- Electric Chopsticks Could Help Cut Salt Intake Without Making Food Bland
- Hepatitis Outbreak: Where has the Mystery Strain that has Killed at least One Child been Detected?
- Crabs and Lobsters may Get Similar Rights to Mammals in UK Experiments
- Trove of Tumour Genomes Offers Clues to Cancer Origins
- La Digue: The Seychelles' Tropical Biking Paradise – article with video
- Ajvar: The Vegan 'Caviar' of the Balkans
Electric Chopsticks Could Help Cut Salt Intake Without Making Food Bland
電筷子在無損食物美味的情形下，能有助減少鹽份攝取量
Health
Typical Japanese cooking ingredients like miso and soy sauce mean diets in the Pacific island nation can be high in sodium. The average Japanese adult consumes 10 grams of salt a day, double the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Electric chopsticks that make food taste saltier could offer dieters a way to cut sodium without sacrificing flavour, Japanese researchers have claimed. Users hook the chopsticks up to a wrist-mounted computer module that generates a weak electric current. The wavelength of the current attracts the sodium ions in food and draws them to the chopsticks, making food seem saltier even when it contains less sodium. --from Euronews
典型的日式調味品，如味噌和醬油，顯示此太平洋島國的飲食含鈉量頗高。日本成年人平均每天攝入10克鹽，是世界衛生組織 (WHO) 建議限量的兩倍。日本研究人員聲稱：使食物嚐起來更鹹的電筷提供一個不需犧牲美味便能為控制飲食者減鈉的方法。使用者將筷子連接到手腕上的電腦模組，該模組會發出微弱的電流。電流的波長會吸引食物中的鈉離子，並將其導向筷子；即使鈉含量較少，食物似乎變得更鹹。 --摘錄翻譯自Euronews
Hepatitis Outbreak: Where has the Mystery Strain that has Killed at least One Child been Detected?
肝炎爆發：造成至少一名兒童死亡的神祕病毒株於何處被驗出？
Health
At least one child has died after falling ill from a mysterious outbreak of acute hepatitis that has infected children in 10 European countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed. As of April 21, there had been at least 169 cases of "unknown origin" around the world, 114 cases had been reported in United Kingdom. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 77 percent of acute hepatitis cases tested positive for adenovirus. "As it is not usual to see this pattern of disease from adenovirus, we are actively investigating other possible contributing factors, such as another infection (including COVID-19) or an environmental cause. There is no link to the COVID-19 vaccine," the UKHSA said, adding that none of the confirmed cases in the UK so far have been vaccinated. --from Euronews
世界衛生組織（WHO）證實，已有10個歐洲國家兒童感染了這個謎樣爆發的急性肝炎，至少有一名兒童染病死亡。截至4月21日，全球至少已有169 例起源不明的病例，其中英國佔了114 例。根據英國衛生安全局（UKHSA）調查，77%的急性肝炎病例檢測驗出為腺病毒。衛生安全局表示：「由於腺病毒引發這種疾病的模式並不尋常，我們正在積極調查其他可能的成因，例如另一種感染（包括 COVID-19）或環境因素。」UKHSA補充說明：「這與COVID-19疫苗並無關聯，英國目前的確診病例都沒有接種疫苗，」 --摘錄翻譯自Euronews
Crabs and Lobsters may Get Similar Rights to Mammals in UK Experiments
在英國的實驗中，螃蟹和龍蝦可能會獲得與哺乳動物類似的權利
Sciences
Exclusive: Guardian learns sentience law could mean strict welfare rules extended to crustaceans and decapods. There are few restrictions on how crustaceans and decapods can be treated in scientific studies, in contrast with mice and other mammals, for which there are strict welfare laws. But this could be about to change, Home Office sources said after crabs and lobsters were recognized as sentient beings which could feel pain. The new legislation, which is awaiting royal consent after being approved by parliament this month, means ministers must consider the sentience of animals when implementing policy. This could result in restrictions on how crabs and lobsters can be treated when experimented on. --from The Guardian
獨家：《衛報》獲悉感知法可能意味著嚴格的福利規則將延伸到甲殼類動物和十足類動物。在科學研究中，相較於有嚴格福利法的老鼠和其他哺乳動物，如何對待甲殼類動物和十足類動物的限制寥寥無幾。但這可能即將改變，內政部消息來源指出，螃蟹和龍蝦被認定是有痛覺意識的生物。這項新法案在本月獲得議會批准後，正在等待王室同意。這意味著部長們在實施政策同時，必須考慮動物的感知能力。如此可能會對「進行實驗時如何對待螃蟹和龍蝦」造成限制。 --摘錄翻譯自The Guardian
Trove of Tumour Genomes Offers Clues to Cancer Origins
豐富的腫瘤基因組提供癌症起因的線索
Sciences
By sifting through hundreds of millions of mutations lurking in the genomes of more than 12,000 tumours, researchers have identified patterns of DNA changes that could offer clues to the genetic and environmental causes of cancer. The study, published in Science on 21 April, is the largest of its kind. It adds dozens of entries to the growing catalogue of ‘mutational signatures’ that accompany cancer, and could, in some cases, help clinicians to select the best treatments for individuals. Andrea Degasperi, a computational biologist at the University of Cambridge and a co- author on the study, hopes these studies will eventually lead to cancer treatments that are tailored to individual people. --from Nature news
經由改變潛藏在12,000多個腫瘤基因組中的數億個突變，研究人員發現了能給遺傳及環境致癌成因提供線索的DNA改變模式。此研究於4月21日發表在《科學》雜誌上，是同類研究中規模最大的。它為持續增加的伴隨癌症之「突變特徵」目錄中增添了數十筆資料；且在某些情況下，也能協助臨床醫師為個案選擇最佳治療方式。劍橋大學計算生物學家、該研究的合著者 Andrea Degasperi希望這些研究最終能成為癌症個案治療的指引。 --摘錄翻譯自Nature news
La Digue: The Seychelles' Tropical Biking Paradise – article with video
拉迪格島：塞席爾的熱帶單車天堂
Culture
La Digue is arguably one of the most well-known of the 115 islands in the Seychelles. It attracts thousands of tourists each year to Anse Source d'Argent, often called the most photographed beach in the world due to its imposing boulders reminiscent of prehistoric times, an ideal backdrop to Hollywood films and commercials. Besides, bird watchers from all over come to witness the rare sighting of the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher bird, an endangered species endemic to the Seychelles. But perhaps the island's less well-known marvel is its lack of cars, and how the Digueois have managed to limit traffic in order to protect the pristine beauty of their 10 sq km territory. La Digue has now placed a moratorium on building new tourism establishments until 2023, in an effort to preserve the local natural resources. --from BBC news, article with video
拉迪格島大概是塞席爾115個島嶼裡最知名的一座。每年它都吸引了數千名遊客到Anse Source d'Argent，此處因如同史前時期的宏偉巨石景觀，常被譽為全球出鏡率最高的海灘，是好來塢電影與廣告的理想場景。也有少數自世界各地前來目擊珍稀的塞席爾黑天堂鶲（ㄨㄥ，一種瀕危的塞席爾特有種）的鳥類觀察者。但或許這座島較鮮為人知的奇跡是它缺乏汽車，及拉迪格人如何成功限制交通，以保護他們原始又美麗的10平方公里領域。拉迪格島目前致力於保護當地自然資源，而暫停建造新旅遊設施至2023年。 --摘錄翻譯自BBC news，原文含影片
Ajvar: The Vegan 'Caviar' of the Balkans
紅椒醬：巴爾幹半島的素食「魚子醬」
Culture
The word "ajvar" comes from the Turkish word havyar, which means "caviar". According to some explanations, it bears that name because peppers and oil were expensive and considered a luxury in Belgrade at the end of the 19th Century and kafana (traditional Serbian eateries) marketed the orange spread on their menus as "red pepper caviar". Now, however, vegetables cost much less and thus ajvar is very affordable. Across the Balkans, ajvar has come to represent much more than just food; it's also a source of pride and comfort, and offers a sense of belonging. During autumn and winter, for example, people across the Balkans gather at ajvar festivals and ajvar-making competitions to celebrate the spread. Ajvar's appreciation is also apparent in the online world. --from BBC news
「紅椒醬」之名來自土耳其語havyar，其意為魚子醬。之所以有此名，源於在19世紀末的貝爾格勒，甜椒和油都很貴，且被視為奢侈品；而在kafana（傳統的塞爾維亞餐館）的菜單上以「紅椒魚子醬」來行銷此橘色抹醬。然而，現今蔬菜價格低廉許多，因此紅椒醬也變得平易近人。在巴爾幹半島，紅椒醬代表的遠超過食物，還是自豪和慰藉的來源，提供歸屬感。譬如在秋冬之際，巴爾幹半島的人們藉紅椒醬慶典或製作紅椒醬比賽來聚集慶賀此抹醬。對紅椒醬的喜愛在網絡世界也顯而易見。 --摘錄翻譯自BBC news