IGIHE

Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

  • President Kagame to speak at AIPAC’s annual conference

    {President Paul Kagame is the first leader of an African country to address the influential pro-Israel lobby’s annual D.C. conference.}

    For the first time ever, the leader of an African country will speak at the annual conference of AIPAC, the influential pro-Israeli lobby. On Thursday, AIPAC published a list of confirmed speakers for the conference, which will take place next weekend in Washington, D.C., and one of those featured on the list is Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

    Haaretz has learned that Kagame, who is expected to appear in person before the conference crowd, will be the first African national leader to speak before the conference. Kagame, who has been ruling Rwanda since the year 2000, is known as a strong ally of Israel, who has visited the Jewish state multiple times, and also hosted Prime Minister Netanyahu on a state visit to his country last July.

    Kagame has stated in the past that he looks at Israel as an example of how to revive a nation following a genocide. In recent years, security and economic cooperation between the two countries has increased, and Rwanda has also become involved in a controversial agreement with Israel, in which Israel sends asylum seekers from different African countries to Rwanda.

    Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Paul Kagame in Kigali, Rwanda.

    Source:Haaretz

  • Vehicle intercepted trafficking contrabands

    {Security operations against illicit drugs in Gicumbi District, intercepted a vehicle loaded with 4330 sachets of contrabands in varied brands.}

    The vehicle registration number RAB 150B, Toyota Carina type, was intercepted on March 15 in Rwankonjo Cell of Cyumba Sector, Inspector of Police (IP) Innocent Gasasira, Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said.

    The contrabands include 3, 480 sachets of Chief warage, 480 of Kick warage, 240 of Real Gin and 130 litres of Kanyanga, also a crude gin.

    “Normally, although we also conduct abrupt operations in communities and highway roadblocks, in most cases operations such as this are facilitated by reliable information we get from the people. In this specific case, a resident had called the police and provided detailed information, and that’s how we successfully responded,” IP Gasasira said.

    Although occupants managed to escape, the spokesperson said that they have so far identified owners of the illicit drinks and the owner of the vehicle.

    “We are working with our counterparts in the districts where the suspects either reside or are hiding, to ensure that they are arrested to face justice for the crime in question,” he noted.

    IP Gasasira thanked a resident, who provided credible information, whom he said belongs to an anti-kanyanga club in Cyumba.

    “There is increased awareness and operations against illicit gin in Gicumbi and Burera, the most prone districts because of their strategic locations. This is why more traffickers have been arrested and quantities of illicit gin seized,” he explained.

    At least, residents in every sector in the two district, formed anti-kanyanga clubs to supplement police efforts against illicit drinks.

    Source:Police

  • Scientists publish groundbreaking study on new heart drug

    {MSI-1436 holds potential to restore heart function after a heart attack}

    Scientists at the MDI Biological Laboratory and Novo Biosciences have identified a drug candidate to restore heart muscle function following a heart attack. Their research on the role of MSI-1436 in regenerating heart muscle tissue in zebrafish and mice was described in a paper in the peer-reviewed journal, npj Regenerative Medicine.

    Cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading killer, taking the lives of 17.5 million people annually, according to the World Health Organization, and disabling millions more. Currently, no drug exists to restore heart muscle function after a heart attack.

    “The potential impact of MSI-1436 is enormous,” MDI Biological Laboratory scientist Viravuth P. Yin, Ph.D., one of the paper’s authors, said. “If it shows similar results in humans, it will be a game-changer for patients who suffer a heart attack and/or are living with heart disease.”

    The institution is seeking to move the drug into human clinical trials through a spinoff company, Novo Biosciences. The next step is to test the drug in pigs, the animal whose heart most closely resembles that of humans.

    The drug has two advantages that are expected to smooth the path to the clinic. First, MSI-1436 stimulates tissue regeneration in zebrafish and mice, which are separated by approximately 450 million years of evolution. This increases the likelihood it will work in humans too. Second, it has already been shown to be well tolerated by patients in Phase 1 and 1b clinical trials for an unrelated indication. The maximum well-tolerated human dose is 5 to 50 times higher than the dose shown to be effective in stimulating heart repair in zebrafish and mice.

    “The previous clinical trials of MSI-1436 make a big difference in bringing this drug to market,” said Kevin Strange, Ph.D., president of the MDI Biological Laboratory and one of the paper’s authors. “The path from laboratory bench to patient bedside can be long and difficult. But the fact that MSI-1436 has been shown to be safe for use in humans shaves years off the drug development process.”

    Strange is also the CEO and co-founder of Novo Biosciences and the co-inventor of MSI-1436, along with Yin and collaborator Michael A. Zasloff, M.D., Ph.D. Yin is the co-founder and chief scientific officer of Novo Biosciences. The scientists have been issued a patent on the use MSI-1436 for the treatment of heart disease.

    The original research on MSI-1436 was conducted by Yin in zebrafish, an organism that can regenerate the form and function of almost any body part. He found that the administration of MSI-1436 increased appendage regeneration by 200 to 300 percent. Follow-up research showed that MSI-1436 also stimulated zebrafish heart regeneration to the same degree.

    “That was definitely a ‘Eureka!’ moment,” Yin said of the day in the laboratory when the appendage study was conducted. He was so astonished by the results that he repeated the study several times and under different conditions.

    Yin followed the studies in zebrafish with studies in adult mice, which, like humans, have a limited capacity for regeneration. The goal was to see if MSI-1436 could stimulate regeneration in higher organisms. Though mammals such as mice and humans share the genetic pathways for regeneration with zebrafish, they have been largely deactivated for reasons that are still unclear.

    The results in mice, which are detailed in the paper, show that the administration of MSI-1436 24 hours after an artificially induced heart attack increased survival; improved heart function two- to three-fold; reduced the size of the infarct or scar tissue by 53 percent; reduced ventricular wall thinning; and stimulated heart muscle cell proliferation in the infarct border zone by six-fold.

    When a patient suffers a heart attack, part of the heart muscle dies and the associated scarring interferes with the heart’s ability to effectively pump blood. The authors believe MSI-1436 to be the first drug candidate that has been shown to reduce scarring and induce heart regeneration in an adult mammal.

    Strange and Yin view their MSI-1436 results as a validation of the MDI Biological Laboratory’s and Novo Biosciences’ unique approach to regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine has focused on complex stem cell, gene and tissue-engineering approaches for the last 15 years or more, but thus far these approaches have failed to deliver on their promise, despite the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars.

    By contrast, MDI Biological Laboratory and Novo Biosciences scientists are focused on decoding the instruction manual for repair and regeneration that has been conserved by evolution in human DNA for hundreds of millions of years. This approach has been very effective: in only a few years and at modest cost, they have identified three potential regenerative medicine drugs.

    “If we can decode the instruction manual for regeneration in highly regenerative species,” Yin said, “we can use drug therapies to reignite our own dormant regenerative capacity. Our research in these highly regenerative species is showing that regenerating damaged or lost tissues and organs could be as simple as taking a drug.”

    MSI-1436 also has potential applications for the regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and untimely death due to heart and/or respiratory failure. Other potential applications include stimulation of wound healing and regeneration of multiple other tissues, including nervous tissue.

    Source:Science Daily

  • Eastern Province governor calls on grassroots leaders to drive security agendas

    {The Governor of the Eastern Province, Judith Kazayire has called upon grassroots leaders in Gatsibo District to drive the idea of community policing and inclusiveness in security and development activities.}

    While addressing about 500 leaders including district authorities, executive secretaries of sectors and cells, civil society and heads of hospitals and health centres in Gatsibo, on March 15, the Governor said that in implementing national development programmes, security such take a centre stage as a breeding ground for reaching the targets.

    Others participants included sector advisory councils, women and youth forums, and elders.

    The meeting was also attended by the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dismas Rutaganira.

    “Whereas we need fast development, we also need sustainable security to ensure sustainable development. That, therefore, equally becomes the responsibility of every Rwandan – not only security organs – and as leaders, you are expected to guide the people towards that path,” Governor Kazayire said.

    She hinted on the menace of drug abuse, which she said, affects the development and wellbeing of families.

    Drugs constitute the majority crimes in Gatsibo, especially illicit gin banned in Rwanda, due to their harmful alcoholic content.

    ACP Rutaganira embarked on the importance of real time information sharing, which he said is one of the effective means to prevent crime and bring to book wrongdoers.

    Source:Police

  • Better sleep feels like winning the lottery

    {Improving your sleep quality is as beneficial to health and happiness as winning the lottery}

    Improving your sleep quality is as beneficial to health and happiness as winning the lottery, according to research by the University of Warwick.

    Dr Nicole Tang in the Department of Psychology has discovered that working on getting a better night’s sleep can lead to optimal physical and mental wellbeing over time — and that quality of sleep is more important than how many hours you get.

    Analysing the sleep patterns of more than 30,500 people in UK households across four years, Dr Tang finds that improving your sleep quality leads to levels of mental and physical health comparable to those of somebody who’s won a jackpot of around £200,000.

    The study shows that positive changes in sleep over time — improved quality and quantity, and using less sleep medication — are linked with improved scores on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), which is used by mental health professionals to monitor psychological wellbeing in patients.

    People surveyed who reported positive improved sleep scored a 2-point change in the GHQ — a result comparable to those recorded from patients completing an eight-week programme of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy designed to improve psychological wellbeing.

    Furthermore, the same people showed improved scores on the 12-Item Short Form Survey, which tests levels of physical and emotional health, as well as people’s ability to perform everyday activities.

    Conversely, it was found that a lack of sleep, bad quality sleep, and using more sleep medication can lead to worsened medical and emotional states.

    Dr Tang’s research proves that improving the quality and quantity of sleep amongst the population — as well as discouraging the use of sleep medication — is an effective, simple and cheap method of raising the health and wellbeing of society as a whole.

    Consequently, she argues that working on getting good quality sleep, and the reduction of sleep medication, should be promoted as a public health value — something that everyone can do easily to stay physically and mentally healthy.

    {{Dr Tang comments:}}

    “We are far from demonstrating a causal relationship, but the current findings suggest that a positive change in sleep is linked to better physical and mental wellbeing further down the line.

    “It is refreshing to see the healing potential of sleep outside of clinical trial settings, as this goes to show that the benefits of better sleep are accessible to everyone and not reserved for those with extremely bad sleep requiring intensive treatments.

    “An important next step is to look at the differences between those who demonstrate a positive and negative change in sleep over time, and identify what lifestyle factors and day-to-day activities are conducive to promoting sleep. Further research in this area can inform the design of public health initiatives.”

    Source:Science Daily

  • Fight against corruption taking shape, Police

    {Since the beginning of this year, at least 50 people have been arrested in connection with attempting to bribe police officers. They include aspiring drivers who had failed tests; drivers caught violating road safety standards, and those trying to illegally secure the release of their relatives and friends arrested in varied crimes.}

    About 200 people were arrested last year for allegedly trying to corrupt police officers.

    According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jean Nepo Mbonyumuvunyi, the Commissioner for Inspectorate of Services and Ethics (ISE) in Rwanda National Police (RNP), fighting graft both within the force and in all institutions, is in line with the force’s mandate of ensuring the “public receive effective services, be protection and serviced with integrity.”

    “Above all, it’s a national policy of zero tolerance to corruption to which as police is committed to ensure its success to ensure that people acquire services they are freely entitled or pay what they are legally obliged to pay for a service,” says ACP Mbonyumuvunyi.

    “It’s clear… corruption is a red-line in Rwanda. It is viewed as a major threat affecting security and development in modern world, and Rwanda is not isolated from these challenges. Consequently, security institutions and particularly the RNP, supported by other stakeholders are committed to fighting all forms of corruption,” said, ACP Mbonyumuvunyi.

    He says that to further build public trust, RNP has given much attention to fighting corruption as imbedded in the national strategic and action plans, community-oriented policing programmes, media and communication activities and day-to-day operations plus the disciplinary measures that are taken within the force.

    “You cannot fight corruption if you lack professionalism and with poor code of conduct. The Code of Ethics has been produced by the police in its role as the professional policing body. It sets and defines the exemplary standards of behavior for everyone who works in policing. We are committed to ensuring that the Code of Ethics is not simply something we talk about, but is at the heart of every policy, procedure, decision and action in policing,” he explains.

    “RNP outlined a number of measures to control and limit the prevalence and perception in the force by establishing an Anti-corruption Directorate under the department of Inspectorate of Services and Ethics.”

    Under this department is a disciplinary unit charged with taking varied actions against officers caught in such and other malpractices that are contrary to the norms and doctrines of the force.

    Also an anti-corruption and public embezzlement unit was established plus an Ethics Centre which further instills professional standards, values and norms among the police personnel and even to partners.

    “Behavior of the police, on or off duty, affects public confidence in the police service. Any conduct which brings or is likely to discredit the police service may be the subject of sanction. Accordingly, any allegation of conduct which could, if proved, bring or be likely to bring discredit to the institution is investigated in order to establish whether or not a breach of the Code has occurred and whether formal disciplinary action is appropriate” explains Mbonyumuvunyi.

    Corruption in RNP attracts heavy penalties, including dismissal from the force. Early last month, the Cabinet dismissed 198 Police Officers, partly due to graft-related grounds.

    “We signed memorandum of understanding with institutions like Transparency International , Ombudsman’s Office, Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), all the 30 districts and other private entities, part of which is to partner in raising awareness and jointly fight corruption.

    The E-Policing, he says, has also minimised the police contact with service seekers especially in the department of traffic and road safety, thus preventing temptations.

    Currently, majority traffic related services, including registering for driver’s license tests and traffic fines, among others, are IT-based.

    Welfare schemes like health insurance schemes, armed forces shop, and transport for officers to and from work, peacekeeping missions and establishing messes to provide meals to officers on duty at fair pay, are all central in fighting graft and keeping it low.

    Source:Police

  • Flies and bees act like plant cultivators

    {Pollinator insects accelerate plant evolution, but a plant changes in different ways depending on the pollinator. After only nine generations, the same plant is larger and more fragrant if pollinated by bumblebees rather than flies, as a study conducted by evolutionary biologists from the University of Zurich reveals.}

    Not much plant sex happens without pollinator insects: Bees, flies or butterflies transfer the male pollen grains to the stigma of a plant’s female style, thereby ensuring its sexual reproduction. Researchers from the Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany at the University of Zurich now reveal that pollinator insects also have a surprisingly strong influence on plant evolution.

    {{Plants pollinated by bumblebees become more fragrant}}

    For their experiment, UZH professor Florian Schiestl and doctoral student Daniel Gervasi used field mustard — a kind of cabbage species and a close relative of oilseed rape. The researchers allowed one plant group to be pollinated solely by bumblebees for nine generations, another only by hoverflies and a third by hand. Afterwards they analyzed the plants, “which differed greatly,” as Florian Schiestl explains. The plants pollinated by bumblebees were larger and had more fragrant flowers with a greater UV color component, which bees and their relatives see. The plants pollinated by hoverflies, on the other hand, were smaller, their flowers were less fragrant and they self-pollinated considerably more. According to Schiestl, the mechanism of evolutionary change is fact that different pollinators differ in their preferences and thus preferentially cross-pollinate specific plant individuals, much like a plant breeder using individuals with favorable properties. The flies’ considerably lower pollination efficiency is the cause of the increase in self-pollination. The plants essentially help themselves if the pollinator transfers too little pollen.

    {{Pollinator insects hasten plant evolution}}

    The fact that the plants change so significantly already after nine generations came as a surprise to the researchers: “The traditional assumption is that evolution is a slow process,” explains Schiestl. The evolutionary biologist from UZH draws the following conclusion from his results: “A change in the composition of pollinator insects in natural habitats can trigger a rapid evolutionary transformation in plants.” This is particularly interesting as certain pollinator insects such as bees have been vastly decimated by the extensive use of pesticides and the depletion of the landscape in recent decades. According to Schiestl, it would thus be conceivable for plants to increasingly rely on flies as pollinators, which would result in the evolution of weaker flower fragrances and more self-pollination. In the longer term, this would reduce a plant population’s genetic variability and the plants would become more susceptible to disease.

    Field mustard: The plant pollinated by bumblebees is larger (left) than the plant pollinated by hoverflies.

    Science Daily

  • 30 qualities of a good husband

    {I previously wrote about the qualities of a good wife and it’s important I balance the article by also writing about the qualities a good husband should have.}

    If you desire to be the husband every woman would love to have, here are 30 qualities of a good husband

    1. A good husband loves the good qualities of his wife while also accepting her flaws. He doesn’t make his wife feel guilty for having the flaws she has.

    2. A good husband is willing to accept responsibility for his mistakes and doesn’t seek to look for who to blame.

    3. A good husband trusts his wife and doesn’t see the need to stalk her by prying into her phone and laptop to seek for evidence of cheating.

    4. A good husband is always there for his wife when she needs him even when it’s not convenient for him.

    5. A good husband consults his wife before taking any major financial decisions.

    6. A good husband spends quality time with his wife and doesn’t allow his busy schedule to deprive him of spending quality time with his wife.

    7. A good husband respects his wife and always considers her when making any decision, whether big or small.

    8. A good husband should always strive to meet the needs of his family financially.

    9. A good husband is dependable and someone his wife can always rely on.

    10. A good husband brings out the best in his wife.

    11. A good husband doesn’t kill the dreams and aspirations of his wife.

    12. A good husband always compliments his wife and never stops telling her the things he likes about her.

    13. A good husband is always willing to put in effort to ensure the marriage works.

    14. A good husband doesn’t believe chivalry id dead and always seek for ways to treat his wife like a queen that she is.

    15. A good husband helps out with chores at home.

    16. A good husband knows how to make his wife laugh.

    17. A good husband honours his wife in public.

    18. A good husband is trustworthy and makes his wife feel safe with him.

    19. A good husband will never hit his wife.

    20. A good husband doesn’t neglect his wife’s sexual needs. He ensures he satisfies her in the bedroom.

    21. A good husband is willing to make compromises to ensure he makes his wife happy.

    22. A good husband respects the family and friends of his wife.

    23. A good husband will never cheat on his wife.

    24. A good husband will always apologise when he is wrong and isn’t proud.

    25. A good husband is also be a good father to his kids.

    26. A good husband always makes his wife come first.

    27. A good husband is be a good listener. Every wife wants to be heard.

    28. A good husband takes good care of his looks and never lets himself go.

    29. A good husband is generous.

    30. A good husband is sensitive to the needs of his wife.

    Source:Elcrema

  • Nose form was shaped by climate

    {Big, small, broad, narrow, long or short, turned up, pug, hooked, bulbous or prominent, humans inherit their nose shape from their parents, but ultimately, the shape of someone’s nose and that of their parents was formed by a long process of adaptation to our local climate, according to an international team of researchers.}

    “We are interested in recent human evolution and what explains the evident variation in things like skin color, hair color and the face itself,” said Mark D. Shriver, professor of anthropology, Penn State. “We focused on nose traits that differ across populations and looked at geographical variation with respect to temperature and humidity.” The researchers noted today (Mar. 17) in PLOS Genetics that “An important function of the nose and nasal cavity is to condition inspired air before it reaches the lower respiratory tract.”

    They considered a variety of nose measurements, looking at the width of the nostrils, the distance between nostrils, the height of the nose, nose ridge length, nose protrusion, external area of the nose and the area of the nostrils. The measurements were made using 3D facial imaging.

    Differences in the human nose may have accumulated among populations through time as a result of a random process called genetic drift. However, divergent selection — variation in natural selection across populations — may also be the reason that different populations have differing noses. Teasing the two apart is difficult, especially in humans.

    The researchers found that the width of the nostrils and the base of the nose measurements differed across populations more than could be accounted for by genetic drift, indicating a role for natural selection in the evolution of nose shape in humans. To show that the local climate contributed to this difference, the researchers looked at the spatial distribution of these traits and correlated them with local temperatures and humidity. They showed that the width of the nostrils is strongly correlated with temperature and absolute humidity The researchers noted that “the positive direction of the effects indicate that wider noses are more common in warm-humid climates, while narrower noses are more common in cold-dry climates.”

    “It all goes back to Thompson’s Rule (Arthur Thompson),” said Shriver. “In the late 1800s he said that long and thin noses occurred in dry, cold areas, while short and wide noses occurred in hot, humid areas. Many people have tested the question with measurements of the skull, but no one had done measurements on live people.”

    One purpose of the nose is to condition inhaled air so that it is warm and moist. The narrower nostrils seem to alter the airflow so that the mucous-covered inside of the nose can humidify and warm the air more efficiently. It was probably more essential to have this trait in cold and dry climates, said Shriver. People with narrower nostrils probably fared better and had more offspring than people with wider nostrils, in colder climates. This lead to a gradual decrease in nose width in populations living far away from the equator.

    Shriver notes that this is not the only explanation for nose-shape variation in humans. The researchers also found differences between men and women in nose features across the board. This sexual dimorphism is not unusual, as human men tend to be larger than human women, and their noses would be larger as well.

    He thinks another way that the cross-population differences in nose size may occur is through sexual selection. People may choose mates simply because they find a smaller or larger nose more attractive. If an entire group thinks small is better, then those with large noses will have less success in reproducing and fewer large-nosed people will be in the group. Over time, the nose size in the group will shrink relative to other groups where large noses are favored. These notions of beauty may be linked to how well-adapted the nose is to the local climate.

    Ecological selection and sexual selection could reinforce each other, according to the researchers. However, whether this connection between the two types of selection was important in the evolution of the nose requires further investigation.

    Source:Science Daily

  • MINEDUC suspends three Gitwe University courses

    {Gitwe University management has announced to the student community that the Ministry of Education has suspended three courses including medicine, laboratory and general nursing. }

    The closure follows a forensic audit carried out by the Ministry which established that the university lacked requirements including inadequate lecturers, poor laboratory equipment and library among others scholastic materials.

    Affected students have been sent home.

    Dr Jered Rugengande, the rector of Gitwe University said that they had fulfilled MINEDUC requirements and the letter suspending the courses has caught them unawares.

    “We have been surprised by the decision because the university had fulfilled all requirements. Indeed, the management of the university had written letters in December 2016 and February 2017 asking MINEDUC to return for another inspection following the audit carried out on 25th October 2016,” reads part of the statement signed by Dr Rugengande.

    “The audit requested by the university was not carried out and we’ve been surprised by the decision of suspending the three courses,” adds the statement.

    Gitwe University has announced that it has to respect the order which has gone into effect today 16th March 2017 as dialogue with the Ministry of Education continues.