University of Costa Rica

About: University of Costa Rica is a education organization based out in San José, Costa Rica. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Venom. The organization has 9817 authors who have published 16781 publications receiving 238208 citations. The organization is also known as: UCR & Universidad de Costa Rica.

Hadronic spectra and light-front wave functions in holographic QCD.

Abstract: We show how the string amplitude {Phi}(z) defined on the fifth dimension in AdS{sub 5} space can be precisely mapped to the light-front wavefunctions of hadrons in physical spacetime. We find an exact correspondence between the holographic variable z and an impact variable {zeta}, which represents the measure of transverse separation of the constituents within the hadrons. In addition, we derive effective four dimensional Schroedinger equations for the bound states of massless quarks and gluons which exactly reproduce the AdS/CFT results and give a realistic description of the light-quark meson and baryon spectrum as well as the form factors for spacelike Q{sup 2}. Only one parameter which sets the mass scale, {Lambda}{sub QCD}, is introduced.

Involvement of plant hormones and plant growth regulators on in vitro somatic embryogenesis

Abstract: In spite of the importance attained by somatic embryogenesis and of the many studies that have been conducted on this developmental process, there are still many aspects that are not fully understood. Among those features, the involvement of plant hormones and plant growth regulators on deTermining the conversion of somatic onto embryogenic tissues, and on allowing progression and maturation of somatic embryos, are far away from being completely comprehended. Part of these difficulties relies on the frequent appearance of contradictory results when studying the effect of a particular stimulus over a specific stage in somatic embryogenesis. Recent progress achieved on understanding the interaction between exogenously added plant growth regulators over the concentration of endogenous hormones, together with the involvement of sensitivity of the tissues to particular hormone groups, might help clarifying the occurrence of divergent patterns in somatic embryogenesis, and in tissue culture in general. The aspects described above, emphasizing on the effect of the concentration of plant hormones and of the addition of plant growth regulators during the different phases of somatic embryogenesis, will be reviewed in this paper. Citations will be limited to review articles as much as possible and to individual articles only in those cases in which very specific or recent information is presented.

Coffee, CYP1A2 genotype, and risk of myocardial infarction.

Abstract: Context The association between coffee intake and risk of myocardial infarction (MI) remains controversial. Coffee is a major source of caffeine, which is metabolized by the polymorphic cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) enzyme. Individuals who are homozygous for the CYP1A2*1A allele are “rapid” caffeine metabolizers, whereas carriers of the variant CYP1A2*1F are “slow” caffeine metabolizers. Objective To determine whether CYP1A2 genotype modifies the association between coffee consumption and risk of acute nonfatal MI. Design, Setting, and Participants Cases (n=2014) with a first acute nonfatal MI and population-based controls (n=2014) living in Costa Rica between 1994 and 2004, matched for age, sex, and area of residence, were genotyped by restriction fragment– length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the intake of caffeinated coffee. Main Outcome Measure Relative risk of nonfatal MI associated with coffee intake, calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Results Fifty-five percent of cases (n=1114) and 54% of controls (n=1082) were carriers of the slow *1F allele. For carriers of the slow *1F allele, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of nonfatal MI associated with consuming less than 1, 1, 2 to 3, and 4 or more cups of coffee per day were 1.00 (reference), 0.99 (0.69-1.44), 1.36 (1.01-1.83), and 1.64 (1.14-2.34), respectively. Corresponding ORs (95% CIs) for individuals with the rapid *1A/*1A genotype were 1.00, 0.75 (0.51-1.12), 0.78 (0.56-1.09), and 0.99 (0.66-1.48) (P=.04 for genecoffee interaction). For individuals younger than the median age of 59 years, the ORs (95% CIs) associated with consuming less than 1, 1, 2 to 3, or 4 or more cups of coffee per day were1.00,1.24(0.71-2.18),1.67(1.08-2.60),and2.33(1.39-3.89),respectively,among carriers of the *1F allele. The corresponding ORs (95% CIs) for those with the *1A/*1A genotype were 1.00, 0.48 (0.26-0.87), 0.57 (0.35-0.95), and 0.83 (0.46-1.51). Conclusion Intake of coffee was associated with an increased risk of nonfatal MI only among individuals with slow caffeine metabolism, suggesting that caffeine plays a role in this association.