- What is Oropouche virus? The emerging threat is raising concern among health officials
- Free Covid tests, treatments will return to help the country cope over fall and winter, US officials announce
- ‘My identity is stolen’: Photos of European influencers used to push pro-Trump propaganda on fake X accounts
- Why a ‘liquid gold’ substance for cows is making waves with humans
- The cool technologies that could protect cities from dangerous heat
- Lonely? Playful? Why are dolphin attacks rising in Japan?
What is Oropouche virus? The emerging threat is raising concern among health officials
什麼是奧羅普切病毒？新出現的威脅引起了衛生官員的擔憂
Health
A little-known disease spread by insect bites has turned deadly, and health officials are sounding the alarm. More than 8,000 cases of Oropouche virus have been reported this year as of August 1. Most have been in South America, but infections are also spreading in countries where it hasn’t been seen before, and dozens of travel-related cases have been reported in the United States and Europe. The Pan American Health Organization, a regional arm of the World Health Organization, has issued an epidemiological alert for Oropouche virus and raised the public health risk level to “high” for the Americas region. “Although the disease has historically been described as mild, the geographic spread in transmission and the detection of more severe cases underscore the need for increased surveillance and characterization of possible more severe manifestations,” the agency said in a statement. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also issued a health advisory warning health care providers and public health authorities to be on the lookout for new cases and recommending that pregnant women avoid travel to affected areas.
---from CNN
一種鮮為人知的由昆蟲叮咬傳播的疾病變得致命，衛生官員正在拉響警報。 截至 8 月 1 日，今年已報告超過 8,000 例奧羅普切病毒病例。大多數病例發生在南美洲，但病毒也正在傳播到以前沒有出現過的國家，並且在美國和歐洲報告了幾十例與旅行相關的病例。 世界衛生組織的區域機構，泛美衛生組織已發布奧羅普切病毒流行病學警報，並將美洲地區的公共衛生風險等級提升至「高」。 該機構在一份聲明中表示：“儘管這種疾病歷來被認為輕微，但傳播的地理範圍和更嚴重病例的發現強調需要加強監測和對可能更嚴重表現的特徵進行詳細研究的必要性，” 美國疾病管制與預防中心也發布了健康諮詢，警告醫療保健提供者和公共衛生當局留意新病例，並建議孕婦避免前往受影響地區。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
Free Covid tests, treatments will return to help the country cope over fall and winter, US officials announce
美國官員宣布，免費的新冠病毒檢測和治療將恢復，以幫助該國應對秋冬季節
Health
As much of the US continues to experience very high levels of Covid-19 activity, government officials announced on Friday the return of programs to offer free tests, vaccines and treatments to see the nation through the winter respiratory virus season. “The best plan going into this winter is for everyone to remain vigilant, to use the tools we have: vaccines, testing, treatment against the illnesses responsible for the majority of fall and winter deaths and hospitalizations,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday. Free Covid tests won’t be available right away but are coming back in time for fall and winter gatherings. Government-purchased supplies of the antiviral drug Paxlovid will also be available at no charge to people who are uninsured or who are on Medicare or Medicaid. The CDC is giving state and local health departments additional funding to provide free Covid vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults, and free vaccines will continue to be available to children from low-income families through the government’s Vaccines for Children program. “We can’t forget that every age group is at risk, including our young children,” Cohen said.
---from CNN
由於美國大部分地區的 Covid-19 活動仍處於高水平，政府官員於週五宣布恢復提供免費檢測、疫苗和治療的計劃，以幫助美國度過冬季呼吸道病毒季節。 「今年冬天的最佳計劃是讓每個人保持警惕，利用我們擁有的工具：疫苗、檢測、治療，以應對造成秋冬季節大多數死亡和住院的疾病，」美國疾病控制和預防中心主任Mandy Cohen博士在周五表示。 免費的新冠病毒檢測不會立即提供，但會在秋季和冬季聚會時恢復提供。政府購買的抗病毒藥物 Paxlovid 也將免費提供給沒有健康保險的人員以及接受醫療保險或醫療補助的人員。 疾病預防控制中心正在向州和地方衛生部門提供額外資金，為沒有保險和保險不足的成年人提供免費的新冠疫苗，並將透過政府的兒童疫苗計畫繼續向低收入家庭的兒童提供免費疫苗。 Cohen說：“我們不能忘記，每個年齡層的人都面臨風險，包括我們年幼的孩子。”
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
‘My identity is stolen’: Photos of European influencers used to push pro-Trump propaganda on fake X accounts
「我的身分被盜了」：歐洲網紅的照片被用來在虛假 X 帳戶上推動支持川普的宣傳
Culture
Luna, a self-described 32-year-old “MAGA Trump supporter” from the battleground state of Wisconsin, has gained a huge following since she joined X, formerly Twitter, in March. Her timeline has become a digital bullhorn for the “Make America Great Again” movement, praising former President Donald Trump’s re-election bid, promoting conspiracy theories about his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, and touting Republican talking points to nearly 30,000 followers, who she addresses as “patriots.” “Would You Support Trump Being The President forever? I wonder if you all support Trump for president just like me,” @Luna_2K24 posted on July 29, sharing a beach selfie in a white bikini and asking her followers to respond with an American flag emoji if they agreed. The post was viewed by around 54,000 people. But Luna isn’t real. The photos of the smiling brunette posted periodically on @Luna_2K24’s timeline are of Debbie Nederlof, a German fashion influencer who lives across the Atlantic and won’t be voting in the US presidential election in November. When CNN reached out to the 32-year-old, a trained optician and single mother who is working two jobs – as a social media manager at an engineering firm and as a model to raise money for her child – she was angry and frustrated that her face was being used to push pro-Trump propaganda on X.
---from CNN
32 歲的 Luna 來自戰場州威斯康辛州，自稱是“讓Trump再次偉大的支持者”，自從 3 月加入 X（前身為 Twitter）以來，她獲得了大批追隨者。她的X已成為“讓美國再次偉大”運動的數位擴音器，讚揚前總統Donald Trump的連任競選，宣傳有關他的對手副總統Kamala Harris的陰謀論，並向近3 萬名被她稱為”愛國者”的追隨者兜售共和黨的談話要點。 「你會支持Trump永遠當總統嗎？我想知道你們是否都像我一樣支持Trump當選總統，」@Luna_2K24在7月29日發布了這條消息，同時分享了一張穿白色比基尼的海灘自拍照，並要求她的追随者如果同意的話用美國國旗表情符號回覆。大約有 54,000 人查看了該帖子。 但Luna並不是真的。 @Luna_2K24 的X上定期發布的這位微笑的黑髮女郎的照片是 Debbie Nederlof，她是一位德國時尚網紅，居住在大西洋彼岸，不會在11 月的美國總統選舉中投票。當CNN 聯繫到這位32 歲的女士時，她是一名訓練有素的驗光師，同時也是單身母親，身兼兩份工作——在一家工程公司擔任社交媒體經理，並擔任為孩子籌集資金的模特兒——她對此感到憤怒和沮喪她的臉被用來在 X 上進行支持川普的宣傳。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
Why a ‘liquid gold’ substance for cows is making waves with humans
為什麼乳牛的「液體黃金」物質在人類中引起轟動
Culture
Colostrum, the first milk produced by humans and other mammals in the earliest days after giving birth, is “liquid gold,” said Dr. Jennifer Smilowitz. “It is packed full of nutrients, but also molecules that aren’t necessarily nutrients — they’re like these biologically active compounds that are actually protective,” said Smilowitz, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, whose research background is in breastfeeding, nutrition, lactation and the microbiome. These nutrients and compounds include immunoglobulins (or antibodies), white blood cells, vitamin A, magnesium, copper, zinc, growth factors and a variety of other components essential for jump-starting life, including the strength and structure of the immune system and the gut, experts said. These antibodies strengthen permeable, leaky intestines, sealing the gut and preventing bad bacteria or pathogens from flowing into the bloodstream in an unregulated way, Smilowitz said. The colostrum protects an infant during a vulnerable stage.
---from CNN
Jennifer Smilowitz博士說，初乳是人類和其他哺乳動物在分娩後最初幾天產生的第一乳汁，是「液體黃金」。 Smilowitz，加州大學戴維斯分校營養系助理教授，專注於母乳哺育、營養、哺乳和微生物組的研究，她說：「它富含營養物質，但也含有不一定是營養物質的分子——它們就像這些實際上具有保護作用的生物活性化合物。」 專家表示，這些營養素和化合物包括免疫球蛋白（或抗體）、白血球、維生素A、鎂、銅、鋅、生長因子以及啟動生命所必需的各種其他成分，這些成分對免疫系統和腸道的強度與結構都有重要作用。 Smilowitz說，這些抗體可以強化滲透性較強的腸道，密封腸道，防止有害細菌或病原體以不受控制的方式流入血液。初乳可以在嬰兒脆弱的階段提供保護。
---摘錄翻譯自CNN
The cool technologies that could protect cities from dangerous heat
可以保護城市免受危險高溫影響的酷炫技術
Sciences
It’s time to brace for record-breaking heat. Last year was the hottest on record and 2024 is shaping up to be even more extreme, with the mercury soaring close to 50 °C on days in Nevada, Egypt and Australia. June marked the 13th month in a row of chart-topping temperatures globally. And four consecutive days in July were the hottest in recorded history for the entire planet. Scorching temperatures spur water shortages, damage crops, strain electricity grids and trigger heat stress and mass mortality — killing close to 500,000 people each year, according to one estimate. So scientists are working hard to develop innovative ways to cool cities and slash electricity use in the warming world. Advances range from high-efficiency air conditioners to special materials that keep surfaces colder than their surroundings without using electricity.
---from Nature
是時候為破紀錄的高溫做好準備了。去年是有史以來最熱的一年，而 2024 年將更加極端，內華達州、埃及和澳洲的氣溫將在幾天內飆升至接近 50°C。 6 月是全球氣溫連續第 13 個月位居榜首。七月連續四天是整個地球有紀錄以來最熱的天。 酷熱的氣溫會導致水資源短缺、農作物受損、電網緊張並引發熱應激和大規模死亡——據一項估計，每年造成近 50 萬人死亡。因此，科學家們正在努力開發創新方法來為城市降溫，並在氣候變暖的世界中減少用電量。進步範圍從高效空調到無需使用電力即可使表面比周圍環境更冷的特殊材料。
---摘錄翻譯自Nature
Lonely? Playful? Why are dolphin attacks rising in Japan?
孤獨？好玩嗎？為什麼日本海豚襲擊事件頻繁？
Sciences
A spike in dolphin attacks has marred the tranquil beaches of Fukui Prefecture, Japan. As of 26 August, 18 people have been injured this year, taking the total number of casualties to 29 over the past 3 years, according to the Tsuruga Coast Guard Office. Injuries range from bites on the hand to broken bones. Researchers think the culprit is a single male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), on the basis of fin markings captured in photographs and video footage. Nature spoke to Tadamichi Morisaka, a dolphin ecologist at Mie University in Tsu, Japan, about dolphin behaviour and ways to prevent further attacks. Why might this dolphin be biting beachgoers? Gentle biting is a behaviour that we see often among male bottlenose dolphins in the wild. They do this to maintain the relationship — in this dolphin’s mind, he might have already built a friendly relationship with humans. We’ve seen that this dolphin randomly shows up at a beach, bites if there are people around, wanders off and repeats. To me, he’s seeking some kind of interaction with people. If he really wanted to attack, he could have come tackling at full force and chomped down. But he’s keeping the biting gentle for dolphin standards, so it’s probably a friendly gesture rather than a full-on attempt to attack.
--from Nature
海豚襲擊事件的激增破壞了日本福井縣寧靜的海灘。據敦賀海警局稱，截至8月26日，今年已有18人受傷，使過去3年的傷亡總數達29人。傷害包括手部咬傷到骨折等情況。 研究人員根據照片和影片中捕捉到的鰭紋，認為罪魁禍首是一隻雄性印度太平洋寬吻海豚（Tursiops aduncus）。 《自然》雜誌採訪了日本津市三重大學的海豚生態學家Tadamichi Morisaka，了解海豚的行為以及防止進一步攻擊的方法。 為什麼這隻海豚會咬海灘遊客？ 溫柔的撕咬是我們在野外雄性寬吻海豚中經常看到的行為。他們這樣做是為了維持關係——在這隻海豚的心目中，他可能已經與人類建立了友好的關係。 我們已經看到這隻海豚隨機出現在海灘上，如果周圍有人就咬人，然後遊走並重複。對我來說，他正在尋求與人進行某種互動。如果他真想進攻，完全可以全力撲上去，然後一口咬下去。但以海豚的標準，他的咬人動作很輕柔，所以這可能是一種友好的姿態，而不是一次全面的攻擊。
--摘錄翻譯自Nature