Medical advances on the rise

Medical advances are on the rise around the world. Here are five to watch.

People in fact, get very enthusiastic about 3D printers and many believe it won’t be long before kids are using them to print out their personally signed toys. But medical researchers have already turned to 3D printing to create human body parts. Last year, Cornell scientists printed out an artificial(人造的) outer ear that looks and works like the real thing. But it isn’t suitable to put into human body.

   Another surprising breakthrough is in gene therapy, in which a person’s genes are re-engineered to fight diseases and put back into his or her body. This therapy is still considered experimental, but it’s been effective recently in treating patients with some cancers. And researchers think that one day it can become a new way to treat early stages of the disease, without requiring surgery, chemotherapy(化疗) or radiation.

   Gut reaction(本能反应) research is another breakthrough that it showing a lot of promise and has to do with our guts(肠), specifically with all the bacteria staying. Researchers have suggested there may be a direct physiological connection between the mix of bacteria in our digestive tract(消化道) and how our brain functions, and that the mix can also be a factor（因素） in whether a person is thin or fat.

   In regard to cancer research, there have been definite breakthroughs. Cancer immunotherapy (免疫疗法)is using drugs that encourage the body’s immune system to battle cancer cells directly. Researchers discovered that have been able to cover themselves in a protective shield. New drugs are being tested that have been able to empower the immune system to break through that protection and allow the body to fight cancer cells on its own.

   There are also already plenty of devices and apps out there that track you steps, you sleep, and your calorie consumption. But the next wave of wearable health tech will focus on gathering personal data more meaningful to a doctor and send the data directly to his or her office.

   Also, devices that monitor our personal behaviour will be getting more and more advanced. For example, a device being developed by TellSpec will supposedly be able to analyze the chemical composition of food in real time and let you know on your smart phone just what you’re eating.

There are good reasons to cherish our friendships. Some years ago a public-opinion research firm, Roper Starch Worldwide, asked 2007 people to name one or two things that said the most about themselves. Friends far outranked homes, jobs, clothes and cars.

“Ironically,” says Brant R. Burleson, professor of communication at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., “the better friends you are, the more likely you’ll face conflicts.” And the outcome can be what you don’t want—an end to the relationship.

The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended.

Swallow your pride. It wasn’t easy, but that’s what Denise Moreland of Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii did when a friendship turned sour. For nearly four months, Moreland, 45, had watched over Nora Huizenga’s two young daughters, who were living with their father on the base, while Huizenga, 40, completed training as a dental hygienist in Nevada. “I felt honored to be asked to step in,” Moreland says.

“When Huizenga returned at Christmas,” Moreland recalls, “I had so much to tell her, but she never called.”

One daughter had a birthday party, but Moreland wasn’t invited. “I felt like I’d been used,” she says. At first, Moreland swore to avoid Huizenga. Then she decided to swallow her pride and let her friend know how she felt. Huizenga admitted that she’d been so worried about being separated from her family that she’d been blind to what her friend had done to help her. Today she says, “I would never have figured out what happened if Denise hadn’t called me on it.”

When a friend hurts you, your instinct is to protect yourself. But that makes it harder to solve problems, explains William Wilmot, author of Relational Communication. “Most of us are relieved when differences are brought out in the open.”

Apologize when you’re wrong—even if you’ve also been wronged. But over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. “We don’t think clearly when we’re arguing,” says Michael Lang, a professional mediator (调解人) in Pittsburgh. Instead, says Lang, ask: “What’s going on? This doesn’t make sense.”

See things from your friend’s point of view. Sociologists Rebecca Adams Rosemary and Blieszner interviewed 53 adults who each had many friendships lasting decades. “We were curious how these people managed to sustain strong friendships for so long,” says Blieszner. Tolerance is key, the researchers learned.” It’s surprising how often a dispute results from a simple misunderstanding,” adds psychotherapist Anne Frenkel.

Accept that friendships change. “Friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change,” Wilmot observes.

Making friends can sometimes seem easy, says Yager. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that affect all relationships. Her suggestion: Consider friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture.

Studying Abroad

Nowadays, studying abroad gains popularity in China. Many rich parents would rather send their children abroad to receive education than let them be educated in China.

As every coin has two sides, studying abroad is not an exception. There are advantages for people to attend schools abroad. In the first place, he can use the foreign language in his daily life so that his ability in the second language may be greatly improved, as it is obvious that there is no better chance to improve second language than living in the country where it is spoken. While studying in a foreign country, he will most likely meet many others from overseas and it is possible to make friends from all over the world. This is not only exciting on the social level, but could lead to important overseas contacts in his career as well. He can get familiar with the latest knowledge in science and make use of the first­ rate facilities available. In this way, there is every chance that he is able to widen his horizon (眼界) and broaden his mind.

Of course, attending schools abroad may bring about a series of problems. The most serious problem is language barrier. Most of the students who go abroad don’t have enough skills in the language spoken there. As a result, on arriving there, they will find it difficult to understand what the teachers say. Besides, for lack of knowledge of the customs of the local people, they may constantly run into trouble in dealing with various situations.

Therefore, given an opportunity to attend a school abroad, one must consider both sides of the factors carefully before making up his mind.

Title: Studying Abroad