- Women Who Experience Infertility May Later Have a Higher Risk of Certain Menopausal Symptoms
- Light sensitivity in Alzheimer's may cause worse symptoms later in the day
- Beyond Meat hit as inflation squeezes shoppers
- At 101 years old, I’m the ‘world’s oldest practicing doctor
- Extreme heat taxes the body in many ways
- Is there a sinister side to the rise of female robots?
Women Who Experience Infertility May Later Have a Higher Risk of Certain Menopausal Symptoms
經歷過不孕不育的女性以後出現某些更年期症狀的風險可能更高
Health
A study of nearly 700 women, published August 1 in the journal Menopause, suggests that infertility may have an effect on women’s health later in life, including the severity of their menopause symptoms.“When we looked at individual symptoms reported, the categories of symptoms with increased reporting or severity among women with infertility included depressive mood, irritability, and sleep problems,” says the lead author, Victoria Fitz, MD, an ob-gyn fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.“If our findings are confirmed in other studies, it would suggest that providers should consider history of infertility as a risk factor for depressive mood and sleep problems in midlife, and possibly initiate screening for these conditions earlier or with greater frequency.”
--from Everyday Health
8月1日發表在《更年期》雜誌上的一項針對近700名女性的研究顯示，不孕症可能會影響女性晚年的健康，包括更年期症狀的嚴重程度。主要作者、麻薩諸塞州波士頓綜合醫院婦產科醫生Victoria Fitz說：「當我們檢視報告的個體症狀時，不孕女性症狀類別回報數或嚴重度增加的，包括：憂鬱情緒、易怒和睡眠問題。如果我們的研究結果在其他研究中得到證實，即建議醫療服務提供者應將不孕視為中年憂鬱情緒與睡眠問題的風險因子，並盡早或更頻繁地開始對這些狀況進行篩檢。」
--摘錄翻譯自Everyday Health
Light sensitivity in Alzheimer's may cause worse symptoms later in the day
阿茲罕默症患者的光敏感度可能會導致症狀在每日晚間更嚴重
Health
Sundowning is a debilitating symptom of Alzheimer’s disease that causes individuals to experience worsening dementia symptoms in the late afternoon and evening. Some researchers have assumed this symptom was due to changes in the brain, and indeed, recently a study showed that circadian disruptions in the immune cells in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients could worsen the buildup of amyloid beta in the brain. The buildup of this protein is one of the defining characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. The lead author Dr. Heather Ferris said, ”we actually thought the brain would be where the problem was occurring, but after ruling out several causes in the brain, we turned our attention to the retina. The retina has specialized cells called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which are used to tell the brain that it is daytime. “
--from Healthline
日落症候群是一種使阿茲罕默症患者在下午稍晚與傍晚時失智症狀更嚴重的弱化現象。有些研究者認為種症狀是大腦變化引發的，事實上，最近的一項研究顯示，阿茲罕默症患者大腦中免疫細胞的晝夜節律紊亂，可能會加劇大腦β澱粉樣蛋白積累。此積累現象為阿茲罕默症的判定特徵之一。研究的主要作者Heather Ferris博士說：「我們原本認為大腦是問題所在，但排除大腦的幾個因素後，我們轉向視網膜。視網膜有一種特殊細胞叫『本質光敏感視網膜神經節細胞』，這些細胞是用來告訴大腦現在是白天。」
--摘錄翻譯自Medical News Today
Beyond Meat hit as inflation squeezes shoppers
通貨膨脹擠壓消費者植物肉大廠受影響
Culture
Vegan food firm Beyond Meat has seen its sales plunge by almost a third as the rising cost of living squeezes shoppers. The plant-based meat substitute maker says net revenues fell by 30.5% for the three months to the end of June, compared to a year earlier. Shares of the company fell by almost 12% in extended trading in New York. Last year, it announced plans to cut almost a fifth of its workforce to save around $39m of costs. On Monday, the company said it had been affected by "softer demand in the plant-based meat category, high inflation, rising interest rates, and ongoing concerns about the likelihood of a recession". It added that it now expected annual revenue of between $360m to $380m, down from earlier estimates of as much as $415m. Demand has also been hit by an increased scrutiny of the health benefits of vegan products, Beyond Meat's chief executive Ethan Brown said.
--from BBC
由於生活成本增加影響消費者，純素產品公司-植物肉(Beyond Meat)銷售額下降近三分之一。截至6月為止，這家植物肉替代品製造商三個月內的淨營業額，相對去年同期下滑了30.5%。公司股價在紐約盤後的交易中下跌近12%。更在去年，該公司宣布預計裁員近五分之一，將可節省大約3900萬美元的成本。該公司於週一表示，因受「植物肉需求疲軟、高通貨膨脹、利率上升及對經濟衰退可能性持續擔憂」之影響。該公司並補充說明，目前預計年收為3.6億美元至3.8億美元，低於先前預估值4.15億美元。該公司執行長Ethan Brown表示，也因對於純素產品健康益處的嚴格審查，打擊了植物肉的需求。
--摘錄翻譯自BBC
At 101 years old, I’m the ‘world’s oldest practicing doctor
101歲高齡的我，是「世界上」最老執業醫師
Culture
I’ve been a practicing doctor and neurologist for more than seven decades. Good genes and a bit of luck can give you a head start, but there is one principle I live by that anyone can implement: Keep your mind engaged through work, social and entertainment activities. As we age, we go through natural changes that affect our mental processing abilities. Some areas of the brain may shrink, communication between neurons may become less effective, and blood flow may decrease. But like any other muscle in the body, our mind needs consistent exercise to thrive. I use three daily rituals to boost my brain health. I go to work. I stay social. I read for entertainment. Dr. Howard Tucker is a neurologist from Cleveland, Ohio and was named the “Oldest Practicing Doctor″ by Guinness World Records. He received his law degree and passed the Ohio Bar Exam in his late 60s, and served as chief of neurology of the Atlantic fleet during the Korean War.
--from CNBC NEWS
我作為一位執業醫師和神經科專家已經超過七十年。好的基因和一點運氣可以讓你有一個好的開始，但我所遵循的一條原則是任何人都可以做到的：透過工作社交和娛樂活動保持你的活力。隨年齡增長，我們會經歷那些影響我們心理處理能力的一些自然影響。大腦的某些區域可能會萎縮，神經元之間的交流可能會變得不是那麼有效率，血流可能減少。但就像身體的任何肌肉，我們的大腦需要持續鍛鍊才能健壯。我每天用三種儀式來促進我的大腦健康：我工作，我保持社交活動，我閱讀為了娛樂。Dr. Howard Tucker是來自俄亥俄州克里夫蘭的神經科醫師，被吉尼斯世界紀錄列為「世界最年長的執業醫師」。他在六十多歲時，取得法律學位並通過俄亥俄州的律師資格考試。並於韓戰時期於大西洋艦隊上擔任神經科主任。
--摘錄翻譯自CNBC NEWS
Extreme heat taxes the body in many ways
極端高溫會對身體造成多方面的負擔
Sciences
The body has two main pathways to keep cool. First is sweating. As body temperature rises, sweat glands in the skin release salty water out of pores. That water absorbs heat as it evaporates, cooling you off. Within a certain range, these systems work in concert to keep your internal body temperature within a safe window, usually around 37° Celsius. Unfortunately, Earth isn’t just getting hotter; it’s getting hotter in ways that are harder for our bodies to handle. Climate change is spurring heat waves that are not only hotter and longer but, crucially, more humid (SN: 7/19/23). “It’s becoming more dangerous because the humidity is acting as a barrier to how we cool ourselves,” says Rachel Cottle, who researches thermoregulation at Penn State.
--from Science News
人的身體有兩個主要的體溫調節機制。第一個是排汗。隨著體溫升高，皮膚汗腺會從毛細孔中釋放出含有鹽的水份。此水份蒸發時會吸收熱量，使您的身體降溫。在一定範圍內，這些系統相輔相成的合作，將您的內部體溫維持在安全範圍內，通常為攝氏37度左右。不幸的是，地球不單單是變得越來越熱而已。天氣熱到使我們的身體越來越難以應付。氣候變遷所引發的熱浪不僅更熱、持續時間更長，最重要的一點是它更潮濕（SN：7/19/23）。賓夕法尼亞州立大學專門研究體溫調節機制的Rachel Cottle說：「更潮濕的熱浪更加危險，因為濕度會阻礙我們身體的降溫機制。」
--摘錄翻譯自Science News
Is there a sinister side to the rise of female robots?
女性人形機器人的崛起是否隱藏著陰險的一面？
Sciences
Why is it that creators typically choose to give their robots feminine characteristics? It is often argued that the choice to make AI voice systems female is rooted in gender bias. But sometimes there is a more innocent reason for the sex a designer gives their robot: they have modelled it on themselves. Other than those robots modelled on an individual, one particular reason is often suggested for choosing a female robot: we have an innate preference for women's voices. Karl MacDorman, an expert in robotics and human-computer interaction from the University of Indiana in the US, believes this argument may have a basis. He has conducted research which has found that women prefer women's voices, and men do not really have a preference.
--from BBC Future
為什麼開發者通常選擇賦予他們的機器人女性特徵呢？一般認為，會選擇將人工智能語音系統的聲音設為女性是出於性別偏見。但有時，開發者選擇賦予機器人特定性別的原因很單純：他們是以自己為原型去設計的。除了那些以特定個體為模板所設計的機器人以外，一般認為偏好選擇女性機器人的原因為：我們對女性的聲音有一種天生的偏好。美國印第安納大學機器人與人機交互專家Karl MacDorman認為，這種說法可能有其根據。他曾做研究發現，女性更喜歡女性的聲音，而男性則沒有特別的偏好。
--摘錄翻譯自 BBC Future