KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) ? Police in Rwanda say a four-story building that was under construction collapsed, killing at least three workers and injuring 21 more people.
Rwandan police said in a statement late Tuesday that the building in the eastern district of Nyagatare collapsed Tuesday afternoon. The statement described the incident as an "unfolding tragedy."
It said police are working with the Rwandan military to find survivors. It was yet clear what caused the collapse or even how many people are feared buried under the rubble.
In recent years, building collapses have become frequent in East and Central African countries as some property developers bypass regulations to cut costs. In March, a building collapsed in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam, killing at least 30 people.
Human disease leptospirosis identified in new species, the banded mongoose, in AfricaPublic release date: 14-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cheryl Dybas cdybas@nsf.gov 703-292-7734 National Science Foundation
Scientists find widespread but neglected disease is significant health threat in Botswana
The newest public health threat in Africa, scientists have found, is coming from a previously unknown source: the banded mongoose.
Leptospirosis, the disease is called. And the banded mongoose carries it.
Leptospirosis is the world's most common illness transmitted to humans by animals. It's a two-phase disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. If untreated, it can cause meningitis, liver damage, pulmonary hemorrhage, renal failure and death.
"The problem in Botswana and much of Africa is that leptospirosis may remain unidentified in animal populations but contribute to human disease, possibly misdiagnosed as other diseases such as malaria," said disease ecologist Kathleen Alexander of Virginia Tech.
With a grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program, Alexander and colleagues found that the banded mongoose in Botswana is infected with Leptospira interrogans, the pathogen that causes leptospirosis.
Coupled Natural and Human Systems is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability investment and is supported by NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences; Geosciences; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
"The transmission of infectious diseases from wildlife to humans represents a serious and growing public health risk due to increasing contact between humans and animals," said Alan Tessier, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "This study identified an important new avenue for the spread of leptospirosis."
The results are published today in a paper in the journal Zoonoses and Public Health. The paper was co-authored by Alexander, Sarah Jobbins and Claire Sanderson of Virginia Tech.
The banded mongoose, although wild, lives in close proximity to humans, sharing scarce water resources and scavenging in human waste.
The disease-causing pathogen it carries can pass to humans through soil or water contaminated with infected urine.
Mongoose and other species are consumed as bushmeat, which may also contribute to leptospirosis exposure and infection in humans.
"I was convinced that we were going to find Leptospira interrogans in some species in the ecosystem," said Alexander.
"The pathogen had not been reported previously in Botswana, with the exception of one cow more than a quarter of a century ago.
"We looked at public health records dating back to 1974 and there were no records of any human cases of leptospirosis. Doctors said they were not expecting to see the disease in patients. They were not aware that the pathogen occurred in the country."
Alexander conducted a long-term study of human, wildlife and environmental health in the Chobe District of Northern Botswana, an area that includes the Chobe National Park, forest reserves and surrounding villages.
"This pathogen can infect many animals, both wild and domestic, including dogs," said Jobbins. "Banded mongoose is likely not the only species infected."
The researchers worked to understand how people, animals and the environment are connected, including the potential for diseases to move between humans and wildlife.
"Diseases such as leptospirosis that have been around for a very long time are often overlooked amid the hunt for the next newly emerging disease," Alexander said.
Leptospirosis was first described in 1886, said Jobbins, "but we still know little about its occurrence in Africa."
With the new identification of leptospirosis in Botswana, Alexander is concerned about the public health threat it may pose to the immunocompromised population there. Some 25 percent of 15- to 49-year-olds are HIV positive.
"In much of Africa, people die without a cause being determined," she said.
"Leptospirosis is likely affecting human populations in this region. But without knowledge that the organism is present in the environment, overburdened public health officials are unlikely to identify clinical cases in humans, particularly if the supporting diagnostics are not easily accessible."
The researchers looked for Leptospira interrogans in archived kidneys collected from banded mongoose that had been found dead from a variety of causes. Of the sampled mongoose, 43 percent tested positive for the pathogen.
"Given this high prevalence in the mongoose, we believe that Botswana possesses an as-yet-unidentified burden of human leptospirosis," said Jobbins.
"There is an urgent need to look for this disease in people who have clinical signs consistent with infection."
Because banded mongoose have an extended range across sub-Saharan Africa, the results have important implications for public health beyond Botswana.
"Investigating exposure in other wildlife, and assessing what species act as carriers, is essential for improving our understanding of human, wildlife, and domestic animal risk of leptospirosis in this ecosystem," the scientists write in their paper.
The paper also cites predictions that the region will become more arid, concentrating humans and animals around limited water supplies and increasing the potential for disease transmission.
"Infectious diseases, particularly those that can be transmitted from animals, often occur where people are more vulnerable to environmental change and have less access to public health services," said Alexander.
"That's particularly true in Africa. While we're concerned about emerging diseases that might threaten public health--the next new pandemic--we need to be careful that we don't drop the ball and stop pursuing important diseases like leptospirosis."
Alexander is working to identify immediate research and management actions--in particular, alerting frontline medical practitioners and public health officials to the potential for leptospirosis in humans.
###
The research was also funded by the WildiZe Foundation. Jobbins and Sanderson were supported in part by Virginia Tech's Fralin Life Science Institute.
-NSF-
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Human disease leptospirosis identified in new species, the banded mongoose, in AfricaPublic release date: 14-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cheryl Dybas cdybas@nsf.gov 703-292-7734 National Science Foundation
Scientists find widespread but neglected disease is significant health threat in Botswana
The newest public health threat in Africa, scientists have found, is coming from a previously unknown source: the banded mongoose.
Leptospirosis, the disease is called. And the banded mongoose carries it.
Leptospirosis is the world's most common illness transmitted to humans by animals. It's a two-phase disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. If untreated, it can cause meningitis, liver damage, pulmonary hemorrhage, renal failure and death.
"The problem in Botswana and much of Africa is that leptospirosis may remain unidentified in animal populations but contribute to human disease, possibly misdiagnosed as other diseases such as malaria," said disease ecologist Kathleen Alexander of Virginia Tech.
With a grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program, Alexander and colleagues found that the banded mongoose in Botswana is infected with Leptospira interrogans, the pathogen that causes leptospirosis.
Coupled Natural and Human Systems is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability investment and is supported by NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences; Geosciences; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
"The transmission of infectious diseases from wildlife to humans represents a serious and growing public health risk due to increasing contact between humans and animals," said Alan Tessier, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "This study identified an important new avenue for the spread of leptospirosis."
The results are published today in a paper in the journal Zoonoses and Public Health. The paper was co-authored by Alexander, Sarah Jobbins and Claire Sanderson of Virginia Tech.
The banded mongoose, although wild, lives in close proximity to humans, sharing scarce water resources and scavenging in human waste.
The disease-causing pathogen it carries can pass to humans through soil or water contaminated with infected urine.
Mongoose and other species are consumed as bushmeat, which may also contribute to leptospirosis exposure and infection in humans.
"I was convinced that we were going to find Leptospira interrogans in some species in the ecosystem," said Alexander.
"The pathogen had not been reported previously in Botswana, with the exception of one cow more than a quarter of a century ago.
"We looked at public health records dating back to 1974 and there were no records of any human cases of leptospirosis. Doctors said they were not expecting to see the disease in patients. They were not aware that the pathogen occurred in the country."
Alexander conducted a long-term study of human, wildlife and environmental health in the Chobe District of Northern Botswana, an area that includes the Chobe National Park, forest reserves and surrounding villages.
"This pathogen can infect many animals, both wild and domestic, including dogs," said Jobbins. "Banded mongoose is likely not the only species infected."
The researchers worked to understand how people, animals and the environment are connected, including the potential for diseases to move between humans and wildlife.
"Diseases such as leptospirosis that have been around for a very long time are often overlooked amid the hunt for the next newly emerging disease," Alexander said.
Leptospirosis was first described in 1886, said Jobbins, "but we still know little about its occurrence in Africa."
With the new identification of leptospirosis in Botswana, Alexander is concerned about the public health threat it may pose to the immunocompromised population there. Some 25 percent of 15- to 49-year-olds are HIV positive.
"In much of Africa, people die without a cause being determined," she said.
"Leptospirosis is likely affecting human populations in this region. But without knowledge that the organism is present in the environment, overburdened public health officials are unlikely to identify clinical cases in humans, particularly if the supporting diagnostics are not easily accessible."
The researchers looked for Leptospira interrogans in archived kidneys collected from banded mongoose that had been found dead from a variety of causes. Of the sampled mongoose, 43 percent tested positive for the pathogen.
"Given this high prevalence in the mongoose, we believe that Botswana possesses an as-yet-unidentified burden of human leptospirosis," said Jobbins.
"There is an urgent need to look for this disease in people who have clinical signs consistent with infection."
Because banded mongoose have an extended range across sub-Saharan Africa, the results have important implications for public health beyond Botswana.
"Investigating exposure in other wildlife, and assessing what species act as carriers, is essential for improving our understanding of human, wildlife, and domestic animal risk of leptospirosis in this ecosystem," the scientists write in their paper.
The paper also cites predictions that the region will become more arid, concentrating humans and animals around limited water supplies and increasing the potential for disease transmission.
"Infectious diseases, particularly those that can be transmitted from animals, often occur where people are more vulnerable to environmental change and have less access to public health services," said Alexander.
"That's particularly true in Africa. While we're concerned about emerging diseases that might threaten public health--the next new pandemic--we need to be careful that we don't drop the ball and stop pursuing important diseases like leptospirosis."
Alexander is working to identify immediate research and management actions--in particular, alerting frontline medical practitioners and public health officials to the potential for leptospirosis in humans.
###
The research was also funded by the WildiZe Foundation. Jobbins and Sanderson were supported in part by Virginia Tech's Fralin Life Science Institute.
-NSF-
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
May 13, 2013 ? Scientists have developed techniques for the genetic improvement of sunflowers using a non-GMO based approach. The new technology platform can harness the plant's own genes to improve characteristics of sunflower, develop genetic traits, which will improve its role as an important oilseed crop.
The work was led by Dr Manash Chatterjee, an Adjunct Faculty member of Botany and Plant Science at NUI Galway, and has been published in the journal BMC Plant Biology.
Among oilseed crops, sunflowers are one of the most important sources of edible vegetable oil for human consumption worldwide. Sunflower and other oilseed crops are the source of the vast majority of vegetable oil used for cooking and food processing. The oils are also for industrial processes such as making soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, paints and biofuels.
Dr Chatterjee is currently a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) ETS Walton Fellow at NUI Galway, collaborating with the SFI Genetics and Biotechnology Lab of Professor Charles Spillane. Dr Chatterjee's research uses an approach called TILLING (Targeting Induced Lesions In The Genome), an established non-GM method for creating and discovering new traits in plants.
According to Dr Chatterjee: "Over the centuries, the sunflower has been cultivated for traits such as yield. However, along the way many useful genetic variations have been lost. This new technology allows us to pinpoint key genetic information relating to various useful traits in the sunflower, including wild sunflower species. It gives us a method to quickly create variability for further breeding to enhance the quantity, quality and natural performance of the crop. In this era of increasing global food crisis and changing climatic regimes, such ability is highly desirable."
The research breakthrough was part of a collaborative project between Bench Bio (India), URGV Lab INRA (France), NUI Galway Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre (Ireland) and Advanta Seeds Argentina. NUI Galway PhD student Anish PK Kumar has been working on the technology platform development as a component of his PhD research studies.
Dr Chatterjee is also involved in research in the NUI Galway Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC) to improve the bioenergy crop Miscanthus. Also known as elephant grass, miscanthus is one of a new generation of renewable energy crops that can be converted into renewable energy by being burned in biomass power stations.
Earlier today, we noticed a stream of tweets from writers covering the open portion of Monday?s first OTA practice for the Eagles under coach Chip Kelly.? Many were pointing out the music blaring while the players put in work.
The folks at CrossingBroad.com have listed the entire 24-tune soundtrack, giving the zealous Eagles fans the recipe for the ultimate iPod playlist.
From AC/DC?s Thunderstruck to Van Halen?s Panama to Duran Duran?s Hungry Like The Wolf to 2Pac?s California Love to Haddaway?s What Is Love? to the current Icona Pop hit I Love It, there?s an apparent method to Kelly?s evident madness.
?There?s a lot of science behind it but I?ve got 12 minutes left in this thing so I can?t really get into the details of it but there?s some science behind it,? Kelly told reporters after practice.? ?We?ve used it for a while.?
Kelly said that his penchant for up-tempo practices started long ago, at the lower levels of college football.
?It started when we were at New Hampshire and then as I moved to Oregon, it was a little different when I was a coordinator and then changed a little bit more when I became the head coach,? Kelly said.? ?We want to be efficient in our time, we don?t want to be on the field for a long time, want to maximize the time we?re on the field, and obviously you see us go from tempo periods to teach periods, there?s a rhyme or reason to what we?re doing, time on task versus time teaching, and I think there?s a good balance of that.? We want to get them in and get them out.? But we also have to get a certain amount of work in.?
But it?s not non-stop action.? Kelly explained that the goal is to simulate real football.
?Obviously we know we can?t practice full speed for the entire time we?re out there, so it?s got to be short bursts, but the game of football is short bursts,? Kelly said.? ?It?s really an anaerobic sport when you look at it, because you?re going hard for five to six seconds and then you?re taking a break, and that?s what we?re trying to get accomplished with these guys.?
Through it all, the music will be playing.? It?s a phenomenon that is spreading through the NFL, and if/when teams like the Jaguars and Eagles have success with it, it will spread even more.
Self-assured entrepreneurs are more likely to act against their own pro-environmental values
This news release is available in German.
They promise to do their bit for the environment and stick eco labels on their products. But sooner or later someone will point out that they sell products that are pesticide-ridden or that contain palm oil sourced from endangered rainforests. Did the entrepreneurs reach their decision after a rational cost/benefit analysis? Or does unconscious behavior play a bigger role in entrepreneurial decision-making than is often assumed? What are the triggers that cause entrepreneurs to act against their own values? To find the answers to these questions, economic researchers from Technische Universitt Mnchen (TUM), Indiana University, and Oklahoma State University presented a range of scenarios to around 100 German business founders.
For the task, the entrepreneurs were asked to assess a variety of business opportunities against a number of attributes. They were asked first of all to assess the attractiveness of a particular business opportunity. They were also asked to make a set of judgments in the context of environmental impact, respect for nature, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived business climate. Using the interconnected variables of this conjoint experiment, the researchers were able to draw conclusions on how various cognitive processes influence decision-making.
The research team found that even entrepreneurs with a strong respect for nature made decisions with a harmful effect on the environment. These decisions were not reached on the basis of any conscious process, however. "We found that the research subjects unconsciously adjusted the relationship between their values and their actions - with the effect that their actions seemed to coincide once more with their values," explains Prof. Holger Patzelt of the Chair of Entrepreneurship at TUM.
The researchers noted, however, that not all of the entrepreneurs displayed this disengagement of pro-environmental values. What these entrepreneurs had in common was a high level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and a challenging business climate. According to the received theory up to now, entrepreneurs with low self-efficacy were thought more likely to experience a conflict with their own values.
Holger Patzelt comments further on the findings of the "I care about nature, but ..." study: "Entrepreneurs with very high entrepreneurial self-efficacy want to exert influence. This makes them more likely to disengage from values that limit their options. The same principle applies to an unfavorable industry environment, for example if the company is facing sharp competition. In such situations, too, company bosses believe that everything hinges on their decisions."
Meanwhile, the researchers' findings could be used to good effect in environmental legislation. "Law-makers could pass stronger regulations in industries prone to challenging economic climates with a view to protecting the environment," suggests Patzelt. For the entrepreneurs themselves, the findings on unconscious decision-making mechanisms could help them gain more insight into their own business strategies. Last but not least, the researchers hope that their work will help to improve the structure of training. "Up to now, economics courses have placed an emphasis on turning out budding entrepreneurs with a high degree of entrepreneurial self-efficacy," remarks Patzelt.
"Now we know that this strategy can also have undesired consequences."
###
Publication:
Shepherd, D. A., Patzelt, H., & Baron, R. A. Early Online Publication. "I care about nature, but ...": Disengaging values in assessing opportunities that cause harm. Academy of Management Journal.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Dr. Holger Patzelt
Technische Universitt Mnchen
Chair of Entrepreneurship
T: +49 89 289 26749
E: patzelt@tum.de
W: http://www.ent.wi.tum.de
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
'I care about nature, but ...'Public release date: 13-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Self-assured entrepreneurs are more likely to act against their own pro-environmental values
This news release is available in German.
They promise to do their bit for the environment and stick eco labels on their products. But sooner or later someone will point out that they sell products that are pesticide-ridden or that contain palm oil sourced from endangered rainforests. Did the entrepreneurs reach their decision after a rational cost/benefit analysis? Or does unconscious behavior play a bigger role in entrepreneurial decision-making than is often assumed? What are the triggers that cause entrepreneurs to act against their own values? To find the answers to these questions, economic researchers from Technische Universitt Mnchen (TUM), Indiana University, and Oklahoma State University presented a range of scenarios to around 100 German business founders.
For the task, the entrepreneurs were asked to assess a variety of business opportunities against a number of attributes. They were asked first of all to assess the attractiveness of a particular business opportunity. They were also asked to make a set of judgments in the context of environmental impact, respect for nature, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived business climate. Using the interconnected variables of this conjoint experiment, the researchers were able to draw conclusions on how various cognitive processes influence decision-making.
The research team found that even entrepreneurs with a strong respect for nature made decisions with a harmful effect on the environment. These decisions were not reached on the basis of any conscious process, however. "We found that the research subjects unconsciously adjusted the relationship between their values and their actions - with the effect that their actions seemed to coincide once more with their values," explains Prof. Holger Patzelt of the Chair of Entrepreneurship at TUM.
The researchers noted, however, that not all of the entrepreneurs displayed this disengagement of pro-environmental values. What these entrepreneurs had in common was a high level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and a challenging business climate. According to the received theory up to now, entrepreneurs with low self-efficacy were thought more likely to experience a conflict with their own values.
Holger Patzelt comments further on the findings of the "I care about nature, but ..." study: "Entrepreneurs with very high entrepreneurial self-efficacy want to exert influence. This makes them more likely to disengage from values that limit their options. The same principle applies to an unfavorable industry environment, for example if the company is facing sharp competition. In such situations, too, company bosses believe that everything hinges on their decisions."
Meanwhile, the researchers' findings could be used to good effect in environmental legislation. "Law-makers could pass stronger regulations in industries prone to challenging economic climates with a view to protecting the environment," suggests Patzelt. For the entrepreneurs themselves, the findings on unconscious decision-making mechanisms could help them gain more insight into their own business strategies. Last but not least, the researchers hope that their work will help to improve the structure of training. "Up to now, economics courses have placed an emphasis on turning out budding entrepreneurs with a high degree of entrepreneurial self-efficacy," remarks Patzelt.
"Now we know that this strategy can also have undesired consequences."
###
Publication:
Shepherd, D. A., Patzelt, H., & Baron, R. A. Early Online Publication. "I care about nature, but ...": Disengaging values in assessing opportunities that cause harm. Academy of Management Journal.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Dr. Holger Patzelt
Technische Universitt Mnchen
Chair of Entrepreneurship
T: +49 89 289 26749
E: patzelt@tum.de
W: http://www.ent.wi.tum.de
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 14-May-2013
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