IGIHE

Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

  • Smell helps primates flee parasites

    {Researchers from the CNRS have discovered that mandrills use their sense of smell to avoid contamination by intestinal protozoans through contact with infected members of their group. Their work, published in Science Advances, shows that parasites shape the social behavior of these primates, leading them to develop a strategy of parasite avoidance through smell.}

    The Mandrillus Project was launched in 2012, in southern Gabon, to study the ecology of the world’s sole population of wild mandrills habituated to human presence. Frequent grooming among these mandrills is undoubtedly a means of eliminating ectoparasites[1], but it also plays a major role in social cohesion — helping to soothe tensions after conflict, for example.

    Mustering data from five years of field observation, the researchers demonstrated that mandrills harboring parasitic protozoans in their digestive tracts were less frequently groomed by their conspecifics than were healthy mandrills. Groomers especially avoided the perianal zone, which poses a high risk of contagion.

    To pursue their investigations, the scientists conducted an experiment using antiparasitics. They captured infected mandrills, administered the antiparasitic drug, and returned the treated mandrills to their group. Now free of parasites, these primates once again enjoyed frequent grooming.

    The research team next sought to determine whether olfactory communication could explain avoidance of infected conspecifics. First, chemical analyses showed that fecal odors differed between infected and healthy mandrills. Next the team conducted behavioral experiments under controlled conditions on 16 captive mandrills at a Gabonese research institute. The researchers collected fecal matter from mandrills at different times — while parasitized and when free of parasites — and rubbed it onto bamboo shoots. These shoots were then presented to captive mandrills. Curiously, the scientists noticed that the captive primates sniffed the bamboo set before them but actively avoided those shoots rubbed with infected feces. Such selective shunning elegantly demonstrates how olfactory communication may play a role in the behavioral and social avoidance of parasitic infection.

    This research suggests that parasites, similarly to kinship ties and social rank, influence mandrill behavior by shaping social dynamics in their group. This study of the evolution of antiparasitic behavior is currently focused on the influence of parasites spread merely by contact. But it could expand its scope to include other mandrill pathogens with different routes of transmission, such as nematodes spread through contact with the environment or retroviruses spread from male to male by biting.

    This research involves scientists from the Centre d’écologie fonctionnelle et évolutive (CNRS / University of Montpellier / Paul Valéry University / EPHE) and the Institut des sciences de l’évolution de Montpellier (CNRS / University of Montpellier / IRD / EPHE) participating in the Mandrillus Project — based at the INEE Station d’étude en écologie globale in Lékédi Park, Gabon — working in cooperation with the Evo-Eco-Paleo laboratory (CNRS / Lille University), the CIRMF Centre de primatologie in Franceville, Gabon, and the German Primate Center (DPZ) in Göttingen, Germany.

    [1] An ectoparasite is an external parasite — that is, one that lives on the surface of a living being.

    Mandrill grooming sessions.

    Source:Science Daily

  • Neuroscientists identify brain circuit necessary for memory formation

    {When we visit a friend or go to the beach, our brain stores a short-term memory of the experience in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Those memories are later “consolidated” — that is, transferred to another part of the brain for longer-term storage.}

    A new MIT study of the neural circuits that underlie this process reveals, for the first time, that memories are actually formed simultaneously in the hippocampus and the long-term storage location in the brain’s cortex. However, the long-term memories remain “silent” for about two weeks before reaching a mature state.

    “This and other findings in this paper provide a comprehensive circuit mechanism for consolidation of memory,” says Susumu Tonegawa, the Picower Professor of Biology and Neuroscience, the director of the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, and the study’s senior author.

    The findings, which appear in Science on April 6, may force some revision of the dominant models of how memory consolidation occurs, the researchers say.

    The paper’s lead authors are research scientist Takashi Kitamura, postdoc Sachie Ogawa, and graduate student Dheeraj Roy. Other authors are postdocs Teruhiro Okuyama and Mark Morrissey, technical associate Lillian Smith, and former postdoc Roger Redondo.

    Long-term storage

    Beginning in the 1950s, studies of the famous amnesiac patient Henry Molaison, then known only as Patient H.M., revealed that the hippocampus is essential for forming new long-term memories. Molaison, whose hippocampus was damaged during an operation meant to help control his epileptic seizures, was no longer able to store new memories after the operation. However, he could still access some memories that had been formed before the surgery.

    This suggested that long-term episodic memories (memories of specific events) are stored outside the hippocampus. Scientists believe these memories are stored in the neocortex, the part of the brain also responsible for cognitive functions such as attention and planning.

    Neuroscientists have developed two major models to describe how memories are transferred from short- to long-term memory. The earliest, known as the standard model, proposes that short-term memories are initially formed and stored in the hippocampus only, before being gradually transferred to long-term storage in the neocortex and disappearing from the hippocampus.

    A more recent model, the multiple trace model, suggests that traces of episodic memories remain in the hippocampus. These traces may store details of the memory, while the more general outlines are stored in the neocortex.

    Until recently, there has been no good way to test these theories. Most previous studies of memory were based on analyzing how damage to certain brain areas affects memories. However, in 2012, Tonegawa’s lab developed a way to label cells called engram cells, which contain specific memories. This allows the researchers to trace the circuits involved in memory storage and retrieval. They can also artificially reactivate memories by using optogenetics, a technique that allows them to turn target cells on or off using light.

    In the new Science study, the researchers used this approach to label memory cells in mice during a fear-conditioning event — that is, a mild electric shock delivered when the mouse is in a particular chamber. Then, they could use light to artificially reactivate these memory cells at different times and see if that reactivation provoked a behavioral response from the mice (freezing in place). The researchers could also determine which memory cells were active when the mice were placed in the chamber where the fear conditioning occurred, prompting them to naturally recall the memory.

    The researchers labeled memory cells in three parts of the brain: the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex, and the basolateral amygdala, which stores memories’ emotional associations.

    Just one day after the fear-conditioning event, the researchers found that memories of the event were being stored in engram cells in both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. However, the engram cells in the prefrontal cortex were “silent” — they could stimulate freezing behavior when artificially activated by light, but they did not fire during natural memory recall.

    “Already the prefrontal cortex contained the specific memory information,” Kitamura says. “This is contrary to the standard theory of memory consolidation, which says that you gradually transfer the memories. The memory is already there.”

    Over the next two weeks, the silent memory cells in the prefrontal cortex gradually matured, as reflected by changes in their anatomy and physiological activity, until the cells became necessary for the animals to naturally recall the event. By the end of the same period, the hippocampal engram cells became silent and were no longer needed for natural recall. However, traces of the memory remained: Reactivating those cells with light still prompted the animals to freeze.

    In the basolateral amygdala, once memories were formed, the engram cells remained unchanged throughout the course of the experiment. Those cells, which are necessary to evoke the emotions linked with particular memories, communicate with engram cells in both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.

    Theory revision

    The findings suggest that traditional theories of consolidation may not be accurate, because memories are formed rapidly and simultaneously in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus on the day of training.

    “They’re formed in parallel but then they go different ways from there. The prefrontal cortex becomes stronger and the hippocampus becomes weaker,” Morrissey says.

    Further studies are needed to determine whether memories fade completely from hippocampal cells or if some traces remain. Right now, the researchers can only monitor engram cells for about two weeks, but they are working on adapting their technology to work for a longer period.

    Kitamura says he believes that some trace of memory may stay in the hippocampus indefinitely, storing details that are retrieved only occasionally. “To discriminate two similar episodes, this silent engram may reactivate and people can retrieve the detailed episodic memory, even at very remote time points,” he says.

    The researchers also plan to further investigate how the prefrontal cortex engram maturation process occurs. This study already showed that communication between the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus is critical, because blocking the circuit connecting those two regions prevented the cortical memory cells from maturing properly.

    An MIT study of the neural circuits that underlie memory process reveals, for the first time, that memories are formed simultaneously in the hippocampus and the long-term storage location in the brain’s cortex. This image shows memory engram cells (green and red) which are crucial for permanent memory storage in the prefrontal cortex.

    Source:Science Daily

  • Marriage : Why it may not be such a bad idea to do it early

    {Everyone has the right to get married when they want to. Some get married at 21, others at 51, and some do not even feel the need to. So it’s a matter of choice and understanding. However I’m doing this for the benefit of those who are interested in marriage, and settling down with their dream man/woman.}

    Marriage is a very important affair; it is something that can make you happier if done right and can be full of regrets if done with the wrong person. The reason why some people choose to marry late is because they are mostly afraid of the union. This is why you see people marrying when they’re getting much older. Of course, there are those who just chose not to, but a lot of people don’t because they’re just scared. If you fall into either category, perhaps, you’ll think different about marriage after you read this post.

    So what is the benefit you stand to gain from an early marriage? Well, the first one is early childhood birth. I’m not about to say it’s always so, but in some cases of late marriages, you realise that by the time the couple get together, to make babies, there’s a brick wall somewhere, and that’s because by then, it’s likely that the reproductive health of one of them would have been deteriorated. Menopause in women is a very good example of this. But apart from that, men’s reproductive health also can be damaged over time due to the things they eat or take in their body. So it’s a safer measure to get married early so you get the children while your body can still allow it.

    Early childbirth then has its benefits; from giving you ample time to focus on other areas of your life, like your career and spouse for example, to allowing you enjoy the fruits of parenthood. The earlier the kids come, the earlier you train them with the resources you have, the earlier they grow, and the earlier you enjoy the fruits of your labor.

    So these are some of the things one could enjoy from getting married on time, rather than waiting until they’re older, but remember like I said before now, it’s all a matter of choice and what makes you happy.

    Source:Elcrema

  • Kwibuka23: Rwandan peacekeepers commemorate

    {The Rwandan police and military peacekeepers serving under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Abyei (UNSFA) and Haiti (MINUSTAH), on Friday, joined the rest of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda to pay tribute to over one millions innocent lives that perished during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.}

    The peacekeepers were joined by government officials, peacekeepers from others countries, faith-based groups and residents in the 23rdcommemoration activities, which were characterized by the walk against Genocide, prayers and speeches that focused mainly on how the Genocide was planned, executed, stopped, and Rwanda’s transformation process.

    {{South Sudan – Malakal}}

    In South Sudan, the police and military peacekeepers were joined in Malakal by the Rwandan community, government officials and UN officials to pay homage to men, women and children brutally killed during the tragic period 23 years ago.

    While speaking at the event, the head of UN field office in Malakal, Hazel Dewet, indicated that Rwanda’s recovery is a “good example to the people of South Sudan where people are fighting because of their ethnicity.”

    “They should learn how Rwanda overcame this situation and now is among the countries contributing to peacekeeping operations in other countries.”

    The Sector Commander Sector-North, Brig. Gen XIE Zhijun, embarked on Rwanda’s history of peacekeeping.

    “Rwanda started peacekeeping operations in African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in 2004. Now its troops are deployed in many different countries… and ranked fifth troop contributing countries in UN peacekeeping operations. This indicates how Rwanda is devoted to fight against genocide all over the world,” said Brig. Gen. XIE.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Eric Mutsinzi, the Rwanda police Contingent Commander, talked about the historical background of the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda.

    “We have the responsibility to teach and pass on the memory to the young generation so that on their turn, they can pass it on to successive generations. We remember to build a new society, new country, a dignified nation free of discrimination, segregation, and hatred, and free of genocide,” ACP Mutsinzi said.

    He noted that by remembering, Rwanda is sharing the truth of its tragic history and “never again,” while fighting genocide ideology and anything that could take the country back to the bad past.

    “We remember to recall where we came from so that we build a better future for the next generations. We remember, tell and recall the truth about the genocide and commit ourselves to not allow such tragedy to happen again.”

    {{South Sudan – Juba}}

    Similar commemoration activities were also held in the capital Juba and attended by Rwandan community in Juba; UNMISS Police Commissioner, CP Bruce Munyambo; Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mustapha Soumare; SPLA representative Maj. Gen. Matier Deng; and Deputy Inspector General of Police of South Sudan, Lt. Gen. James WINYAOK, among others.

    {{Walk to Remember Juba.
    }}

    Lt Col. James Burabyo, who represented Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Uganda and South Sudan, as the chief guest, stressed “endless endeavor to fight genocide denial by some revisionists.”

    “The international community as a whole is called to fight Genocide ideology and expose perpetrators and their collaborators, who enjoy safe haven in some countries.”

    He talked of the “resilience of Rwandan people, their determination and commitment to fight for decent life and to overcome despair and distress” that were otherwise plunged in, and the visionary leadership under President Paul Kagame that “made possible the national reconciliation, social justice and sustainable peace and development.”

    {{Walk to remember in Haiti.}}

    The UN Special Representative, Soumare noted that the ideal of ‘Remember-Unite- Renew’ reflects the failure of the International Community to protected human lives at a critical moment.

    He hailed those who sacrificed lives to stop genocide, and hailed Rwanda for rising from the ashes of genocide to become one of the economically rising powers of Africa, which he attributed to the homegrown solutions.

    {{Abyei}}

    In Abyei, the commemoration was attended by over 1000 military, police and civilian peacekeepers from various contributing countries, and presided over by Maj. Gen. Tesfay Gidey, the acting Head of Mission.

    Source:Police

  • Kwibuka23: CAR Speaker of Parliament pays homage to Genocide victims

    {The Central African Republic (CAR) Speaker of Parliament, Kalim Mekasou, has said that Rwanda’s success in unifying and reconciling citizens after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi presents the best approach to building unified and peaceful African continent.}

    The Speaker was, yesterday, speaking in the capital Bangui where he joined Rwandan peacekeepers serving under United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) in the 23rd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

    It was also attended by the Prime Minister of CAR, Simplice Sarandji.

    During the event that was observed with a moment of silence in honour of the over one million Tutsis who were brutally massacred 23 years ago, and laying of wreath, Mekasou said; “What happened in Rwanda should never happen again anywhere in the world. Today, the entire continent joins Rwanda in mourning the victims for the Genocide.”

    “These dates remind us how the international community abandoned Rwanda; I am grateful to President Paul Kagame for the efforts he has invested in reuniting people of Rwanda, rebuilding the country and contributing tremendously to restoration of people across the world,” Mr. Mekasou said.

    He particularly thanked Rwanda for her efforts in restoring safety and peace in CAR.

    Currently, Rwanda maintains about 450 police and over 800 troops in Central African Republic, who are also in charge of the protection of top government officials, among other peacekeeping duties.

    The Speaker noted that CAR is much interested in learning from the current Rwanda’s best practices to build a united and prosperous country.

    The commemoration event was also marked by lighting a memorial flame and laying wreaths in honor of the victims of the Genocide and testimonies from those that experienced the Genocide.

    The event was attended by over 1300 people including Rwandan police, military, correctional officers serving in MINUSCA, Rwandans and friends of Rwanda.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Barthelemy Rugwizangoga spoke at length about the history of the Genocide, how it was planned, executed, stopped, its effects and Rwanda’s resurrection from the ashes.

    “In just 100 days, over a million Tutsis were systematically massacred while the world was watching. It was the Rwanda Patriotic Army that stopped it. Today, Rwanda is much focused ensuring the best welfare of every citizen,” said ACP Rugwizangoga.

    Ralland Kwasi, who spoke on behalf of friends of Rwanda, said he came to Rwanda immediately after the Genocide and understands well the brutality used in the Genocide.

    “What I saw in Rwanda was very traumatizing. No country should ever take this path ever again. Thanks to everyone who took part in stopping the Genocide against the Tutsi. Today Rwanda is referred to as a model country in developing fast; Africa and the world should emulate Rwanda,” Kwasi said.

    Source:Police

  • Rwandans in US remember

    {Over 200 members of the diplomatic corps, Rwandans, and friends of Rwanda gathered in Washington, D.C. to remember over one million lives that were lost during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. }

    The Kwibuka23 events in Washington, D.C. were organized by the Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, D.C.

    A group of knowledgeable speakers reflected on this year’s theme: Remember the genocide against the Tutsi – Fight genocide ideology – Build on our progress.

    Prof. Gatsinzi Basaninyenzi, a genocide scholar and associate Professor of English at Alabama A&M University where he teaches Postcolonial Literature and Literary Criticism gave his remarks on the different dimensions of denial.

    In her remarks, Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao, the Ambassador of the African Union Mission to the United States explored the question of the origin of the hatred that led to the systematic killings of the Tutsi in 1994. Dr. Chihombori explored the role of colonialism and urged those present to actively seek freedom from a colonial mindset that we are different, emphasizing that the goal was to divide and conquer.

    Dr. Margie Ensign, President of Dickinson College and a widely published scholar whose work focuses on peace and development, took the attendees through the numerous development strides that have been made by Rwanda since 1994.

    Dr. Ensign praised the Rwandan leadership for their reconstruction policies that have focused on the people of Rwanda and building a knowledge-based economy. Dr. Ensign highlighted Ubudehe and Imihigo as two original concepts that have propelled Rwanda in all aspects on socio-economic development. “Imihigo is a contractual way of governance that we should all be looking at as means to ensure accountability from leaders that we elect to represent us,” said Dr. Ensign.

    The speakers were followed by a powerful testimony from Mr. marcel Mutsindashyaka, a young entrepreneur who survived the genocide at age five. Despite having gone through the horrors of the genocide at such a tender age and having lost many close relatives, Mr. Mutsindashyaka continues to overcome his past and is now the CEO of a leading IT and multimedia companies in Rwanda, Umuseke Ltd.

    The testimony was followed by candle lighting, symbolizing the everlasting memory of the victims and hope in the future and a poem shared by Ms. Liliane Pari Umuhoza, also a genocide survivor who lost her father during the genocide at the tender age of two.

    Peter Henry Barlerin, the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State spoke on behalf of the United States. Mr. Barlerin reassured Rwandans that America stands with Rwandans as they remember and that the U.S. will continue to support Rwandans in their efforts to rebuild their nation.

    The Rwandan Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Mathilde Mukantabana urged those present to denounce and fight genocide ideology in the strongest way possible.

    “The memory of our national suffering is under assault by genocide deniers. Deniers find perverse satisfaction and personal vindication in a fictionalized account of what happened in 1994. Let’s preserve the memory of our past, all of it, the chaff and the grain, the beauty as well as the tragedy,” said Ambassador Mukantabana.

    The Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, D.C. observes the commemoration every year on April 7th. Embassy representatives will continue to attend commemoration events in different communities across the country.

    The Rwandan Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Mathilde Mukantabana addressing Rwandans, and friends of Rwanda gathered in Washington, D.C. to remember over one million lives that were lost during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

  • CAR Senate President joins Rwandan peacekeepers to honor victims of 1994 genocide against Tutsi

    {The Central African Republic (CAR) Senate president, Kalim Mekasou, has said that Rwanda’s success in unifying and reconciling Rwandans after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi presents the best approach to building unified and peaceful African continent.}

    The Senate president was speaking, yesterday, in the capital Bangui where he joined Rwandan peacekeepers serving under United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) in the 23rd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

    It was also attended by the Prime Minister of CAR, Simplice Sarandji.

    During the event that was observed with a moment of silence in honour of the over one million Tutsis who were brutally massacred 23 years ago, and laying of wreath, Mekasou said; “What happened in Rwanda should never happen again anywhere in the world. Today, the entire continent joins Rwanda in mourning the victims for the Genocide.”

    “These dates remind us how the international community abandoned Rwanda; I am grateful to President Paul Kagame for the efforts he has invested in reuniting people of Rwanda, rebuilding the country and contributing tremendously to restoration of people across the world,” Mr. Mekasou said.

    He particularly thanked Rwanda for her efforts in restoring safety and peace in CAR.

    Currently, Rwanda maintains about 450 police and over 800 troops in Central African Republic, who are also in charge of the protection of top government officials, among other peacekeeping duties.

    The senate president noted that CAR is much interested in learning from the current Rwanda’s best practices so as they can build a united and prosperous country.

    The commemoration event was also marked by lighting a memorial flame and laying wreaths in honor of the victims of the Genocide and testimonies from those that experienced the Genocide.

    The event was attended by over 1300 people including Rwandan police, military, correctional officers serving in MINUSCA, Rwandans and friends of Rwanda.

    At the commemoration event, the commander of Rwanda police peacekeepers, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Barthelemy Rugwizangoga spoke at length about the history of the Genocide, how it was planned, executed, stopped, its effects and Rwanda’s resurrection from the ashes.

    “In just 100 days, over a million Tutsis were systematically massacred while the world was watching. It was the Rwanda Patriotic Army that stopped it. Today, Rwanda is much focused ensuring the best welfare of every citizen,” said ACP Rugwizangoga.

    Ralland Kwasi, who spoke on behalf of friends of Rwanda, said he came to Rwanda immediately after the Genocide and understand well the brutality used in the Genocide.

    “What I saw in Rwanda was very traumatizing. No country should ever take this path ever again. Thanks to everyone who took part in stopping the Genocide against the Tutsi. Today Rwanda is referred to as a model country in developing fast; Africa and the world should emulate Rwanda,” Kwasi said.

    Source:Police

  • Why female fertility fades as you age?

    {The fertility of women drops as a woman ages. It starts dropping significantly when a woman is around age 35 but why do this happen?
    }
    According to a research published in the Daily Mail, chromosomal defect in the eggs of older women could be the cause behind fertility problems in older women.

    Scientists claim a biological structure that separates chromosomes in the eggs of older women sends the chromosomes all over the place instead of distributing them evenly to each egg.

    “An egg typically has 46 chromosomes, and having more than 46 is the cause behind Down syndrome, while having too few will likely end in miscarriage,” a report in Daily Mail claims.

    An egg that has more than 46 chromosomes is called an aneuploid egg and eggs are more likely to be aneuploid with age because the “glue” that keeps the chromosomes together works poorly in older eggs.

    The report also revealed that “women are born with a fixed number of eggs, which remain dormant in the ovaries until the release of a single egg per menstrual cycle.”

    Source:Elcrema

  • Governor Musabyimana calls for strengthened patrol

    {The Governor of Northern Province, Jean Claude Musabyimana has called upon residents of Gatebe and Bungwe sectors of Burera District to join efforts in all community policing activities to effectively deal with crimes that still exist in the area.}

    He made the remarks during a security meeting held on April 6 and attracted over 800 residents.

    It was also attended by the Northern Region Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bertin Mutezintare along with other local leaders.

    The governor urged residents to enhance their partnership with police and other security organs in ensuring that their communities are crime-free.

    “Rwanda’s progress is built on its security… that’s why maintaining law and order is a collective responsibility of every responsible citizen,” the Governor said.

    He challenged them to reinforce community night patrols (irondo) and be the eyes and ears of security organs to make it hard for criminals to penetrate of use their communities as transit routes especially drug dealers.

    “If you fully take part in community policing activities, it will be easier to identify criminals like drug dealers and bring them to justice. This way, we can wipe out anything that can hinder our security making the country’s rate of development move even faster,” he said.

    Burera is among the districts where especially illicit gins are still high and also used as one of the major routes into the country through porous borders.

    Thus, locals have since formed anti-illicit gin clubs to support the police efforts to break chains of supply.

    He appealed to them to refrain from domestic conflicts, and always seek the help of Police, mediators or even leaders to handle and resolve their grievances instead of taking matters in their hands, which also labels them “criminals.”

    In his part, ACP Mutezintare, who commended the residents for their efforts especially against drugs, also appealed to residents to strengthen community night patrols and always hurry to report any information on unlawful acts to Police for a quick response.

    He warned those involved in trafficking, selling and abusing narcotic drugs.

    “The only way you can avoid being arrested is by keeping away from crime and reporting to police those who are involved or consuming them. If you do that, you are contributing enormously to the welfare of your neighbours and the development of our country,” said the RPC.

    In breaking down the dangers of narcotics, the Police Commander said; “There is a connection in most crimes to drug abuse. Theft, family conflicts, gender based violence, child abuse, fighting and school drop outs; all these are in most cases committed by people under the influence of drugs.”

    He called for concerted efforts and information exchange with the police to arrest the dealers.

    The Governor of Northern Province, Jean Claude Musabyimana

  • Where does your blood actually come from?

    {Scientists at Lund University in Sweden have developed a new understanding of how the first blood cells form during human development as they transition from endothelial cells to form blood cells of different types.}

    Using a laboratory model of human stem cell development and by looking at the expression of blood cell and endothelial cell genes in each individual cell, they found a progression from an endothelial state, to a mixed endothelial/blood state, to a blood-only state. This is the first study showing the molecular processes of this transition in the human developmental context.

    “Understanding how the first human blood cells develop will provide missing clues for us to generate blood stem cells in the laboratory for use in the treatment of blood disorders and malignancies,” says Niels-Bjarne Woods, in charge of the study.

    The blood running through our veins is composed of billions of specialized cells, responsible for many important functions required for life, including providing oxygen to all tissues in our body and providing immune responses against viruses, bacteria, and even cancer cells. During a narrow window of time in embryonic development, the first blood stem cells form. These give rise to all the blood cells you will produce in your lifetime. The birth of these blood stem cells is a transition from another cell type into blood cells — a process known as endothelial to hematopoietic transition.

    The cells undergoing the transition to blood in the embryo start as endothelial cells that make up the walls of the developing arteries. During a short temporal window in development, a small number of tightly packed spindle shaped endothelial cells round up forming nascent blood, detach, and are released into the circulation. In this process, the endothelial cells undergoing the transition to blood show dramatic changes in their size and shape (from spindle shaped to the round cells of the blood).

    However, what happens inside the cell during this time, as it changes shape and identity, had until now never been described at a molecular level. Thanks to single-cell molecular analysis, the scientists in Lund have now analyzed individual cells from an in vitro model of human blood development, known to comprise endothelial cells that transition to blood. The analysis revealed new populations of endothelial cells undergoing transition. These new cell populations showed differences in the repertoire of blood cell types that could be produced. which is a critically important finding in the understanding of origins of blood. Niels-Bjarne Woods explains:

    “Most cell types are believed to result from a linear sequence of undifferentiated stages, progressively restricting their potential until they are restricted to the mature state. Cells arising from a transitioning process may not need to follow this rule, giving wider flexibility to which blood cell types can be produced.”

    This is a significant step towards understanding how the first blood cells are formed and how numbers and types of blood cells is regulated in development.

    “It would also be interesting to find out if there are any endothelial cells in the adult that can still be “triggered” to produce new blood stem cells,” says Niels-Bjarne Woods.

    Blood cells.

    Source:Science Daily