Podcasts about tianjin university

Chinese universities are accelerating efforts to integrate education with artificial intelligence, with more AI colleges opening to cultivate interdisciplinary talent and more general AI courses and textbooks introduced.中国高校正加速推进教育与人工智能融合，通过成立更多的人工智能学院来培养复合型人才，并引入更多的人工智能通识课程和教材。Tsinghua University, one of China's top schools, recently announced it will increase its undergraduate admissions by about 150 students this year and establish a new undergraduate college for general AI education. The students will enroll in the new program, which aims to integrate AI across multiple disciplines.近日，清华大学作为中国顶尖学府之一，宣布2025年将增加约150名本科生招生名额，并成立新的本科书院发展人工智能通识教育。新增本科生将进入新成立的书院学习。该项目旨在将人工智能与多学科交叉融合。The initiative pools academic resources from various fields, seeking to develop students with a solid foundation in AI, high proficiency in AI technologies and strong innovative capabilities, the university said. The move is part of Tsinghua's efforts to advance AI-related professional training and support China's push for high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, according to Xinhua News Agency.清华大学表示，这一项目汇聚各领域的学术资源，将培养具有深厚人工智能素养、熟练掌握人工智能技术、具备突出创新能力的学生。据新华社报道，清华正深入推进人工智能相关专业人才培养，以期为中国高水平科技自立自强提供有力支撑，该项目就是其中的一部分。As AI rapidly evolves, reshaping education and driving socioeconomic development, the need for individuals with comprehensive AI knowledge and skills is becoming increasingly urgent.人工智能的快速发展正在重塑教育、推动社会经济发展，对具备综合人工智能知识技能的人才的需求越来越迫切。Wang Xuenan, deputy director at the Digital Education Research Institute of the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, told China Central Television the number of students majoring in AI was estimated at more than 40,000 last year, yet "the number still falls far short of the needs of the industry."中国教育科学研究院数字教育研究所副所长王学男在接受中央电视台采访时表示，2024年人工智能专业的学生大概是4万多人，但“这一数字仍远远不能满足行业的需求”。Market consultancy McKinsey& Company estimates that China will need 6 million professionals with proficient AI knowledge by 2030.市场咨询公司麦肯锡估计，到2030年，中国对人工智能专业人才的需求预计将达到600万。In November 2023, a talent training initiative on collaborative research in general AI was jointly launched by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and 13 other leading universities. Zhu Songchun, director of the Beijing institute and dean of the School of Intelligent Science and Technology at Peking University, told Guangming Daily that the plan will leverage the resources of these universities to create a training system that seamlessly connects undergraduate and doctoral education.2023年11月，北京通用人工智能研究院、北京大学、上海交通大学及其他13所顶尖高校共同启动“通用人工智能协同攻关合作体人才培养计划”。北京通用人工智能研究院、北京大学智能学院院长朱松纯告诉《光明日报》，该计划将利用这些高校的资源，打造通用人工智能本博贯通的培养体系。In September last year, Nankai University and Tianjin University introduced a general AI course through a massive open online course, or MOOC, targeting more than 100,000 undergraduates in Tianjin. The course covers AI's basic principles and history while exploring cutting-edge generative AI models and their applications in healthcare, intelligent manufacturing and autonomous driving, according to Xu Zhen, director of the department of higher education at the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission.2024年9月，南开大学和天津大学通过大型开放在线课程平台慕课，推出了一门人工智能通识课程，面向天津10万余名本科生。天津市教育委员会高等教育处处长徐震表示，该课程涵盖人工智能的基本原理和发展历程，同时探讨生成式人工智能模型等前沿技术及其在医疗、智能制造、自动驾驶等领域的应用。Zhejiang University announced in March that it will lead an upgrade of the "AI plus X" micro program in collaboration with Fudan University, Nanjing University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Science and Technology of China. The country's first micro program integrating AI with other disciplines, it aims to bridge technology with fields such as humanities, social sciences, agriculture, medicine and engineering.3月，浙江大学宣布将联合复旦大学、南京大学、上海交通大学、中国科学技术大学，牵头升级“AI+X”微专业。这是全国首个将人工智能与其他学科相结合的微专业，旨在搭建技术与人文、社科、农业、医学、工程等领域的桥梁。interdisciplinaryadj.学科间的，跨学科的enrollv.（使）加入；招（生）seamlesslyadv.顺利地；连续地collaborationn.合作；协作

In January 2024, researchers from Tianjin University and Georgia Institute of Technology published a paper on semiconducting graphene. Graphene is an interesting material. And people have been looking at how to incorporate it into transistors and create the next generation of electronics. When this research was first published back in January, it got a lot of attention. I was asked to take a look. It took some time, but here we are. In this video, we break down this recent discovery and also examine the dream of the GFET.

In January 2024, researchers from Tianjin University and Georgia Institute of Technology published a paper on semiconducting graphene. Graphene is an interesting material. And people have been looking at how to incorporate it into transistors and create the next generation of electronics. When this research was first published back in January, it got a lot of attention. I was asked to take a look. It took some time, but here we are. In this video, we break down this recent discovery and also examine the dream of the GFET.

A team of Chinese scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery: molecular water locked within a mineral in lunar soil samples collected by the Chang'e 5 mission.Remote sensing data had indicated signs of water molecules on the lunar surface in recent years, particularly in the polar regions, known as the permanently shadowed region. However, molecular water has not been found in returned lunar samples."Due to the high temperatures and vacuum environment on the moon, the existence of liquid water is not possible, so it was previously unclear how water molecules could exist on the moon," said Jin Shifeng, a member of the research team and an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics.The research utilized lunar soil samples collected by the Chang'e 5 lunar probe in 2020.China's first unmanned lunar sample return mission saw the Chang'e 5 probe collect basalt lunar soil samples from a high-latitude region of the moon, providing new opportunities for the study of lunar water.Experts from the institute's Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Beijing University of Science and Technology, Tianjin University, CAS' Qinghai Salt Lake Institute and Zhengzhou University conducted the study. They determined that lunar water exists in a hydrated mineral known as ULM-1.The research findings were published online in the academic journal Nature Astronomy on July 16.According to the molecular formula, the mineral contains six crystalline water molecules, with the water molecules accounting for as much as 41 percent of the sample's mass.About five years ago, a similar mineral was discovered in a volcano in Russia, providing new clues to the source of water on the moon."In other words, this mineral may have been formed by volcanic eruptions on the moon," Jin said."This indicates that lunar volcanic gases contain a significant amount of water. Thermodynamic calculations have revealed that the water content in lunar volcanoes is comparable to the driest volcanoes on Earth."Jin said the crystalline water discovered in the lunar soil is relatively stable in the moon's vacuum environment.The presence of water on the moon is crucial for lunar evolution studies and resource development. Around 1970, the absence of water on the moon became a basic assumption because no water-containing minerals were found in the Apollo lunar soil samples."This may be due to differences in sampling latitude," Jin said. "At the Chang'e 5 sampling site, the lunar surface temperature does not exceed 80 C."This also indicates that the distribution of molecular water on the lunar surface is uneven. However, because this crystal is relatively stable, it could potentially exist in vast regions of the moon."Reporter: Yan Dongjie

Letters of admission from various Chinese universities and colleges have been unveiled one after another. Many netizens praised that "this year'sletter of admission is already the next level". Chinese-style romanticismishidden in the admission letters.The 2024 undergraduate admission letter from Fudan University features a cover made from fabric crafted using the national intangible cultural heritage technique of Lu silk weaving from Shanxi province. It beautifully combines the exclusive "Fudan Blue" with intangible cultural heritage, showcasing the aesthetic charm of ancient bookbinding. Jiamusi University has designed an admission letter gift, a brooch, inspired by the apricot blossom, the city flower of Jiamusi. Hidden within the brooch is a pearl, symbolizing that students are the precious gems of the university, with teachers as the "pearl openers." The university wishes every student a brilliant future, as radiant as a pearl!Soochow University's 2024 undergraduate admission letter blends the university's heritage with Suzhou's intangible cultural heritage. It features the flower windows of Jiangnan gardens and peach blossom motifs, combined with Suzhou Taohuawu woodblock prints, wishing students a vibrant and colorful university life. Tianjin University's admission letter includes an "Angelica" picture frame, symbolizing the hope that students will return home and serve the country after completing their studies.The 2024 admission letter from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China features a sundial mechanism on the cover. At its center is a 5mm silicon chip, handcrafted by alumni, showcasing the unique romance of science and engineering.This year, Nankai University's admission letter continues the "sun and moon alternation" design. As applicants pull out the admission letter, they can witness the scene of day and night transitioning at Nankai University, symbolizing the unfolding of Nankai's century-long history through the passage of time.The Ocean University of China's 2024 admission letter is filled with sea elements. The design features the "Dongfanghong-3" ship moving through the waves, with the university's history represented by a compass, guiding students with the message, "The sea embraces all rivers, and the journey is far."Zhejiang University's 2024 admission letter unfolds like a long scroll. When sunlight shines through, it reveals the sparkling starlight above the QiuShi Lecture Hall, drawing inspiration from the ancient bookbinding style of the "Complete Library in Four Sections" (Siku Quanshu), reflecting the university's profound historical and cultural heritage.Are there any of your dream universities? May youenterthe university of your choice!

Join Fazale “Fuz” Rana in this breaking News of the Day episode of Stars, Cells, and God. Fuz reports on the work by a research team from Tianjin University in China, who, recently stole headlines when they announced that they developed a chip that used human brain tissue to control a robotics system. This remarkable breakthrough (called organoid intelligence) generates excitement and also raises some profound ethical and theological questions. In this episode Fuz explains: How this technology works Why researchers are pursuing the development of biocomputing and organoid intelligence Ethical concerns associated with this work Christian perspective on organoid intelligence Links & Resources: Lab-Grown Human Brain Tissue Used to Control Robot Organoid Intelligence (OI): The New Frontier in Biocomputing and Intelligence-in-a Dish A Christian Perspective on Living Electrodes Brain Organoids Cultivate the Case for Human Exceptionalism

Researchers at Tianjin University in China built a robot that is controlled by human brain cells. People started fighting at the base of Mt. Everest after arguing about the best place to take a selfie. Grad student suffers severe burns after using hair removal cream on his genitals to spice up his sex life. Despite what others may say, it's fine to be single, as well as not to have children. Could you poo in front of a large group of people? What should you do if you have a nice, but sexist boss?

In this episode we have Dr. Rory Hiltbrand joining us. Dr. Rory received his doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts. Additionally, Rory spent a semester in China treating stroke patients at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Teaching Hospital.  He has spent the last decade studying under Grandmaster Sung Baek, the 75th Grandmaster of the Korean Daoist Lineage the Dong Han Clan. Rory also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Economics from the University of Richmond. While at Richmond, Rory did Chaos Theory Research for the NSF. Rory has a profound passion for decoding the timeless wisdom of the Dao through the lens of modern Mathematics and Physics.  Rory holds a utility patent for a molecular water structuring device which benefits a wide range of biological processes. He is one of the first Chinese Medicine Doctors to corner professional fights on UFC Fight Pass, including EBI and Polaris.  Rory actively trains in Brazilian Ju Jitsu and finds grounding and peace of mind through martial arts. During the episode we discuss his practice and study of Daoist Numerology, Multi-Dimensional math, 5 element theory and application, Western science leading to Eastern thought, using the narrative to bring about a physiological change and going from self-improvement to an act of devotion. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gintantra/message

Conversation with Said Isayed and his patient, Susan Smith, about his practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine and his use of the whole person approach to treat a wide variety of complex conditions. Topics of Discussion:-Eastern medicine success through multi-faceted approach and whole person connection-Different tools within Traditional Chinese Medicine-Health equity and community healthSaid Isayed is a Traditional Chinese medicine doctor who graduated from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine after a six year Bachelor's program in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and Allopathic medicine. Said spent five years interning in several Chinese hospitals and clinics, training under some of the most well-respected doctors of Chinese medicine. He focused strongly on the treatment of neurological diseases, auto immune disorders, men's and women's health, orthopedic injuries, mental health and painful musculoskeletal conditions.  In addition to acupuncture, Said is well versed in several types of bodywork including Chinese fire cupping, hijama (traditional Arabic cupping), tuina (Chinese medical massage) and guasha. He also practices Chinese and Arabic herbal medicine and grows and processes his own herbs. In 2016, Said relocated from Hebron, Palestine to Minneapolis, MN. He is fluent in English, Arabic and Mandarin Chinese.Susan Smith is his patient who was able to find him after years of struggling with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRSP). For 25 years, she existed in a wheelchair, only getting worse with treatments and medications, living in constant pain, basically being in bed 20 plus hours a day.Now, after years of treatment with Said, she is out of her wheelchair, engaged in her community and sharing all that she's learned from Said about Traditional Chinese medicine to support others who have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Minnesota Integrative Health Studio Website: www.mnintegrative.comSusan Smith's Facebook Group: Positivity with RSD-CRPSWell Connected Twin Cities is connecting you with local health and wellness professionals in your community. Discover what's possible by surfing the directory, taking a class, or attending the next event. http://wellconnectedtwincities.com/Follow us on instagram https://instagram.com/wellconnectedtwincities

英语新闻∣火出圈的“飞盘”到底有什么魅力？When a group of Yale students inverted the pie tins that were used to cover the delivery of their bakery orders more than a century ago, they found an airfoil shape that could be thrown around for fun on campus.一个多世纪前，当耶鲁大学的学生把用来装面包的碟状金属包装盒倒过来时，他们发现这个包装盒像机翼一样能在空中平稳飞行，于是在校园里随意扔来扔去地玩。This prototype of the frisbee has evolved and since the beginning of the 20th century it has become a popular sport and pastime.20世纪初以来，这种飞盘经过不断的发展，已经成为一种流行的运动和消遣方式。Yet, the activity has beenconfinedto a small number of players in China over the years. Recently, the game has made its presence felt and has become one of the most popular emerging sports in the country.然而多年来，这项活动在中国的玩家很少。最近，飞盘的存在感增强，成为中国最受欢迎的新兴体育运动之一。"I was under the impression that it was only a toy for children and pets," says Qu Xinchen who started playing frisbee in April.“在我的印象中，它只是孩子和宠物的玩具，”今年4月开始玩飞盘的屈欣晨（音译）说道。"It never occurred to me that it was a competitive game with a social functions" he adds.“我从没想过，飞盘不仅是个竞技游戏，还能交朋友。”The Beijing resident in his early 30s tried his hand, literally, at the game after being invited by one of his friends.这位30岁出头的北京人受一位朋友的邀请，尝试了一下飞盘游戏。"The gyms were closed because of the COVID-19resurgencethen, and indoor activities were subjected to restrictive conditions," Qu recalls, adding that he's also seen many enthusiasts posting their frisbee experience on the social media platform Xiaohongshu.屈欣晨回忆说：“因为当时疫情反弹，健身房都关门了，而且室内活动受到了限制。”他还说，他看到许多飞盘爱好者在社交媒体平台小红书上发布了他们的飞盘体验。Qu went to a game for new players with his friends.屈欣晨也和他的朋友去参加了一场飞盘比赛。"It was pretty nice, and we had a coach walking us through the rules and basic skills," he says.他说：“感觉很好，还有一个教练教我们规则和玩法。”Each session usually lasted for two hours, and he got to apply the coach's instructions in the second hour with his friends.每次训练通常有两个小时，第二个小时里他就和朋友一起跟着教练的指导练习。Qu discovered that the rules of frisbee were relatively simple.屈欣晨发现飞盘的规则相对简单。The main objective is to catch the frisbee in the end zone. Essential to the game is the fact that a thrower can't move from the spot they caught it. A team will work together to try and get the frisbee down the field as efficiently as possible by throwing the disc to an advancing teammate.游戏的主要目标是在得分区接住飞盘。最重要的一点是，接到飞盘的队员不能走步。团队一起努力把飞盘扔给前进的队友，尽可能把飞盘扔到得分区。"For example, when you hold the frisbee, you cannot move but instead youpivoton one foot until the disc is released," Qu says. 屈欣晨说，“比如，进攻队员接到飞盘时不能走步，但以一只脚为轴心，另一只脚可以移动，直到扔出飞盘。”When not holding the disc, a player is free to run anywhere within the field of play to receive a pass.当玩家不拿飞盘时就可以在球场内自由奔跑寻找机会接盘。Qu plays frisbee with his friends twice a week and has been to events arranged by four different clubs across the capital.屈欣晨和朋友一周玩两次飞盘，他已经参加了北京四个不同俱乐部组织的活动。The sport not only satisfies his need for exercise, but also allows him to catch up with his friends.这项运动不仅满足了他锻炼身体的需求，也能经常和朋友见面。"I felt I was getting the best of both worlds," Qu says.“我感觉这就是两全其美的事。”"I usually burn 1,400 calories during a session, and mystaminahas improved," he says.“每次训练我都消耗1400卡路里，而且我的体力也变好了。”His skills have too, and Qu says he has been able to better appreciate the elegance of the sport.他的运动技能也有提高，屈欣晨表示他更深刻地体会到这项运动的好处。"I feel a sense of achievement and I'm proud whenever I score points for my team through cooperation," he says.“我很有成就感，每次通过团队合作得分的时候我都很骄傲。”More importantly, he gets to see his friends more often.更重要的是，他能经常和朋友见面。"Four to five of us usually coordinate our time and sign up together for events near our homes," Qu says.“我们四五个人常常协调时间，一起在家附近的地方报名比赛。”屈欣晨说道。"After the match, we will have lunch or dinner together."“比完赛，我们就一起吃饭。”The frisbee clubs in Beijing usually have a photographer to capture moments in the game.北京的飞盘俱乐部都有摄影师抓拍比赛中的精彩瞬间。"The photos are very nice and can be reposted on our social media accounts as a reminder of the good times," Qu says.屈欣晨说，“照片拍得很好，我们也可以在社交媒体上转发，就当是个留念。”More people like Qu are tuning into frisbee.越来越多的人像屈欣晨一样参与到飞盘运动中去。Searches for frisbee surged 17-fold during the first three months of this year on Xiaohongshu, as compared with the same period last year, the social media platform reports. The topic of frisbee has attracted more than 42.4 million views on the platform.据社交媒体平台小红书发布的报告，今年前三个月，小红书上飞盘的搜索量同比增长了17倍。飞盘的话题在该平台上已经吸引了超过4240万的浏览量。Those figures have continued to grow over the following months.在接下来的几个月，这些数字在持续增长。On July 7, the General Administration of Sports has announced the first Chinese Frisbee League, which is planned for August.7月7日，国家体育总局宣布，首届中国飞盘联赛将于8月举行。"Frisbee has been widely enjoyed by the public and has developed rapidly in recent years," says the administration's announcement of the league's formation.The announcement points out that the sport has become an important part of national fitness activities.通知指出，“目前赛事前期条件已经日趋成熟，飞盘运动深受群众喜爱，近年来发展迅速，已成为全民健身活动的重要组成部分。”"Most of our clients are white-collar workers, around 30," says Sun Dawei, a former gym trainer who co-established The North frisbee club with a friend in April.“我们的客户大多是30岁左右的白领，”孙大伟（音译）说。他曾是一名健身教练，今年4月和朋友创办了一家飞盘俱乐部。He practiced frisbee back in Tianjin University of Sport in 2011 and, between 2014 and 19, won top prizes at multiple frisbee competitions in Shanghai, Nanjing of Jiangsu province, Beijing and Xiamen of Fujian province.2011年，孙大伟在天津体育大学练习飞盘，2014年至2019年间，他在上海、江苏南京、北京和福建厦门的多个飞盘比赛中获得最高奖项。"There must have been only about 100 people playing professionally, because I saw the same faces all the time at those matches," he recalls.他回忆说：“当时只有大约100个人在打职业比赛，因为我总能看到熟悉的面孔。”Sun sensed the surging popularity of the sport after Spring Festival this year.今年春节过后，孙大伟就感觉到了这项运动的高涨人气。"People around me have been talking about it as a phenomenon," he says.他说：“我周围的人一直把这个运动的兴起当作一种现象来谈论。”So far, his club has gathered more than 500 members.时至今日，他创办的俱乐部已经拥有超过500名会员。Sun hosts about three frisbee events in the city's Chaoyang district each week. About 20 participants join each event.孙大伟每周会在北京市朝阳区举办三场飞盘比赛。每场活动约有20人参加。The low threshold for playing in terms of age limits and equipment have both helped fuel the popularity of frisbee in China, experts say.专家表示，玩飞盘的门槛较低，没有年龄限制，无需复杂装备，这是飞盘在中国流行的原因。Zhang Kun, a veteran player and organizer of frisbee events in Beijing, believes social media platforms and online influencers played a positive role in promoting the sport during the early days of the pandemic.资深飞盘选手、北京飞盘赛事组织者张坤（音译）认为，在疫情初期，社交媒体平台和网红都推动了这项运动的发展。"People now think it is cool to play frisbee," Zhang says.张坤说，“现在人们觉得玩飞盘很酷。”The sport is easy topick up and understand, he adds.这项运动的规则很好理解，也很容易上手。"Your attention will be fixed on the flying disc once it is thrown and airborne, and you might feel you're flying too," Zhang says, adding that the experience is a great outlet for venting the pressures of fast-paced city life.张坤说：“当飞盘被抛向空中时，你的注意力就会集中在它身上，感觉自己也在飞。”他补充说，这种体验是释放快节奏城市生活压力的好方法。Costs for playing frisbee range from 100-150 yuan ($14.9-$22.4) per player, and organizers generally make a gross profit of 1,000-3,000 yuan.玩飞盘的费用在每人100—150元（合14.9—22.4美元）之间，组织者一般能获得1000—3000元的毛利润。It is solely up to each club to set a price for the event organization and training and to decide about buying insurance for participants, says Chen Shuo, a manager with the YJ frisbee club in Beijing.北京YJ飞盘俱乐部经理陈朔（音译）表示，每个俱乐部都有权为活动的组织和培训设定价格，并决定是否为参与者购买保险。"The competitors' welfare might not be guaranteed," Chen says.“竞争对手的福利可能得不到保障，”陈朔说。Chen hopes standards will be set up for the industry in the future, such as professional institutes to certify trainers and matches.陈朔希望这个行业未来能建立行业标准，比如建立专业机构进行培训师认证和赛事认证。Qu has just signed himself up for an advanced training program in July.屈欣晨刚刚报名了7月份的一个高级培训项目。"I want to keep exploring frisbee and involve more of my friends," Qu says, adding that he's particularly drawn to the game's golden rule of treating others how you would want to be treated.“我想继续探索飞盘游戏，让更多的朋友参与进来，”屈欣晨说。他特别欣赏飞盘精神——运动员之间互相尊重。"The non-contact policy is extremely good for beginners, and encourages my female friends to join us and play," he says.他说：“飞盘运动没有身体对抗，这对初学者来说非常好，也鼓励了不少女性朋友和我们一起玩。”Pastime英[ˈpɑːstaɪm]美[ˈpæstaɪm]n. 消遣，娱乐confined英[kənˈfaɪn]美[kənˈfaɪn]v. 限制; 监禁，关押resurgence英[rɪˈsɜ:dʒəns]美[rɪˈsɜrdʒəns]n. 复苏，复活; 中断之后的继续; 再起; 回潮pivot英[ˈpɪvət]美[ˈpɪvət]vi. 在枢轴上转动; 随…转移stamina英[ˈstæmɪnə]美[ˈstæmɪnə]n. 体力，耐力; 毅力pick up英[pɪk ʌp]美[pɪk ʌp] v. 学会

Massive student protests broke out in China's major northern port city of Tianjin on May 26, opposing the harsh lockdown restrictions imposed by the authorities. Online videos showed hundreds of students rallied in Tianjin University's Beiyang Square in the evening, chanting “Down with formalism! Down with bureaucracy!” They asked for direct dialogue with the university […]

✅Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering (Fine Chemical Engineering) from Tianjin University, China✅Lecturer at the University of Liberia✅His father was a huge role model that inspired his love for education✅His father wanted him to become a medical doctor✅His Chemistry professor inspired his love for Chemistry ✅Works as a nanny for another family after school to earn moneyThe story of Charles Baysah, reads like an inspiring adventure about a kid who swims against the tides and succeeds! His dad always dreamed that he would become a medical doctor. However at some point he had to break the news to his dad about an alternate dream. Listen and be inspired! A new episode of Contextualizing STEM Education in Liberia, West Africa is now streaming on iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Google, etc.

Dagmar Schäfer (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science), Interviewed by Gonçalo D. Santos on March 22, 2018, Hong Kong.FEATURED AUTHORDagmar Schäfer is the Director of Department III, Artifacts, Action, Knowledge at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. She is Honorary Professor in History of Technology at Technische Universität, Berlin; Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Sinology, Freie Universität, Berlin; and Guest Professor at Tianjin University (2018–2021). She received her doctorate and habilitation from the University of Würzburg and has worked and studied at Zhejiang University, Peking University, National Tsing Hua University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Manchester, among others. She was previously a Guest Professor at the School of History and Culture of Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.Dagmar Schäfer's interest is the history and sociology of technology of China, focusing on the paradigms configuring the discourse on technological development, past and present. She has published widely on the Premodern history of China (Song-Ming) and technology, materiality, the processes and structures that lead to varying knowledge systems, and the changing role of artifacts—texts, objects, and spaces—in the creation, diffusion, and use of scientific and technological knowledge. Her current research focus is the historical dynamics of concept formation, situations, and experiences of action through which actors have explored, handled and explained their physical, social, and individual worlds.Her monograph The Crafting of the 10,000 Things (University of Chicago Press, 2011) won the History of Science Society: Pfizer Award in 2012 and the Association for Asian Studies: Joseph Levenson Prize (Pre-1900) in 2013. Dagmar Schäfer was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2020—the most prestigious research award in Germany, it is given to “exceptional scientists and academics for their outstanding achievements in the field of research.”FURTHER READINGSchäfer, Dagmar. 2011. The Crafting of the 10,000 Things: Knowledge and Technology in Seventeenth-Century China. University of Chicago Press.https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/users/dschaefer

In China, some parents follow their freshman children to university. They’re allowed to camp nearby for a month in order to help them adjust to life away from home by, for example, cooking their meals or washing their laundry. Tianjin University offers “tents of love” for free so that anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, can take part in what is becoming a move-in tradition. God loves us even more than those devoted parents! On this second Sunday of Advent, we will focus on love, namely, God’s love for us, which He demonstrated by sending His Son for our salvation (v. 16). Today’s reading begins with a dialogue between Jesus and a leading Pharisee named Nicodemus. What did it mean to be “born from above” that is, to experience spiritual rebirth (vv. 3–7)? Jesus helps the baffled rabbi, using a comparison to Moses lifting up a bronze snake in the wilderness (vv. 14–15; Num. 21:4–9). John 3:16 is one of the most well- known and often referenced verses in the New Testament because it clearly explains the message of the gospel. Nicodemus learned that being born again is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. It’s a work of the Holy Spirit, accomplished for those who put their faith in Christ. The same promise-keeping love of the Old Testament is now climactically seen in God’s gift of love, His Son. By believing in Him, we receive eternal life instead of the death we as sinners deserve. But it’s important to remember that it is a gift; it can also be refused. Those who do not believe in Jesus will be condemned and receive the just punishment for their sin. Will you accept this gift today? >> You could receive no better gift this Christmas than the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. If you haven’t done so already, choose today to put your faith in Jesus. Accept Him as your Savior; confess your sins, and accept His sacrifice on your behalf.

Dr. James Wu Dr. James Wu is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at DeepMap. Prior to founding DeepMap, James built his career at Baidu, Apple, and Google. At Baidu, James served as Principal Architect for the self-driving team. At Google, James was a core member of Google Earth and Google Maps team. James earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Alabama and his BS in Computer Science from Tianjin University. About DeepMap DeepMap is accelerating safe autonomy by providing the world’s best autonomous mapping solutions. We deliver the technology necessary for self-driving vehicles to navigate in a complex and unpredictable environment. We address three important elements: precise high-definition mapping, ultra-accurate real-time localization, and the serving infrastructure to support massive global scaling. Without a human driver, self-driving cars will have to rely on maps with real-time localization to constantly update changes (such as road conditions, accidents, construction, and more). For cars to be able to maneuver autonomously, they must be aware of all conditions around them. DeepMap is solving this challenge by providing accurate and efficient prior knowledge of the world. Collectively, the founders and employees of DeepMap have built mapping technologies in use by tens of millions of people daily (including Google Maps and Apple Maps). The company’s technical advisory board includes former Google, Uber, and Apple visionaries Brian McClendon and Jaron Waldman, as well as Dr. Leonidas Guibas, a prominent Stanford University professor, and Herman Kaess, former CEO of Bosch Korea. In May 2020, DeepMap was named a “Cool Vendor in Autonomous Systems" by Gartner. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autonomous-cars-with-marc-hoag/message

Dr Zieve talks with Daniel Weber, PhD, MSc about our emerging understanding of how cancer works and what causes it. Daniel Weber, PhD, MSc is visiting Professor at Tianjin University, where he lectures post-graduate students and is doing research. He is the author of many books and published articles on integrative medicine. CEO of Panaxea International, Daniel travels extensively, lecturing on modern botanical medicine. He is deeply committed to research and evidence -based medicine, and works to promote integrative clinics. He is Vice-Chair Oncology; World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies and editor of the Journal of Chinese Integrative Medicine. Daniel founded the Association of Integrative Oncology and Chinese Medicine and is currently its president. Read more at danielweberinternational.com. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Jane:                                     Hi, everyone. Welcome to Episode 18 of Getting Personal: Omics of the Heart. I'm Jane Ferguson, and this podcast is brought to you by the Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine Journal and the American Heart Association Counsel on Genomic and Precision Medicine. It is July 2018, which means that the best possible place to be listening to this episode is at the beach, but failing that I can also recommend listening on planes, during your commute, while exercising or while drinking a nice cup of tea.                                                 So before I get into the papers we published this month, I want to ask for your help. If you're listening to this right now, hi, that means you, we're a year and a half into podcasting and I would love to know what content you like and where we could improve things. We have a poll up on Twitter this week, and I would really appreciate your input. If you're listening to this a little bit later and miss the active voting part of the poll, you can still leave suggestions.                                                 Okay, so what I would like you to do right now is to go to Twitter. You can find us as Circ_Gen and locate the poll. If you don't already follow us on Twitter, go do that now too. We want you to let us know what content we should focus on and what is most useful to you, so go ahead and pick your favorites from the options and also please reply or tweet at us with other thoughts and suggestions.                                                 Options include giving summaries of the recent articles like I'm about to do later this episode, conducting interviews with authors of recently published papers, interviews with people working in cardiovascular genomics, broader topics. For example, to get their insight on career paths and lessons learned along the way.                                                 And something we have not done yet on the podcast but are considering, would be to record podcasts that focus on particular topics in genomics and precision medicine. These could give some background on an emerging field or technology and we could talk to experts who are leading particular innovations in the field. So, if that sounds good to you, let me know! If you're not on Twitter, I don't want to exclude you, so you can email me at jane.f.ferguson@vanderbilt.edu and give me your thoughts that way. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.                                                 Okay, so on to the July 2018 issue of Circ.: Genomic and Precision Medicine. First up is a PhWAS from Abrahim Rao, Eric Ingelsson, and colleagues from Stanford. The discovery of the PCSK9 gene as a regulator of cholesterol levels has led to a new avenue of LDL lowering therapies through PCSK9 inhibition. However, some studies suggest that long term use of PCSK9 inhibitors could have adverse consequences. Because of the long follow-up time required, it will take many more years to address this question through clinical studies. However, genetic approaches offer a fast and convenient alternative to address the issue.                                                 In this paper, entitled: "Large Scale  Phenome-Wide Association Study of PCSK9 Variants Demonstrates Protection Against Ischemic Stroke," the authors use genetic and phenotype data from over 300,000 individuals in the UK BioBank to address whether genetic loss of function variants in PCSK9 are associated with phenotypes including coronary heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, cataracts, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, epilepsy, and cognitive function.                                                 The missense variant RS11591147 was associated with protection against coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke. This SNP also associated with type II diabetes after adjustment for lipid medication status. Overall, this study recapitulated the associations between PCSK9 and coronary disease, and revealed an association with stroke.                                                 Previous studies suggested use of LDL lowering therapies may increase risk of cataracts, epilepsy, and cognitive dysfunction, but there was no evidence of association in this study. Overall, this study provides some reassurance that the primary effect of PCSK9 is on lipids and lipid related diseases, and that any effects on other phenotypes appear to be modest at best. While a PhWAS can't recapitulate a clinical trial, what this study indicates is that PCSK9 inhibition is an effective strategy for CVD prevention, which may confer protection against ischemic stroke and does not appear to convey increased risk for cognitive side effects.                                                 Next up we have a manuscript form Jason Cowan, Ray Hershberger, and colleagues from Ohio State University College of Medicine. Their paper, "Multigenic Disease and Bilineal Inheritance in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Is Illustrated in Non-segregating LMNA Pedigrees," explored pedigrees of apparent LMNA related cardiomyopathy identifying family members who manifested disease, despite not carrying the purported causal LMNA variant. Of 19 pedigrees studies, six of them had family members with dilated cardiomyopathy who did not carry the family's LMNA mutation. In five of those six pedigrees, the authors identified at least one additional rare variant in a known DCM gene that was a plausible candidate for disease causation.                                                 Presence of additional variants was associated with more severe disease phenotype in those individuals. Overall, what this study tells us is that in DCM, there is evidence for multi-gene causality and bilineal inheritance may be more common than previously suspected. Future larger studies should consider multi-genic causes and will be required to fully understand the genetic architecture of DCM.                                                 Yukiko Nakano, Yasuki Kihara, and colleagues from Hiroshima University published a manuscript detailing how HCN4 gene polymorphisms are associated with tachycardia inducted cardiomyopathy in patients with atrial fibrillation. Tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy is common in subjects with atrial fibrillation, but the pathophysiology is poorly understood. Recent studies have implicated the cardiac hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated channel gene, or HCN4, in atrial fibrillation and ventricular function.                                                 In this paper, the authors enrolled almost 3,000 Japanese subjects with atrial fibrillation, both with and without tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy, as well as non-AF controls. They compared frequency of variants in HCN4 in AF subjects with or without tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy, and found a SNP, RS7164883, that may be a novel marker of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy in atrial fibrillation.                                                 Xinyu Yang, Fuli Yu, and coauthors from Tianjin University were interested in finding causal genes for intracranial aneurysms, and report their results in a manuscript entitled, "Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor ARHGEF17 Is a Risk Gene for Intracranial Aneurysms." They sequenced the genomes of 20 Chinese intracranial aneurysm patients to search for potentially deleterious, rare, and low frequency variants. They found a coding variant in the ARHGEF17 gene which was associated with associated with increased risk in the discovery sample, and which they replicated in a sample of Japanese IA and in a larger Chinese sample.                                                 They expanded this to other published studies, including individuals of European-American and French-Canadian origin and found a significantly increased mutation burden in ARHGEF17 in IA patients across all samples. They were interested in further functional characterization of this gene and found that Zebra fish ARHGEF17 was highly expressed in blood vessels in the brain. They used morpholinos to knock down ARHGEF17 in Zebra fish, and found that ARHGEF17 deficient Zebra fish developed endothelial lesions on cerebral blood vessels, and showed evidence of bleeding consistent with defects in the vessel. This study implicates ARHGEF17 as a cerebro-vascular disease gene which may impact disease risk through effects on endothelial function and blood vessel stability.                                                 Sumeet Khetarpal, Paul Babb, Dan Rader, Ben Voight, and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania used targeted resequencing to look at determinants of extreme HDL cholesterol in their aptly titled manuscript, "Multiplexed Targeted Resequencing Identifies Coding and Regulatory Variation Underlying Phenotypic Extremes of HDL Cholesterol in Humans." Stay tuned because we're gonna hear more about this paper from the first author Dr. Sumeet Khetarpal later this episode.                                                 Rounding out this issue we have a Perspective article from Chris Haggerty, Cynthia James, and coauthors from Geisinger and Johns Hopkins Medical Center entitled, "Managing Secondary Genomic Findings Associated With Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Case Studies and Proposal for Clinical Surveillance." In this paper the authors discuss the challenges for returning findings from clinical sequencing for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, presenting case studies exemplifying these challenges. They also propose a management approach for returning clinical genomic findings, and discuss new innovations in the light of precision medicine.                                                 We also published a review article by Pradeep Natarajan, Siddhartha Jaiswal, and Sekar Kathiresan from MGH on "Clonal Hematopoiesis Somatic Mutations in Blood Cells and Atherosclerosis", which discusses recent advances in our knowledge on the role of somatic mutations in cardiovascular disease risk.                                                 Finally, we have an update on some pharmacogenomics research into CYP2C19 Genotype-Guided Antiplatelet Therapy by Craig Lee and colleagues which we published a few months ago. Dr. Lee was also featured on Podcast episode 15 in April of this year.                                                 Jernice Aw and colleagues from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore shared from complimentary data from their sample of 247 Asian subjects which found the risk for major adverse cardiovascular events was over 30-fold greater for poor metabolizers, as defined by CYP2C19 genotype on clopidogrel, as compared to those with no loss of function allele.                                                 You can read that letter and the response from Dr. Lee and colleagues online now. And, as usual, all of the original research articles come with an editorial to help give some more background and perspective to each paper. Go to circgenetics.ahajournals.org to find all the papers and to access video summaries and more.                                                 Our interview is with Dr. Sumeet Khetarpal who recently completed his MD-PhD training at the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently a resident in Internal Medicine at Massachusets General Hospital. Sumeet kindly took some time out from his busy residency schedule to talk to me about his recently published paper, and to explain how molecular inversion probe target capture actually works.                                                 So I am here with Dr. Sumeet Khetarpal who is co-first author on a manuscript entitled, "Multiplexed Targeted Resequencing Identifies Coding and Regulatory Variation Underlying Phenotypic Extremes of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Humans."                                                 Welcome Sumeet, thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Dr. Khetarpal:                    Thank you so much Dr. Ferguson, it's really a pleasure to talk to you today. Jane:                                     Before we get started, maybe you could give a brief introduction on yourself and then how you started working on this paper. Dr. Khetarpal:                    Sure, so this work actually was a collaboration that came out at the University of Pennsylvania that I was involved with through my PhD thesis lab, my mentor was Dan Rader, and also a lab that is a somewhat newer lab at Penn, Benjamin Voight's lab which is a strong sort of computational genomic lab.                                                 This work actually highlights the fun of collaborating within your institution. We had, for some time, been interested in developing a way to sequence candidate genes. Both known genes and also new genes that have come out of genome-wide association studies that underlie the extremes of HDL cholesterol, namely very high cholesterol versus low HDL cholesterol. We've been looking for a cost-effective and scalable way to do this.                                                 Independently, Ben, who is very interested in capturing the non-coding genome, was interested in developing a method to better understand the non-coding variation, both common and rare variation that may be present at all of these new loci that have come out for complex traits such as HDL.                                                 We, at some Penn event several years ago, were talking about our common interest and Ben had actually identified this work that had come out of J. Shendure's lab at the University of Washington. A paper by the first author, Brian O'Rouke, in Science in 2012 in which they had developed an approach that involved molecular inversion probes, or MIPs, to capture regions of the genome related to target the gene that they were interested in studying for autism-spectrum disorders.                                                 They had applied this largely to coding regions of, I think, almost 50 genes and almost 2,500 patients with the feedback to do deep, targeted sequencing. So our thought was, well, we could try to apply this approach and adapt it to capture non-coding regions, and also see if we can expand the utility of this approach to study the phenotypic extremes of a complex trait such as HDL cholesterol. Jane:                                     Yeah, that's really cool. I love how you saw this method in a totally different application and then realized that there was expertise at Penn that you could bring together to apply this in a different way.                                                 I'd love to hear more about this MIP, the molecular inversion probe. How does it work? How difficult is it to actually do? Is it very different from normal library preparation for sequencing or is it something that's actually relatively easy to apply? Dr. Khetarpal:                    These MIP probes are oligonucleotide probes that capture your region of interest by flanking them and capturing by gap filling. There's a method to capture parts of the genome in a library-free way. They do ultimately involve barcoding the way traditional library-based target capture does and then deep sequencing.                                                 But the most impressive feature about them is just that they're very scalable. I think in the original paper by O'Rouke and colleagues they were able to sequence their set of genes and their set of samples at about a sample preparation cost of $1 per sample, and we were actually able to do about the same for our study.                                                 The main utility of the approach is just the economic scalability, and the ability to customize your panel to capture several regions of the genome that are adjacent to each other. Jane:                                     Right, so how many genes or regions can you multiplex at the same time? Is it just one prep, like you just design all of your oligos, you put them all together in one reaction, or are you doing separate reactions for each region? Dr. Khetarpal:                    We're actually doing all of our oligos together. In our case, I think it ended up being around the order of almost 600 oligos together to capture our ultimately 50kB of genomic territory that we wanted to capture. Really, our study was kind of a pilot experiment where we picked a few genes or regions of high interest to us, both known genes that effect HDL and also those that have been implicated in genome-wide association studies that were of high interest to our labs.                                                 I think that this approach could actually be expanded to capture much more genomic territory in a single capture reaction. We sort of touched the surface probably of what we could do. Jane:                                     Wow, that's cool! And then for sequencing it, I guess it's really just a function of how many samples you wanna multiplex and how much you want to sequence from each region. So I suppose the way you did it, you had about 50kB and then you had over 1,500 participants and you were able to do those on a single HiSeq run, right? Dr. Khetarpal:                    Right. Jane:                                     So I suppose if you'd done more genetic regions, you would've had fewer people and vice versa so you can balance that out depending on if you're having more samples or more genomic regions to sequence. Dr. Khetarpal:                    Exactly, in certain ways the design of our experiment we had a limited sample size that did afford us some luxury in terms of knowing that we would have deep coverage of the region that we were targeting. I think that's always a critical question in sort of targeted or just sequencing in general. The balance between the number of regions that you want to sequence and the number of samples you want to sequence is going to dictate what your sequencing depth with be. Jane:                                     Right, okay so I guess if we go on to what you actually found, how'd you pick this? You picked seven regions which encompasses eight candidate genes for HDL, so how did you select those? Dr. Khetarpal:                    The population that we were studying, the samples we were looking to sequence were largely individuals which fall into two bins if you will. One was extremely high HDL cholesterol which we're defining as the greater than the 95th percentile, but really there was a range within that population that spanned individuals with probably greater than the 99th percentile of HDL.                                                 We were hoping as a proof of principle effort to identify variation in genes that were known causes of high HDL cholesterol in prior studies of Mendelian genes for HDL. So genes such as LIP gene which encodes endothelial lipase or CETP or SCARB1, these 3 genes are, at this point, well-known genes that loss of function mutations are associated with extremely high HDL. We thought that capturing some of those genes would potentially both provide a level of validation for the approach, hypothesizing that individuals with high HDL would be enriched with these genes, but also may allow us to find new variants in these genes or also non-coding variants which has not previously been studied before.                                                 Some of the genes came out from that line of thinking, then some of the other genes happened to be genes that in the Rader laboratory we had a vested interest in understanding the genetic variation that might link the genes to HDL, which may not have necessarily come out before.                                                 For example, the gene GALNT2 is one of the first g-loss implicated novel genes for HDL, novel as in the earliest g-loss study for plasma lipids had identified that gene as associated with HDL but it never had come out before as being so. Our laboratory was very interested in better understanding the genetic relationship between genes such as GALNT2 and several of the others such as CCDC92 and ZNF664 with HDL.                                                 It ended up being a hodge-podge or a sampling of genes that had at some level been implicated with HDL, but really it's just a proof of principle that this method could work for both identifying variation in known genes and also less studied ones. Jane:                                     You validated the MIP genotyping by exome genotyping, and then saw concordance of over 90%, is that lower than you were expecting? Was it about what you were expecting based on these two different methods of genotyping? Dr. Khetarpal:                    Yes, I think we were expecting somewhere on the order of 90 plus percent. It's hard to know why we just hit that, we likely would've benefited from being able to genotype all of the individuals by the exome chip that we had sequenced as well, where we were able to validate in about two-thirds of those individuals.                                                 It's hard to know exactly what the cause of the about 10% discordance rate might be, whether it's just in certain samples the genotyping quality was perhaps on the border of being valid or the sequencing quality. Jane:                                     Right, I'm wondering sort of with the MIP, what's the gold standard? Is the XM chip genotyping still the gold standard and the MIP maybe is more error-prone, or perhaps the other way around? Or is it you can't tell at this point which is the true genotype and which is an error potentially for those discordant ones? Dr. Khetarpal:                    Certainly whenever there's a new sequencing methodology that is proposed I think it's critical to have some sort of validation. We happened to cover regions that would span the genome enough that we had XM chip genotyping in a large subset, that that might be the best approach. But if you had a limited number of regions or variance that you were interested in one could imagine also doing Sanger sequencing as the tried and tested validation approach. Of course it becomes not so scalable at a certain point.                                                 Certainly we would say that the MIPs, while the method has been developed and expanded by the Shendure lab, our hope is that through our studies maybe it will be applied further. It's still very much a new approach and so validation is key. Jane:                                     Very important. What do you think was the most exciting finding that came out of this, after you analyzed the data, what were you most excited about seeing? Dr. Khetarpal:                    The critical finding for us, which I think implies the utility of the approach, was just the validation of four of the loci that we had studied. Validation in our cohort of known genome-wide significant associations for HDL that had been published previously in almost 200,000 individuals in terms of sample size, in our experiment involving just about 1,500 people we were able to find consistent associations of those same variants that segregated with low versus high HDL. Directionally consistent with the large genome-wide association studies.                                                 I think the value of this finding is really just to emphasize the utility of the case control design in these phenotypic extremes, in addition to the overarching goal of our study, which was in a way that perhaps provides the most validation of the approach in terms of concordance with prior known studies. Jane:                                     So if somebody was listening to this and was trying to decide should they use MIP for a study they have in mind, should they use another technique? Based on your experience, what would you recommend? Dr. Khetarpal:                    I think in our current stage it's a very exciting time because we're just seeing whole genome sequencing really take off and being used at scale to ask critical questions about non-coding variation as it relates to both disease and complex traits. I don't think we're quite there yet with being able to apply that approach in a cost effective manner. The ability to annotate and analyze that data is still at it's infancy. The utility of the MIPs is that it provides a very cheap alternative.                                                 I can say from my experiences actually doing the capture and preparation from sample to sequencer stage that it's a very easy to use methodology that is very fast and cheap. That if one is really interested in a handful, or more than a handful, of candidate genes and their non-coding regions as it relates to a trait or disease of interest, it may not be the era for going full on with whole genome sequencing, especially at the current cost. That's where I think the MIPs really come in to be very useful. Jane:                                     It sounds great, is there anything else that you'd like to mention? Dr. Khetarpal:                    Just to say that we recognize it's a relatively small study as our pioneer approach with this method but that the Rader lab and Voight labs are actively pursuing larger applications of this to study, not only HDL, but other complex traits, such as diabetes, in much larger populations. I can't overemphasize how easy of a method it is to apply, but also that I think a bigger take home of this study for me as a very recent graduate student working in a very collaborative institution the ability of two laboratories to come together with different sets of expertise to try to tackle a problem that I think goes beyond the individual science. For any human geneticist how to find the variation you're interested in and not break the bank is kind of at the core of what we do, and so I think it was very fun to be part of this collaboration and our hope is that the outcome of it is a method that can be useful for many people, both in our field and beyond. Jane:                                     I think it's great and I'm hoping this will inspire a lot of other people to try this method and see if it can work for them. So, congratulations on the study, it's really nice work. Dr. Khetarpal:    Thank you so much!                                                                                                                                       Jane:                                     That's all I have for you for July, thanks for listening. Send me your thoughts on the podcast via Twitter or email, or leave us a review in Itunes. I look forward to talking to you next month.  

Clayton received a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Acupuncture and Moxibustion at the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a highly regarded teaching facility and the largest acupuncture and moxibustion center in China. His research was concerned with acupuncture treatment for cerebral disorders under the tutelage of Dr. Shi Xue Min, the pioneer of modern acupuncture stroke treatment, at the distinguished First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Clayton discusses his experience in China, neuro-acupuncture needle techniques, and much more!

How does the internet work? hmm...this says it all really - "How does the internet work?" (Stanford University) What is iPhone Personal Hotspot? (Apple) What is a wifi dongle? (Telstra) What is a computer network? (Wikipedia) How computers talk to each other - Communications protocols (Wikipedia) Communications protocol definition (Webopedia) Network protocol definition (About.com) Egyptian heiroglyphs (Wikipedia) Sumerian language (Ancient History Encyclopedia) Ancient languages that haven't been figured out (mental_floss) How to speak like a Russian spy (TV Tropes) What is computer handshaking? (Wikipedia) Handshaking definition (Webopedia) A dial up modem handshaking (YouTube) A fax machine handshaking (YouTube) ADSL definition (Webopedia) ADSL doesn't use voice telephone call frequencies, it's like a quiet handshake (Wikipedia) Myspace (Wikipedia) The OSI model's 7 layers of networking (Wikipedia) The OSI model's 7 layers of networking (Webopedia) Packet definition (Webopedia) Network packet (Wikipedia) How the internet sends packets & stuff - Internet protocol suite (Wikipedia) TCP/IP definition (Webopedia) How to make French onion soup (BBC goodfood) Different ways to cut carrots (the Kitchn) DARPA & the invention of the internet (DARPA) History of the internet (Wikipedia) How to make a string & cup telephone (Science Kids) ISP definition (Webopedia) What is an Internet Service Provider? (Wikipedia) There are a few very big 'Tier 1' ISPs who control the most internet (Wikipedia) The main 'highways' - The internet backbone (Wikipedia) The internet map "Beautiful, intriguing and illegal ways to map the internet" (Wired) Melways maps Which way should we go on the internet? - Routing (Wikipedia) A visualisation of routing paths (Wikipedia) The submarine cable map (TeleGeography) "10 facts about the internet's undersea cables" (mental_floss) Trans-Pacific internet cables - Southern Cross Cables (Wikipedia) Trans-Atlantic internet cables (Wikipedia) List of international submarine communications cables (Wikipedia) "The internet's undersea world" (The Guardian) How a ship lays fibre optic cables (YouTube) Data travels at pretty much the speed of light through a fibre optic cable (Extreme Tech) The Mariana Trench (Wikipedia) "The worldwide internet backbone map" (Tianjin University of Technology) "Georgian woman cuts off web access to whole of Armenia" (The Guardian) "Ship's anchor accidentally slices internet cable cutting off access in six African countries" (Daily Mail Australia) What is a web server? (Wikipedia) A photo of the world's first web server (Wikipedia) What is a content delivery network? (Wikipedia) "Apple Building Out Their Own CDN To Deliver Content To Consumers" (StreamingMediaBlog) "Apple's CDN Now Live: Has Paid Deals With ISPs, Massive Capacity In Place" (StreamingMediaBlog) What is a cache? (Wikipedia) What is time to live? (Wikipedia) What are point-to-point telecommunications? (Wikipedia) DouglasAdams.com The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Wikipedia) Sub-Etha Communications from the Hitchhiker's Guide (Wikipedia) The internet was once called ARPANET (Wikipedia) What is an Ethernet cable? (About.com) Cables are usually made out of copper or glass - Physical media (Wikipedia) "Why is fibre optic technology 'faster' than copper?" (ABC) One way people found stuff on the early web - The Gopher protocol (Wikipedia) The internet is an 'INTERconnected computer NETwork' (Wikipedia) The World Wide Web is what we 'see' on the internet (Wikipedia) History of the graphical user interface (Wikipedia) Pictures of what screens used to look like (Nathan's Toasty Technology page) The first ever web page! (CERN) The man who invented the World Wide Web and hyperlinks (Wikipedia) What is a hyperlink? (Wikipedia) What is FTP? (Wikipedia) "The web is dead. Long live the internet" (Wired) "Is the Web Dying? It Doesn't Look That Way" (The New York Times) What is Chrome? (Google) What is Safari? (Apple) Responsive web design means content adapts to any device (Wikipedia) App making software products (TopTen reviews) What are Apple Developer tools? (Apple) What is an app? (Wikipedia) Skype is more than 10 years old (Skype) Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (Wikipedia) What was Hotmail Messenger? (YouTube) Skype Instant Messenger explained by a guy in a grey t-shirt (YouTube) Did people REALLY used to chat to each other in the olden days? (LinkedIn) HumphreyBogart.com Cheeky review? (If we may be so bold) It'd be amazing if you gave us a short review...it'll make us easier to find in iTunes: Click here for instructions. You're the best! We owe you a free hug and/or a glass of wine from our cellar

With the launch of China's first microgravity satellite SJ-10 recently, scientists look forward to the results of experiments that can shed new light on a range of questions, from biology to the physical properties of substances, in a weightless environment. The recoverable satellite will stay in orbit for several days before its return capsule heads back to Earth. The orbital module will continue to conduct experiments for a few more days. Microgravity refers to the environment created during weightlessness. It is an extreme condition that changes every physical phenomenon scientists are familiar with, which is why microgravity research has been a scientific hot spot internationally. For example, liquids cannot be contained without the use of containers on Earth. But in a microgravity environment, liquids can float without a container. This makes it possible to determine the element's characteristics and develop new materials with new functions. Microgravity experiments are normally carried out in various space facilities, including space stations, space shuttles, research rockets and satellites. This is Special English. With obesity on the rise across China, doctors and nutritionists have created a healthy treatment path, with the release of the country's first medical guideline to help overweight people lose weight. Health care authorities say the guideline covers the principles and methods that will be adopted to help people lose weight and keep it off. It was developed over a year through the collective efforts of almost 100 doctors and nutritionists across the country. The guidance is expected to encourage clinical nutritionists and related medical staff to provide standard weight loss services to customers using proper principals and methods. According to a report released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission last year, around 30 percent of people in China aged 18 or older are overweight, an increase of more than 7 percentage points over 2002. The number of overweight people is increasing faster than in developed countries. Excessive weight and obesity has been a major contributor to the prevalence of many chronic diseases including diabetes in China. You are listening to Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. A device to trace the source of a fart and research on why flies keep rubbing their front legs together are among the winners of a Chinese award celebrating the lighthearted side of science. The Pineapple Science Award is given for research and projects that are both fun and serious in ten fields including psychology, physics and biology. Amusement value is not enough. All entries must have been published in recognized academic journals or presented to conferences. Why flies rub their hands together had been a source of mystery to David Hu since his childhood. Now a scientist with the Georgia Institute of Technology, he found out that flies brush dirt off their bodies with the tiny hairs on their legs, and then rub the dirt off. That finding won him the Pineapple Science Award for Biology this year. David Hu says curiosity inspires great discoveries. He has suggested that space stations can use his discovery to keep their solar panels clean. Nobel laureate George Fitzgerald Smoot once said curiosity and fun is what sustains scientists through the hardship of their work. The study of Li Ji-gong of Tianjin University not only solves the mystery of who farted, but provides a way to locate the source of any odor through the complex dynamics of air. It won this year's Pineapple Science Award for Physics. This is Special English. Students at Tianjin University can now enroll in courses in what is possibly the most difficult subject of all, relationships. Around 200 students crowded into a lecture hall at the prestigious university on March 30 as the first class of a new course on romance, "Basic Theory and Experience of Love", got underway. Course lecturer Liu Xiaochun, an associate professor of law at Tianjin University, says hopefully, the lecture will give students a higher sense of responsibility toward dating someone. During the 90-minute talk, Liu explained legal issues related to dating, including the issues of mistresses, domestic violence, divorce and abortion. He says it was the first time he talked about dating in public. For many young people in China, often away from home for the first time, college is their first chance to explore romance after dedicating much of their high school years to study. One student who wants to remain anonymous says he hopes the course can help him get along better with his girlfriend. Organized by a student dating club, the lectures cover a wide range of topics including dating tips and etiquette, as well as counseling. The classes are taught by teachers from the university and external experts. You are listening to Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. Experts say the economic transformation in China is providing great opportunities for Chinese students returning from overseas study, although the returnees face challenges when hunting for jobs back home. A senior official from the Center for China and Globalization, a think tank in Beijing, made the remarks at a time when many in China have expressed concern that it may be more difficult for Chinese students to land a job after returning from study abroad. China's economy is evolving from one that rests on its population advantage to that values talent. In the process, people who return from overseas study with international perspectives and an innovative spirit will have brighter employment prospects. In recent years, the number of Chinese students choosing to return home after graduating overseas has increased greatly, from 186,000 in 2011 to almost 410,000 last year. At the same time, the number of people graduating from domestic institutions this year is set to be more than 7 million, the largest number ever. The Chinese government is also loosening policies for expats wanting to work or start businesses in China. Both the large number of domestic graduates and the expected influx of foreign talent have led some to worry that the employment prospects of students returning from overseas study might not be as good in the future as they were. This is Special English. A technical college in Guangzhou is establishing a new specialty to meet the growing demand for feishou, or drone operators, in Guangdong province. The Guangzhou Electromechanical Technician College says if there isn't enough time to complete preparations by the school term that starts in September, the new program will begin enrollment next year. More than 3 million yuan, roughly 460,000 U.S. dollars, has been invested in major facilities and updated equipment for the establishment of the new specialty so far. Another 5 million yuan will be used to bid for a piece of land, covering an area of more than 1,000 square meters, for drone flight practices. The college says the drone specialty is expected to become a signature subject at the college and attract a large number of high school graduates in the years ahead, since it should be easy for students to find jobs upon graduation. Around 50 students are expected in the first class. Drones are being used in an increasing range of industries in the Pearl River Delta area and the entire Guangdong province. In Shenzhen alone, more than 700 drone manufacturers have registered. Unmanned aircraft are widely used in fighting crime, fire control, rescue operations and agriculture. You're listening to Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. You can access the program on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics ski venue Chongli has received 2 million tourists during the first snow season after Beijing and Zhangjiakou won their co-bid in July. Chongli is a district of Zhangjiakou city, around 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing. Chongli will stage most of the skiing events during the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The ski resort has earned more than 1.5 billion yuan, roughly 240 million U.S. dollars, in tourism revenue from the past winter, accounting for more than 30 percent growth over the previous season. The past snow season lasted for five months from last November, during which Chongli has hosted 36 events, including the Far East Cup and the Children's Skiing International Festival. A total of 23 skiing camps have been set up, attracting almost 4,000 young people to participate. The forthcoming Winter Olympics has ignited a skiing fever among the Chinese people. The local education authorities in Chongli have introduced services from ski resorts to let every student in the district to ski with professional instructors. By the end of November, Zhangjiakou will complete preparation for the 2022 Winter Games. And all venue construction will be finished by the end of 2020 to enable the city to hold test events. This is Special English. More inspection dogs are expected to be deployed at entry-exit ports across China after two national centers for breeding and training are built within the next five years. Faced with increasing pressure to ensure biosafety, entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities will also increase their capacity to keep out hazardous elements including diseases, viruses and invasive species. This includes improving the warning system and replacing X-ray machines used for handling mail and parcels with more precise CT scanners. Almost 300 dogs are deployed at ports in China, but this is far from enough. The authorities say considering that there are around 280 major ports in China, 1,000 inspection and quarantine dogs are needed; but the country suffers a lack of regulated breeding and training centers. Of the two national centers, one is being built in Beijing, which is likely to be completed within two years, and the other is very likely to be built in Guangdong province in southern China. The first inspection dog was put into service in 2001. The use of such dogs can help improve the rate of successful interception of harmful materials by 30 percent. Three breeds, springer spaniels, labradors and beagles, are favored for inspections in China. This is Special English. Ten female pandas at a breeding base in southwestern China's Sichuan Province have mated since February. A conservation center in the region announced that six of the 10 pandas mated naturally, two by artificial insemination, and the remaining two had both. The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Pandas captive-breeds the world's largest panda population of 218 as of the end of last year. Twenty-six female pandas and 19 males have been selected in this year's mating plan. Pandas have an infamously solitary lifestyle, female pandas only tolerate a male's presence around them two to three days a year during mating season. Their eggs only live for 36 to 40 hours, making conception even more difficult. The success rate of conception is between 30 to 40 percent; and no more than 40 percent of cubs survive. Male captive pandas capable of natural mating are extremely few, accounting for less than 5 percent of the population. But the pregnancy rate among female pandas receiving natural mating is above 90 percent this year, which the center says, is a good sign. Artificial breeding of giant pandas in China is planned for the sake of genetic diversity. （全文见周日微信。）

更多内容请关注我们今日的微信，搜索：英语环球 NEWSPlusThis is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. Here is the news.A plan that will enable China to evaluate the compulsory education system for the first time has been launched, with experts saying it will assist in policy-making and promote quality education across the country. The plan was drawn up by the State Council's Education Supervision and Guidance Committee, and is designed to test the academic performance and physical and mental health of junior middle school and primary school students. It will also examine factors that affect their performance and health. Officials from the education ministry's supervision office say that due to a lack of statistics, the authorities have been unable either to evaluate the standard of the compulsory education system or to analyze the problems that exist; and now the implementation of the plan will enable them to do so. A random selection of students in the fourth and eighth grades on the mainland will take a test consisting of two parts. Six subjects will be tested including the Chinese language, mathematics, science, physical education, art and general knowledge.The results will not be used in any admission process or to assess individual students or schools, so it will not insert new workload for students or new pressure on the schools.This is NEWS Plus Special English.Hong Kong's new Police Commissioner Stephen Lo has said he will focus on fighting cybercrime and terrorism to maintain Hong Kong's safety and stability.Lo said at a press conference that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has earmarked funding to establish a new Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau within the force, noting a rise in the number of cybercrimes in recent years.He said he plans to boost training, equipment, investigation capabilities and overseas cooperation on cyber security as commissioner.He stressed that while there is no intelligence suggesting an immediate terrorist threat to Hong Kong, the city should be prepared. The police will boost intelligence gathering and exchange, as well as training and cooperation with international law enforcement agencies on counter-terrorism.In his remarks, Lo pledged to do his best to ensure that Hong Kong remains one of the safest and most stable societies in the world.Retiring Police Commissioner Andy Tsang said he was confident Lo could lead the force in overcoming future challenges.Tsang also urged protesters and politicians to obey the law while fighting for their political beliefs and rights.This is NEWS Plus Special English.A 21-year-old Tibetan girl who helped rescue a kidnapped woman on a train has won praise from the public for her brave act.On April 18, Cering Yumco, a sophomore at Tianjin University of Science and Technology, was sleeping on a train when a woman woke her up. The train was going from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Beijing.The woman told her in a low voice that she was being abducted by the man at her side. The woman did not report to police for fears of putting her children in danger. She asked Yumco for help.The suspected trafficker woke up when the two were whispering. After observing the man for a few more hours, Yumco spoke to the police on the train.Train police and Yumco continued to monitor the man until the train arrived in Beijing the next day.When the train pulled in at the Beijing West Railway Station, the man was taken away by police expecting them. The woman was rescued. Yumco's story has gone viral on the internet. Web users expressed their praise and said she has set a good example for young people.You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. Chinese researchers have used 3D printing technology to make a safer space suit for astronauts while spacewalking.A research center under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation used a 3D printer to create the vent pipes and the flanges connecting the pipes used on extravehicular space suit.The vent pipe and the flange as a whole can improve the reliability and safety of the space suit, and suits can be made more efficiently. Researchers will use the technique to make more parts.China plans to launch its second orbiting space lab, Tiangong-2, next year, and aims to put a permanent manned space station into service around 2022.The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has successfully developed a multi-laser metal 3D printer, enabling astronauts to print items with just one 3D printer in space.The 3D printing technology is suitable for making objects with complicated structures and odd shapes, such as the valves of rocket engines.There are still many difficulties to overcome in 3D printing in space. Researchers are still developing materials suitable for 3D printing; and the precision of 3D printed items needs to be improved.This is NEWS Plus Special English.Chinese scientists have completed the genome sequencing of grass carp and produced the world's first whole genome map for the fish.The genome sequencing was a three-year collaborative project between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Sun Yat-sen University based in the southern province of Guangdong.A genome is the full complement of an organism's DNA, complex molecules that direct the formation and function of all living organisms. The research has helped scientists to understand the evolutionary history of grass carp, and it is of great importance to the breeding of stronger species in the future.The research of grass carp will also help understanding of human diseases, since grass carp can carry the same bacterial and viral diseases as humans.Grass carp make up 16 percent of the world's cultured fish, and China is the world's largest grass carp culturing country.

更多内容，请关注我们今日的微信，搜索：英语环球 NEWSPlusA 21-year-old Tibetan girl who helped rescue a kidnapped woman on a train has won praise from the public for her brave act.On April 18, Cering Yumco, a sophomore at Tianjin University of Science and Technology, was sleeping on a train when a woman woke her up. The train was going from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Beijing.The woman told her in a low voice that she was being abducted by the man at her side. The woman did not report to police for fears of putting her children in danger. She asked Yumco for help.The suspected trafficker woke up when the two were whispering. After observing the man for a few more hours, Yumco spoke to the police on the train.Train police and Yumco continued to monitor the man until the train arrived in Beijing the next day.When the train pulled in at the Beijing West Railway Station, the man was taken away by police expecting them. The woman was rescued. Yumco's story has gone viral on the internet. Web users expressed their praise and said she has set a good example for young people.

This week we sit down with Nathan Peterson, a doctoral candidate in Art History at the University of Iowa. Born in South Central Nebraska Peterson attended Creighton University in the early 2000s earning a degree in Art History. He then went to the University of Iowa where he received his master’s degree also in Art History. From there he became interested in East Asian studies specifically in China and Japan. His most recent work has been in the contemporary art of China, including the artist Ai Weiwei, and Northern Japan, particularly in response to the Tsunami of 2011. Currently, Peterson is teaching at China’s Tianjin University and completing his second master’s degree in Chinese while finishing his dissertation to earn his doctorate from the University of Iowa.