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In a large retrospective analysis using measurements of thousands of plasma proteins in primary and secondary event populations, scientists from deCODE genetics and collaborators from U.S., Denmark and Iceland, reported today in JAMA how they employed AI to develop a protein score to predict major atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events (ASCVD).

By GIDEON NYENDWA

THE Center for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has called for the review of incentives that government has been providing to the mining sector because the output is not commensurate to what the country was putting in.

CTPD executive director, Isaac Mwaipopo said government has provided a number of incentives to the mining sector but the way the sector had performed in the first half of 2023 leaves much to be desired.

CTPD shared their reflection on the performance of the economy within the first half of 2023 which they indicated that Zambia’s economy has encountered some challenges, the country was grappling with inflationary pressures, exchange rate fractions and the growth trajectory being hampered with downturns in key sectors such as Agriculture and Mining.  

Mr Mwaipopo said it would be very important that government relooks at some of the incentives that it has been providing to the mining sector and access the extent to which they were effective in stimulating the growth of the mining sector.

Meanwhile Elijah Mumba, lead researcher extractives CTPD said comparing what was happening in the mining sector in the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023 there was a significant reduction in production by approximately 24 percent which was a serious concern.

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In a breakthrough in liver transplantation that may lead to the ability to connect more living donors and patients, a new matching system designed by a team led by Boston College economists enabled the world’s first four-way liver exchange and a cascade of additional matches, researchers reported recently in the American Journal of Transplantation.

By MILLENNIUM REPORTER

THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and other law enforcement agencies should embark of comprehensive rebranding if they are to regain the eroded trust of the people, governance expert Sampa Kalungu has said.

Mr Kalunga says Zambians had lost trust in the institutions of good governance because they are deemed to be corrupt apart from lacking independence in their execution of their mandate.

Mr.Kalungu said there was more that had to be done for the ACC, particularly to regain public confidence because they were key in the government’s agenda to fight corruption and other economic vices.

The former TIZ president said there is need for the law enforcement agencies such as the ACC to learn lessons from their previous mistakes, especially in the case of the K65 million kwacha that was taken from Faith Musonda and the saga that followed their after. 

Mr Kalungu said it was sad that the ACC had created against itself a negative public perception which it have failed to deal with for some time thereby posing a challenge in the fight against graft.

He said the onus remained on the ACC, DEC and other good governance institutions to change the negative perception for the benefit of the country and other stakeholders in the civil society.

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After giving birth to her first child, Shefali Christopher, an associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Tufts University School of Medicine, was disheartened at the lack of guidance for new mothers who wanted to return to physical activity. She felt there wasn’t enough research evaluating the safety of postpartum exercise, so she decided to study the question herself.

Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and kale, are often recommended due to the presence of the antioxidant sulforaphane, which is thought to be beneficial for general health and well-being and in treating diseases such as cancer.

Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute identified potential new treatment options for people with endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer and high levels of estrogen promote its development. The study, published in Molecular Cancer Research discovered that estrogen receptor mutations found in endometrial cancers cause large changes in endometrial cancer cells.

By NATION REPORTER 

THE Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has purchased a total of 20 million empty grain bags to empty grain bag shortages in FRA satellite depots countrywide addressed.

FRA public Relation Coordinator, John Chipandwe said the agency procured the empty grain bags for the packaging of grade A white maize during the on-going crop marketing season. 

Mr Chipandwe said the 20 million empty grain bags were sufficient to purchase 1 million metric tonnes of maize.

He said the agency acknowledges that there were slight challenges in the delivery of empty grain bags to some depots due to the fact that some depots were recording higher purchases compared to the anticipated purchases taking into account the anticipated production and this resulted in the agency relocating some empty grain bags to such areas.

Mr Chipandwe also said, the slight delays in the procurement of the bags were due to technical processes that were conducted before the manufactured bags were delivered to the agency for onward transportation to needy depots.     

He stated that the situation has now normalized and farmers countrywide were encouraged to continue delivering their white maize to the nearest FRA depots as they shall not be turned away since measures to receive their maize have been put in place. 

“This is coupled with expedited payment methods to serve them better and ensure they prepare adequately for the forthcoming agriculture season and other needs at household level,” he said.

Mr Chipandwe further said satellite Depot Clerks in charge of FRA depots countrywide were encouraged to continue alerting the Agency headquarters when new challenges arise so that immediate action was taken.  

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Scientists have detailed how a combination of grafted replacement motor neurons and optical nerve stimulation—using light to activate neurons—can improve muscle function in a highly aggressive mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and physicians from Karolinska Hospital shows that a capsule of connective tissue around liver metastases from colorectal cancer improves patient survival and represents a healing response by the liver, not a phenomenon caused by the tumor itself.