【Phat Yeti出品】60-SECOND SCIENCE 官方听力文稿 + 讨论帖 （更新至：2008.03.07）

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60-Second Science_ Aug 19, 2008

1918 Flu Antibodies Alive and Well
Extremely elderly survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic still have active antibodies that recognize that virus. Karen Hopkin reports
Some people never forget a face. Others never forget a flu. Even if they were infected more than 90 years ago. A team of American scientists studied 32 people who survived the 1918 flu epidemic. That virus, also called the Spanish flu, killed an estimated 20 to 100 million people worldwide.
Of course many more survived, and some are still around today. The scientists tracked them down and took a small sample of their blood. And they found that all 32 people they tested still had circulating antibodies that could recognize the 1918 flu strain. What’s even more remarkable is that these immune molecules still work. Injecting the antibodies into mice protected the animals from experimental infection with the virus. The results were published online in the journal Nature on August 13th.
The scientists say that these elder antibodies could guide the way to new therapies to ward off flu should a virus similar to the 1918 strain arise. In the meantime, I guess you can be thankful that as your joints grow creaky and your vision fades, at least your immune system stays on its feet.
—Karen Hopkin

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60-Second Science_ Aug 20, 2008

Fruit Juices Block Some Drugs
The same researcher who found that grapefruit juice can increase the effective dose of some medications now reports that fruit juices can also severely interfere with the absorption of various other drugs. Steve Mirsky reports
You’ve no doubt heard that grapefruit juice can greatly increase the effects of some drugs. Even to a dangerous degree. Pharmacologist David Bailey made that discovery almost 20 years ago. A substance in the juice blocks an enzyme that breaks down the drugs. Now Bailey’s back with a fresh finding—grapefruit juice, orange juice, apple juice and other fruit juices can also severely decrease the absorption of certain drugs. He announced this discovery August 19th at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.
Some of the drugs that have their dosages effectively decreased by various juices include medications that fight heart disease, infection and even the rejection of transplants. Key ingredients in the juices appear to block a molecule that carries drugs from the small intestine into the bloodstream. So a lot of the medication gets flushed out without ever reaching its target. Bailey says, "This is just the tip of the iceberg.  I'm sure we'll find more and more drugs that are affected this way."  So when taking medications, a sip of H2O is probably the way to go.
—Steve Mirsky

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60-Second Science_ Aug 21, 2008

Patients Leave Emergency Rooms Confused But Confident
Patients who leave emergency rooms tend to be unclear about what was done for them or what they should do next--but most of them are unjustifiably confident that they do understand the situation. Karen Hopkin reports
A trip to the emergency room is usually traumatic. It has to be. Why else would you be going? But new research shows that it also tends to be confusing. Scientists from the University of Michigan conducted detailed interviews with about 150 patients as they were released from the ER. And they compared the patients’ impressions of what had happened with their hospital records. What they found is that three quarters of the patients they spoke with didn’t understand what was wrong with them, what was done for them, or what they should do when they get home. What’s worse, these same patients reported being pretty sure of what they understood, or thought they understood, 80 percent of the time. The results appear online in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
The biggest area of confusion revolved around what to do next: what medicines patients might need to take, whether they should make an appointment to see their regular doc, or what symptoms would indicate they need to get themselves back to the ER. Obviously, doctors need to do a better job of explaining things. But patients, too, should question the staff until they get clear instructions. Take along a family member for an extra set of ears. Even ask the doctor to write things down. Of course, good luck trying to read it later.
—Karen Hopkin

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