這是微信公眾號上的最後一期Nature Briefing英文版推送,因為在國慶之後我們要推出中文版了
Nature Briefing 自推出以來就受到了讀者的好評,目前在全球已有廣泛訂閱。我們經常收到後臺來自讀者的留言,希望能看到中文版的Nature Briefing。
從10月15日開始 ,我們將會精選上一周的Nature Briefing的內容進行翻譯,中文版將於每周二與大家見面~
如果您希望能繼續看到英文版Nature Briefing,歡迎前往go.nature.com/wechat 訂閱。
Hello Nature readers,
Today we learn that plastic tea bags shed billions of microplastic particles into your cuppa, explore the promising search for a universal influenza vaccine and discover how global fisheries can be harnessed to tackle malnutrition.
These ancient spouted pottery vessels are similar to the ones that were tested for the residue of animal milk.(Katharina Rebay-Salisbury)World’s oldest sippy cups
Traces of animal milk inside three prehistoric cups with unusual narrow spouts hint that early Europeans bottle-fed their infants. The carbon isotopes inside two of the vessels suggested they held milk from a ruminant, such as a cow, sheep or goat, and the third showed traces of milk from another type of mammal, possibly a pig or human. Supplementing infant diets with animal milk might have supported a boom among Neolithic humans as they transitioned away from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle (although such supplemented diets are not as healthy for babies).
Science | Read this article at sciencenews.org/article
Get an expert view of this research in the Nature News & Views analysis.
Plastic tea bags make plastic tea
Plastic tea bags shed billions of tiny pieces of plastic into your hot drink. Researchers tested four brands of tea for sale in Canada and found that steeping one plastic tea bag in boiling water releases 14.7 billion micro- and nano-sized plastic bits into a single cup. That’s much more than in table salt, for example, which has a relatively high microplastic content. The plasticky water also seemed to 「cause significant behavioural effects and developmental malformations」 in water fleas. The researchers recommend switching to paper tea bags or loose-leaf tea.
New Scientist | Read this article at newscientist.com/article
Reference: Environmental Science & Technology paper
FEATURES & OPINION
One flu vaccine to rule them all
The 2009 swine-flu pandemic, which killed as many as half a million people worldwide, gave new urgency to the search for a universal influenza vaccine. Current jabs provide protection only against specific strains, and drug-makers weren’t able to make enough of the swine-flu vaccine quickly enough. Since then, a better understanding of the immune response to influenza is driving development of vaccines that can be deployed against both seasonal and emerging strains of flu.
Nature | Read this article at nature.com/articles
This article is part of Nature Outlook: Influenza, an editorially independent supplement produced with financial support from Sanofi Pasteur.
Microbial chemistry gains fresh focus
Studies of the microorganisms that live on and inside animals』 bodies have long relied on DNA sequencing, which can reveal the species that abound and how these microbial communities respond to their environment. Now, the analytical methods of chemical biology, combined with genomics and computing techniques, are giving researchers insights into what these microbes are actually doing, biochemically speaking.
Nature | Read this article at nature.com/articles
How to improve systematic reviews
Systematic reviews synthesize results from many studies on a particular topic, and are often considered the strongest form of scientific evidence because they offer increased statistical power and more precise results than individual studies. But some researchers are concerned the reviews are being overproduced and that many are poor quality. Evidence synthesis researcher Matthew Page considers when to use them and how to make them better.
Nature Index | Read this article at natureindex.com
『It took five years to learn to read my own papers』
At 37, neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor had a massive stroke that took away her ability to speak or think above the level of an infant. She shares what it was like to have 「an absolutely silent mind」, how she recovered and why she’s grateful it happened.
The Cut | Read this article at thecut.com
INFOGRAPHIC OF THE WEEK
In many places, fish are not usually just another healthy complement to an already rich assortment of foodstuffs — they are an irreplaceable source of micronutrients and protein. But with more fish being caught by foreign boats or sold abroad, those who have traditionally depended on the local catch for affordable, nutritious food are going without.
Researchers have analysed the micronutrients in fish to show exactly how global fisheries can be harnessed to tackle malnutrition.
Nature News & Views | Read this article at nature.com/articles
Reference: Nature paper
(C. Hicks et al./Nature)
「In general, people are happy to see wildlife conserved when it doesn’t inconvenience them in any way.」
Shark conservation efforts have seen some heartening successes. Now we have to deal with the consequences of having more sharks around, notes marine conservationist Catherine MacDonald. (The Revelator)
NASA’s mesmerizing visualization of light warping around a black hole is better than a lava lamp. Don’t stare at it too long — you still need enough time to tell me your opinion on this newsletter at briefing@nature.com.
Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing
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