- FDA signs off on updated Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech
- A study linking popular weight loss drug to suicide risk again raises long-standing safety questions
- Fake celebrity endorsements become latest weapon in misinformation wars, sowing confusion ahead of 2024 election
- Tourists scaling the Great Wall of China can now get takeout delivered by drone
- The surprising cause of fasting’s regenerative powers
- First biolab in South America for studying world’s deadliest viruses is set to open
FDA signs off on updated Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech
FDA 批准 莫德納和輝瑞/BioNTech 更新的 Covid-19 疫苗
Health
As a summer wave of Covid-19 continues to hit the United States, the US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday signed off on updated Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. Moderna and Pfizer said updated mRNA shots will be available in pharmacies and clinics in the days ahead. “Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.” A CVS representative said doses are expected to start arriving at its locations within a few days. “Once vaccine supply arrives at one of our pharmacies, walk-ins will be accepted,” CVS’s Amy Thibault said. “Our digital scheduler is being updated with available vaccination appointments as well,” and customers can check for local availability online.
---from CNN
隨著夏季 Covid-19 浪潮繼續席捲美國，美國食品和藥物管理局週四簽署了莫德納和輝瑞/BioNTech 的新版 Covid-19 疫苗。 莫德納和輝瑞表示，更新的 mRNA 注射液將在未來幾天在藥局和診所上市。 FDA 生物製品評估與研究中心主任 Peter Marks 博士在一份聲明中表示：“疫苗接種仍然是預防 COVID-19 的基石。” 「這些更新的疫苗符合該機構在安全性、有效性和生產品質方面的嚴格科學標準。鑑於人們因之前接觸過該病毒和之前接種疫苗而產生的免疫力不斷減弱，我們強烈鼓勵那些有資格的人考慮接受更新的 COVID-19 疫苗，以針對當前流行的變種提供更好的保護。 CVS 的一名代表表示，劑量預計將在幾天內開始供應。 CVS 的 Amy Thibault 表示：“一旦疫苗供應到達我們的一家藥房，將會接受隨到隨打的接種，” 她還說：“我們的預約程式也正在更新可用的疫苗接種預約，”客戶可以在線上查看本地的可用疫苗接踵時間。
--摘錄翻譯自CNN
A study linking popular weight loss drug to suicide risk again raises long-standing safety questions
一項將流行的減肥藥與自殺風險聯繫起來的研究再次提出了長期存在的安全問題
Health
People taking semaglutide, the popular medication for diabetes and weight loss, are more likely to report having thoughts of suicide compared with those taking other drugs, according to a new study of an international drug safety database. But the finding is the latest see-saw of scientific evidence on the risk of depression and suicide tied to the popular medications — and critics say evidence that the drugs cause problems with mood is limited. Semaglutide is sold under the brand name Ozempic when it’s prescribed for diabetes and Wegovy when it’s prescribed for weight loss. In addition, a number of companies make compounded forms of the drug. The use of the medication has surged in recent years, and studies have shown more promising effects, including reductions in kidney disease and cancer. But suicide has been a long-standing concern with medications that alter the desire for food. For some people, losing the pleasure and reward of eating — and perhaps other things — creates a dramatic shift in mood and may increase the risk of self-harm. In 2008, the weight loss drug rimonabant, which acted on the same brain system that gives people the munchies when they’re on marijuana, was withdrawn from use because it increased the risk of suicide. (The drug was never approved for use in the United States.)
---from CNN
根據國際藥物安全資料庫的一項新研究，服用司美格魯肽（一種流行的治療糖尿病和減肥藥物）的人比服用其他藥物的人更可能有自殺的想法。但這一發現只是基於流行藥物與抑鬱症和自殺風險的科學證據；批評者表示，這些藥物導致情緒問題的證據有限。 當司美格魯肽用於治療糖尿病時，其商品名為 Ozempic；用於減肥時，其商品名為 Wegovy。此外，許多公司也生產該藥物的複合形式。近年來，這種藥物的使用激增，研究顯示出更有希望的效果，包括減少腎臟疾病和癌症。 但自殺一直是改變食慾的藥物引起的長期問題。對某些人來說，失去飲食的樂趣和獎勵——也許還有其他事情——會導致情緒發生巨大變化，並可能增加自殘的風險。 2008年，減肥藥利莫那班被停止使用，因為它會增加自殺風險，它作用於與吸食大麻時引發食慾的相同大腦系統。 （該藥物從未獲准在美國使用。）
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
Fake celebrity endorsements become latest weapon in misinformation wars, sowing confusion ahead of 2024 election
虛假名人代言成為假資訊戰爭的最新武器，在 2024 年大選前播下混亂的種子
Culture
Taylor Swift didn’t endorse former President Donald Trump last weekend. Ryan Reynolds wasn’t photographed wearing a pro-Kamala Harris shirt. And the Communist Party USA never backed President Joe Biden’s now-defunct campaign. But these false claims about the 2024 campaign, and dozens of other posts with similar fake endorsements, have exploded on social media in the run up to the election, according to researchers at the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education group that launched a new database Thursday chronicling more than 550 unique instances of election-related misinformation. The latest and most visible example these bogus claims emerged Sunday, when Trump shared a post on his Truth Social platform containing images created with the use of artificial intelligence that suggested a groundswell of support from Swift fans calling themselves “Swifties for Trump.” In response to the implied endorsement from the pop icon, Trump wrote, “I accept!”
---from CNN
Taylor Swift上週末沒有支持前總統Donald Trump。Ryan Reynolds並沒有被拍到穿著支持Kamala Harris的襯衫。美國共產黨也從未支持過Joe Biden總統現已解散的競選活動。 但據新聞素養計畫的研究人員稱，在選舉前夕在社交媒體上發出了這些關於2024 年競選活動的虛假聲明，以及其他數十條帶有類似虛假認知的發文，。此一無黨派教育組織於周四推出了一個新的數據庫，記錄了超過550個獨特的與選舉相關的虛假訊息。 這些虛假說法的最新和最明顯的例子是在周日出現的，當時川普在他的Truth Social平台上分享了一篇帖子，帖子中包含了使用人工智能生成的圖像，暗示了一波支持Trump的“Swifties”（稱自己為“Trump的Swifties”）的熱潮。 對此，Trump回應了這一暗示性的流行歌星支持。寫道："我接受！"
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
Tourists scaling the Great Wall of China can now get takeout delivered by drone
攀登中國長城的遊客現在可以使用無人機外送
Culture
Hungry tourists hiking on the Great Wall of China can now get their lunch delivered – from the air. Chinese food delivery giant Meituan says its new drone service, announced last week, will bring food, drinks and other goods such as medical supplies to customers at a far-flung section of the ancient monument on the outskirts of Beijing. It’s the capital’s first drone service, adding to a fast-growing drone delivery business across China, which is the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of civilian consumer drones. The industry has brought convenience to people living in both cities and hard-to-reach rural areas. The Great Wall drone route extends from a nearby hotel rooftop to a watchtower on the southern extension of Badaling, the most popular section of the massive fortifications snaking across northern China. Opened last year, the extension, which has preserved the ruined state of the ramparts on the wall, typically experiences sweltering summer temperatures and has no commercial facilities. That’s where drones can help, according to Yan Yan, public affairs director of Meituan’s drone business.
---from CNN
在中國長城徒步旅行的飢餓遊客現在可以透過空中方式獲得午餐。 中國食品配送巨頭美團表示，其上周宣布的新無人機服務將在北京郊區古蹟的偏遠地區為顧客運送食品、飲料和醫療用品等其他商品。 這是首都首個無人機服務，為中國各地快速成長的無人機送貨業務增添了色彩，中國是世界上最大的民用消費無人機製造商和出口國。該行業為城市和偏遠農村地區的人們帶來了便利。 長城無人機路線從附近的飯店屋頂延伸到八達嶺南延的一座瞭望塔，八達嶺是中國北方蜿蜒的大型防禦工事中最受歡迎的部分。 去年啟用的擴建部分保留了城牆上的城牆毀壞狀態，通常會經歷炎熱的夏季氣溫，並且沒有商業設施。 美團無人機業務公共事務總監Yan Yan表示，這就是無人機可以提供幫助的地方。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
The surprising cause of fasting’s regenerative powers
禁食具有再生能力的驚人原因
Sciences
Researchers have been investigating the potential health benefits of fasting for decades, and there is evidence that the practice can help to delay certain diseases and lengthen lifespan in rodents. But the underlying biological mechanisms behind these benefits have been a mystery. In 2018, Ömer Yilmaz, a stem-cell biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and his colleagues found that stem cells are likely to be implicated. During fasting, these cells begin burning fats rather than carbohydrates as an energy source, leading to a boost in their ability to repair damage to the intestines in mice. It’s also unclear whether the findings of the Nature study apply to humans, and, if so, how. Yilmaz says that he and his colleagues plan to do a clinical trial to find out. But the findings make clear that the refeeding period creates a “vulnerable state” that might warrant extra caution against anything that could damage cellular DNA, he says.
---from Nature
幾十年來，研究人員一直在研究禁食對健康的潛在益處，有證據表明，這種做法有助於延緩某些疾病並延長囓齒動物的壽命。但這些益處背後的潛在生物學機制一直是個謎。 2018 年，劍橋麻省理工學院的幹細胞生物學家 Ömer Yilmaz 和他的同事發現幹細胞很可能與此有關。在禁食期間，這些細胞開始燃燒脂肪而不是碳水化合物作為能量來源，從而增強了它們修復小鼠腸道損傷的能力。 目前還不清楚《自然》研究的結果是否適用於人類，如果適用，又如何適用。Yilmaz說，他和他的同事計劃進行一項臨床試驗來找出答案。但他表示，研究結果清楚地表明，再進食期間會產生一種“脆弱狀態”，可能需要格外小心，防止任何可能損害細胞 DNA 的事情。
---摘錄翻譯自Nature
First biolab in South America for studying world’s deadliest viruses is set to open
南美洲第一個研究世界上最致命病毒的生物實驗室即將開放
Sciences
Last month, Brazil celebrated breaking ground on what it hopes will become the first maximum-security biosciences laboratory in Latin America. Many researchers are excited at the prospect of a facility where they can safely study the most dangerous pathogens in the region. However, some wonder about the cost of maintaining such a lab and are concerned about the pushback they are sure to receive from members of the public over housing deadly organisms there. The need for a biosafety-level-4 (BSL-4) laboratory in Brazil is unquestionable, says Flávio Fonseca, a virologist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. “We have seen the number of epidemic, even pandemic, outbreaks increase in the last 100 years,” he says. When an outbreak happens, researchers want to be able to work safely with the live virus to understand it and to develop vaccines and treatments. “We’re sitting on a powder keg” in terms of pathogens that might emerge in Latin America, says Fernando Spilki, a veterinary virologist at Feevale University in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, agreeing that such a facility is necessary. In particular, humans are clearing more and more of the Amazon rainforest for agriculture and other uses, and so are frequently coming into contact with animals that can harbour previously unknown viruses. And climate change is driving some species out of remote locales and into more populated areas. “We need a laboratory like this so we can give quick responses” to these challenges, Spilki says.
--from Nature
上個月，巴西慶祝了破土動工拉丁美洲第一個最高安全性的生物科學實驗室。許多研究人員興奮於能對能夠安全地研究該地區最危險的病原體的設施的前景。然而，有些人想知道維持這樣一個實驗室的成本，並擔心他們會因為在那裡安置致命生物而受到公眾的反對。 巴西貝洛奧裡藏特米納斯吉拉斯聯邦大學的病毒學家 Flávio Fonseca 表示，巴西毫無疑問地需要建立一個生物安全 4 級 (BSL-4) 實驗室。 「過去 100 年來，我們看到流行病甚至大流行的爆發次數有所增加，」他說。當疫情爆發時，研究人員希望能夠安全地處理活病毒，以了解它並開發疫苗和治療方法。 巴西新漢堡費瓦勒大學的獸醫病毒學家Fernando Spilki表示，就拉丁美洲可能出現的病原體而言，“我們正坐在火藥桶上”，他也認為這樣的設施是必要的。特別是，人類正在砍伐越來越多的亞馬遜雨林用於農業和其他用途，因此經常接觸可能攜帶以前未知病毒的動物。氣候變遷正在迫使一些物種離開偏遠地區，進入人口稠密的地區。Spilki說，「我們需要一個這樣的實驗室，以便我們能夠對這些挑戰做出快速反應」。
--摘錄翻譯自Nature