Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

UN intermission retreat emphasize protection of civilians, fighting sexual violence

{The second intermission retreat bringing together top UN officials from South Sudan, Darfur and Abyei have resolved to put protection of civilians and fighting sexual and gender based violence at the top of their priorities.}

While speaking to the media, yesterday, Shaowen Yang, the UN Deputy Police Advisor, said that “sexual and gender-based violence is one of the identified and common challenge in all the three missions. We have classified it as a priority alongside protection of civilians.”

“We visited a number of facilities in Rwanda including Isange One Stop Centre; we are very impressed by the job done here and it has given us very good lessons and one of the best practices we need to learn and shared with the police components to improve in response to SGBV in missions.”

Isange, currently operating in 45 hospitals across the country, offers free medical, psycho-socio and legal services to victims of GBV and child abuse.

“The retreat looked on cross-cutting issues that UN peacekeeping is facing particularly in Darfur, South Sudan and Abyei. We have concluded that we strengthen intermission interaction and cooperation, comply with UN Security Council resolution regarding the implementation of our mandates especially with policing issues on the ground,” Yang said.

“In implementing those policies and strategies, we have started our approaches on how to work together to maintain law and order, be part of the political process to facilitate final resolutions in conflict and post-conflict context.”

He further noted that they identified a number of issues to be adjusted in missions especially regarding the policing ideology, the mandates, strategies and operational issues.

The three-day retreat brought together Police Commissioners and senior police advisors, Chiefs of Staff, Chiefs of Operations and all essential staff members from UNMISS (South Sudan), UNAMID (Darfur) and UNISFA (Abyei)

The Police Commissioner for UNAMID, Priscilla Mukotose said that the three missions share the same geo-political environment.

“Apart from the fact that we have a number of Rwandans serving in these missions, we also find that the issues we meet in the mission areas are also relevant here (Rwanda),” said Mukotose.

“Having had our retreat in Rwanda, we were able to confirm after visiting the Rwanda National Police Peace Support Training Centre why we get well trained and qualified Rwandan police peacekeepers, which is already been certified in the mission because Rwandan police peacekeepers work so hard and are highly disciplined,” she added.

“It is encouraging to see where they are coming from… where they are getting all this capacity and capabilities to excel in mission areas.”

{{Visit to Kigali Genocide memorial
}}

Meanwhile, the delegation also visited Kigali Genocide memorial, yesterday, where they laid wreaths as they paid tribute to more than one million innocent lives killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The UNAMID Police Commissioner lauded Rwanda’s progress in the reconstruction process following the Genocide that left the country in ruins.

“We want to recognize Rwanda; they went through so much… you can’t understand how people could do this. Certainly as peacekeepers, we wish that this peace lasts and you remain portraying to the world the fact that you have come through this tragedy of Genocide,” she said.

“Everyone can see what you are doing and how far you have gone, and I hope other nations will learn never to break down to the level of genocide.”

Her counterpart of Abyei, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mohamed F. Suray from Ghana, said: “We have learnt a lot from the progress RNP has achieved in terms of community policing, road traffic management, general security even in the night. This is remarkable. The city is safe, neat. It has what other cities should copy.”

Source:Police

May 5, 2017
Discovery of a Zika antibody offers hope for a vaccine

{A research team based at The Rockefeller University has identified a potent new weapon against the Zika virus in the blood of people who have been infected by it. This discovery could lead to new ways of fighting the disease, including a vaccine.}

In blood samples taken from subjects in Mexico and Brazil, the scientists found antibodies — proteins produced by the immune system — that block the virus from initiating an infection. These antibodies appeared to have been initially generated in response to an earlier infection by a related virus that causes dengue. One such antibody, which they call Z004, was particularly effective at neutralizing Zika.

“These antibodies could be very useful in the near future. One could envision, for example, administering Z004 to safely prevent Zika among pregnant women or others at risk of contracting the disease,” says Davide F. Robbiani, a research associate professor in Michel Nussenzweig’s lab. He and Leonia Bozzacco, a research affiliate in Charles M. Rice’s lab, led the study, which appears in Cell on May 4.

The team’s detailed examination of the interaction between this antibody and the virus also revealed a new potential strategy for developing a vaccine.

{{A precise target}}

A mosquito-borne virus, Zika usually causes mild symptoms in those who contract it. However, dramatic effects can appear in the next generation. Babies born to women infected during pregnancy are at risk of devastating neurodevelopmental abnormalities. The only way to prevent Zika is to avoid mosquito bites; there are currently no vaccines or other medical measures to do so.

An infection begins when the virus, traveling in a spherical particle studded with the viral envelope protein, latches onto a host cell and forces its way in. Faced with a viral threat, the human immune system generates antibodies that recognize the virus and stop it from invading cells. The team set out to find antibodies tuned to a particular target: a part of Zika’s envelope protein, which the virus needs to launch an attack.

{{Five out of six}}

Through collaborators working in Pau da Lima, Brazil, and Santa Maria Mixtequilla, Mexico, they obtained blood samples from more than 400 people, collected shortly after Zika was circulating.

Individual responses to the same pathogen can vary greatly. Yet a deeper analysis of samples from six of the volunteers with the most promising antibodies revealed a surprise: Five of them contained the same species of nearly identical antibodies. This similarity suggested these molecules were particularly good at fighting the virus.

When the team examined these closely related antibodies’ performance against Zika, one stood out: Z004, an antibody from a Mexican volunteer’s blood. When given to mice rendered vulnerable to Zika, the antibody protected them from developing serious infections.

{{A shared ridge}}

To get a closer look at the interaction between the antibody and a fragment of the virus’ envelope protein, scientists in Pamela J. Bjorkman’s lab at Caltech determined the molecular structure formed as the two units interacted. Their detailed maps revealed how the antibody pinches a ridge on the virus when it binds to it.

While some efforts to develop a vaccine use all or most of the virus to stimulate the immune system, the researchers believe it could be safer to employ only a tiny fragment containing this ridge.

Zika isn’t the only virus to sport the ridge, as it is also present in envelopes of other viruses in the same family. The dengue 1 virus, a close relative of Zika and one of four types of dengue, has a ridge that is remarkably similar to Zika’s. When pitted against dengue 1, Z004 neutralized it as well.

A look back at samples from the Brazilians, collected six months before Zika arrived by a team led by Albert Ko of Yale University, revealed evidence of prior dengue 1 infections in some — and a potential explanation as to why certain people’s immune systems fared better against Zika.

“Even before Zika, their blood samples likely had antibodies that could interact with this same spot on the envelope protein,” says Margaret R. MacDonald, a research associate professor in Rice’s lab. “It appears that, much like a vaccine, dengue 1 can prime the immune system to respond to Zika.”

Source:Science Daily

May 5, 2017
Huye: Youth tipped on crime prevention

{Police in Huye District have urged the youth in the area to actively take part in fighting and preventing crimes, and to make safety and security equally their responsibility.}

This is part of the message delivered recently to about 25 youth leaders in Huye, who belong to Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing (RYVCP), a forum which has more than 100, 000 members countrywide.

The District Police Commander, Supt. Jean Marie Vianney Karegeya, while speaking to the youth leaders, asked them to put much effort in crime prevention, especially illicit drugs, gender based violence and child abuse.

“Records show that drug related crimes are still high and involve majority the youth. This is a trend that we have to reverse together,” the DPC said.

He further urged them to share knowledge on consequences of abusing drugs to others in their communities and to make community policing a significant tool in the process to combat crimes.

“Community-oriented policing strategies focus on building ties and working closely with members of the public to overcome crime in localities, and you are agents in this process,” Supt. Karegeya said.

“Most crimes can be prevented or minimized if we actively work together in identifying and apprehend those involved. Some of these wrongdoers are known in communities,” he said

Supt Karegeya reiterated the commitment of RNP in supporting all efforts geared at ensuring security is observed.

“Rwanda National Police is committed to facilitating you with all possible means and cooperating with you to ensure that we collectively keep the country safer,” he said.

Emmanuel Musangwamfura, the coordinator of the youth organization in Huye, expressed commitment to upholding the aims of the organization to eradicate all unlawful actions in their communities through strong partnership with police and information sharing.

Source:Police

May 5, 2017
‘Last African dinosaur’ discovered in Moroccan mine

{One of the last dinosaurs living in Africa before their extinction 66 million years ago has been discovered in a phosphate mine in northern Morocco. A study of the fossil, led by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, suggests that following the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana in the middle of the Cretaceous period, a distinct dinosaur fauna evolved in Africa.}

The new species, Chenanisaurus barbaricus, was of one of the last dinosaurs on Earth and among those species wiped out when an asteroid hit 66 million years ago
It is the smaller African contemporary of the North American T. rex
Fossil is evidence of distinct fauna in southern hemisphere at this time
Almost nothing is known about the dinosaurs that lived in Africa at the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago, just before they were wiped out by the impact of a giant asteroid. At this time sea levels were high, and so most of the fossils come from marine rocks.

Among these are the phosphate deposits of Morocco — remains of an ancient seabed, laid down 66 million years ago. The phosphate is harvested from vast strip mines and is used in everything from fertilizer to cola drinks.

Last year, Dr Nick Longrich, from the Milner Centre for Evolution and the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at the University of Bath, studied a rare fragment of a jaw bone that was discovered in the mines at Sidi Chennane in the Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco. In collaboration with colleagues based in Morocco, France, and Spain, Longrich identified it as belonging to an abelisaur.

Abelisaurs were two-legged predators like T. rex and other tyrannosaurs, but with a shorter, blunter snout, and even tinier arms. While the tyrannosaurs dominated in North America and Asia, the abelisaurs were the top predators at the end of the Cretaceous in Africa, South America, India, and Europe.

Dr Longrich explained: “This find was unusual because it’s a dinosaur from marine rocks — it’s a bit like hunting for fossil whales, and finding a fossil lion. It’s an incredibly rare find — almost like winning the lottery. But the phosphate mines are so rich, it’s like buying a million lottery tickets, so we actually have a chance to find rare dinosaurs like this one.”

“We have virtually no dinosaur fossils from this time period in Morocco — it may even be the first dinosaur named from the end-Cretaceous in Africa. It’s also one of the last dinosaurs in Africa before the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.

“It’s an exciting find because it shows just how different the fauna was in the Southern hemisphere at this time.”

Named Chenanisaurus barbaricus, the newly discovered dinosaur stood on two legs and had stumpy arms. Dr Longrich added: “Abelisaurs had very short arms. The upper arm bone is short, the lower arm is shorter, and they have tiny little hands.”

The teeth from the fossil were worn as if from biting into bone, suggesting that like T. rex, Chenanisaurus was a predator. However, unlike the partially feathered T. rex, Chenanisaurus had only scales, its brain was smaller, and its face was shorter and deeper.

The research project was carried out as part of an international scientific collaboration that is helping create and study paleontology collections in Morocco with the aim of conserving the country’s rich fossil heritage. The specimens used for this study are conserved in the Office Chérifien de Phosphates paleontological collection in Morocco.

Source:Science Daily

May 5, 2017
Computers learn to understand humans better by modelling them

{Computers are able to learn to explain the behavior of individuals by tracking their glances and movements.}

Researchers from Aalto University, University of Birmingham and University of Oslo present results paving the way for computers to learn psychologically plausible models of individuals simply by observing them. In newly published conference article, the researchers showed that just by observing how long a user takes to click menu items, one can infer a model that reproduces similar behavior and accurately estimates some characteristics of that user’s visual system, such as fixation durations.

Despite significant breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, it has been notoriously hard for computers to understand why a user behaves the way she does. Cognitive models that describe individual capabilities, as well as goals, can much better explain and hence be able to predict individual behavior also in new circumstances. However, learning these models from the practically available indirect data has been out of reach.

“The benefit of our approach is that much smaller amount of data is needed than for ‘black box’ methods. Previous methods for performing this type of tuning have either required extensive manual labor, or a large amount of very accurate observation data, which has limited the applicability of these models until now,” Doctoral student Antti Kangasrääsiö from Aalto University explains.

The method is based on Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC), which is a machine learning method that has been developed to infer very complex models from observations, with uses in climate sciences and epidemiology among others. It paves the way for automatic inference of complex models of human behavior from naturalistic observations. This could be useful in human-robot interaction, or in assessing individual capabilities automatically, for example detecting symptoms of cognitive decline.

“We will be able to infer a model of a person that also simulates how that person learns to act in totally new circumstances,” Professor of Machine Learning at Aalto University Samuel Kaski says.

“We’re excited about the prospects of this work in the field of intelligent user interfaces,” Antti Oulasvirta Professor of User Interfaces from Aalto University says.

“In the future, the computer will be able to understand humans in a somewhat similar manner as humans understand each other. It can then much better predict not only the benefits of a potential change but also its individual costs to an individual, a capability that adaptive interfaces have lacked,” he continues.

The results will be presented at the world’s largest computer-human interaction conference CHI in Denver, USA, in May 2017.

Source:Science Daily

May 5, 2017
Hawaii: How the world’s biggest volcanoes formed

{A study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has solved the 168-year-old mystery of how the world’s biggest and most active volcanoes formed in Hawaii.}

The study found that the volcanoes formed along twin tracks due to a shift in the Pacific Plate’s direction three million years ago.

Lead researcher Tim Jones from ANU said scientists had known of the existence of the twin volcanic tracks since 1849, but the cause of them had remained a mystery until now.

“The discovery helps to better reconstruct Earth’s history and understand part of the world that has captivated people’s imagination,” said Mr Jones, a PhD student from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES).

“The analysis we did on past Pacific Plate motions is the first to reveal that there was a substantial change in motion 3 million years ago. It helps to explain the origin of Hawaii, Earth’s biggest volcanic hotspot and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.”

Twin volcanic tracks exist in other parts of the Pacific, including Samoa, and the study found that these also emerged three million years ago.

Mr Jones said this kind of volcanic activity was surprising because it occurred away from tectonic plate boundaries, where most volcanoes are found.

“Heat from the Earth’s core causes hot columns of rock, called mantle plumes, to rise under tectonic plates and produce volcanic activity on the surface,” he said.

“Mantle plumes have played a role in mass extinctions, the creation of diamonds and the breaking up of continents.”

Co-researcher Dr Rhodri Davies from RSES said the twin volcanic tracks emerged because the mantle plume was out of alignment with the direction of the plate motion.

“Our hypothesis predicts that the plate and the plume will realign again at some stage in the future, and the two tracks will merge to form a single track once again,” Dr Davies said.

“Plate shifts have been occurring constantly, but irregularly, throughout Earth’s history. Looking further back in time we find that double tracks are not unique to young Hawaiian volcanism — indeed, they coincide with other past changes in plate motion.”

Hawaii sits at the south-eastern limit of a chain of volcanoes and submerged seamounts which get progressively older towards the north west.

The researchers worked with the National Computational Infrastructure at ANU to model the Pacific Plate’s change in direction and formation of the twin volcanic tracks through Hawaii.

Source:Science Daily

May 5, 2017
Drinking this leads to better sex according to researchers

{According to a research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, those who drink a moderate amount of red wine have higher sex drives than those who opt for beer or a vodka.
}

The researchers found that people who drink two glasses of red wine a day had higher testosterone levels leading to increased sex drive compared to those who don’t drink red wine.

So why do people who drink red wine have higher sex drives than those who drink beer?

The researchers found that quercetin in red wine blocks the UGT2B17 enzyme which flushes testosterone out of the body. So with increased levels of testosterone flowing through the blood stream, there’s an increased sex drive.

That’s not all. Red wine was also found to increase the sex drive of women by increasing blood flow to her erogenous zones, thereby increasing arousal and sensitivity.

So don’t forget to get a bottle of red wine tonight for you and your partner.

Source:Elcrema

May 5, 2017
HEC to assess Gitwe University’s reopening

{The Higher Education Council (HEC) has revealed that 14 members of the Council are set to carry out a forensic audit of Gitwe University before it is re-opened. }

Lectures in some courses including medicine, nursing and laboratory sciences at the University were suspended in March 2017 following MINEDUC assessment which established that there was clear lack of observation of standards with inadequate teachers, poor laboratory and library facilities as well as lack of teaching materials.

A statement released by HEC explains that the move follows a report from the university management that expresses and assures HEC to have implemented recommendations from an earlier audit.

“I am delighted to let you know that a delegation from HEC will visit your institution from 10th to 12th May 2017 to audit and establish how far you have implemented recommendations you were asked to,” reads HEC in a statement replying to Gitwe University.

During a recent HEC meeting with 10 higher learning institutions, and universities whose academic programs were suspended, it was agreed that a university will individually request for an audit for before reopening.

The Executive Director of the Higher Education Council (HEC), Dr. Emmanuel Muvunyi has explained that HEC will discuss with universities found to have implemented between 30% and 40 % of the recommendations on how to implement the remaining components within six months or be definitively closed if they fail to do so.

Some universities that were closed in March 2017 following a report identified their lack of required standards include; Rusizi International University in Rusizi district, Singhad Tehcnical Education Society(STES) in Kicukiro, Mahatma Gandhi University-Rwanda located in Gasabo and Nile Source Polytechnic of Applied Arts based in Huye district.

Others which had some courses suspended include University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB) inGicumbi district, Open University of Tanzania in Ngoma district, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology based in Kicukiro, Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK) in Muhangadistrict and Institutd’EnseignementSuperieur de Ruhengeri (INES-Ruhengeri) based in Musanze.

May 5, 2017
Regional powers agree on Syria ‘de-escalation zones’

{Russia, Turkey and Iran to create de-escalation areas in Syria, as opposition vents anger over Iranian involvement.}

Russia, Iran and Turkey have signed a deal calling for the setup of so-called de-escalation zones in war-torn Syria during talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.

The signing ceremony on Thursday was briefly interrrupted as some members of the Syrian armed opposition’s delegation stormed out in protest against Iran’s participation in the deal.

“We saw several members of the opposition delegation stand up furiously condemning what was going on,” Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Astana, said.

“They shouted that Iran should not be a signatory to this. In fact, they went as far to saying that Iran is a criminal entity that shouldn’t be here and they stormed out.”

Elshayyal said that neither the Syrian government, nor the opposition – which on Wednesday suspended its participation in the talks protesting against ongoing air raids – had signed the agreement.

“It is very clear that this is regional powers who have decided that they are going to bulldoze their way forward, and decide what’s best for Syria,” he said.

Elshayyal said the deal, which is likely to come into effect in around a month, would allow for “unhindered humanitarian access” to the de-escalation areas.

Yet, there was no detail on whether the zones involved restricted use of heavy weaponry or complete de-militirisation; or whether there will be a peacekeeping force and how the deal will be policed.

Elshayyal said the locations of the “de-escalation zones” are likely to be: Idlib, and the Turkmen mountains, parts of Homs governorate, and areas on the outskirts of Damascus – including Ghouta – and in Deraa in the south.

“Over the past two days, the participants in the Astana talks reviewed the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the cessation of hostilities,” Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Kazakhstan’s foreign minister, said of a frail truce brokered by Moscow and Ankara in December.

“As a result the guarantor countries agreed to sign a memorandum on the creation of de-escalation zones in Syria.”

The head of the Russian delegation in Astana said that Syrian government fighter jets are not expected to fly over the “de-escalation” zones for six months.

Syria’s civil war, currently in its seventh year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and has drawn in world powers on all sides.

The latest round of talks in Astana is sponsored by opposition supporter Turkey and Syrian government backers Russia and Iran.

These negotiations are viewed as complementary to broader United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva on a political settlement, but neither have yielded real progress so far.

Abdrakhmanov said that next round of talks in Astana would be held in mid-July.

Source:Al Jazeera

May 4, 2017
Turkey and Russia push for safe-zones in Syria

{Opposition returns to talks in Astana, Kazakhstan after walking out on Wednesday over air strikes in Syria.}

The presidents of Russia and Turkey are pushing for the creation of safe-zones in war-torn Syria as talks were expected to resume on Thursday in Kazakhstan between the government and the opposition.

Meeting in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin expressed hope on Wednesday that the Syrian government and the opposition would adopt this latest proposal to “de-escalate” the conflict, which has run now for six years and claimed some 400,000 lives.

“We both proceed on the basis that – and this is our common position – the creation of safe zones should lead to further pacification and cessation of hostilities,” said Putin.

Turkey and Russia are deeply entangled in the war in Syria, including each having troops on the ground – Ankara supporting various Syrian opposition factions and Moscow backing President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

The opposition suspended its participation at the talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, on Wednesday in protest of air attacks that hit areas under their control in Syria, demanding a halt to the government’s bombardment.

The Syrian armed opposition returned to the talks on Thursday, the RIA news agency reported.

Russian representatives had presented the rebels with a proposal for four “de-escalation zones” in Syria where the warring sides would be separated by “security lines”.

“About terrorists, in spite of the creation of these zones, the war on terror will be ongoing – against such organisations as so-called Islamic State [ISIL], Jabhat al-Nusra, and those ones that are put on the list of terrorist organisations approved by the United Nations,” Putin said.

Putin also said Russian and Syrian government jets would halt flights over the specified zones if all sides respect the ceasefire.

The proposal presented to the opposition in Astana delineates four zones in Syria where front lines between the government and opposition forces would be frozen and fighting halted, according to a statement made by the opposition.

The four zones include areas in the provinces of Idlib and Homs, the Eastern Ghouta suburb outside Damascus, and an area in the south of the country.

The zones, according to the proposal, would be monitored by international observers and allow for the voluntary return of refugees.

“We won’t admit the emergence on our southern borders of enemy enclaves that would endanger our territorial integrity and security,” Erdogan said.

Late Wednesday, Syria’s foreign ministry said Damascus is “fully backing” the Russian initiative on the four ceasefire areas, according to the state-run SANA news agency.

But Ahmed Ramadan, an opposition representative, told The Associated Press that the opposition had requested a written answer on a number of questions, including why the ceasefire would only be in effect in the four areas instead of a nationwide truce.

This is the fourth round of talks in Astana since January. Separately, there have been five rounds of UN-sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva since 2012, but none have led to a sustainable ceasefire.

Later on Wednesday, Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, called on the opposition to return to the talks in Astana “because what is important is also to look at the possibility of an outcome on a de-escalation”. He stressed the importance of not destroying “the opportunity of good news” related to this issue.

Source:Al Jazeera

May 4, 2017