报刊阅读1.docx
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报刊阅读1.docx
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报刊阅读1
ThepoliticsofHurricaneSandy
Oct29th2012,16:
29byLexington
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ISHURRICANESANDYcapableofalteringtheelectionresult?
Thepresidentialcandidatesarehunkeringdownandtryingtoavoidlookingpartisanasthisbig,wetstormheadsfortheeasternseaboard.Butanynumberofcalculationsarebeingmadebythecampaigns.Plausibleargumentsareflying,explainingwhythisstormisbadnews,orisitgoodnews,forbothsides.
InaconferencecallwithreportersonMondaymorning,bossesatthecampaignheadquartersofBarackObamainChicagostressedthatthepresidentisfocused"onthestormandgoverningthecountry",andnotedthathehadcancelledeventsinstorm-hitstatesfromFloridatoWisconsin.Awell-handleddisastercanstrengthenanincumbentpresident(justasaKatrina-levelbungleisapolitical,aswellashumandisaster).
MittRomneycancelledeventsplannedforMondaynightandTuesday,citingtheneedtoavoidputtingsupportersindangerortyingupemergencyservices.InVirginia,theRomneycampaignbuswillbedeliveringstorm-reliefsupplies.TheRomneycampaignalsosentoutanoticethatithadsuspendedfundraisingemailstotheDistrictofColumbia,Maryland,NewJersey,NewYork,NorthCarolina,PennsylvaniaandVirginia.
Tobebrutal,acertainamountofbadweatheronelectiondayhelpsconservativesineverydemocracy.Incrudeterms,car-drivingconservativeretireesstillturnoutindrivingrain,whenbus-takinglower-incomeworkersjustbackfromanightshiftaremorelikelytogiverain-soakedpollsamiss.Schoolclosuresareaparticularproblemforlow-incomefamiliesorsinglemothersscramblingtofindchildcare.Inthiscase,theweatherissupposedtoclearupwellaheadofelectionday,buttheimpactcouldbefeltintheturnoutofearlyvoters.
Democratswillperceivethatasbadnews.TheObamacampaignhaspinnedbighopesonincreasingturnoutamongObama-supporting"sporadicvoters",thesortofvoterswhogivemid-termelectionsamissbutmayturnoutinpresidentialyears.AccordingtoMichaelMcDonald,anelectionsexpertatGeorgeMasonUniversitywhomIspoketolastweek,thisistheprecisemomentintheelectioncyclewhensporadicvotersaremostlikelytoturnout.
Theveryfirstearlyvotersarethosewhocannotwaittovote:
theyarethepartisanswhocouldbeseenqueuingoutsidepollingstationsinOhioorFloridaonthefirstmorningsofearlyvoting,likebargain-huntershittingthesales.Now,severaldaysintoearlyvotingandaweekfromelectionday,wouldnormallybethemomentwhenlesszealoussupportersweresupposedtobefindingamomenttocastaballot.
ThereareotherswhobelievethatSandywillbenefitthepresident,withthestormfreezingtheelectioncampaign,andMrRomney'sperceivedmomentum,inplace.Inshort,nobodyknowshowitwillimpacttherace.
Forproofoftheuncertaintythatreignsjustnow,Icanonlycitemyfavouritecampaignemailofthelast24hours,afour-paragraphmissivefromMrRomneyinwhichonefullparagraphisdevotedtoaskingsupporterstobringcampaignyardsignsindoorsbeforethestormstrikes."Inhighwindstheycanbedangerous,andcausedamagetohomesandproperty,"MrRomneyurges.
Sensibleadvice,nodoubt,butsomethinginmelikestheideaofamulti-billiondollarelectionjuggernautbeinghaltedbyvisionsofavoterimpaledthenpinnedtoawind-lashedlawnbyaflyingRomney-for-presidentyardsign.
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Middle-classblues
ITMUSTbeworryingtoChina’sleadershipthatsomeofthelargestoutbreaksofurbanunrestinrecentyearshaveoccurredinsomeofthecountry’smostprosperouscities.Themostrecentexample,intheportcityofNingbo,involvedthousandsofpeoplefacingoffwithriotpoliceinaprotestoverplanstoexpandachemicalfactoryinthecity.Afterthreedaysofsometimes-violentdemonstrations,thecitygovernmentannouncedonOctober28ththatitwashaltingtheproject(astheAssociatedPressreports).Fornowatleast,theprotestsappeartobesubsiding.
Theyweretriggeredbythesamemiddle-classfearsthatinspiredlarge-scaledemonstrationsintheportcitiesofXiamenin2007andDalianlastyear.Allrelatedtoprojectsinvolvingthemanufactureofparaxylene,atoxicchemical,whichprotestersbelievedwouldpollutetheenvironment.Ningbo’s,however,wereunusualfortheirviolenceandtheirproximitytoapoliticaleventofhugeimportancetotheCommunistParty.OnNovember8ththepartywillconveneits18thcongressinBeijing.Sodeterminedisittopreventdisruptionofthisevent,andofameetingrightafteritwhichwillendorsesweepingchangestothecountry’sleadership,thattaxisinBeijingareevensaidtohavebeenorderedtodisablethemechanismsthatallowpassengerstoopenrearwindows.AChinesenewspaper,theGlobalTimes,saysthisisbecauseofficialsdonotwantpeoplethrowingdissidentleafletsoutofthem.(Manydrivershavenotcomplied.)
Thepartyisparticularlynervousthisyearasthecountry’seconomicgrowthslowsandmembersofthenewmiddleclassbecomemoreanxiousabouttheirprospectsintheyearsahead.Eventheofficialmediasometimeshintatthis.AnotherChinesenewspaper,theChinaDaily,reportedrecentlyonasurveyofBeijingresidentsthatwasconductedbyagovernment-sponsoredthink-tankinthecapital.Only1%ofrespondentssaidtheirqualityoflifehadgreatlyimprovedinrecentyears,whileone-fifthsaidithadimprovedslightly.Morethanone-thirdsaidtheyfeltnochange,andmorethan40%saidtheirliveswereworse.
Eventhestatebroadcaster,CCTV,hasofferedararehintthattheparty’seffortstoportrayacountryofgrowinghappinessarebeinggreetedbysomewithcynicism.BeginninginlateSeptemberitbroadcastaseriesofprogrammescalled“Reachingthegrass-roots:
people’svoicesfromwithin”.MinistryofTofu,ablogaboutChinesesociety,reportedthatproducersoftheseriesmusthavebeensomewhatdisappointediftheyexpectedtheirinterviewees,whowereaskedhowhappytheywere,togushwithsatisfaction.Manydodgedthequestionandsomegaveanswersthatwerenonsensicalorfunny.
Onitswebsite,thegovernmentnewsagency,Xinhua,offeredasimilardescriptionoftheresponsesgiventotheCCTVcameras(here,inChinese).China’sever-boisteroususersofTwitter-likeservicesgleefullytooktooneanecdoteinparticular,aboutamigrantworkerinthenorthernprovinceofShanxi.Thewords“areyouhappy”inChinesehappeningtosoundidenticalto“areyousurnamedFu”,theworkerrepliedtothequestionbyanswering,“MysurnameisZeng”.CCTV’swillingnesstoairthisclipwasanunusualdeviationfromitspropaganda-drivennorm.XinhuablamedtheresponsesofMrZengandotherson“thepressuresoflife”inafast-changingChina.Suchpressures,asrecenteventsinNingbohaveshown,aregeneratingrestlessnessevenamongbeneficiariesofthecountry’seconomictransformation.
Hellomothers,hellofather
Atechniqueintendedtoeliminatemitochondrialdiseaseswouldresultinpeoplewiththreegeneticparents
ISITpossibleforachildtohavethreeparents?
ThatisthequestionraisedbyapaperjustpublishedinNaturebyShoukhratMitalipovandhiscolleaguesatOregonHealthandScienceUniversity.Andtheanswerseemstobe“yes”,forthisstudypavesthewayforthebirthofchildrenwho,genetically,haveonefather,buttwomothers.
Thereasonthisispossibleisthatamother’sgeneticcontributiontoheroffspringcomesintwoseparablepieces.Byfarthelargestispackedintothe23chromosomesinthenucleusofanunfertilisedegg.Inthat,sheisjustlikethechild’sfather,whoprovidesanother23throughhissperm.ButthemotheralsocontributeswhatisknownasmitochondrialDNA.
Inthissection
Mitochondriaareacell’spower-packs.Theyconverttheenergyinsugarintoaformusablebythecell’smolecularmachinery.Andbecausemitochondriadescendfromabacteriumthat,about2billionyearsago,becamesymbioticwiththecellfromwhichanimalsandplantsaredescended,theyhavetheirown,smallchromosomes.Inpeople,thesechromosomescarryonly37genes,comparedwiththe20,000orsoofthenucleus.Butallofthemitochondriainahumanbodyaredescendedfromthoseintheeggfromwhichitgrew.Thespermcontributesnone.Anditisthatfactwhichhasalloweddoctorstoconceiveoftheideaofpeoplewithtwomothers:
oneprovidingthenuclearDNAandonethemitochondrialsort.
ThereasonfordoingthisisthatmutationsinmitochondrialDNA,likethoseinthenucleargenes,cancausedisease.Thesediseasesespeciallyaffectorganssuchasthebrainandthemuscles,whichhavehighenergyrequirements.Eachparticularmitochondrialdiseaseisrare.Buttherearelotsofthem.Alltold,thereisaboutonechancein5,000thatachildwilldevelopsuchaninheriteddisease.Thatrateissimilar,forexample,totherateoffragile-Xsyndrome,whichisthesecond-most-commontypeofcongenitallearningdifficultyafterDown’ssyndrome.Mitochondrialdiseaseisthusnotahugeproblem,butitisnotnegligible,either.
Newbatteries,please
Tofindoutwhethermitochondrialtransplantationcouldworkinpeople(ithasalreadybeendemonstratedinotherspeciesofmammal)DrMitalipovcollectedeggsfromtheovariesofwomenwithmutatedmitochondriaandothersfromdonorswithhealthymitochondria.Hethenremovedthenucleiofboth.Thosefromthehealthycells,hediscarded.Thosefromthediseasedcells,hetransplantedintothehealthycells.Hethenfertilisedtheresultwithspermandallowedthefertilisedeggstostartdividingandthusbegintakingthefirststepsonthejourneythatmightultimatelyleadtothembecomingfull-fledgedhumanbeings.
Near
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