" soft-assembled charge-like polypeptides as a strategy for nanocarrier design

The rational design of nanomedicines is a challenging task given the complex architectures required for the construction of nanosized carriers with embedded therapeutic properties and the complex interface of these materials with the biological environment. Herein, an unexpected charge-like attraction mechanism of self-assembly for star-shaped polyglutamates in nonsalty aqueous solutions is identified, which matches the ubiquitous “ordinary–extraordinary” phenomenon previously described by physicists. For the first time, a bottom-up methodology for the stabilization of these nanosized soft-assembled star-shaped polyglutamates is also described, enabling the translation of theoretical research into nanomaterials with applicability within the drug-delivery field. Covalent capture of these labile assemblies provides access to unprecedented architectures to be used as nanocarriers. The enhanced in vitro and in vivo properties of these novel nanoconstructs as drug-delivery systems highlight the potential of this approach for tumor-localized as well as lymphotropic delivery