Posts in category: Uncategorized

Stanford Medicine researchers have found a mechanism behind one of the most common symptoms of long COVID—shortness of breath. Post COVID-19 breathing problems are caused by a condition known as lung fibrosis, when damaged lungs form scar tissue, which makes it difficult for lungs to expand and contract.

Society and social interaction play a key role in life for humans. The well-being of a person greatly depends upon their ability to be part of complex sociocultural institutions. Even during infancy, humans rely on their social interactions with other humans for social and cultural learning, subsequent adaptation to different social environments, and ultimately, survival.

Positive vibes, bonding activities and getting on well with each other help reduce violent incidents in high security psychiatric units, research suggests.

By RUTH YAMBAYAMBA
ZAMBIA is losing billions of Kwacha through the illegal export of Mukula and now the Timber Association of Zambia is calling on Government to lift the ban on the export of the rare timber species.
TAZ president, Charles Masange said the moratorium on the export of Mukula was serving no purpose as the rare tree species were still being illegally exported.
Mr Masange said the ban on trade and export of Mukula was a façade because there was rampant export and trade of mukula on the black market.

“Our Kwacha will never be strong if we are not exporting, we can’t make our Kwacha strong by selling at Soweto market. The Kwacha can only be strong if we can export and there is what we call CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora] regulations, this is an international regulation, which regulates export of natural resources and Mukula is in that category two,” Mr Masange said
He said the country was losing out on revenue due to illegal export of mukula despite Government imposing a ban on exports of the rare tree species.
Mr Masange said the second category of the CITES regulations did not cover exportation of legally harvested Mukula because it provides that trade in the timber should be regulated by local laws of respective countries.
“Same thing, if you look at the ban that is in that CITES, it is not that you have banned the legally harvested Mukula, it is a ban on illegally harvested Mukula. When it is illegally harvested whether it is processed, we are not supposed to export and now it has even gone to other species like Mukwa and Rosewood,” Mr Masange said.
He expressed concern that in the previous regime, about 1,293 containers left the country illegally during the export ban.
Mr Masange added that once the Government lifts the ban, modalities should be put in place to ensure adherence to export regulations by Mukula traders.
He said the country will continue losing out on revenue collection as long as the status quo is maintained.
“I wonder why technocrats fear, they should be explaining to their bosses. The Cabinet in the previous Government was misled because of that CITES Act, it is not the Forest Act, here we follow the Forest Act, the CITES Act is for all countries and it does not say that you should ban Mukula, which is harvested from a Concession,” Mr Masange said.

From fruit juices to milk and even tuna, here are the most unhealthy foods you should avoid to stay healthy.

A study led by scientists from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has identified a protease called MT1-MMP that is a major host factor behind the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the human body, which leads to the infection of COVID-19 and multi-organ failure. By applying a humanized antibody called 3A2 that can inhibit the activity of MT1-MMP, the viral load of infected mice was reduced by almost 90%. The research team also demonstrated that the protease is a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19.

Researchers observing the crowd at Townsville’s V8 supercars events say many people are sun smart—but women are wearing the wrong hats.

An international team of 144 scientists studying lung function has made a huge leap in understanding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by conducting the largest multi-ancestry, genome-wide association meta-analysis to date. The study, which included 580,869 participants, identified 1,020 independent disease association signals and implicated 559 genes from a variant-to-gene mapping framework. Most notably, these genes were enriched in 29 pathways, providing new insights into the underlying mechanisms of lung function.

Exposure to chemicals commonly found in drinking water and everyday household products may result in reduced fertility in women of as much as 40%, according to a study by Mount Sinai researchers. In a paper published in Science of the Total Environment, the team reported that higher blood concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, were associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of pregnancy and live birth among a reproductive-age cohort of women in Singapore who were trying to conceive.

Is the secret to happiness a warm puppy? A good marriage? A rewarding career? Or something else entirely?