A disease called “Panama” is threatening supplies of the world's most popular fruit—banana.Two years ago,the United Nations warned that the "Panama disease" could destroy "much of the world's banana crop."Since then,things have not gotten better.A new outbreak was discovered last year in Australia.The disease started in Asia in the 1990s, and later spread to Africa and the Middle East.

    World health officials worry the disease could travel to Latin America,one of the top banana producers in the world.All this is a big concern because bananas are an important source of income and nutrients for millions of people.They are grown in 135 tropical nations.The United Nations lists bananas as one of the most important foods, along with rice,wheat and corn.

    Randy Ploetz is a professor at the Tropical Research & Educational Center at the University of Florida.Many consider him as America's top banana expert.As he explained,Panama disease affects the Cavendish banana.The Cavendish is one of more than 500 kinds of bananas.But it is the most popular.

    “The industry is waking up to the problem,”Ploetz said.“They are pretty scared.”He was speaking Thursday by telephone from Miami,Florida,where he is among 1,000 people attending the International Banana Congress.The meeting was supposed to take place in Costa Rica,but was moved at the last minute.There were concerns banana growers could spread Panama disease from dirt collected on their shoes,Ploetz said.

    Ploetz said reports that Cavendish banana production could end are not correct.But if the disease spreads to Latin America,it could hurt the world's economy along with food supplies for millions of people.Still,he said there is reason for hope.Scientists in Australia are working on a genetically engineered banana that might not be at risk of getting Panama disease.

    China's cancer researcher Zhu Chen, together with two French researchers Anne Dejean and Hugues de Thé, received Sjoberg Prize 2018 in Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden on Friday.

    “We used wisdom from both Chinese and Western medicine and offered a cure to one of the most deadly cancers,” Chen told Xinhua, “I feel that Chinese medicine has potential to contribute more to human health. It struggles for benefiting all mankind. It's a language of peace, and of development and progress.” Chen recalled the cooperation with the two French researchers for over 30 years.

    This year's Sjoberg winners have developed a new and targeted treatment for a specific form of blood cancer called acute promyelocytic leukaemia (急性早幼粒白血病). It was once one of the deadliest forms of cancer, but it is now possible to cure nine out of ten patients who receive the new treatment. The winners have made this revolutionary development possible by methodically mapping the molecular mechanisms responsible for the disease.

    The Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is funded (资助)by the Sjoberg Foundation. The foundation, with a donation of 2.5 billion US dollars, was founded in 2016, and serves to promote scientific research that focuses on cancer, health and the environment.

    The Prize is an annual international prize in cancer research awarded to individual researchers or research groups. The prize amounts to one million US dollars, of which 100,000US dollars is the prize sum and 900,000US dollars is funding for future research.

    These days I am on my very best behavior whenever I leave the house. If I am wearing pantyhose(连裤袜), I double-check to ensure there is no hole on it. I drive thoughtfully as if I'm being tested for a license. I won't even allow myself to frown when another driver is blocking my path.

    My kids have noticed my fear in public. "Why are you looking all around, Mum?" they asked.

    "You can't be too careful," I said. "Every single person around us is hiding one of cell phone cameras. They are glad to catch somebody doing something stupid or embarrassing. Then they'll put it on YouTube and a million people will see. I'm not taking any chances."

    "But I don't think anyone is interested in filming you putting on your lipstick for a YouTube video." answered one kid.

    "Oh, really? Don't count me out so quickly." I said.

    Actually, in some cases, I am all for public shaming. For example, I admire the cleverness of the man who put up a website where he posts photos of cars and license numbers of people who occupy two parking spots. And I take secret pleasure in photos of politicians with their fingers in their noses. Throwing light on bad behavior can awake the sleepy conscience(良知).

    But what about the poor guy who has already had a bad day at work and then loses his temper at a rude store clerk? What about the woman whose only crime is a terrible judgment error at the hairdresser? Do they deserve to have their images uploaded onto the Internet for all the world to see?

    None of this is new, of course. Allen Funt pioneered the art of catching people during unguarded moments back in the 1940s with "Candid Camera". But there's a difference. On "Candid Camera", people are set up in staged situations, such as riding in an elevator that goes sideways. And they must give permission before they enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame. Now we are a nation of Allen Funts. This can't be a good thing.

    I was disheartened recently when I turned on the news to hear a story about a family who is petitioning (请愿) the Hampton School Board to receive out-of-district compensation to place their daughter in an out-of-district school due to racial bullying. I was disheartened because I know that even if this family wins their petition, the root of the problem will still continue.

    While there are many contributing factors to the rapid increase of the bullying, I believe that the root of this problem lies within the restrictions of schools, or rather the teachers and administrators who allow bullying to happen while feeding the line "We have a no-tolerance policy" to students and parents.

    This family can move their daughter to a new school where she will feel safe to learn and grow, but they will leave behind the problem of the educators at this school who let the racial bullying happen.

    My son went to a private school in Concord. He was bullied on the play yard. The administration gave us the "No tolerance" line, but did nothing to stop the bullying or change the climate of the school.

    We pulled our son out of this school and placed him in another school. This school truly understands how to guide students' acceptance of differences and embrace teachable moments so that bullying is a non-issue.

    I truly hope that this family gets the out-of-district placement for their daughter. However, I am doubtful that the school district will address the root of the problem.

Benefits and Problems of Genetic Engineering

    Plant breeding is the science of changing the characteristics of plants in order to produce desired ones. Genes in a plant are what determine what type of characteristics it will have. Plant breeders try to create a specific outcome of plants and potentially new plant varieties by changing the genes of the plants through breeding, which is making new plants from parents of different varieties or species.

    Actually, plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years, since near the beginning of human civilization. It is practiced worldwide by individuals such as gardeners and farmers and by professional plant breeders employed by organizations such as government institutions, universities, crop-specific industry associations or research centers. They have crossbred plants to create the new types of plants that are, for example, bigger, stronger, or more attractive.

    Crossbreeding can take such a long time, however, and it is inaccurate. Now, we can change exact sections of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), so the process is more accurate and faster. But people all over the world are arguing about its benefits and disadvantages. Some people use the technology to produce desired characteristics of plants and animals. Other people are concerned that the genetically engineered plants may harm the environment and worried that they may be dangerous for people to eat.

    There are many reasons for changing plants in this way. International development agencies believe that breeding new crops is important for ensuring food security by developing new varieties that are higher yielding(高产的), disease resistant, drought tolerant or regionally adapted to different environments and growing conditions. For example, some genetically engineered plants can live through frost or draught. As a result, famers can make more profit because fewer plants will die.

    Some genetically engineered plants are more nutritious. They have less fat, taste better or stay fresher than non-genetically engineered plants. This will allow people to buy better-quality fruit and vegetables.

    Some genetically engineered plants can resist natural pests such as viruses or insects. This reduces the amount of chemical needed to kill pests, which is helpful to the environment.

    However, genetically engineered plants can cause unexpected problems. Genetically engineered plants that resist pests may pass on that characteristic to a wild relative. This may cause the wild plant to spread fast, because pests are not naturally killing it.

    Genetically engineered plants can also harm animals. A type of corn has been developed which kills a species of insect that destroys it. The pollen (花粉) from this corn, however, can also kill monarch butterflies—the most beautiful of all butterflies, which do not harm the corn.

    To ensure the most adapted varieties are identified, advocates of organic breeding now promote the use of direct selection for many desired characteristics.

    Genetic engineering is a very new science and we have a lot to learn about the good it can do and the damage it can cause. The main concern is that not enough tests are being done to ensure it is safe.

A Rare Spotless Giraffe

A female giraffe was born at Brights Zoo in Tennessee recently—but unlike her mother she was born without any spots an unusual one.

Standing 14 to 19 feet tall, giraffes are the tallest land animals in the world. When mothers give birth, the young giraffes are already 6 feet tall, and other than in especially rare cases, they're born covered in brown spots. Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, announced that it welcomed the birth of a reticulated giraffe (网纹长颈鹿) without any spots on July 31st.

"Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet," the zoo said. The zoo's director, David Bright, said zoo staff had been reaching out to zoo professionals across the country inquiring about how unusual the giraffe could be. Zoo officials said the only record of a reticulated giraffe being born without spots was in Japan in the 1970s.

Mr. Bright said that the new giraffe might not have survived if she had been born in the wild. "Being solid-colored, she may not be able to hide quite well," said Bright. He also thought it was likely that the giraffe would be a "key target for illegal hunters" because she's so unusual.

Pictures of the young giraffe can be seen on the Brights Zoo Facebook page. In a picture, she, without her spots, stood next to her mother, a normal giraffe, in stark contrast. The zoo is asking the public to help name the newborn. People can choose one of four names available on the zoo's Facebook page. The names and their meanings are: Kipekee, meaning unique; Firyali, which means unusual or surprising; Shakiri, meaning she is most beautiful; Jamella, which means optimistic.

Bright said that the zoo looked at thousands of names and their meanings before settling on the four available. "Those four are the four the family really loves," Bright said. "So if she's named one of those four, we're very happy."

According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, there are only about 16, 000reticulated giraffes left in the wild — a more than 50% drop from approximately 36,000giraffes 35 years ago. There are about 117, 000giraffes across nine subspecies(亚种).Many of them are endangered or critically endangered.