Apr 112014
 
Lab clue to caffeine benefit on Alzheimer’s

©Lasse Kristensen/shutterstock.com (PARIS-AFP) – French and German researchers on Wednesday said they had found evidence in the lab to back theories that drinking caffeine has a preventive effect on Alzheimer’s disease. In mice, regular doses of caffeine inhibited the growth of tau, a protein that clogs brain cells in Alzheimer’s patients, they said. The discovery was made among mice that had been genetically modified to produce tau. They were given a tiny dose of caffeine — 0.3 grammes per litre (0.005 ounces per pint) — in their drinking water over 10 months. This is roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee per day for human beings. The mice were compared with an identical group of “tau” rodents which did not get the caffeine dose. “Mice that were given caffeine were less affected in terms of memory and tau buildup but also in terms of inflammation of the brain tissue,” said David Blum of France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). Previous research has found that older people are less likely to suffer cognitive decline if they take regular, moderate amounts of caffeine. Experiments have also found that caffeine slows memory loss in mice bred to develop so-called amyloid plaques — another compound buildup in the brain that is associated with Alzheimer’s. The study appears in the US journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Aug 252013
 
Gov’t to roll out P53-B foreign-assisted projects

MANILA, Philippines – The government plans to roll out P53.297 billion worth of foreign assisted projects (FAPs) next year, 36.47 percent higher than this year’s P39.04 billion. According to Department of Finance data, the Philippines is seen to receive P29.11 billion worth of donor financing in 2014, an increase of 11.75 percent from the expected P26.05 billion this year. Japan remains the largest source of financial aid with P14.31 billion, 36.5 percent more than this year’s P10.48 billion. Of the programmed FAPs, P23.87 billion would come from counterpart funds while P169.16 million will be in the form of grants. The Japanese government extends financial support through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan Export-Import Bank, and Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The Asian Development Bank is the second largest donor for FAPs with P5.5 billion. It is one of the country’s biggest sources of dollar-denominated program loans. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Korea is extending P3.38 billion while the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing P2.84 billion. France is contributing P2 billion while Italy is lending P424.5 million. Most of the FAPs are infrastructure-related which include the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, expressways, airports and railways. The government has been scaling up infra spending to further pump-prime the local economy. Other projects cover flood control, water irrigation and food production.  Other funds would go to the development of sub-specialty center for heart, lung and kidney diseases in Luzon and Visayas. The rest of the loans are distributed Read More …

Jun 152013
 
EU gets deal on trans-Atlantic trade pact

LUXEMBOURG– The European Union worked around French objections on Friday to agree on a free trade negotiating mandate for sweeping talks with the United States that President Barack Obama wants to officially open next week.  Under Friday’s deal, trade ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg agreed to France’s demand to keep its movie and television industry out of the hotly anticipated trans-Atlantic talks. But, they said they could possibly come back to debate it at a later time, meaning the deeply divisive issue could resurface.  The outcome should allow Obama and his EU counterparts to announce the start of negotiations for a deal expected to provide a big boost to growth and jobs by eliminating tariffs and other barriers that have long plagued economic relations. A free trade pact would create a market with common standards and regulations across countries that together account for nearly half the global economy. France’s longstanding objections, which turned a simple ministerial meeting into a 12-hour negotiating marathon, showed the challenges ahead. Within the EU alone, there is a rift with some nations big on protecting struggling sectors with subsidies and more pro-free-trade member states. Beyond the audiovisual sector, major problems are expected to emerge over agriculture and transport. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Friday night though, Finland’s European Affairs Minister Alexander Stubb tweeted optimistically about the prospect of trans-Atlantic negotiations: “Play ball!” he wrote. All other EU nations have vowed to protect the culture industry as well, but the large Read More …

May 302013
 
Tourist arrivals up by 10%

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign visitor arrivals soared in the first four months of the year with a 10.12-percent increase from the same period in 2012, the Department of Tourism (DOT) noted on Thursday. The state agency said a total of 1,649,458 foreigners visited the country from January-April, with January yielding the largest volume of 436,079 visitors and February posting the highest growth of 15.52 percent. The figure represents 30 percent of the target arrivals for 2013, DOT added. Bringing the most number of visitors was Korea with 406,595 or a market share of 24.65 percent and growth of 23.08 percent. This was followed by the United States with 246,011 visitors or a 14.91-percent share, Japan (148,950 or 9.03), China (132,307 or 8.02 percent), Australia (72,015 or 4.37 percent) and Taiwan (53,867 or 4.24 percent). Rounding out the top sources of foreign visitors are Singapore with 55,096 (15.90 percent), Canada with 50,352 (4.25 percent), Hong Kong with 45,734 (12.87 percent), United Kingdom with 43,055 (3.10 percent), Malaysia with 35,069 (8.36 percent) and Germany with 28,799 (9.16% percent). Other source markets with double-digit gains include Russia (30.33 percent), India (23.13 percent) and France (20.10 percent), DOT said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “This growth is an affirmation of our various marketing and destination development activities, strengthened by partnerships with the various stakeholders. While the upsurge may primarily be attributed to the summer season, it is also a clear indication that the nation has galvanized its reputation as an Read More …

May 292013
 
DFA: PHL not blacklisted by France for lack of transparency on foreign aid

The Philippines was not blacklisted by France due to supposedly lack of transparency in foreign aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified Wednesday. In a text message, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the information that the Philippines was included by France on the list of “non-cooperative states” in its fight against foreign aid fraud was “totally inaccurate.” “We have, in fact, been informed that there is a new list and this list does not include the Philippines,” Del Rosario said. He added that the “mistake” on the Philippines’ blacklisting only arose from a French civil servant’s statements published on a French newspaper. On Tuesday, news reports quoted French minister for aids to development Pascal Canfin as saying that the 14 states and territories, including the Philippines, have been blacklisted by France due to lack of transparency in dealing with foreign aid. Del Rosario said that the French foreign ministry has already made a “full denial” on this “misinformation” concerning the Philippines. — Andreo Calonzo and Michaela del Callar/RSJ, GMA News

May 292013
 
Group slams Palace plan on alternative fishing grounds

By Frances Mangosing INQURER.net 3:00 pm | Wednesday, May 29th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – The alternative fishing grounds that Malacañang claimed they will soon identify for Filipino fishermen affected by current tensions in the West Philippine Sea do not exist, a fisherfolk group said on Wednesday. “The country with 7,101 islands and separated by bodies of water is the entire fishing area of 1.3 million fishermen. So what alternative fishing grounds Malacañang are referring to?” Salvador France, vice chairperson of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a statement. France blasted the Palace statement as “irresponsible and mind-blowing statement.” In reality, he said Malacañang through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources had been planning to impose a nationwide fish ban. France said that 10 of the 13 fishing grounds identified as Lingayen Gulf, northern Zambales, Visayan Sea, Camotes Sea, Honda Bay, Babuyan Channel, Lagonoy Gulf, Sorsogon Bay, Hinatuan and Dinagat Bay and Davao Gulf were mapped out to execute fish ban to pave way for the government’s stock assessment program. On Tuesday, deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the Aquino administration will soon identify “alternative fishing grounds” for Filipino fishermen so as not to exacerbate tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).It will also beef up its maritime assets to establish “a minimum credible defense” in the hotly contested West Philippine Sea. She added that the Aquino administration will continue to employ its “nonengagement policy” on the issue of the disputed waters of the Read More …

Apr 152013
 
PNP chief Purisima off to Interpol conference in France

By Jamie Elona INQUIRER.net 7:12 pm | Monday, April 15th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Philippine National Police chief, Director General Alan Purisima, left the country Monday to represent the Philippines in an annual conference of the Interpol in France that seeks to strengthen member countries in dealing with new crime challenges. Joining Purisima to attend the 9thannual heads of Interpol national central bureaus (NCBs) in Lyon, France from April 17 to 19 are Police Director Napoleon Estilles, PNP director for Plans, and Superintendent Lorenzo Eleazar of the Office of the Chief PNP. Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO The three-man PNP delegation will also attend the group discussions of regional NCBs on specific topics from a regional perspective. “It is a great honor for me to represent the country in this annual meeting among Interpol-member countries,” Purisima said. The PNP is the NCB of the Interpol in the Philippines. In his absence, Purisima designated his 2nd in command, Deputy Director General Rommel Heredia, PNP deputy chief for Administration, as officer-in-charge.