Chinese researchers have identified a gene that may cause neurological disorders. Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a neurological disease, with high incidence among the elderly, while symptoms include difficulty in walking and speaking. The study was done by researchers from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, the Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Neuroscience Laboratory, the latter two with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They identified a new causal gene, MYORG, which encodes a protein composed of 714 amino acids. After experiments on mice, the gene was found to be recessive, while other known PFBC genes are…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Children in UK have consumed more than a year’s worth of sugar in less than six months, public health figures showed. While four-to-ten-year-olds should not have more than the equivalent of five to six sugar cubes per day, they are consuming 13 on average, according to data from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey. This means children will have around 4,760 cubes of sugar by the end of the year — more than double the maximum recommendation. Too much sugar is blamed for high obesity rates in children and dental decay. The British Department for Health agency is urging…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Sunday called on the Federal Government to establish a national institute for the promotion of herbal medicine in Nigeria. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Moji Adeyeye made the call in an interview with a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He explained that traditional medicine was too important to be ignored in the healing process and promotion of healthy living. She said that several meetings had been held with stakeholders on how to promote herbal medicine in the country. “Government should support the idea…
A cardiologist with the College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Prof. Janet Ajuluchukwu says men have more heart problems than women with death rates doubling after age 40. Ajuluchukwu made this assertion while speaking in an interview on Saturday in Lagos. The professor said researches carried out proved that many men do not go to the hospital until too late and with late diagnosis, they were more prone to heart problems. The cardiologist stressed the need for men to go for regular checkups because conditions such as hypertension do not come with obvious signs. “Right now, my…
An outbreak of measles in Romania has killed dozens of infants and children, with 200 new cases reported each week. Doctors say the surge in the disease is fueled by the country’s low rate of vaccination. Some Romanian celebrities have waged media campaigns warning about the perils of immunization, and local superstitions such as keeping the vaccine-preventable disease at bay with cabbage juice or not cleaning one’s house have also exasperated doctors. Some doctors also complain they don’t have sufficient stocks of vaccines. Some 13,700 people in Romania have contracted measles since the epidemic began in 2016, and 55 have…
Kenya is one step away from commercializing Bt cotton following the commencement of National Performance Trials (NPTs) to identify suitable varieties for different agro-ecological zones. This comes after the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) granted an Environmental Impact Assessment license to Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Fisheries Organization (KALRO) to undertake the trials.The planting began on June 11, 2018 in Kisumu, western Kenya, with KALRO’s Bt cotton Principal Investigator, Dr. Charles Waturu, presiding over the event. The NPTs will be carried out in seven sites spread across six counties. GM cotton planting is a significant move in the revitalization of textiles…
By Sonja Begemann Earlier this week a California judge ruled glyphosate does not need a label warning stating it causes cancer. U.S. District Court Judge William Shuff denied an amendment that asked the state to require the warning. The court issued its preliminary injunction Feb. 26, 2018, which blocked the enforcement of Proposition 65—requirement for any product known to cause cancer to be labeled. This week’s ruling denies the California Attorney General’s attempt to amend the court’s decision. In the preliminary injunction the judge states: “It is inherently misleading for a warning to state that a chemical is known to…
A Principal Scientist and Cassava Breeder with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Alfred Dixon and Dr Hernan Ceballos of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) have won the 2018 Golden Cassava Prize. The prestigious award, which is usually bestowed on colleagues for their excellent contributions to cassava transformation, was given to the two researchers by the International Scientific Committee of the Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP21). Announcing the winners of the prize at the GCP21 Cassava Conference in Cotonou, the Director of GCP21, Dr Claude Fauquet said Drs Dixon and Ceballos were selected…
The Anambra Government says it will spend N4.1 billion on strategic agricultural development initiative in the 2018 planting season. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mechanisation, Processing and Export, Mr Afam Mbanefo disclosed this on Thursday in Awka He said that the state would during the period, evolve and apply sustainable cluster-based farming initiative to boost agriculture. “The cluster-base is a major method in driving modern agriculture. The ministry will apart from development of cluster farming initiative, provide farm inputs and motorcycles to farmers in the state. Gov. Willie Obiano’s administration is keen in empowering small holder farmers and I urge more…
Syphilis researchers have identified exterior proteins on the bacteria that could serve as vaccine targets Summary: Despite efforts to eradicate it, syphilis is on the rise. It is the second leading cause of stillbirth and miscarriage worldwide, and if left untreated it can cause strokes, dementia, and other neurological disease. Until now, most health agencies focused on treating infected people and their sex partners — but new discoveries may make a vaccine possible. Despite efforts to eradicate it, syphilis is on the rise. Until now, most health agencies focused on treating infected people and their sex partners but new discoveries…