MVT备考日志（10.18）

MVTUID: 2588209

2009年8月30日备考日志

60-second science
"FIDO'S FUR FATED BY 3 GENES"
Red for wrong note; Blue for correction

You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a dog by its coat. You can even read right through with(to its) genes because the(a) study in (the) August 27th online issue of Science shows that just 3 key genes govern the length and texture of dog fur.

Domestic dogs coming from(come in) a stunning right(variety) of shapes and sizes, and different breeds or different coats. They can have short hair or long hair, or fur that is straight, wavy, curly, wiry or smooth. They(To) find that(\) the gene is(genes) responsible for this furry rainbow. Scientists scan(ned) (the) DNA with(of a) thousand of(\) individual dogs from 80 different breeds. And they found (that) every coats of(coat's) appearance boal into(boils down to) 3 simple traits: length, curl and texture. And (that) each of these traits is controlled by just one gene.

So, a long hair golden retriever has one very independ(variant of a) gene called FGA5(FGF5), where is(wheras) the(a) short hair of(\) lab has another. By mixing imagine(and matching) varies in(variants of) these 3 genes, you can have(get) everything from (a) curly hair pudal(poodle) to a wild(wire-haired) scottie with (bushy) eyebrows and judy(droopy) moustache. Which is proved to be(probably) more than you (will) ever need to know about the hair of the dog will bit you.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009年8月31日备考日志

60-second science
"DISAPPEARING BEES HAVE DEVATATED RIBOSOMES"
Red for wrong note; Blue for correction

A big clue about what's behind the disappearing of honey bees, also account for(known as colony) collapse disorders, (or) CCD. May Berenbaum's team at the university (of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) champion found (that) the bees' ribosomes were turned off(torn up). "The ribonsomes make the surround bees(proteins that allow bees to) respond to parasites(pesticides), to respond to diseases, to respond to (poor) nutrition. So the ribosomal fragments, they will be(that we were) finding to(\) explain a lot of things, then(\) explained some(among other) things the observation (that) CCD (seems to be) caused by anything(everything). And in fact, it (very well) might be that one see(once the ribosomes cease) function(ing) probably(properly), that(then) anything can cause bees (to) go under.

A possible cause is mortable(multiple) viral infections. "So the bee apparently has compacity(the capacity) to deal with one or two bees(of these), but musle ball(multiple) viral infections, basically hold(the whole system) break(s) down. The finding in (the) proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences doesn't pinpoint to clause(a cause) of all(or) cure for CCD. But "we now have an explanation for what we want(went wrong)."

MVTUID: 2588209

2009年9月1日备考日志

60-second science
"ASTRONAUTS ROSE FROM HUMBLE STARTS"
Red for wrong note; Blue for correction

Space shuttle discovery, mission SKS 128 is in orbit right now. With some fascinating people on board. Pilot Kevin Ford became interesting() in flying when he was a kid, and read the book Carrying the Fire by Michael Clons(Collins). Major() pilot from Apaul() 11. When he is() old enough () take flying lessons for() paid for them with money he earned bagging groceries.

Missioned special() Jose Hernandez was born in California, into her() family () farm workers. He spend his child() shuttle() between Mexico and California, working in the fields and speaking a() little english. () During the school years, his parents who possessed on the() 3 grade educations, had human the significant to() schools 4 time() help () the work only on weekend(s).

The() second grade teacher in California convinced his parents to settle down roots for the sake of () children's educations. In high school Hernandez () inspired by astronaut Franklin Chang-diaz. And set his course are() becoming () astronaut himself. The whole crew have great life stories-and degrees () engineering or science. Check () out at www.snipurl.com/sts128.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.9.2  DIARY BEFORE TEST

RECESSION: JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED?

It sounds pradoxical, that the(but in) wealthy countries do(there's) nothing like (a) recession to boost the population's health. According to a report in Sep. 1st Canadian Medical Association Journal, when a peach is a good(our paychecks get) lighter, with you(we do) more than title poor streams(tighten our purse strings), we also centure about(cinch our belts), keep(kick) bad habits even mean(and manage) to lower (our) mortality rates.

Economical growth did(is) usually associate(d) with increased life span(s). But the report is(says) that (is) only true for the very poor countries. Researchers look(ed) the dead(at data) from dozens of 20(th) centry international health studies and found that once percapity(per capita) in compess(income passed) $5000,  procession(recessions) actually helped health. During (lean) time(s) people in relatively wealthy countries drink and smoke less, and stop over healing(eating). They also go out less, which means fewer trips in the car. It all leads(adds) up to fewer death(s) from things of long(like lung) cancer, libra(liver) disease, heart attacks and car crashes.

The researchers said(say) that fewer hour(s) in an(the) office can also mean more time with family and friends. This close social in the actions(interactions) did(lead to) less stress and better health. Of course, some people may find more family times to be like a lighter(lot) of good medicine-- hard to swallow.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.9.3 DIARY BEFORE TEST

"MAKING MUSIC FOR MONKEY MIND"

Music is known to make us happy, or calm, or sad, but do other animal respond to dulcet tones as well? In studies of(our) primate cousins prefer silence to our music, but maybe we are(were) playing the wrong tune.

Psychologist Doll Stro(Charles Snowdon) and musician David Tie(Teie) teamed up adapt(\) to show the(that) south American monkeys cause(called cotton-top tamarins) duing(do) respond to the(\) music their own. The study was published in (the) Journal Biology Letters.

Vactual(With actual) monkey cause(calls) in mind. Teie composed monkey music. That tune was best(based) on caused the(calls) signify fine(signifying) anxiety. This one will present(represents) a happy safe condition. Snowdon playing(played) the composition(s) to the temerent(tamarins.) They become(became) agitate(d) hearing the threats on(threat song). And (the) more a bit(upbeat) music put them in a melo(mellow) mood.

Much of (what) we communicate does depend on turn(tone,) not just words. Their(This) study suggested(suggests) what Snowdon cause(calls) the musical elements of speech was(has a) deep evolutionary history. Just good(goes) to show that music can soothe (a savage) breast as long as the(it's) species pro(appropriate).

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.9.4 DIARY BEFORE TEST

"FREEING THE MIND TO FORGET"

Some things are hard to remember, others r hard to forget, especially things that r traumatic. But kids (, it) turns out to() better than adults on() forgetting the bad stuff. Now scientists think (they know) why. According to (an) animal study in (the) Sep. 4th issue of (the) Journal Science. The brain(s) of adults erect physical barriers that keep pain from(painful) memories in attack(intact).

As adult(,) events (that) emotional(ly) disturbed by(disturb us tend to get) sere(seared) into (our) brains. No re(Those memories) can resurface, cause() anxiety, fear and even post traumatic stress disorder. But young brain(s) much more resilent, and can even erase some present() memories.

To get a better handle on this useful(youthful) forgetting, scientists studied the brains of young and old rats. They found that in adult brains, a physical net forms out() certain sales(cells) in maindelo()-a structure associated with motion(motional) memories. Adult be() trained to associated a mouse f out() with a specific sound would flinched when they just heard the sound. But using a drug to dissolve these barriers(this barrier) with storing(restore) the old(older) rat's ability to extinguish fear from(fearful) memories. So rats that they gotten busty() treatment stay(ed) calm, when they heard () sound. It's one of a few insistance() will never lost(net loss) real gain.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.9.5 DIARY BEFORE TEST

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WING

When crested pigeons spot a predator, they give a little whistle, but the sound does't come from the beaps(their beaks). And according to a study published by the Rural(Royal) Society, that whistle warns the rest of flock to flee.

Their(There's) safty in numbers, and (a) flock off(offers) protection in part because there's(it has) so many eyes watching for danger. But it's not clear that() how an individual sounds the alarm when it spots its(a) predator. Maybe anytime 1 or 2 birds fly off, they all do, just in case. Of course that kind of major(knee-jerk) reaction could produce a lot of foresaw(false) alarms. So how can birds tell when their flock mates so(are) seriously headed for (the) hills(?)

Scientists recorded the sounds made by (their) wings of crested pigeons during a routine leaved off(liftoff), and a(the) noise the(their) wings make during an emergency take-off. And they found that the sound made by wings flapped in terror includes (a) distinctive sort of whistle.

That noise alone scheduale(will scatter off a) flock of fleeting(feeding) pigeons just quickest(as quick as) the shadow of a passing hawk. And give(gives a) whole new mean(ing) to (the) expression, on the(a) wing in(and) a prayer.



WORLD'S CRAZIEST GEOENGINEERING SCHEME

A man-made volcano erupting continuously the shave to the(to shade the Earth until) Green House gas levels in the atmosphere right now(are brought down). Thousands of mills(mirrors) boosted into the geocin(geosynchronous) orbit to block sunlight. Crude leadships wondering negotiate spear(Crewless ships wander the oceans spewing) saltwater internear(into the air) to increase cloud cover. This suggests(These are just) a few (of) proposals from scientist(s to) manipulated or geoengineering, the planet stay(to stave) off Global Warming.

The UK is real('s Royal) society it(has) spent the last year identified(identifying) which scheme is(schemes are) just plain crazy and which just might be needed( if the world doesn't start reducing greenhouse gas emissions right away). Covering the world's deserts reflecting(in reflective) materials (is the) most dangerous, expensive and ineffective geoengineering scheme, not least because it will(would) likely change the weather patterns. Fertilizing neociate(the ocean) with iron to promote planting(plankton) blooms also get(s) high marks for danger, because of the potential of(for) unintended ecosystem impacts.

On the safer side(?) artificial trees to succeed to the(suck CO2 out of the air are) safe…… but they will(don't) come cheap. Pin(Painting roofs) white is also safe…… but unlike in geoimpact(not likely to make much impact). In the sweet but the(spot of) safe, immediately available as well as relatively effective and expensive seeds(sits-) Capturing next(excess) CO2 world(where it) largely comes from: power plants.

And the simplest and cheapest way to slow GW on the planet area in(planetary) scale (, it) turns out, is simply to stop cutting down the forest(s) heplping to(\) controll today's climate. It won't solve the whole problem, but (a) few trees go a long way. Of course, the craziest geoengineering scheme today(to date) is one of what(we) are need(already) doing: changing the climate with next(an excess of) green has(house) gas missions(emissions). If we don't stop that experiment, we might have to discuss in a crazy world(start an even crazier one).

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.9.6 DIARY BEFORE TEST

PREDICTORS OF PRESCHOOL DEPRESSION

The percentage of Americans using anti-depressions(depressants) doubled between 1996 and 2005. That numbers('s) from a new study in (the) archive(s) of Journal(General) Psychiatry. And the reasons aren't fully clear. The(But) researchers think that a big factor is simple culture changes(cultrural change-it's) more and more acceptable to be on drug(the drugs). But another paper published in the Journal (of) Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds predictors that list(, at least,) for childhood depression.

Sicentists followed more than 1700 children from infants of 5 months to preschoolers of five years. And (the) top predictor for depression later in 9(life), researchers found, it's(is) a difficult temperament at 5 month(s). And by difficult temperament the researchers mean:"Our child being fusty(fussy), being irritable, and difficult to soothe. And a child that as particular, is particularly challenged by novel situation(s). So a child of() that is slow to adapt, or is fearful in new situation(s)."

That's one of the lead researchers-surrounded Cortai(Sylvanna Cote from) University of Montreal. And they found in another leading depression predictor the 2ed one is lifetime eternal(maternal) depression. "We now find(know from) studies that are genetically informative, so twins studies, or studies that have measured(measures) of the geno type of people. And that the(\) depression is highly, it arounds(it runs in) family. But of course, genetic(s) is not destiny, even though it's an important factor. So someone with that trait(who's at risk) because a(of) genetic round ability(vulnerability) may one(go on) to develop depression, or not,  depend(ing) on the kind of, the quality of care, the quality of (the) family environment. So it's very important to realize that E is the(a) major factor. And we can change peopple in(people's) E."

Now, some 50%(15%) of prschoolers suffer from high levels of depressions and axiety. Cote stresses the(that) treatments like core behavior(cognitive behavioral) therapy in(and) probably prescribe(d) medication have high sucess rates. So there's no reason that(\) mothers need to suffer (-and put) their children (at risk) as well.

semvoceUID: 2661058

lz加油加油！

MVTUID: 2588209

respond to 54# semvoce

yehh, go go! Never give up!

2009.9.7 DIARY BEFORE TEST

TOUR OUR OBLATE SPHEROID WITH THE GEEK ATLAS

Steeve Hapson(Still have some) vacation time to burn but tidal(tired of) reading battle(bad) novels on the beach. Try about great(a book written) especially for people who would rather planetary that(go to the planetarium than) to plan to(Planet) Hollywood. It's called (the) geek atla(s): under 28(128) places where science and technology come a lot(alive), by John Graham-Cumming. Each venue is written about('s write-up) explains drolwens in(its relevant) science (and) history. For example, if you('re) in Paris, stopped(stop) by institute pastors(Pasteur) and visit the museam come the memory in(commemorating) the life in(and) science (of) the man's(man whose) name on milking tena(your milk container).

The UK is teeming what's(with sites of) scientific interests, including the equal publing(Eagle Pub in) Cambridge will create modernest advance secretary(where Waton and Crick modestly announced that they had found the secret to) life. There's a(the) home (and) museum a(of) physicist (James Clerk Maxwell in) Edinburgh. And there's British (airway) fly(flight) training centre, where visitors can operate the same training simulators polatives(that pilots use).

Here in the States you can really get your geek on (at) the Computer History Museum remind you in(in mountain view,) California. Or gain(get) your bearings in (Gaithersburg) Maryland, at the international latitude of(\) observatory. Walk proudly in Hollywood(these hallowed) and historic places because the geek shall in healthy year(inherit the Earth).

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.09.08 DIARY BEFORE TEST

TUNING IN TO THE INSECT PHILHARMONIC

"Can you hear the end of daytime insect? Because... That's the sicator(cicata,) right. But I'm hearing crickets, and the(in the backgound) too. And just listen for a sound. Listen to it. How many different sounds you can hear." That's Allison Beall of the Marshland conservancy of wildlife century(santuary) in (Rye,) New York. She led twilight work(walk) through the preserve on Sep. 5th.

There's a wondful event (in) about (to) take place at Sep. 11. There's going to be a Cricket Crawk(Crawl), where people r going to go out and listen for the sounds of 7 crikets, and katydids, angle wind(winged) katydids, and cornheads(coneheads), and vary silar(various other) night insects (that are singing). You can go to a website, and you can go out into ur own backyard. And listen for sounds that actually be part of this scientific account(count). So all of the sounds r on the internet u can listen, u can see the insect close-up, and u can hear the sounds, and then u can send (in) ur new(the) data from ur own backyard.

The website is: www.discoverlife.url(org)/cricket or just google cricket crawk. The official account could(is) taking place in New York city much(\) metropolitan area, but anyone could get a new appreciation for the tiny wildlife producing natures nocturne.

Okay. So we r just about the end of this walk, and I wanna tell u sth. It has not anything to do with this walk, this is called crepuscular walk. It was just a trick. It was a trick to get u to go outside in ur own habitat and to listen for the same things that have been in ur backyard or in ur neighborhood all along (and) u need just pay(just havn't paid any) attention to them, so here's what I recommend: u go out, u get a falshlight, and at 8 o'clock go out, and follow the sounds the chief heard u(that you've heard here) tonight. Do (you) realize How many different species of crickets, katydids and grass subors(grasshoppers) r. And ur job is to find them.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.9.9 DIARY BEFORE TEST

LIE DETECTION WITH HANDWRITING

When we lie, our brains works hard to make sure we get the story right and come often is(off as) truthful. Long for(Law enforcement) official(s) tried(try) to tap into that effort , F.E., (with) polygraphs to find out that the(if a) suspect is telling the truth. But such stress tests r abidable(beatable) and not miscible(admissible) in court. Now comes the(a) report that handwrting tests could be a competitor that's(to the) familiar by(but) unreliable lie detector. The study appears in the Journal of pliot of(Applied Cognitive)  Psychology.

Researchers of this area(at Israele's) Haifa Univ. worked with 34 volunteers who wrote truthful 4th(and false) paragraphs of(on) paper using a wireless electronic pen and (a) pressure sense of(sensitive) tip. A computer write(computerized) system measure(d) pressure and stroke direction(duration,) both on the paper and (in) the air. Special(Spatial) measures such as stroke leg(length), high leg wings will(height and width were) also tracked. And (the) scientists find(found) significant differences in pressure and special(spatial) measures in the ceptor(deceptive) statements compared with the truth.

The investigators said(say the need to) validate does(this) innitially result and compared with(\) the techniques with polygraphs and other lie detection tools. But perhaps in the future, even a reading cleaning of anythings(written claim of innocence) could connect(turn out) to be a defector(de facto) confession.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.09.10 DIARY BEFORE TEST

WHERE THE DESIRE FOR CHANGE RESIDE

Most of us know 2 kinds of people: those who crave change and others who'd rather stick to routine. And people suffering from illness like odd simers(Alzheimers) or obsessive compulsive disorders often don't have much of (a) choice. Typically they prefer a highly predictable environment. But most of us (, at) some point, the collum(recall a) moment will(where) we decided if to lib(to leap) into the anote(unknown) and take a chance to change our lives, hopefully for the better.

Well, Duke univ. scientists have discovered a part of brains(the brain) that sparks a disire to explore. The researchers followed monkeys for giving(that were given) a choice. They could either stick with the(\) known world(reward) or explore other possible mistery real world(rewards), the better learn(that they had learned) could st. be better than the familiar prize.

By a study in(studying) the level of firing (the) individual learns on(neurons in the) brain's posterior singular(cingulate) coretex, the scientists could predict it(\) whether the monkey would take the chance to explore new options. The neural finds(nuerons fired)  more vigorously when the monkey made (up) his mind to go for it. Learning how this specific brain area functions may lead to new encite and(insight into) how u could(we) adpt to novel environments. And could help those who feel trapped by the needs of(for the) same old routine.

MVTUID: 2588209

2009.09.11 DIARY BEFORE TEST

ON-THE-JOB CHIMPS USE MULTIPLE TOOLS

To do a job right, u need the right tools. Even a chimp knows that. According to a study in the American Journal of primatology, chimps in (the) Congo use multiple tools to capture army ants.

U('ve) probably see(seen) footage of chimps using sticks to harvest honey or to(trap) termites. But when (it) comes to collecting ants, the apes r all over the place, sts. using tools, other times going in barehanded. To investigate this(these) different techniques, a research team spent almost 10 years in () Congo filming chimp panzes(chimpanzees) and collectiing more than a 1000 antifishing(ant-fishing) tools. And they found at(that) the last year in the end(nastier the ant), the more likely to beast(the ape is) to pick up the() stick.

Chims in terror, but next(that tear open a nest) with their hands risk in(\) getting bitten, and driven in successive way(driving insects away). Instead, many chimps use the serious(a series) of tools. One tip(\) to poke a hole on the next(in the nest), and the other(another) to big in together(dip in to gather) a few tast to basement(tasty specimens). They even pick up tools left behind by the chimps. Now, what(would) infinite NO. of chimpanses(chimpanzees) using an infinite (NO.) of tools produce a lousful tinstyle and tablishly(Louis-the-XIVth-style table and) chairs. It's doubtful, but they r probably catching the(an) infinite NO. (of) ants.

DriftKingUID: 2664045

顶大哥