- Despite some gains, teens — especially girls — are still struggling with their mental health since the pandemic, report shows
- These vision-impaired Olympic stars rely on a ‘sixth sense’ when they compete
- Taylor Swift shows in Vienna canceled over alleged planned terrorist attack
- Disney may have a parks problem
- Blood tests could soon predict your risk of Alzheimer’s
- Second brain implant by Elon Musk’s Neuralink: will it fare better than the first?
Despite some gains, teens — especially girls — are still struggling with their mental health since the pandemic, report shows
報告顯示，儘管情況有所改善，但自從疫情大流行以來，青少年——尤其是女孩——仍在與心理健康作鬥爭
Health
The report, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which has been fielded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more than three decades as a way to measure the well-being of American high school students, found a two-point improvement in the percentage who said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness from 2021 to 2023, the most recent years measured by the survey. But overall, the outlook for teens is still pretty dark. In 2023, 40% of students who answered the survey said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. That metric was down from a high of 42% in 2021 but is still about 10 percentage points higher than it was a decade ago. In addition, 20% said they seriously considered suicide, up from 17% in 2013. Nine percent said they had attempted suicide; that’s down from a high of 10% in 2021, but still higher than the 8% reported in 2013. The latest round of the survey was completed by more than 20,000 students in grades nine through 12 from a nationally representative sample of 155 schools.
---from CNN
這份名為「青少年風險行為調查」的報告已由美國疾病管制與預防中心開展了三十多年，作為衡量美國高中生福祉的一種方式，該報告發現，從2021年到2023年這段時間，自稱持續感到悲傷或絕望的比例有了兩個百分點的改善。但整體而言，青少年的前景仍然相當暗淡。 2023年，40% 接受調查的學生表示，他們經歷了持續的悲傷或絕望感。該指標較2021年 42% 的高點有所下降，但仍比十年前高出約 10個百分點。 此外，20% 的人表示他們認真考慮過自殺，高於2013年的 17%。 9% 的人表示曾嘗試過自殺，這比2021年 10% 的高點有所下降，但仍高於2013年報告的 8%。 最新一輪調查是由來自全國155所學校的 20,000 多名 9 至 12 年級學生完成的。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
These vision-impaired Olympic stars rely on a ‘sixth sense’ when they compete
這些視障奧運明星在比賽時依靠“第六感”
Health
During the men’s gymnastics pommel horse finals at Saturday’s Olympics, pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik abandoned his glasses before he stepped up to the apparatus. He stuck the landing, feet squarely on the mat, capturing his second bronze medal of the Paris Games. Nedoroscik is not the only Olympic athlete with vision impairment who is excelling in their sport. Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen ditched his glasses before clinching the gold in the 800m freestyle on Tuesday. Gymnast Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, who won gold in the vault individual finals during the 2020 Tokyo Games and silver in Thursday’s individual all-around, has said she cannot see the apparatus that she is hurtling toward at full speed. Last week, Nedoroscik also helped the US men’s team end a 16-year team medal drought and win bronze in the finals. After his routine, he admitted to reporters that although he couldn’t see when he mounted the horse, he didn’t need to.
---from CNN
在周六奧運男子體操鞍馬決賽中，鞍馬專家Stephen Nedoroscik在走上器械前丟掉了眼鏡。 他雙腳完全踩在墊子上，落地，獲得了巴黎奧運會上的第二枚銅牌。 Nedoroscik並不是唯一一位在各自運動項目中表現出色的視力障礙奧運選手。週二，愛爾蘭游泳運動員Daniel Wiffen 在 800 公尺自由泳比賽中摘得金牌之前，摘下了眼鏡。巴西體操運動員Rebeca Andrade在 2020 年東京奧運會跳馬個人決賽中獲得金牌，並在周四的個人全能比賽中獲得銀牌，她表示，她當時正全速衝向那些她所看不清的器械。 上週Nedoroscik也幫助美國男隊結束了16年的團體獎牌荒，並在決賽中獲得銅牌。比賽結束後，他向記者坦言，雖然他在鞍馬時無法看清事物，但其實他也不真的需要看到。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
Taylor Swift shows in Vienna canceled over alleged planned terrorist attack
Taylor Swift維也納演出因涉嫌策劃恐怖攻擊而取消
Culture
Swift was scheduled to play three shows in the European city from Thursday to Saturday – which have all been canceled, according to Barracuda Music, the promoter for Swift’s concerts in Austria. “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” Barracuda Music said on Wednesday in a post online. Swift’s official website also listed the concerts as canceled. CNN has reached out to Taylor Swift’s representatives for a comment. Speaking at a press conference in the capital, police said a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, who they identified as a sympathizer of ISIS, was arrested Wednesday morning in Ternitz, lower Austria, while another arrest was made later in Vienna. They had become “radicalized by the internet,” with the 19-year-old pledging his allegiance to the leader of ISIS in July, police said. The two suspects had undertaken “concrete preparatory measures” for a terrorist attack after police suspected explosives were stored at the home of the suspect in Ternitz, authorities said. Police also said that chemical substances were secured at the home of the 19-year-old and were being evaluated, the Associated Press reported.
---from CNN
據Swift奧地利演唱會的發起人Barracuda Music公司稱，Swift原定於週四至週六在這座歐洲城市舉行三場演出，但這些演出都已取消。 Barracuda Music週三在網上發帖稱：“政府官員確認Ernst Happel體育場發生了計劃中的恐怖襲擊，為了大家的安全，我們別無選擇，只能取消原定的三場演出。” Swift的官方網站也將演唱會列為取消。美國有線電視新聞網 (CNN) 已聯繫泰勒絲的代表徵求意見。 警方在首都舉行的新聞發布會上表示，週三上午在下奧地利州泰爾尼茨逮捕了一名19 歲的奧地利公民，他們認為該公民是ISIS 的支持者，隨後在維也納逮捕了另一名男子。 警方稱，隨著這名 19 歲的年輕人在 7 月宣誓效忠 ISIS 領導人，他們已經「因網路聯繫而變得激進」。 當局稱，在警方查獲嫌疑人在位於泰爾尼茨家中所存放的疑似爆炸物後，兩名嫌疑人已承擔了恐怖襲擊的「具體準備措施」事證。 據美聯社報道，警方還表示，這名 19 歲男子的家中已查獲化學物質，該物證也正被評估中。
----摘錄翻譯自CNN
Disney may have a parks problem
迪士尼可能有停滯問題
Culture
Disney Parks are the latest business to face slowing consumer demand in the face of higher prices. Disney’s parks business underperformed expectations and profit fell somewhat last quarter. Although the company said attendance remained steady and people were spending more, it also acknowledged a slumping economy was weighing on travelers who had once buoyed the company while its movie and streaming business was struggling. While many Americans have pulled back on everyday purchases such as fast food, they still choose to spend on travel and leisure. But consumers forgoing vacations could be a worrying sign for the economy as the job market’s luster fades: Last month, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3%, nearly a percentage point higher than it was at the start of the year. It’s not just Disney that’s seeing a pullback — Bank of America Institute reported credit card transactions on travel ticked down in June. Researchers attributed that to price decreases, though, and said “the underlying picture for travel remains robust.” Inflation also helped drive the decrease in income at Disney’s domestic parks, and new technology and rides ate into profit, according to the company. Even with higher prices, people are reluctant to cancel vacations, especially with a company that has brand recognition as strong as Disney’s, CFO Hugh Johnston said Wednesday on the company’s earnings call.
---from CNN
迪士尼樂園是最新一個在價格上漲的情況下面臨消費者需求放緩的企業。 迪士尼樂園業務表現不如預期，上季獲利略有下降。儘管該公司表示，上座率保持穩定，人們的消費也在增加，但它也承認，經濟衰退給遊客帶來了壓力，而在電影和串流媒體業務陷入困境時，這些遊客曾經為該公司帶來了活力。 儘管許多美國人減少了速食等日常消費，但他們仍然選擇在旅行和休閒上花錢。但隨著就業市場的光彩消退，消費者放棄度假可能對經濟來說是一個令人擔憂的跡象：上個月，失業率升至 4.3%，比年初高出近一個百分點。 不僅僅是迪士尼出現了下滑——美國銀行研究所報告稱，6 月信用卡的交易在旅行項目上有所下降。不過，研究人員將其歸因於價格下跌，並表示“旅遊的基本情況仍然強勁”。 該公司表示，通膨導致迪士尼國內樂園的收入下降，且新技術和遊樂設施也侵蝕了利潤。 財務長Hugh Johnston週三在該公司的法說會上表示，即使消費價格上漲，人們也不願意取消旅遊支出，尤其是將預算花費在一些像迪士尼這樣擁有強大知名度的企業。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
Blood tests could soon predict your risk of Alzheimer’s
血液檢查可以很快預測您罹患阿茲海默症的風險
Sciences
Like many Alzheimer’s researchers, neurologist Randall Bateman is not prone to effusiveness, having endured disappointments in his field. But he and others have found one big reason to be excited lately. In just a few years, he predicts, there will be a simple blood test for your risk of Alzheimer’s. “Any family doctor will be able to do it.” Bateman, who is at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, has been running clinical trials related to Alzheimer’s disease for nearly 20 years. “From all I’ve seen, this is a very likely scenario,” he says. “It’ll be just like going to get your blood cholesterol checked and then being given statins if levels are too high.” This extraordinary turnaround in outlook for the disease that affects more than 55 million people worldwide comes down to two things — both of which were thought by many to be nigh on impossible just a decade ago. First, drugs that can slow the disease, if it is caught early enough, are now coming on the market. And second, scientists have developed relatively cheap and highly accurate blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s. These biomarkers — a catch-all term for any biological molecule found in blood or tissue that can indicate someone’s medical state — are not treatments. But they are revolutionizing prospects for therapies that might delay or even prevent Alzheimer’s. They would do this by catching the disease before symptoms — and brain damage — begin. That hopeful scenario depends on the further development of drugs that can treat or hold off the disease, when caught early. But even now, biomarkers are already improving clinical trials, allowing researchers to test interventions at much earlier stages than before. And they are transforming how researchers track the course of the disease and learn more about its basic pathology. “The pace of development of these tests is extraordinary,” says neurologist Jonathan Schott at University College London. “There is huge excitement.”
---from Nature
與多數阿茲海默症研究人員一樣，神經學家Randall Bateman在他的研究領域上經歷過失望，因此情緒表現得特別沉靜。但他和其他人最近發現了一個令人興奮的重要理由。他預測，在短短幾年內，將透過簡單的血液檢查來檢測您罹患阿茲海默症的風險。 “任何家庭醫生都可以做”。 密蘇裡州聖路易斯華盛頓大學的Bateman近 20 年來一直在進行與阿茲海默症相關的臨床試驗。他說:從我所看到的情況來說，這類場景很有可能即將發生這就像檢查你的血液膽固醇，如果膽固醇數值太高，就服用他汀類藥物”。 這種影響全球超過 5500 萬人的疾病的前景發生了巨大轉變，歸結為兩件事——就在十年前，許多人還認為這兩件事幾乎是不可能的。首先，如果發現得夠早，可以減緩這種疾病的藥物現已上市。其次，科學家已經開發出相對便宜且高度準確的血液生物標記來檢測阿茲海默症。 這些生物標記——血液或組織中發現的任何生物分子的總稱，可以表明某人的健康狀況——不是治療方法。但它們正在徹底改變可能延遲甚至預防阿茲海默症的治療方法的前景。他們會透過在症狀和腦損傷出現之前發現疾病來做到這一點。 這種充滿希望的前景取決於進一步開發能治療或延緩這種疾病的藥物並在早期發現時服藥。即使是現在，生物標記已經正在改善臨床試驗，使研究人員能夠比以前更早地測試可行性治療措施。它們也正在改變研究人員追蹤疾病進程並深入了解其基本病理學的方式。倫敦大學學院的神經學家Jonathan Schott說:相關技術發展的速度達到令人驚訝的地步。
---摘錄翻譯自Nature
Second brain implant by Elon Musk’s Neuralink: will it fare better than the first?
Elon Musk的 Neuralink 第二次大腦植入晶片：它會比上一次更好嗎？
Sciences
Elon Musk’s firm Neuralink has implanted a brain–computer interface (BCI) in a second person and could implant eight more of the devices this year, Musk said. In an 8-hour long podcast released on 2 August, Musk said that the second implant is working well and that roughly 400 of its 1,042 electrodes are providing signals from the recipient’s brain. Musk did not reveal details about the implant surgery or the recipient except to note that the person has a spinal cord injury, as does Noland Arbaugh, the first recipient of a Neuralink BCI. Now scientists are waiting to see whether the company, which is headquartered in Fremont, California, can avoid the mechanical difficulties that plagued the implantation of its first device in January. “This is necessary advancement,” says Sameer Sheth, a neurosurgeon and neurotechnology researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. “I really hope they can keep doing this safely. There's a lot that they can contribute to human health and disease.”
--from Nature
Musk表示，Elon Musk的公司 Neuralink 已經在第二個人體內植入了腦機介面 (BCI)，今年可能還會植入八個這樣的裝置。在 8 月 2 日發布的長達 8 小時的播客中，Musk表示第二個植入晶片運作良好，其 1,042 個電極中的大約 400 個電極正在提供來自接受者大腦的訊號。Musk沒有透露有關植入手術或接受者的詳細信息，只是指出該人患有脊髓損傷，第一個接受 Neuralink BCI 的諾Noland Arbaugh 也是如此。 現在，科學家們正在等待，看看這家總部位於加州弗里蒙特的公司能否避免機械故障的難題針對一月份所植入的首個設備。 德州休士頓貝勒醫學院的神經外科醫生和神經技術研究員 Sameer Sheth 說:這是必要的進步，我真的希望他們能夠持續順利地進展下去，這將對人類健康和疾病有許多貢獻。
--摘錄翻譯自Nature