10月12日午间英语新闻：人到中年经常做噩梦？警惕或是痴呆症前兆

Bad dreams during middle age could be a sign of dementia risk, study suggests

人到中年经常做噩梦？警惕或是痴呆症前兆

People who experience frequent bad dreams while middle-aged may experience a faster rate of cognitive decline and be at higher risk of dementia as they get older, data suggests.

研究数据显示，经常做噩梦的中年人随着年龄的增长认知能力下降速度更快，患痴呆症的风险也更高。

If confirmed, the research could eventually lead to new ways of screening for dementia and early intervention to slow the rate of decline.

如果该研究结论得到证实，可能会出现痴呆症筛查和干预的新方法，以减缓认知能力退化的速度。

Most people experience bad dreams from time to time, but approximately 5% of adults experience nightmares – dreams distressing enough to wake them up – at least once a week. Stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation are all potential triggers, but previous research in people with Parkinson’s disease has also linked frequent distressing dreams to faster rates of cognitive decline, and an increased risk of developing dementia in the future.

大多数人偶尔会做噩梦，但大约5%的成年人每周至少做一次噩梦（让人惊醒的噩梦）。压力、焦虑和失眠都是潜在的触发因素，但此前对帕金森病患者的研究也表明，频繁的噩梦与认知能力下降速度加快以及未来患痴呆症的风险增加有关。

To investigate whether the same might be true of healthy adults, Dr Abidemi Otaiku at the University of Birmingham turned to data from three previous studies that have examined people’s sleep quality and then followed them over many years, assessing their brain health as well as other outcomes. This included more than 600 middle-aged adults (aged 35 to 64), and 2,600 people aged 79 and older.

为了调查身体健康的成年人是否也存在同样的情况，伯明翰大学的Abidemi Otaiku博士查阅了此前三项研究的数据，这些研究监测了一些人的睡眠质量，并对他们进行了多年跟踪调查，以评估他们的大脑健康和其他问题。研究对象是600多名年龄在35至64岁之间的中年人以及2600名79岁及以上的老年人。

Their data was analyzed using statistical software to find out whether those who experienced a higher frequency of distressing dreams were more likely to go on to experience cognitive decline and be diagnosed with dementia.

他们利用统计软件对数据进行分析，研究更频繁做噩梦的人确诊痴呆症、认知能力下降的可能性是否增加。

The research, published in eClinicalMedicine, found that middle-aged people who experienced bad dreams at least once a week were four times more likely to experience cognitive decline over the following decade than those who rarely had nightmares. Among elderly participants, those who frequently reported distressing dreams were twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia in subsequent years.

这项研究发表在《电子临床医学》上。研究发现，每周至少做一次噩梦的中年人在接下来的十年中，认知能力下降的可能性是很少做噩梦的人的四倍。经常做噩梦的老年人在随后几年确诊老年痴呆的可能性是其他老年人的两倍。

One possibility is that people who have frequent bad dreams have poor quality sleep, which could gradually lead to a buildup of proteins associated with dementia. Another is the existence of some genetic factor that underpins both phenomena.

一种可能的解释是经常做噩梦的人睡眠质量差，这可能会导致与痴呆症相关的蛋白质逐渐积累。另一种可能性是与影响这两种问题的遗传因素有关。

However, Otaiku’s working hypothesis is that neuro-degeneration within the brain’s right frontal lobe makes it harder for people to control their emotions while dreaming, which in turn leads to nightmares. He said: “We know that neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease often start many years before somebody is diagnosed. In some individuals who already have an underlying disease, bad dreams and nightmares might be one of the earliest signs.”

然而，Otaiku的假设是，大脑右额叶的神经变性使得人们在做梦时更难控制自己的情绪，进而导致噩梦。他说：“我们知道，帕金森病和阿尔茨海默病等神经退行性疾病通常在确诊前多年就开始了。对于一些已经有潜在疾病的人来说，噩梦可能是最早的症状之一。”

He stressed that only a subset of adults who regularly have bad dreams are likely to develop dementia. However, assuming this link is confirmed, bad dreams could eventually be used to identify individuals at high risk.

他强调，只有一小部分经常做噩梦的成年人可能会患痴呆症。然而，如果这种联系得到证实，可以由此来识别痴呆症高危人群。

“The best way to deal with dementia is to prevent it from occurring, and we know that there are several modifiable risk factors – poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol” Otaiku said. “If we can identify who’s high risk for getting dementia several years or even decades earlier, we may be able to slow down the onset, or maybe even prevent it altogether.”

Otaiku说：“治疗痴呆症的最佳方法是预防，我们知道有几个可控的风险因素：不良饮食、缺乏锻炼、吸烟酗酒。如果我们能在几年甚至几十年前确定哪些人是痴呆症高风险人群，也许能够减缓甚至可能完全预防痴呆症。”

重点词汇：

1、dementia

英/dɪˈmenʃə/
美/dɪˈmenʃə/

n.痴呆，精神错乱

2、cognitive

英/ˈkɒɡnətɪv/
美/ˈkɑːɡnətɪv/
adj.认识的，认知的

3、deprivation
英/ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃn/
美/ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃn/

n.贫困，匮乏，剥夺

4、underpin

英/ˌʌndəˈpɪn/
美/ˌʌndərˈpɪn/

v.支持，巩固，构成……的基础；加固（墙）基

Steakholder Foods unveils Omakase Beef Morsels

“3D打印肉”来了！可调节肥瘦比例，能打出“和牛肉”大理石纹

Israeli company Steakholder Foods Ltd has unveiled their new product, Omakase Beef Morsels, which are bioprinted with cultured meat.

最近，以色列一家初创企业推出新品“Omakase Beef Morsels”，一种用“培养肉”3D打印而成的牛肉。

The morsels are inspired by the world famous Wagyu beef, which is notable for its fat marbling patterns in the meat and its high price.

这款肉的灵感来源是日本和牛，后者以大理石花纹著称，价格昂贵。

The company’s technology can print the product at scale to include the marbling that Wagyu beef is famous for, and has arrived as the “result of cutting-edge bio-convergence with intensive collaboration between its 3D-printing engineers and cellular biologists” according to the press release.

该企业称其通过尖端的生物融合技术，与3D打印工程师和细胞生物学家通力合作，打造出了这款具有漂亮大理石纹的3D打印牛肉。

The muscle tissue and fat are printed from two separate bio-inks. The layers of meat and fat can be reconfigured in different proportions to create different tastes. A morsel can be made juicier, chewier, and the flavor can also be altered.

伴着阵阵规律的“打印”声，托盘在装有红、白两色“墨水”的喷头间来回移动，丝丝缕缕的牛肉雏形由此诞生。无论是肥瘦、形状还是口感，都可以在程序上预先调整相应参数，实现个性化制作。

The process works by first selecting the animals to extract the stem cells from. The cells are selected from animals that will provide the best meat and yield. The next step is proliferation, in which the cells are placed into a nutrient rich reactor to multiply.

“培养肉”（cultured meat），又称“细胞培养肉”，以动物干细胞为基础，人工培育而成。首先要挑选肉质鲜美、适合量产的目标动物，提取干细胞。再将干细胞放入高营养培养液中，进行增殖。

When the cells reach optimal numbers, the stem cells differentiate into muscle cells and fat cells. In the final steps, the muscle cells and fat cells are turned to meat, ready to be processed into the final product, be it a burger, a steak, or even a meatloaf.

增殖到一定数量后，干细胞会分化成肌肉细胞和脂肪细胞，也就是3D打印所需要的红、白“墨水”。“培养肉”新鲜出炉后，可以做成汉堡、牛排，甚至烘肉卷。

Researchers suggest that lab-made beef is bound to reduce the environmental toll from conventional meat production methods.

研究人员给出了环保方面的答案：比起传统的肉类生产，培养肉能够减少对环境的恶劣影响。

A 2019 report from the University of Oxford suggests "cultured meat" grown using tissue engineering techniques produces up to 96% less greenhouse gas emissions, 45% less energy, 99% lower land use, and 96% lower water use than the conventional process.

2019年，牛津大学一项报告显示，相较于传统生产方式，由组织工程技术制作的“培养肉”可以降低96%的温室气体排放，降低45%的能源、99%的土地资源和96%的水资源消耗。

Additionally, producing meat without having to raise and slaughter cattle may work out better for ensuring animal welfare and overall health.

此外，培养肉还能减少畜牧和屠宰，有助于维护动物的权利和健康。

重点词汇：

1、convergence

英/kənˈvɜːdʒəns/

美/kənˈvɜːrdʒəns/

n.趋同；汇集，相交；会聚区

2、reconfigure

英/ˌriːkənˈfɪɡə(r)/

美/ˌriːkənˈfɪɡjər/

v.重新配置，重新设定

3、proliferation

英/prəˌlɪfəˈreɪʃn/

美/prəˌlɪfəˈreɪʃn/

n.（数量的）激增，剧增；（细胞、组织、有机体的）繁殖，增生；大量

4、optimal

英/ˈɒptɪməl/

美/ˈɑːptɪməl/

adj.最佳的，最适的