 |
| A.M.
Costa Rica Your daily English-language news source Monday through Friday |
||
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
Jo
Stuart |
|
Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for more details |
 |
| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |
|
San
José, Costa Rica, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 42
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
|
 Poster
for the event
Date set for
spheres festival
in the southern Pacific coast By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The ninth festival of the spheres will be in Osa de Puntarenas March 26 to 39. This is the event that combines the archaeology of the country with modern diversions. The festival is in Palmar Sur, Palmar Norte and Sierpe. The museum on famous Finca 6 where sphere research is centered also in involved. The museum of the spheres is a satellite of the Museo Nacional. Over the three days there will be 14 cultural and artistic workshops including dance and drawing. The festival also works in many environmental themes. Shows will be put on by many groups, including local Borucas, whose ancestors are credited with having made the spheres. Also planned is a mountain bike recreational race of some 47 kilometers. Bikers will travel over historic routes including through some pre-Columbian communities and also properties of the former banana companies. There also is an 8-kilometer foot race. Foreign ministry praises U.S. death penalty suspension By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto said it commends the recent death penalty moratorium enacted by the state of Washington. Earlier this month the Gov. Jay Inslee issued the term-long suspension. “I trust that this moratorium represents a gradual advance and progress towards the abolition of this penalty, which has irrevocable consequences that eliminate the possible correction of judicial error,” said Chancellor Enrique Castillo. A bill is currently going through the state senate that could overturn the governor’s decision and prevent any future Washington governor from doling out capital punishment suspensions. Last June, Castillo and a French counterpart said publicly that they seek a universal end to capital punishment. Costa Rica abolished its death penalty in 1871. The ban was ratified later by the Constitution of 1948. Abduction ends successfully with arrest of four suspects By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Kidnappers abducted a man Wednesday morning in San José, carried him to a Desamparados home, burned his skin with flammable liquids, beat him and threatened to kill him, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. Agents said they received a tip and surrounded the home in San Juan de Dios de Desamparados where they heard the man's cries. Agents managed to detain four of the estimated six men who were present and presented them to a court Thursday. They said one of the suspects is a 17-year-old. Agents credited the case to personal problems and said they confiscated a pistol and flammable liquids as well as some drugs. The victim has first and second degree burns on his body, they said. The man was abducted about 8 a.m., and agents did not circle the home until about noon, so the victim experienced at least four hours at the hands of his abductors. Russia seeks image repair, but Crimea may halt plans By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
and wire services reports The Russian Federation's plans to establish permanent military bases outside of its own country are a way to project the Russian image abroad and to protect its national interests around the globe, according to the official RIA Novosti press agency. The country's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, named Nicaragua as one of a number of locations where Russia wants to open a base. Venezuela also was named. Both countries are friendly to Russia, and a Russian navel squadron visited Venezuela in 2008. The country appears to be seeking to take advantage of the uncertain U.S. foreign policy. However, some analysts wonder if Russia has the financial capability to maintain overseas bases. Some of the capital ships are known to be in disrepair, and one, the nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser, is considered to be dangerous. Russia closed up a radar base in Cuba for financial reasons. Shoigu spoke before the Ukrainian situation came to a head. Deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych fled his country for Russia Thursday, and early today the interim Ukrainian government accuses Russia of invading the Crimea. The Ukrainians are worried that Russia will try to annex the peninsula, where many of the residents identify with Russia. Russia has a major navy base in Sevastopol for its Black Sea Fleet. Some Russian soldiers are believed to have taken up positions at the city's airport, but no shots have been fired, said reports from the area. Major nations are moving to seek a diplomatic situation. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government accuses the former president of stealing millions while in office. He will meet the media today in Russia. Two die in Orotina crash By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two persons died and four suffered injuries when a passenger car collided head-on with a truck Thursday on the Caldera highway in Orotina. Judicial agents blamed the crash on a driver who tried to pass another vehicle and ran his car into the oncoming truck. The dead were two men in their 20s.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by A.M. Costa Rica.com Ltda. 2014 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
|
| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 42 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
 |
Try not to go on this road Work crews are knocking down potential slides and rebuilding the asphalt on Ruta 126 at Cinchona with the result seen at right. The road will be closed periodically between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. as the work progresses, said the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad. Delays are likely, and the work will go on for two more weeks, the agency said. The location is north of the Central Valley. |
 Consejo
Nacional de Vialidad photo
|
| Caja begins its major 2014 campaign against dengue
mosquitoes today |
|
|
By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Dengue is about 35 percent of the level it was a year ago, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social said Thursday. In January and February, there were 1,462 persons who sought treatment for the mosquito-born disease. The number for the same period in 2013 was 4,149, the Caja said. The most serious case of dengue this year, what the Caja called a grave case, was in Alajuelita, a San José suburb. However, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts remain the areas where there is more of the disease. Today the Caja kicks off a major national effort in advance of the |
arrival of the
rainy season. Health experts are calling on citizens to spend 10
minutes a week to look over their homes to eliminate any potential
mosquito breeding places. The Caja said it already sent out 30,000 text messages cautioning the population about the disease. The Caja will do what it asks others to do. The major push starting today will be to survey all the health facilities in the country for possible mosquito breeding places. Expats and tourists in the areas with high infection rates can avoid the disease by using bed nets for sleeping or doing so in mosquito-tight rooms. They also should use repellent during the day. The mosquito vector for dengue is usually a day biter. |
|
Members of the
Bad Food Gang are being vindicated by science
|
|||
| At long last, the mighty egg has
been vindicated. As probably too many of my readers are aware, I have
been defending (read ranting about) one of my favorite foods and a food
that is a life saver for many older adults. Now the experts agree
that the egg is a nearly perfect food and so easy to prepare in so many
ways. Their research also has shown that eggs do not contribute at all to heart disease or stroke in healthy people (who, today, qualifies as healthy?) Eggs actually raise good HDL and mitigate bad cholesterol. The English have had a reputation for bad food habits, but their one-time custom of a poached egg on toast at supper is a great idea. Eggs are among seven foods various news media have been informing us that once were considered bad for our health but now are recognized for their health benefits. The list will grow, I am sure. Ticos should be delighted since almost all of these foods are native to Costa Rica. Eggs, of course, are available anywhere chickens live. There is also coffee. Gee, those of us who think coffee wakes us up and makes us more alert are right. It seems that caffeine has antioxidants, boosts energy and improves memory and even reduces the risk of diabetes. A long time ago a friend of mine insisted that a cup of coffee and a cigarette in the morning kept him regular. Perhaps one day (after more research) he can substitute a joint and keep the coffee for a healthier and happier beginning to his day. Whole milk, it seems, also has had a bad rap. Studies (I don’t know how extensive) have shown that youngsters who drink skim milk are more inclined to eat junk food and sugar instead of fat, which is having its reputation repaired. Speaking of fat, coconut oil, once banned in many countries with the enthusiasm of vampire hunters, has emerged as good for just about everything that ails us.. It is practically magical. It even is a good mouthwash. It is the hydrogenated coconut oil that is bad for us. I have heard that the coconut water one sees so many people drinking fresh from a coconut at the ferias, is excellent for our health, too. And chocolate! Dark chocolate, we know, is loaded with anti-oxidants. Cambridge University studies support the possibility that chocolate probably lowers stroke and coronary heart disease rates, and lowers blood pressure. The Aztecs, Mayas and Toltecs knew the benefits of chocolate long before Europeans discovered the New World. The Aztecs called it the food of the gods, and besides its other properties, was considered an aphrodisiac. Beware, though, chemically laden sugar-filled milk chocolate is still bad for us. |
And finally, that once present-in-everything-we-eat villain, SALT! Salt was one of the most valuable commodities sold by the traders around the Mediterranean in ancient times. Roman soldiers were given an allowance, or salarium, to buy salt. And from that comes the word salary. Unrefined salt and raw sea salt have more than 60 valuable minerals. And it is a natural antihistamine. Dr. Andrew Weil might argue with this. I recall in his book, “The Natural Mind,” he claimed that eating with South American tribes who did not have salt, he became accustomed to enjoying food without it. I think at the time he thought that was a good thing. But now they say that salt actually helps us digest our food. It is the high sodium processed foods where salt becomes a member of the Bad Food Gang. Which brings me to popcorn. I didn’t know it was thought bad for you. My siblings and I grew up and eating homemade popcorn and fudge while listening to our favorite radio programs in the evening. Movie and microwave popcorn are still considered bad because most have chemicals and artificial flavorings, but homemade popcorn is still good. I am sure in the near future more so-called unhealthy foods, as well as alternative treatments used in the past for what ails us will be appreciated. I actually heard a doctor, being interviewed about the current epidemic of addiction to prescription pain killers, say, “We are trying something new to treat pain – acupuncture and yoga – and having good results.” In a very short time medical researchers will take off the straight jacket of their discipline and their disdain for all that was learned and known about health and treatments before modern times. We continue to be blinded by what I call “the myth of Progress.” I hope we all regain our senses before it hardens into “the god of Progress.” Some may argue that it is progress in medical science that has uncovered the foods that are really healthy. Maybe my big concern is the assumptions that even scientists have that influence how they view whatever they are investigating. One great assumption we humans have is that we can improve upon nature. |
||
 |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by A.M. Costa Rica.com Ltda. 2014 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
 |
|
||||
| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 42 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
Bridge and fencing will help pedestrians This is a new pedestrian bridge over Ruta 32 in Barrio Tournón. north San José. The $475.000 bridge is now in service as officials try to counter pedestrian errors. They said this is the second highest cause of vehicle deaths. Last year 59 pedestrians died in a way officials attributed some of the blame to the victim. |
 Consejo
Nacional de vialidad photo
|
Here's reasonable medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by A.M. Costa Rica.com Ltda. 2014 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
 |
||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 42 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
 |
|
 Voice of America photo
Ann Hoenigswald retouches El
Grego's 'Saint Martin and the Beggar.'Hi-tech tools
let art restorers
get a good preview of work By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In the late 16th century, the Spanish artist El Greco created a huge painting, 1 meter by 2 meters, titled "Saint Martin and the Beggar." In the first half of the 20th century, the canvas was covered with protective varnish that over the course of decades caused discoloration. Conservators at the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, D.C., are now restoring the painting in preparation for a series of exhibitions marking the 400th anniversary of the famous painter’s death. Often changing the cotton tip on her wooden pick, the National Gallery of Art's senior conservator of paintings, Ann Hoenigswald, patiently cleans the canvas, millimeter by millimeter. She said the painting by the famous Renaissance artist, best known by his nickname El Greco, needed conservation treatment because the aged varnish started turning yellow, altering the colors. “The whites turn yellow, the blues turn green. It really dulls down the vibrancy of the tones the artist intended,” said Ms. Hoenigswald. Before starting the conservation, the scientists closely examined the painting, looking for possible damage and alterations to the original. Imaging tools such as microscopes, infrared cameras and x-rays allowed them to penetrate the outer layer of paint. This analysis clearly showed how El Greco altered certain parts of his work. “Initially you can see the bridle was a little bit higher and most likely because some of the paints become more transparent as they age that’s why we’re seeing this line under here," said Ms. Hoenigswald. Technology helps analyze the artwork, but the actual restoration must be done by hand. Ms. Hoenigswald said she has been working on "Saint Martin and the Beggar" for about a year, slowly revealing its original beauty. “All of a sudden the depth of the painting, the background seems to recede even more and the foreground comes forward and, as you can see in this picture, the whites become so dramatic, and so dominant, and the contrast between this gorgeous blue and the white becomes much more forceful than it was before,” said Ms. Hoenigswald. After cleaning the painting, the conservators applied another product of modern technology, synthetic varnish that mimics the natural resin but will not alter with age. The canvas is now about to be packed up and sent off to Toledo, Spain, the city from which it came, to be part of an exhibition marking the 400th anniversary of El Greco’s death. Human rights report gives summary of a hard world By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The United States says too many governments are tightening their grasp on basic human freedoms. The finding comes from the State Department's release of its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Those named as the worst actors in the world come as no surprise. The United States says nowhere was the disregard for human rights more blatant or horrible than Syria, where on April 21, 2013, the government dropped sarin gas on a suburb of Damascus. More than 1,400 Syrians died, including 426 children. "We know that countries that deny human rights and human dignity challenge our interests as well as human interests," said Secretary of State John Kerry. The State Department reports also targeted other well-known human rights violators, like North Korea, slammed earlier this month by the United Nation's for what is described as Nazi-like crimes. And despite ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, Acting Assistant Secretary for Human Rights Uzra Zeya says problems remain there, too. "Torture, political imprisonment, executions in the absence of due process which have gone up under this government, harassment of ethnic and religious minorities and limits on free expression," said Zeya. In many places, the report said hopes for improvement were dashed by stubborn repression, like in China, where the government announced the end of its re-education camps, but cracked down on dissent on the Internet and on basic freedoms in Tibet, where 26 people set themselves on fire in protest. In Egypt, where hopes had risen with the Arab Spring, the State Department criticized the killings and torture that came with the military's continued crackdown on protesters. In Africa, officials noted grave concerns in South Sudan and in the Central African Republic, where Muslims and Christians engaged in a cycle of killings, disappearances, rape and torture. There is also alarm at the rate of sexual violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians in places like Uganda and Russia, where new laws make harassment easier and more dangerous. "We join with many other nations in reaffirming our commitment where speaking one’s mind does not lead to prosecution and where professing one’s love does not lead to persecution, a world where practicing one’s faith does not lead to imprisonment," said John Kerry. The State Department reports even raise concerns about worker's rights, noting the garment factory fire in Bangladesh that killed more than 1,000 people. "Despite documenting so much abuse and repression, U.S. officials insist there is hope pointing to the bravery of people in a place like Ukraine, who took to the streets to stand up for change." As for places where standing up remains a challenge, like Venezuela, Secretary Kerry said those who struggle will not be alone. “The United States of America will continue to speak out, without a hint of arrogance or apology, on behalf of people who stand up for their universal rights," he said. The diplomat saying reports like these on human rights abuses will help ensure those responsible will be held accountable. Cuban spy leaves prison to return to island nation By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A second member of the so-called Cuban Five spy ring was released from a United States prison after being jailed for more than 15 years. Officials say 50-year-old Fernando González completed his sentence Thursday at a prison in Safford, Arizona. González was turned over immediately to immigration officials to be deported to Cuba. González, who also goes by the name "Ruben Campa," was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1998 along with four other Cuban agents. All were convicted in 2001 of 26 counts of spying on behalf of Fidel Castro's government. Trial testimony showed the five sought to infiltrate military bases, including the U.S. Southern Command's headquarters. They also spied on Cuban exiles opposed to the communist government of then-president Fidel Castro. Havana says the agents did not threaten U.S. sovereignty and were only monitoring militant exiles to prevent terrorist attacks in Cuba. Another agent, Rene González, was released in 2011 and returned to Cuba after serving more than 13 years in a U.S. prison. He renounced his U.S. citizenship to avoid serving the mandatory three-year parole in Florida. One of the three remaining agents, Gerardo Hernández, is serving a double life sentence after being convicted of involvement in shooting down two small U.S. planes off the Cuban coast in 1996. The two other agents are still in jail: Antonio Guerrero is serving 21 years and 10 months and is due for release in September 2017, while Ramon Labanino is serving 30 years and is due for release in October 2024. Malware targets mobil, security professionals agree By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The amount of malicious software targeting mobile devices is exploding, according to security firm Kaspersky Lab. Kaspersky said that in 2013 nearly 100,000 new malicious programs for mobile devices were detected. That’s more than two times the number detected the previous year, the company said. As of Jan. 1, Kaspersky Lab says it collected 143,211 mobile malware samples. Rolf von Roessing, the former international vice president of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, told information security professionals at the 2013 EuroCACS information security and risk management conference in London that a tidal wave of threats was emerging against mobile devices. Android users are particularly vulnerable, with over 91 percent of the malware detected targeting the popular mobile operating system, according to Kaspersky. “Android is currently more of a target than iOS, but attacks are happening against Apple mobile devices and, when they are breached, it is usually fairly serious,” said von Roessing. Russia leads the world, claiming 40 percent of attacks. India was second with 8 percent of attacks, and Vietnam and Ukraine were tied for third with 4 percent of attacks. “Kaspersky's findings are consistent with the numbers being reported by other security vendors in their annual threat reports," said Christopher Burgess, CEO of Prevendra, a security, privacy and intelligence company. “The message? If you are using a mobile device, keep your operating system up to date, only download apps from trusted sources, and have in place security software to protect the content of your mobile device." Kaspersky said the vast majority of mobile malware was made with the aim of stealing people’s money. This kind of malware increased by a factor of 20, they said. Most of the malware was designed to phish, steal bank card information or to take money from bank accounts. “Today, the majority of banking Trojan attacks target users in Russia and the CIS,” said Victor Chebyshev, a virus analyst at Kaspersky in a statement. “However, that is unlikely to last for long. Given cybercriminals’ keen interest in consumer bank accounts, the activity of mobile banking Trojans is expected to grow in other countries in 2014.” Emotional spin is effective even in health marketing By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
To get kids and moms to wash their hands, aim for their hearts. That is the lesson from a new study that focused on emotional appeals over hard facts to encourage handwashing, one of the best and most underutilized ways to prevent disease. Diarrheal and respiratory diseases are the two leading causes of child death worldwide. Research shows that just washing hands with soap and water before eating and after using the bathroom can cut rates of some of these illnesses by a third. But handwashing rates are low worldwide, despite years of public education campaigns. At the start of this study, published in the journal The Lancet Global Health, villagers in Andhra Pradesh, India, washed less than 3 percent of the time. “If you ask people, should they wash their hands with soap? Almost everybody says, of course they should,” said Hygiene Center chief Val Curtis at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. “The problem is, everyone says it, but hardly anybody actually does it.” But rather than telling people that washing their hands is good for them, Ms. Curtis and her colleagues took a tip from the world of advertising. “Nobody sells fizzy drinks on the fact that it’s good nutrition,” she said. “They’re all sold on emotional benefits.” So they laid down ground rules for messaging: “No diarrhea, no death and no doctors," and developed a handwashing campaign that used emotional drivers like disgust and the desire to nurture. Ms. Curtis describes herself as a disgustologist. It’s a more powerful motivator than information, she adds. Children watched a skit featuring a character who makes sweets out of mud and snot, and never washes his hands. The kids recoiled in mock horror when he offered them his treats. “The emotion would be what taught them about dirty hands, not lecturing them,” Ms. Curtis said. The campaign took a different tack with mothers. “Mothers care deeply about teaching their child good manners,” she noted. “And handwashing is part of good manners.” So a local ad agency worked with them to produce SuperAmma, or "SuperMom," a cartoon character who is the hardworking, nurturing mother every mom aspires to be. SuperAmma teaches her son to always be polite, be clean, comb his hair, and wash his hands. In the cartoon’s final, tearjerking montage, all her hard work has paid off: her son has grown up to be a doctor. It closes with the two of them in a loving embrace. “We had to pass the hankies around at the screenings in the villages,” Ms. Curtis said. It worked. Handwashing rates went from 1 or 2 percent at the start of the study to nearly a third a year after the campaign ended. It is not enough, Ms. Curtis said, but it is “a step in the right direction,” and it suggests a way forward for future campaigns. Emotions were probably not the only factor at work, notes international health professor Elli Leontsini at Johns Hopkins University. They likely helped to change people’s behavior at the start. But other parts of the campaign may have been more important for sustaining it. For example, villagers made a public pledge to wash their hands with soap before eating and after using the bathroom. That creates peer pressure and changes community expectations. “It’s a whole package, not just emotions,” Leontsini said. Expect more public health campaigns to get emotional. Ms. Curtis plans to bring her approach to efforts aimed at raising breastfeeding rates and improving food preparation habits. British snoops got shots of Yahoo message users By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A published report say Britain's communications spy agency intercepted and stored screenshots from hundreds of thousands of webcams, and says the multi-year operation yielded a huge trove of intimate photographs of unsuspecting users. The Guardian says GCHQ intercepted video chats of 1.8 million users in a six-month period of 2008, and that the program was still active in 2012. The report said the project, code-named Optic Nerve, targeted video chats such as those offered by the Yahoo Messenger service. The Guardian report is based on data leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. In a written statement Thursday, Yahoo said the report represents "a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy" The California-based company also said it was not aware of the snooping and would never condone it. The newspaper said the spy agency refused to answer a series of questions about the reported program. It said the snooping was at least in part aimed at identifying targets using automatic facial recognition software. The report also said the British agency eventually excluded images in which software had not detected any faces from search results, as part of an effort to prevent staff from viewing explicit images. Previous disclosures from Snowden, who faces criminal charges in the United States and lives in exile in Russia, show the NSA was actively exploring the surveillance potential of video game consoles. NSA analysts also are thought to have infiltrated virtual games like World of Warcraft to spy on targets. Another bird flu strain has made leap to humans By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In the past 10 years, a deadly strain of bird flu has killed more than half of the people who got it. Now, there's a new strain of bird flu circulating that can kill about a third of the humans who contract it. Whenever there's a virus this lethal, there are always fears of a pandemic. Several years ago, men in protective suits decontaminating poultry farms and destroying chickens infected with a deadly bird flu was a scene witnessed throughout Asia. The virus killed birds, and although it rarely infected people, those who got it were more likely to die than to recover. That virus was H5N1. There's now a vaccine against it for poultry. But a new strain of bird virus has emerged and is causing alarm. This one is called H7N9. H7N9 doesn't kill poultry or even make them sick, but it can be deadly when it is transmitted from a chicken to a person. One concern that's been raised is that every time a human gets the H7N9 virus, the world is closer to a pandemic. "That’s not correct," said Anthony Fauci, who heads the infectious diseases division at the National Institutes of Health. "Microbes continue to emerge and re-emerge. The concern about this is that these viruses have jumped into humans and have been lethal. The news that is somewhat comforting is that it hasn’t had sustained transmissibility," Fauci continued. Because of the genetic makeup of these strains of bird flu, it is difficult for them to spread from person to person. Since the H7N9 virus emerged a year ago, some 350 people have caught it. Thirty percent have died. Most had contact with poultry. "There’s always the danger when you have influenzas that infect chickens, that when you have the close quarters of chickens spreading from one to another and occasionally a human coming into close contact, that there will be the jumping of species from a chicken to a human. This is not something new," said Fauci. Fauci said any time a new virus emerges, health officials have to watch it carefully. The U.S. has developed a vaccine for H5N1 and is working on one for the newer strain of bird flu, but he doesn't think this new strain is any more threatening than H5N1. This virus has been circulating since 2003 and still doesn't spread easily from person to person. Former Castro colleague dies in his Florida home By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Huber Matos, a top Cuban revolutionary who was sent to prison for 20 years for turning against Fidel Castro, died Thursday in Miami. His family says Matos suffered a heart attack. He was 95. Matos was a teacher and farmer when he joined the Castro-led rebels plotting to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Matos rode side-by-side with a triumphant Castro as they entered Havana on New Year's Day, 1959. But Matos wrote in his autobiography that he quickly became disenchanted with Castro. He said it became clear that the new Cuban government was moving away from democracy and heading toward a Marxist dictatorship. Castro ordered Matos imprisoned when he tried to leave the government. Matos was freed in 1979, and eventually settled in Miami, where he became a Cuban opposition leader. Experts have different views of future of bitcoin currency By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
There are troubling questions about the future of the digital currency known as bitcoin. The value of the virtual currency has fluctuated wildly in recent months, plummeting from an all-time high of $1,100 last December to just under $600. The latest worry comes after the sudden closure of one of the largest bitcoin exchanges this week. Is Bitcoin dead? That’s a question many investors are asking after the abrupt closure of Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, one of the largest bitcoin exchange sites. Currency trader Kolin Burges flew in from London to get answers, when he found himself locked out of his own account. “I had 311 bitcoins in there, which at the time was worth around $300,000. So it looks like that has disappeared," said Burges. No one really knows why the bitcoin broker shut down. But economics professor Arun Sundararajan says signs point to a security flaw. “It seems to have been a security breach more than anything else where a lot of the bitcoin was stolen by hackers. And as a consequence, Mt. Gox had to stop trading. And of course this has sort of lowered the value of the bitcoin traded at Mt. Gox considerably," said Sundararajan. Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles declined to answer questions. He resigned earlier this month. But Karpeles has never shied from talking about the risks involved. Here’s what he said last year. “Bitcoin would quite qualify as a high risk investment. If you buy bitcoins you should buy keeping in mind that the value could be zero the day after," said Karpeles. Although the recent cyber problems may have damaged public confidence, Bitcoin enthusiasts say that's because many still see virtual currency as a commodity. Bitcoin miner Erick Watson spoke via Skype. “I would encourage people not to speculate on Bitcoin as a store of value. I would encourage them to look for opportunities to employ bitcoin as means of transacting," said Watson. Despite its slow adoption rate, Watson says bitcoin is far from dead. In fact, he sees a bright future ahead for bitcoin and other virtual currencies as consumers discover practical advantages for private transactions. “We’ll continue to creep along as businesses adapt bitcoin rather slowly, and then we’ll hit some inflection point in the relatively near future, beyond which people will really begin to adopt it heavily," he said. That may happen sooner not later. Today the first bitcoin counter opens in Hong Kong allowing people to buy the virtual currency without going online. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by A.M. Costa Rica.com Ltda. 2014 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M. Costa
Rica's sixth news page |
|
||||||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 42 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
||
|
Older father linked
to ills in child's development By
the University of Indiana news service
An Indiana University study in collaboration with medical researchers from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has found that advancing paternal age at childbearing can lead to higher rates of psychiatric and academic problems in offspring than previously estimated. Examining an immense data set, everyone born in Sweden from 1973 until 2001, the researchers documented a compelling association between advancing paternal age at childbearing and numerous psychiatric disorders and educational problems in their children, including autism, attention deficit syndrome, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicide attempts and substance abuse problems. Academic problems included failing grades, low educational attainment and low IQ scores. Among the findings: When compared to a child born to a 24-year-old father, a child born to a 45-year-old father is 3.5 times more likely to have autism, 13 times more likely to have ADHD, two times more likely to have a psychotic disorder, 25 times more likely to have bipolar disorder and 2.5 times more likely to have suicidal behavior or a substance abuse problem. For most of these problems, the likelihood of the disorder increased steadily with advancing paternal age, suggesting there is no particular paternal age at childbearing that suddenly becomes problematic. "We were shocked by the findings," said Brian D'Onofrio, lead author and associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington. "The specific associations with paternal age were much, much larger than in previous studies. In fact, we found that advancing paternal age was associated with greater risk for several problems, such as ADHD, suicide attempts and substance use problems, whereas traditional research designs suggested advancing paternal age may have diminished the rate at which these problems occur." The study, "Parental Age at Childbearing and Offspring Psychiatric and Academic Morbidity," was published this week in JAMA Psychiatry. “While the findings do not indicate that every child born to an older father will have these problems, they add to a growing body of research indicating that advancing paternal age is associated with increased risk for serious problems. As such, the entire body of research can help to inform individuals in their personal and medical decision-making, said D'Onofrio. The working hypothesis for D'Onofrio and his colleagues who study this phenomenon is that unlike women, who are born with all their eggs, men continue to produce new sperm throughout their lives. Each time sperm replicates, there is a chance for a mutation in the DNA to occur. As men age, they are also exposed to numerous environmental toxins, which have been shown to cause mutations in the DNA found in sperm. Molecular genetic studies have, in fact, shown that sperm of older men have more genetic mutations. |
| Costa Rican News |
AMCostaRicaArchives.com |
Retire NOW in Costa Rica |
CostaRicaReport.com |
| Fine Dining
in Costa Rica |
The CAFTA Report |
Fish
fabulous Costa Rica |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by A.M. Costa Rica.com Ltda. 2014 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| From Page 7: Winter weather gets blame for slower economy By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The head of the U.S. central bank says recent foul winter weather may be the reason for some signs that economic growth is slowing. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen spoke to a key Senate committee on Thursday. She said Fed officials will watch new economic data closely as they decide how quickly they should reduce efforts to stimulate the economy. Snow and frigid weather are blamed for slowing sales of homes, cars, and other goods as consumers stayed home to stay warm. Another economic report published Thursday showed the number of Americans signing up for unemployment assistance rose 14,000 to a nationwide total of 348,000. While the increase was more than economists had predicted, the total is still low enough to indicate a gradually improving job market. The job market is still recovering from the financial crisis that pushed up unemployment. One sign of that recovery is a decline in the number of home foreclosures during the past year. Research firm CoreLogic says the number of homes foreclosed in January was down by 19 percent from the same period a year earlier. |
