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　　Vegetarian vampires(吸血鬼)can breathe a sigh of relief．Scientists say they have discovered a way of squeezing “blood” out of rice．

　　Scientists successfully used rice seeds to produce the human serum albumin(人血清白蛋白)(HSA)in the lab, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from the US on October 31．

　　HSA is a kind of protein made by the liver to help transport certain hormones(荷尔蒙, steroids(类固醇)and fatty acids in the blood．People with serious burns, liver diseases and other medical conditions need more HSA．

　　Donated human blood used to be the only source of extra HAS, but this is in short supply．In China, demand for HSA is so high that some illegal producers have been found to be selling fake HSA, which made it even more urgent to find another source of the protein．

　　The rice method was developed by scientists at Wuhan University in China together with researchers from Canada and New York．They used bacteria to put the gene for making HSA into the rice plants and grew them over a few generations．In the final product, the HSA took up more than 10 percent of the total soluble(可溶的)protein in the rice seeds and could be easily separated from the rice protein．

　　The research team did several tests to compare the rice and human versions of HSA．They found that the two types of protein not only looked exactly the same but also had similar effects when used to treat illness．Both types of HSA proved equally effective in treating mice with liver disease．Moreover, mice that were given HSA derived(源自)from rice did not have stronger immune reactions(排异反应)than those that were given the HSA obtained directly from human blood．

　　“Scientists have been using plants to produce HSA for two decades, but the yield is too low,” said Yang Daichang, a scientist a Wuhan University, who led the research．

　　In this experiment, she said, it took researchers only two days to extract about 46 percent of the protein from the plant．This meant that 2.75 grams of HSA could be taken from every kilogram of brown rice．According to researchers, this amount is more than enough to make commercial production feasible(可行的)．

　　Yang said that the team hopes to begin testing the new HSA on humans within the next two years．

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　　My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico．My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields．I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick．For ＄1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks．

　　It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons．Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could．I've never been late for any job since．I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for．More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn't want to work．

　　I was only six years old, but I was doing a man's job．Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than ＄18 a week．Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet．Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters．This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person can have．

　　When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house．My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them．Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one．Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle．

　　The more I dreamed, the more I thought．Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb(番石榴树枝)and a piece of pipe．Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball．And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth．I practiced with the same devotion and intensity．I learned working in the field－except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick．

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　　Suppose you want to go abroad and learn about the foreign exchange in culture in different countries．Here is some information you may need．

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　　Psychology(心理学)has a new application in the field of medicine．Many doctors, together with their patients, are looking for alternative methods of treatment of physical problems．In large hospitals, modern therapy(疗法)seems to focus on the physical disease．Patients may feel they are treated like broken machines．Some doctors have recognized this as a problem．They are now using psychological therapy, in which the patient is working with the doctors against the disease with the help of medicine．The patient does not wait for the medicine and treatment to cure him or her, but instead the patient joins in the fight．

　　The doctor knows that a disease affects a patient's body physically．The body of the patient changes because of the disease．He is not only physically affected, but also has an emotional response to the disease．Because his mind is affected, his attitude and behavior change．The medical treatment might cure the patient's physical problems, but the patient's mind must fight the emotional ones．For example, the studies of one doctor, Carl Simonton, M．D．, have shown that a typical cancer patient has predictable attitudes．She typically feels depressed, upset, and angry．Her constant depression makes her acts unfriendly toward her family, friends, doctors, and nurses．Such attitudes and behaviors prevent recovery．Therefore, a doctor's treatment must help the patient change that．Simonton's method emphasizes treatment of the “whole” patient．

　　The attitude of a cancer patient receiving radiation therapy, an X-ray treatment, can become more positive．The physician who is following Simonton's psychological treatment plan suggests that the patient imagine that he or she can see the tumor(肿瘤)in the body．In the mental picture, the patient "sees" a powerful beam of radiation like a million bullets of energy．The patient imagines the beam hitting the tumor cells and causing them to shrink．For another cancer patient, Dr．Simonton asks him to imagine the medicine going from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the cancer cells．The patient imagines that the medicine is like an army fighting the diseased cells and sees the cancer cells gradually dying and his blood carry away the dead cells．Both the medical therapy and the patient's positive attitude fight the disease．

　　Doctors are not certain why this mental therapy works．However, this use of psychology does help some patients because their attitudes about themselves change．They become more confident because they use the power within their own minds to help stop the disease．

　　Another application of using the mind to help cure disease is the use of suggestion therapy．At first, the doctor helps the patient to concentrate deeply．The patient thinks only about one thing．He becomes so unaware of other things around him that he is asleep, or rather in a trance(催眠状态)．Then the physician makes “a suggestion” to the patient about the medical problem．The patient's mind responds to the suggestion even after the patient is no longer in the trance．In this way, the patient uses his mind to help his body respond to treatment．

　　Doctors have learned that this use of psychology is helpful for both adults and children．For example, physicians have used suggestion to help adults deal with the strong pain of some disease．Furthermore, sometimes the adult patient worries about her illness so much that the anxiety keeps her from getting well．The right suggestions may help the patient to stop being anxious．Such treatment may help the patient with a chronic(慢性的)diseases．Asthma(哮喘)is an example of a chronic disorder．Asthma is a disease that causes the patient to have difficulty in breathing．The patient starts to cough and sometimes has to fight to get the air that he or she needs．Psychology can help relieve the symptoms of this disorder．After suggestion therapy, the asthma patient breathes more easily．

　　Physicians have learned that the psychological method is very useful in treating children．Children respond quickly to the treatment because they are fascinated by it．For example, Dr．Basil R．Collison has worked with 121 asthmatic children in Sydney, Australia, and had good results．Twenty-five of the children had Excellent results．They were able to breathe more easily, and they did not need medication．Another forty-three were also helped．The symptoms of the asthma occurred less frequently, and when they did, they were not as strong．Most of the children also felt better about themselves．Doctors have also used suggestion to change habits like nail-biting, thumb-sucking, and sleep-related problems．

　　Many professional medical groups have accepted the medical use of psychology and that psychology has important applications in medicine．

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　　BEIJING－Apple Inc is one step closer to beginning sales of iPad2 tablet computers with cellular(手机)network compatibility(兼容)for the first time in the Chinese mainland, where the consumer-electronics giant is in the midst of an aggressive expansion．

　　According to China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, a device by Apple with third-generation high-speed wireless data capabilities was issued the network access license needed for the company to begin official sales in China．The device, listed under model number “A1396”, is compatible(相容的)with the 3G standard WCDMA, and would work with the cellular network operated by Apple's local iPhone partner, China Unicom(Hong Kong)Ltd．

　　China Unicom declined(谢绝)to comment．

　　Apple already offers the 3G iPad2 in Hong Kong through its partners, but currently only offers Wi-Fi versions of the device in the Chinese mainland．Still, consumers in China, which according to research firm IDC surpassed(超过)the US as the world's largest PC market in the second quarter, have been purchasing 3G tablets through unofficial channels．

　　Separately, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Sept 6 that the company's first Hong Kong store, set to open this quarter, will be located in the city's central shopping and business district in the International Finance Center's upscale(高档的)IFC mall, a commercial center and sightseeing spot along the city's waterfront．Wu also said that Apple is planning a new store in Shanghai later this quarter, which will be its biggest store in China．She declined to give more details or to comment on the 3G iPad2．

　　Apple currently has four full-service Apple stores in the mainland, which receive the most traffic of any Apple stores in the world．The company otherwise relies on resellers to get its products into the market．

　　The new stores reflect Apple's confidence in rising demand for its products such as smart phones and tablet computers．Sales in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan helped boost(增长)the company's third-quarter results, newly appointed Chief Executive Tim Cook said in July．China revenue(收益)surged(激增)six-fold to about ＄3.8 billion during the three months ended June 25．

　　“This has been a substantial(重大)opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we're just scratching the surface right now,” Cook said at the time, referring to strong sales in China．“I see an incredible opportunity for Apple there．”

From China Daily 2011-09-08

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　　As an experienced photojournalist in Nashville, Tennessee, I was hired by USA Today newspaper to photograph a spinal bifida(脊柱畸形)corrective surgical procedure．It was to be performed on a twenty-one week old fetus(胎儿)in uterus(子宫)at Vanderbilt University Medical Center．At that time, in 1999, twenty-one weeks in uterus was the earliest that the surgical team would consider for surgery．The worst possible outcome would be that the surgery would cause premature delivery, and no child born earlier than twenty-three weeks had survived．

　　The tension could be felt in the operating room as the surgery began．A typical C-section incision(切口)was made to access the uterus, which was then lifted out and laid at the junction of the mother's thighs(大腿)．The entire procedure would take place within the uterus, and no part of the child was to breach the surgical opening．During the procedure, the position of the fetus was adjusted by gently manipulating(熟练操作)the outside of the uterus．The entire surgical procedure on the child was completed in one hour and thirteen minutes．When it was over, the surgical team breathed a sigh of relief, as did I．

　　As a doctor asked me what speed of film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus shake, but no one's hands were near it．It was shaking from within．Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing．The doctor reached over and lifted the hand, which reacted and squeezed the doctor's finger．As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist．Samuel held firm．I took the picture! Wow! It happened so fast that the nurse standing next to me asked, “What happened?” “The child reached out,” I said．“Oh．They do that all the time,” she responded．

　　The surgical opening to the uterus was closed and the uterus was then put back into the mother and the C-section opening was closed．

　　It was ten days before I knew if the picture was even in focus．To ensure no digital manipulation of images before they see them, USA Today requires that film be submitted(提交)unprocessed．When the photo editor finally phoned me he said, “It's the most incredible picture I've ever seen．”

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　　This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths．It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend(超越)it．Once we truly know that life is difficult－once we truly understand and accept it－then life is no longer difficult．Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters．

　　Most do not fully see this truth．Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy．It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation．

　　What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one．Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear．These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain．And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy．

　　Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning．Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure．When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve．It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn．As Benjamin Franklin said, those things that hurt, instruct．It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems．

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　　She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall．No way could I have sent her away．No way, not me anyway．Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before．"We're moving house．'; "No space for her any more with the baby coming．" "We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present．" People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal．And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen．

　　I called her Goldie．If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative name．She was so unsettled during those first few days．She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her．There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed．Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's．But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down．Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire．

　　That's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk．We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless．Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could．

　　By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie．But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them．"We didn't know what had happened to her," said the woman at the door．"I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared．" "She must have tried to come back to them and got lost," added a boy from behind her．

　　I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother．And I've learnt a good lesson：not to judge people．

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　　In the early days of the Internet, the idea that it represented an entirely new and separate field distinct from the real world was seized upon by both supporters and critics of the new technology．Supporters liked the idea that the virtual(虚拟的)world was a placeless datasphere, liberated from constraints and restrictions of the real world, and an opportunity for a fresh start．For instance, John Perry Barlow, an internet activist, issued the "Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace" in February 1996．He thundered, "Governments of the industrial world, I come from cyberspace, the new home of mind．Cyberspace does not lie within your borders．We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth．

　　Where Mr．Barlow found the separation between the real and virtual worlds exciting, however, critics regarded it as a cause for concern．They worried that people were spending too much time online, communicating with people they had never even met in person in chat rooms, virtual game worlds and, more recently, on social - networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook．A study carried out by the Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society in 2000, for example, found that heavy internet users spent less time talking to friends and family, and warned that the Internet could be "the ultimate isolating(隔离)technology"．

　　Both groups were wrong, of course．The Internet has not turned out to be a thing apart．Unpleasant aspects of the real world, such as taxes, crime and cheating are now characteristics of the virtual world, too．C'amers who make real money selling swords, gold and other things in virtual game worlds may now find that the tax man wants to know about it．Designers of virtual objects in Second Life, an online virtual world, are seeking to real -world lawsuits(诉讼)in order to protect their intellectual property．

　　At the same time, however, some of the most exciting uses of the Internet rely on combining it with the real world．Social networking allows people to stay in touch with their friends online, and plan social activities in the real world．The distinction between online and offline chatters does not matter any more．

　　All these approaches treat the Internet as an extension or an attachment to the physical world, not a separate space．Rather than seeing the real and virtual fields as distinct and conflicting, in short, it makes sense to see them as complementary and connected．

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