VOA慢速英语2010年-SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - 'Organ Printers'

BARBARA KLEIN: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein.

BOB DOUGHTY¹: And I'm Bob Doughty. Today, we will tell how technology could help doctors meet demand for transplant organs. We also will tell about a scientific effort to explain an event described in the holy books of three religions.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: Many people are waiting for an organ that could save or improve their lives. In the United States alone, more than one hundred thousand people are candidates for donated organs or tissue. The Organ Donor³ and Procurement⁴ Network supervises organ donation for the government. The private, not-for-profit group says only about fourteen thousand organs were donated in the first six months of this year.

Demand for new organs is far greater than supplies in the United States and other countries. Experts estimate that millions of people around the world need organ transplants.

BOB DOUGHTY: For years, doctors have wondered if there is another way. Researchers have been working to develop machines and processes that can create organs. The idea seems like something from a science fiction movie, but it is very real and showing early results.

Scott Dorfman, an engineer at Organovo, working on the NovoGen bio-printer

In nature, some fish, lizards⁵ and worms can re-grow body parts. Replacing human organs is much more complex. Solid organs, like the liver, are dense⁶ with specialized⁷ cells. Some organs are very large. A human liver, for example, can weigh almost two kilograms. Still, it may be surprising to know that replacement⁸ organs have already been grown and successfully placed in patients.

BARBARA KLEIN: Doctor Anthony Atala is Director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He produced new bladders for patients. His team created a base, or scaffolding, that provides a structure for growing cells. Researchers grow cells on the scaffolding, slowly building up tissue that becomes a working organ.

Doctor Atala described the process in a talk recorded by the arts and technology group TED².

ANTHONY ATALA: “We then take a scaffold that we shape like a bladder. We coat the inside with these bladder lining⁹ cells. We coat the outside with these muscle cells. We place it back into this oven-like device. From the time you take that piece of tissue, six to eight weeks later you can put the organ right back into the patient.”

BOB DOUGHTY: Growing new organs sounds like something for the distant future. Yet businesses are working on machines that can produce tissue and organs a lot like a photocopier¹⁰ copies documents.

A “printed” blood vessel¹¹ at Organovo lab in San Diego, California

One example is Organovo, a company in the American state of California. Organovo calls itself a regenerative medicine company. Its goal, the company says, is to use printing technology to create tissue for research and surgical¹² operations.

Gabor Forgacs of the University of Missouri helped start Organovo in two thousand seven. This year, he appeared on a list of the one hundred most creative people in business by Fast Company, a business magazine.

BARBARA KLEIN: Last December, the Australia-based company Invetech reported that it had delivered the world’s first production model 3-D bio-printer for Organovo. Invetech plans to provide Organovo with several 3-D bio-printers by two thousand eleven. Organovo plans to place their machines at research centers around the world.

Organ printing is in many ways like other three-dimensional printing. The difference is that the printer builds a three-dimensional scaffolding out of a sugar-based material called a hydrogel. The scaffolding serves as the structure on which human cells grow. Different shaped scaffolding can produce blood vessels¹³ or other forms of tissue.

BOB DOUGHTY: Another part of the machine places cells at carefully measured positions on the scaffolding using lasers. The machine keeps the cells in conditions that let them grow into tissue and, in time, organs. Organovo calls this its NovoGen three-dimensional printing technology. Workers leave a container around the organ printing machinery¹⁴ to protect the tissue while it grows.

Organovo’s device is designed to “print” a new organ. The organ is then removed from the printer and prepared before a doctor places it in a patient. Some researchers believe that bio-printers may one day be able to print organs directly into the body.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: Three of the world’s major religions tell about the prophet Moses parting the Red Sea. The story says he directed the sea to divide so the ancient Israelites could reach the other side. The Israelites escaped slavery in Egypt by walking on dry land. Then the waters rose and flowed again. The waters returned and drowned the Egyptians chasing the Israelites.

The parting of the Red Sea appears in writings holy to Jews, Christians¹⁵ and Muslims. The three versions of the story differ in small ways, but the central information is the same. If true, it describes an event that took place more than three thousand years ago. The story says a strong east wind blew all night, and the sea parted in the morning.

This illustration shows how a strong wind from the east could push back waters from two ancient basins -- a lagoon¹⁶ (left) and a river (right) -- to create a temporary land bridge

Scientists recently proposed a possible explanation for the division of Red Sea waters. A computer modeling study shows the event might have taken place where a river joined a coastal¹⁷ lagoon along the Mediterranean¹⁸ Sea. The study shows the wind might have pushed back both waterways. That could have made a pathway on the sea floor for Moses’ people to cross.

BOB DOUGHTY: Carl Drews of the University of Colorado at Boulder¹⁹ led the study. He also works for America's National Center for Atmospheric²⁰ Research. A report on the study appeared in the Public Library of Science journal, PLoS One.

Mr. Drews examined information about likely places and depths of Nile River Delta²¹ waterways, which have moved over time. He says his results are what he called fairly close to the story in the Bible’s book of Exodus²². He says the science of fluids in motion can explain the parting of the Red Sea. The wind moves the waters because of physical laws. This creates a safe passage with water on two sides. And later, he says, water can flow back in again.

The Red Sea is sometimes called the Sea of Reeds or the Reed Sea. The new study is part of a larger research project by Mr. Drews. The project explores the effects of winds on water depths. Its aim is to show how severe Pacific Ocean storms can cause storm surges. In a storm surge, seawater moves continuously. The water may reach a height of six meters or more.

BARBARA KLEIN: Other scientists have studied an event known as a wind setdown. Wind setdowns are a result of a strong wind that never seems to stop. Wind setdowns are the opposite of a storm surge. They can reduce water levels in one area while forcing water to build up in others. That is why some scientists say a wind setdown could have let the Israelites cross the Red Sea.

Russian scientists Alexei Androsov and Naum Voltzinger studied wind action in an earlier examination of the Red Sea crossing. They proposed conditions with winds blowing from the northwest at one hundred nineteen kilometers an hour. That is just under the wind-speed of a hurricane, a very severe ocean storm. The Russian scientists found the winds might possibly have uncovered an underwater reef close to where the Suez Canal is today.

However, Mr. Drews’ study found that the reef would have had to be completely flat for the water to run off in twelve hours. He and his research partner said the strong winds would have created a reef with even deeper channels. They do not believe that the Israelites could have walked across the Red Sea in winds of almost hurricane force.

BOB DOUGHTY: The two researchers found another possible place for the crossing. It is just south of the Mediterranean and about one hundred nineteen kilometers north of the Suez reef. They examined archeological records, satellite measurement and current maps. Then they estimated the water flow and depth that may have existed many centuries ago. They used a computer program to show what would happen with an overnight wind.

Mr. Drews said people have always wanted to know if the story of Moses parting the Red Sea comes from historical facts. He said his study shows that the description of the parting has a basis in physical laws.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Mario Ritter and Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was June Simms. I'm Barbara Klein.

BOB DOUGHTY: And I'm Bob Doughty. Be listening again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America
 

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

4 procurement   

n.采购；获得

参考例句：

• He is in charge of the procurement of materials.他负责物资的采购。
• More and more,human food procurement came to have a dominant effect on their evolution.人类获取食物愈来愈显著地影响到人类的进化。

5 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

6 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

7 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

8 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

9 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

10 photocopier   

n.复印机

参考例句：

• You've left your master in the photocopier.你把原件留在影印机里了。
• If the photocopier stops working,just give it a clout.如果那部影印机停止运转的话就敲它一下。

11 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

12 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

13 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

15 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

16 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

17 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

18 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

19 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

20 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

21 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

22 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。