The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, March 10, 2004

STRENGTHENING ties: Bolivia's Foreign Minister, Juan Ignacio Siles (left), visited Costa Rica this week to discuss diplomatic and cooperation issues with Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar (center), and transfer the Interim Secretariat of the Ibero-American President's Summit from Bolivia to Costa Rica. Read this Friday's Tico Times Print Edition or the pdf digital version for more information.
Tico Times / Jeffrey Arguedas

March 10

Free Talks on Free Trade
Free Trade explained to the public, March 10, 11, 15, 4-8 p.m. at the Children's Museum, at the end Ca. 4, Av. 9 in San José. Info: 258-4929, ext. 131, 146.

Bellydance Show
Performance begins at 8 p.m. at Aya Sofya Restaurant, Av. Ctrl., Ca. 21 in San José. Info: 221-7185.

Musical Night
Malpaís members Fidel Gamboa (voice, flute and guitar), Manuel Obregón (keyboard), Jaime Gamboa (bass), Iván Rodríguez (violin and mandolin), Carlos "Tapao" Vargas (percussion) and Gilberto Jarquín (drums) perform tonight, 10 p.m. at the Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 253-8933.

Return To Top Of Page

Scientists Isolate Potential Anti-Malarial
Compound from Costa Rican Tree

A group of scientists has succeeded in isolating a compound from a tree native to the north Pacific region of Costa Rica that has anti-malarial properties, a source from the project announced yesterday.

The compound was first discovered in 2000, after two years of investigation to separate the diverse components of extracts from leaves of the Malvaceae tree, which is related to the cotton family and grows in Guanacaste province in the northwest part of the country.

Since the discovery, the compound, initially named desoxigossipol (derived from gossipol), has demonstrated anti-malarial activity after being applied in a model of biological testing of live rats.

Giselle Tamayo, scientific coordinator of the investigation, explained to AFP news service that the model of the biological test demonstrates that "the plan works because it has validated itself."

The Bioexploration Unit of the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio) in conducting the investigation. The model with rats, infected with the parasite Plasmodium berghei (malaria-causing agent in animals), was designed by researcher Misael Chinchilla of the University of Costa Rica.

Researchers verified the compound found in the tree deactivates a particular enzyme without which this type of parasite dies. The model with rats could be used to find compounds with anti-malarial potential for the treatment of human patients.

In the case of human beings, the parasite Plasmodium falciparum is the principle malaria-causing agent and is transmitted by mosquito bites from the female of the Anopheles class.

Malaria is a sickness present in tropical zones of the planet, but principally in poor areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
- AFP

Return To Top Of Page

Police Leads Investigation
Of "Massive Concentration"

The Public Security Ministry and a host of other government agencies yesterday traveled to inspect a "massive concentration" of more than a thousand people in the southern border town of Coto Brus, according to Public Security Ministry officials.

The inspection was ordered after police received several complaints of "strange activity."

The investigation coincides with the "One World Rainbow Gathering" announced for March 6 to April 5 in southern Costa Rica, according to a Yahoo! Web site on the subject (www.groups.yahoo.com/group/costaricaravan).

Government agencies participating in the investigation of the gathering include Immigration, the Ministry of Health and the Direction of Intelligence and Security. Ministry officials said that as of yet, no major crimes have been reported in the area and the motive of the gathering remains unclear.

Security Minister Rogelio Ramos told La Nación the Ministry had information indicating the gathering would last several weeks and could eventually include as many as 3,000 people.

Return To Top Of Page

Price of Steel Rods Stabilizes

The price of steel rods (varillas) for construction has remained stable since a 12,000-ton shipment of steel entered the country two weeks ago, according to the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC).

In recent months, the construction of massive public works and industrial projects in China has prompted a worldwide shortage of steel and a sharp increase in the product's international price (TT, Feb. 27). In January, international steel prices increased by 11.04%.

The shortage directly affected Costa Rica, where, on average, the price of steel rods increased 10.95% during January. The most dramatic increase was to the price of 3/8-of-an-inch rods - the most commonly used type -- which went up 27%.

Rods are particularly important to the Costa Rican construction sector because the country's seismic code requires they be used for all major projects, and there are no legally accepted substitutes for steel rods. The increase resulted in a nearly 30% drop in construction during January, according to industry representatives.

The new shipment succeeded in stabilizing rod prices, but has done little to reduce them, according to MEIC statistics.

Return To Top Of Page

Wednesday October 26, 2005