Bile acids, which are synthesized from cholesterol by the liver, are chemically transformed along the intestinal tract by the gut microbiota, and the products of these transformations signal through host receptors, affecting overall host health. These transformations include bile acid deconjugation, oxidation, and 7α-dehydroxylation. An understanding of the biogeography of bile acid transformations in the gut is critical because deconjugation is a prerequisite for 7α-dehydroxylation and because most gut microorganisms harbor bile acid transformation capacity. Here, we used a coupled metabolomic and metaproteomic approach to probe in vivo activity of the gut microbial community in a gnotobiotic mouse model. Results revealed the involvement of Clostridium scindens in 7α-dehydroxylation, of the genera Muribaculum and Bacteroides in deconjugation, and of six additional organisms in oxidation (the genera Clostridium, Muribaculum, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Acutalibacter, and Akkermansia). Furthermore, the bile acid profile in mice with a more complex microbiota, a dysbiosed microbiota, or no microbiota was considered. For instance, conventional mice harbor a large diversity of bile acids, but treatment with an antibiotic such as clindamycin results in the complete inhibition of 7α-dehydroxylation, underscoring the strong inhibition of organisms that are capable of carrying out this process by this compound. Finally, a comparison of the hepatic bile acid pool size as a function of microbiota revealed that a reduced microbiota affects host signaling but not necessarily bile acid synthesis. In this study, bile acid transformations were mapped to the associated active microorganisms, offering a systematic characterization of the relationship between microbiota and bile acid composition.

Political Opposition and Policy Alternatives in Zambia 31 October 2017 — 10:30AM TO 11:30AM Anonymous (not verified) 19 October 2017 Chatham House, London

In Zambia’s 2016 national election, the Patriotic Front (PF) was re-elected by a narrow margin. The PF’s Edgar Lungu secured 50.35 per cent of the vote according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, narrowly avoiding a second round, while his main rival, Hakainde Hichilema, won 47.67 per cent. The UPND, led by Mr Hichilema, alleges electoral fraud and has challenged the result in the courts and through direct protests. Mr Hichilema was imprisoned for 100 days.

At this meeting, Hakainde Hichilema will discuss his UPND priorities, how to strengthen opposition parties and their role in Zambia’s democratic future.

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Improving Economic Management for Sustainable Growth in Zambia 13 July 2018 — 9:00AM TO 10:00AM Anonymous (not verified) 19 June 2018 Chatham House, London

THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED.

High levels of infrastructure investment funded by commercial loans, against a backdrop of subdued economic growth, resulted in an increase in Zambia’s public external debt from $8.7 billion in 2017 to $9.3 billion in March 2018.

In June 2018 Zambia’s Ministry of Finance announced new austerity measures aimed at reducing the country’s debt burden, as part of an ongoing reform agenda that is hoped to stabilise the economy.

In the meantime Zambia grapples with severe social and development challenges. Decreased spending in health, education and social protection, and poor access in rural areas, have already left Zambia ranked 139th out of 188 countries in the UNDP’s 2016 human development index.

At this meeting Margaret Mwanakatwe, minister of finance, discusses the government’s financial reform agenda, its engagement with creditors and IFIs, and plans for generating sustainable growth and job creation.

Zambia’s political and economic reform and recovery 5 November 2021 — 11:30AM TO 12:30PM Anonymous (not verified) 2 November 2021 Chatham House and Online

At this event, HE Hakainde Hichilema, president of the Republic of Zambia, discusses his vision for Zambia’s development and long-term political and economic reform and recovery.

Zambia’s new administration, following the general elections of August 2021, faces a daunting challenge of reversing economic contraction, lowering income-eroding inflation, and addressing the unsustainable national debt.

The country has been one of the few to seek debt restructuring under the G20’s new Common Framework for Debt Treatments, and its immediate priorities include a prospective agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Young Zambians are eager for jobs and improved living standards. But the government’s ambition to create more jobs and achieve middle-income status will depend on both attracting new investment into its copper sector and pursuing a programme of economic diversification supporting growth beyond the mining industry.

Addressing these economic concerns will also need to be supported by a programme of political reform and rehabilitation of citizens’ trust in the state.

President Joe Biden will hold a White House meeting with President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia on Tuesday to celebrate 75 years of U.S.-Indonesian relations and discuss ways to strengthen their countries' cooperation.

The bias may make it harder for depressed and anxious people to take a risk on a new relationship, job or other career opportunity.

After a summer of protests over racial injustice, school districts are embracing anti-bias programs. The problem is: Few studies show they work.

The principal advice column takes on communicating district decisions you disagree with, optimizing virtual lunch bunches, and more.

The CFP's annual love affair with the SEC appears finished. The latest rankings dropped a hammer on the mighty league where "it just means more."

FAO and China have signed a two-year tripartite cooperation agreement worth about N$10.5 million (US$1.5 million) that will boost the efforts of local farmers in Namibia. The agreement, which is [...]

Bagdad/Rome - FAO is scaling-up critical food and agriculture assistance to highly vulnerable rural households in Iraq thanks to a generous $14.7 million grant from Saudi Arabia. The donation is [...]

I am convinced that the only path to lasting peace in Colombia consists of dialogue, negotiation, cooperation, inclusion and fairness – which is also the high road to sustainable development [...]

Building captive colonies for eventual re-introduction to the wild, scientists from Atlanta rescue endangered frogs and other amphibians threatened with extinction by a fatal fungus spreading through South American forests

How can something like a tiny, harmless spider or a clown make your heart race and your palms sweat? And for the love of all things science, how can you make these fears stop? Find out in this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze delves deep into the dark recesses of our minds to get at the facts behind our phobias.

Four hundred years ago, escaped slaves formed the village of Palenque. The town’s younger generations have reconnected with their African roots through cultural traditions handed down from their ancestors (Kenneth Fletcher/SmithsonianMag.com). Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatches.html

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatches.html In Valledupar, Colombia, Turco Gil operates a school to teach local children how to play vallenato music. Listen to Juan David Atencia, a blind 9-year-old prodigy play the accordion.

The bone, described two decades after its discovery, suggests the species might have grown up to 20 percent bigger than other terror birds

SOLIDWORKS and COSMOS analysis software help legendary Italian manufacturer speed innovations to market

Saudi Arabia has been burning through its currency reserves amid the fall in oil prices. Is the economy heading toward peril or will reforms save the day?

Ethnomusicologists visited a North African country to help local singers and a Sudanese Nubian believer write a worship song in his language and style.

Walvis Bay, Namibia:: The Vice President of Namibia officially opens Logos Hope as she visits the country.

A new missions experience in Namibia is not as much a programme as it is a journey.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA's Africa logistics unit will invest as much as €40 million in Namibia by 2030 to benefit from growing oil, gas and renewable energy developments.

OM EAST is publishing Rodney “Gypsy” Smith’s autobiography to help inspire Roma believers in Serbia.

After years of work and anticipation, Gypsy Smith has been published in Serbian, a cause for rejoicing in a Roma church in Serbia.

In a village in Serbia, OM workers see Roma believers reaching Roma, encouraging them to let God put a new song in their mouths.

As expected, the Education Department has delayed a rule that would require states to take a standardized approach in evaluating districts for minority bias in special education.

Schools are not preparing students to enter an increasingly diverse world, writes high school senior Zoë Jenkins.

When a student noticed that no one was teaching her classmates about racism, she took matters into her own hands, Catherine Gewertz reports.

Penn State Greater Allegheny hosted its Spring 2024 Undergraduate Student Research and Creativity Conference, highlighting students’ findings in topics they explored with faculty mentors.

Short-term outreach in the Arabian Peninsula provides cultural exposure and missions experience for visitors from around the world.

Muslim background believers in the Arabian Peninsula experience healing and visions in their journey to faith.

OM MENA writer Nicole James experiences Arab hospitality when she accepts a same-day wedding invitation.

OM workers in the Arabian Peninsula talk about tensions they encounter as they live, work and serve.

Children adapt their attitudes toward reading to conform to their classmates' perceived gender stereotypes, in ways that put boys at a disadvantage, according to a new study in the journal Child Development.

The way education media and policymakers frame education debates can have longer-term effects on how the public thinks about students, and which policies they are likely to support to improve students' learning.

Saudi Arabia announced that it was replacing the chief executive of its futuristic mega-city NEOM as scepticism mounts over the Gulf kingdom's most ambitious development projects.

Sewage surveillance is emerging as a crucial method in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to new research from Virginia Tech. Published in Nature Water, the study demonstrates that monitoring wastewater provides a more efficient and comprehensive approach to tracking antibiotic-resistant bacteria than testing individuals. This method holds particular promise for underserved communities, where access to healthcare is limited, and AMR-related diseases are most prevalent. The research team, led by experts such as Dr. Leigh-Anne Krometis and Dr. Marc Edwards, explored sewage samples from 62 countries and found significant correlations between AMR levels and socioeconomic factors, such as healthcare accessibility. By examining wastewater, public health officials could gain early insights into AMR spread, allowing them to take targeted actions to protect vulnerable populations. This approach could revolutionise AMR monitoring, particularly in rural and low-income areas, where AMR poses a growing threat.

Saudi Arabia announced that it was replacing the chief executive of its futuristic mega-city NEOM as scepticism mounts over the Gulf kingdom's most ambitious development projects.

NEW CASTLE (2 de Noviembre, 2022) – La División de Servicios de Manutención de Niños (DCSS) anunció hoy una nueva asociación con TD Bank. A partir del 14 de Noviembre de 2022, los cheques en papel de la División de Servicios de Manutención Infantil ya no se emitirán en PNC Bank. El Jueves 20 de […]

Research by fDi Intelligence reveals which countries receive more than their ‘expected share’ of FDI. 

Serbia’s minister of finance, Siniša Mali, explains why the country is one of Europe's economic stars, and how its FDI levels have risen on the back of this.

Foreign investment into Serbia is growing at a healthy pace thanks to its attractive automotive manufacturing industry and highly regarded free zones.

Serbia’s technology cluster is gaining momentum and attracting FDI, for both its software and hardware expertise.

Serbia’s 15 free zones are driving forward an ongoing flurry of foreign investment in the country’s buoyant manufacturing scene, especially in automotives.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 identifies mining as a key component of the Kingdom’s industry strategy. This will open major opportunities for Australian companies in the mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.

Huge crowds of antigovernment protesters Saturday encircled the Serbian state television building in downtown Belgrade to press their demand for autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic to ease his tight grip on the mainstream media and allow alternative voices. Tens of thousands of opposition supporters, some chanting slogans urging Vucic's resignation, streamed into the rain-drenched streets a day after the president's followers staged an equally big rally in the capital. Most of his supporters were bused into the capital from all over Serbia and some neighboring states. Outside the RTS TV headquarters, the crowds blew whistles and booed loudly. They say that according to the laws, state TV should be unbiased as a public broadcaster, but that it has been openly pro-government. Held for the fourth time since the early May shootings, the opposition-led protests appear to be shaping up into the biggest revolt against Vucic's autocratic rule during his over 10 years in power. The rallies initially erupted in response to two back-to-back mass shootings earlier this month that left 18 people dead and 20 wounded, many of them children from an elementary school. Other protest demands include the resignations of top officials and the revoking of licenses for pro-government media that air violent content and host crime figures and war criminals. Vucic has accused the opposition of abusing the shooting tragedy for political ends. Earlier Saturday, he stepped down from the helm of his populist party amid plans to form a wider political movement. Vucic named his close ally, Milos Vucevic, the current defense minister, as his successor. Holding umbrellas amid heavy rain Saturday, the protesters walked slowly around the RTS television building in central Belgrade, completely covering the streets in the entire area. Many held flowers in memory of the slain children and wore badges reading "vulture" or "hyena," mocking the expressions that officials used to describe the protesters. Vucic has said the new, national movement will be formed in June to include other parties, experts and prominent individuals and promote unity. Analysts say it is a bid to regroup amid mounting public pressure. Critics say the movement could lead to single-party rule, more or less as the case in Vladimir Putin's Russia, which Vucic supports. During the rally Friday, Vucic offered dialogue as he seeks ways to ease mounting public pressure. Opposition parties have pledged to press on with the demonstrations until their demands are fulfilled. They include the ouster of the interior minister and the intelligence chief; the revocation of nationwide broadcast licenses for two pro-government TV stations; and the dismissal of a media-monitoring body. "If they don't fulfill (the demands) we are not leaving from here," said Milica Tomic, a Belgrade resident. "We will be here, if it need be, every day, every week, whenever."