3 . Plastic, which is now common, contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs (内分泌干扰物), that has been linked to increased risk of many chronic diseases. Parental exposure to EDCs, for example, has been shown to cause metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the later generations.

Led by Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, the researchers investigated the impact of fathers’ exposure to a phthalate called dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP (邻苯二甲酸二环己酯), on the metabolic health of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) in mice. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic more durable.

The researchers found that fathers’ DCHP exposure for four weeks led to high insulin (胰岛素) resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1. The same effect, but weaker, was seen in F2 .

“We found fathers’ exposure to EDCs may have intergenerational and transgenerational detrimental effects on the metabolic health of their later generations, ”Zhou said. “To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate this.”

In the case of fathers’ exposure in the study, intergenerational effects are changes that occur due to direct exposure to a stressor, such as exposure to DCHP of fathers (F0 generation) and his F1 generation. Transgenerational effects are changes passed down to later generations that are not directly exposed to the stressor (for example, F2 generation).

“This suggests that fathers’ DCHP exposure can lead to sex-specific transgenerational effects on the metabolic health of their later generations,” Zhou said.

Zhou stressed that the impact of exposure to DCHP on human health is not well understood, even though DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products and has been detected in food, water, and indoor particulate matter.

“It’s best to minimize our use of plastic products,” Zhou said. “This can also help reduce plastic pollution, one of our most pressing environmental issues.”

In the coming weeks, China Daily will be publishing special reports focusing    1     the ongoing development of the country’s national park system, looking at areas coming under stronger    2     (protect) and the species benefiting from many new    3     (facility).

The Sanjiangyuan National Park, covering 190, 700 square kilometers,     4     (be) China’s largest such facility. It is about 14 times the area of Yellowstone National Park in the United States and 19 times    5     (large) than the Banff National Park in Canada. Standing at an average altitude of more than 4, 500 meters, the sparsely populated park in Qinghai Province is the ideal habitat for many wildlife species,     6     (include) Tibetan antelopes and snow leopards.

Sanjiangyuan,     7     means “source of three rivers”, is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River    8     (know) as the Mekong once it leaves Chinese territory. As such, the parks has been dubbed “Asia’s water tower”. 2% of the total water volume of the Yangtze River, 49% of the Yellow River and 17% of the Lancang River come from the Sanjiangyuan area, with tributaries providing the rest.

Decades ago, climate change and human activity caused serious    9     (environment) degradation in Sanjangyuan, which resulted in a large number of lakes drying out and wildlife numbers falling    10     (sharp). In 2016, the pilot program for the Sanjiangyuan National Park management system was launched, and the area was officially designated as a national park in September in 2021.

7 . Pet owners have a big responsibility when it comes to taking care of their furry friends Unfortunately, many pet owners make common mistakes as follows.

● Not providing enough exercise or mental stimulation for your pet

All pets need regular exercise and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy.     1     Mental stimulation is also essential to keep your pet fit. You can give your pet puzzle toys, play new games with them, or teach them new tricks.

● Over feeding

You might think you’re doing your pet a favor by giving them extra treats, but overfeeding can do more harm than good.     2    . Therefore,ensure you’re following the feeding guideline on the bag and not giving in to those puppy-dog eyes too often.

● Not socializing your puppy

Socialization is key to a well-behaved and happy dog. Make sure to introduce your puppy to different people, animals and situations.     3    

    4    

Pets are great at hiding their pain and discomfort, so it’s important to watch for any change in behavior or appetite. Don’t hesitate to bring something up with your vet if you notice something off.

To help avoid these types of errors,Wanda Morgan, Chief Editor of Workout Lunatic, gives the following tips.

● Positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is always the way to go when training your pet. Use treats and verbal praise to encourage good behavior instead of punishment or scolding.

● Addressing underlying anxiety causes

    5    . Give your pet plenty of engaging activities and playtime to keep their minds and bodies active and happy.

The Lion Rock mountain stands not only as one of the most famous scenic spots in Hong Kong,     1     has become a spiritual symbol representing the persistent efforts of ordinary Hong Kong people     2     (live) a better life.

The Lion Rock spirit has also     3     (deep) touched those outside Hong Kong, such as Cui Xiaodong,     4     ink artist and director of the Yan Huang Art Museum in Bejing. “The mountain stands like a giant, symbolizing the industrious and persistent spirit which, over the past decades,     5     (pull) people in Hong Kong together through hard times. It is a recollection of the youth and vigor (活力) of a generation of people in Hong Kong     6     struggled to make the city what it is today.” he says.

Cui created Lion Rock in Hong Kong, a colored ink painting. In his painting, Cui depicts (描绘) the cliffs of the Lion Rock, surrounded by blooming trees and     7     (overlook) the city’s skyscrapers. Made earlier this year, the painting is now     8     show at Greater Bay Area in the Eyes of Artists, a display marking the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The     9     (exhibit) displayed there hail (向……致敬) the ecological diversity of the area and also presents to the audience     10     (success) reformative accomplishments since 1997.

10 . Microbiologists have designed a sustainable way to remove polluting microplastics from the environment by using bacteria. Initial design as it is, it paves the way for sustainably lowering plastic pollution levels and stop the “plastification”.

Bacteria naturally tend to group together and stick to surfaces, and this creates a sticky material called “biofilm”. Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) want to use this adhesive bacteria character and capture microplastics in polluted water to form an easily disposable and recyclable blob(团) .

Sylvia Lang Liu, microbiology researcher at PolyU and lead researcher on this project, together with his team, has engineered a bacterial biofilm, which can fix and absorb microplastics floating around in the water, and make them sink to the bottom of the water. Then the researchers can separate the microplastics from the bacteria traps and get them ready to recycle.

Microplastics are the plastic fragments, usually smaller than 5mm, which are accidentally released into the environment during production and breakdown of grocery bags or water bottles, or during everyday activities such as washing synthetic (合成的) clothes or using personal care products with scrubbing microbeads in them. Microplastics are visually tiny, making it challenging to develop effective solutions to trap, collect, and recycle them.

Microplastics are not easily biodegradable (生物降解的), so they stick around for long and absorb and accumulate poisonous chemicals. They spread into wastewater and into the oceans, endangering marine animals and eventually threatening human health, Microplastics had been found in more than 114 species living in the water and also salt, lettuce, apples, and more in 2018 according to the International Maritime Organization.

“This is an innovative application of biofilm engineering l0 address the plastio pollution crisis,” said Dr Joanna Sadler, researcher at University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in this study. “One of the biggest challenges in dealing with microplastics is capturing such small particles. Liu and co-workers have denmonstrated an elegant solution to this problem, which holds great potential to be further developed into a real-world wastewater treatment technology.”