SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - International Treaty on Tobacco Contro

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - International Treaty on Tobacco Control / Research Projects on Glaucoma
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Broadcast: Tuesday, March 08, 2005

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty¹.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Sarah Long. Coming up ... an international treaty on tobacco is now in effect, but some say it is not strong enough.

VOICE ONE:

Later, we have a report on some research projects to learn more about glaucoma, a leading cause of preventable blindness.

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VOICE ONE:

 
AP Photo
A treaty that just went into effect aims to reduce a major cause of death and disease. The treaty is called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It is the first public health treaty negotiated by the World Health Organization.

More than one hundred sixty countries have signed it. Countries that sign the treaty then must approve it within their government. So far, fewer than sixty countries have done that.

But only forty countries needed to ratify² the treaty to bring it into force. The treaty went into effect on February twenty-seventh.

VOICE TWO:

Nations that ratify the treaty must raise prices and taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. They must fight illegal trade in tobacco products. And they must place controls on second-hand³ smoke, smoke from other people's tobacco.

The treaty also bans advertising⁴ and other marketing⁵ campaigns for tobacco. But this is true only if such a ban would not violate a national constitution.

The treaty calls for tobacco companies to make public all the substances they use to make cigarettes. And health warnings could not include information that might lead people to believe that some cigarettes are less harmful than others. Experts say there is no such thing as a safe cigarette.

Also, governments that approve the treaty must support programs to help people stop smoking. And there must be educations programs to urge people not to start.

VOICE ONE:

Countries that have yet to ratify the treaty include the United States. It says some parts violate the Constitution and others are unacceptable. China is another country that has not approved the treaty.

Health officials say developing countries are the biggest growth area for tobacco, and tobacco-related diseases.

The World Health Organization estimates that each year almost five million people worldwide die from the effects of smoking. At current rates of growth, experts say the number could reach ten million a year by two thousand twenty.

Smoking causes or increases the risk of many diseases. These include cancer and heart disease. Pregnant women who smoke may damage their unborn child. Also, a recent study offered more evidence that breathing tobacco smoke as a child increases the risk of lung cancer later in life.

VOICE TWO:

Public health experts praise the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. But there is criticism that the treaty does not go far enough. Doctor Derek Yach (pronounced yahk) supervised the writing of the treaty while chief of anti-tobacco efforts at the W.H.O. He is now a professor at Yale University in the United States.

Doctor Yach says the treaty is "toothless" without additional agreements known as protocols⁶ to strengthen it. He told The Associated Press that any work on protocols is over a year away from even being discussed.

He said developing nations need financial help to carry out the treaty. He also called for clear guidance on what countries need to do. There are no targets for reducing demand for cigarettes. So, Doctor Yach says, there is no way to measure success.

And there are no punishments for countries that fail to act. But they will have their records examined at United Nations conferences. The first one is set for next February.

VOICE ONE:

The World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, estimates that more than one thousand million people smoke. It says more than eighty percent of smokers⁷ live in developing countries. And it says tobacco kills one-half of those who keep using it.

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VOICE TWO:

You are listening to SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. This is Sarah Long with Bob Doughty in Washington.

Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases. Without treatment, it can cause people to go blind.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that three million people have glaucoma. But the Glaucoma Research Foundation says half of them do not know even know it. Often there are no warning signs.

Eye doctors can test for glaucoma. But they have more to learn about the causes. Medicines and operations can control but not cure glaucoma.

VOICE ONE:

Glaucoma prevents the clear fluid in the eye from flowing normally. This generally increases pressure within the eye. The raised pressure can damage the optic nerve, which carries images from the eye to the brain.

The chance of developing glaucoma increases if a person has diabetes⁹. The risk of glaucoma also increases with age and family history of the disease. There is greater risk as well in people who are nearsighted. That is, they must be close to an object to see it clearly.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation in San Francisco, California, recently announced almost one million dollars in research grants. The group launched the second three years of a campaign it calls "Catalyst¹⁰ for a Cure."

VOICE TWO:

The foundation awarded money to researchers in laboratories at four universities in the United States. These are Johns Hopkins University, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and Vanderbilt University. Each laboratory will receive more than one hundred ninety thousand dollars.

The foundation is also providing six pilot project grants of up to thirty-five thousand dollars. The Glaucoma Research Foundation says these awards are to help projects get started. After that, the scientists may be able to receive financial aid from companies or the government.

VOICE ONE:

David Friedman received one of the pilot project grants. He works at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He plans to collect medical records of African Americans with two or more brothers or sisters with glaucoma. Experts say black Americans have a greater risk of glaucoma than white people.

Doctor Friedman will help researchers who want to study the genes¹¹ responsible for glaucoma in these families. He will confirm that all the people have this disease. In the words of the foundation: "The greatest limitation to genetics research for glaucoma is the lack of well-described patient populations."

VOICE TWO:

Markus Kuehn of the University of Iowa in Iowa City also received a pilot project grant. He recently identified an unusual family of cats. All of the kittens born into this animal family develop glaucoma early in life. Markus Kuehn is trying to identify the gene⁸ responsible for glaucoma in these cats. The goal then would be to learn if this same gene is also responsible for glaucoma in children.

Keith Martin of the Center for Brain Repair at Cambridge University in England is studying stem cells. He is investigating whether these cells can protect against damage caused by glaucoma. The goal is to help patients with severe glaucoma.

VOICE ONE:

Sayoko Moroi works at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor¹³. She is studying how patients react to glaucoma medicines. Doctor Moroi uses a process called fluorophotometry [flur-oh-foh-TOM-eh-tree]. This process measures the change in fluid production of the eye in reaction to glaucoma drugs.

Hemant Pawar also works at the Kellogg Eye Center. He is trying to find the gene that causes a kind of glaucoma that produces growths in the iris¹⁴ part of the eye. His work could lead to early interventions¹⁵.

The final grant winner is Robert Nickells at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Doctor Nickells is working to create a genetic¹² test to identify people with an increased risk of glaucoma. With such a test, eye doctors might be able to take steps to prevent the disease.

VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jill Moss¹⁶, Jerilyn Watson and Ed Stautberg. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. I'm Sarah Long.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. If you have a question about science that we might be able to answer on the air, send it to [email protected]. Please join us 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 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

3 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

7 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

8 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

9 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

10 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

11 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

12 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

13 arbor   

n.凉亭；树木

参考例句：

• They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里，边喝茶边聊天。
• You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。

14 iris   

n.虹膜，彩虹

参考例句：

• The opening of the iris is called the pupil.虹膜的开口处叫做瞳孔。
• This incredible human eye,complete with retina and iris,can be found in the Maldives.又是在马尔代夫，有这样一只难以置信的眼睛，连视网膜和虹膜都刻画齐全了。

15 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

16 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。