The Informatics 3a

Third Issue/ Edition

THE T H E

S C I T A M R O INF

I O N A L I N T E R N A T

E N G L I S H

L A N G U A G E

M O N T H L Y

W A L L

M A G A Z I N E

YEAR 1 VOL. 1 NO. 3

PUBLISHER International Students¡ Union Chongqing Medical University

ADDRESS Overseas Students¡ Office Chongqing Medical University No. 1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District,Chongqing 400016, The P. R. China

Third Issue/ Edition

S C I T A M R O F N I THE THE

Y U A G E M O NT H L E N G L I S H L AN G I N T E R N AT I O N AL

DECEMBER, 1-31, 2008

NE W AL L M AG A Z I

YEAR 1 VOL. 1 NO. 3

CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE THE INFORMATICS

IN THIS ISSUE Contemporary language

1

Health & medicine

2

Science & technology

3

Art & culture

4

Sports & events

5

Fun & entertainment

6

Comments & compositions

7

China & The World

8

The Fire Disaster Prevention Exhibition in Chongqing Medical University Teacher Instructing His Foreign Students

CHIEF EDITOR Mr. Keshav Bhattarai (Nepal)

EDITORS 1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Contemporary language : Ms. El¡skina Joyosubagio (Indonesia) Health & medicine: Mr. Aabesh Koirala (Nepal) & Shambhu Kumar Sah (Nepal) Science & technology: Mr. Prannoy Rana (Nepal) Art & culture: Mr. Mukul Sharma (India) Sports & events: Mr. Sagun Shrestha (Nepal) Fun & entertainment: Mr. Boniface F. Masau (Tanzania) Comments & compositions: Mr. Thomas Hii Chung Ee (Malaysia) China & The World: Ms.Eunice Kissiwaah Ansong (Ghana)

Foreign Students at The Exhibition

Poster Exhibited by Chinese Students

COMPUTER LAYOUT Mr. Keshav Bhattarai (Nepal)

CHIEF ADVISORS Mrs. Yang Hong (China)

Teacher Teaching to Use Fire Extinguisher

Fire Extinguisher at The Exhibition

Students Avoiding Cookers in The Dormitory

Students Using Fire Extinguisher

Mr. Wang Dong; Victor (China)

CO-ADVISORS 1.

Ms. Faith Birnstein (America)

2.

Mrs. Chen Min (China)

PUBLISHER International Students¡ Union

ADDRESS Overseas Students¡ Office Chongqing Medical University No. 1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China. Tel: 0086-23-68485947 Email: [email protected]

The Fire Disaster Prevention Exhibition organized in Chongqing Medical University was attended by a number of Chinese and International students on Friday, 2008-11-26.

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THE INFORMATICS

HEALTH & MEDICINE Synthetic Folic May Be Dangerous Actually so many people take supplements of folic acid as pills because of vitamin deficiency they are useful, But synthetic folic acid may be dangerous in ways that natural folate doesn't appear to be. One theory holds that both folic acid and folate are cancer protective. But once cancer gets started, high doses of folic acid (unlike folate) may lead to more cancer growth. A study of 25,000 postmenopausal women showed no breast cancer risk from natural folate, but a 32% increased risk with high folic acid supplementation. Tejaswi Sathuluri The Food We Eat May Change Our Genes What we eat may influence our health by changing specific genes, researchers believe. Several studies in rodents have shown that nutrients and supplements can change the genetics of animals by switching on or off certain genes. It is not clear whether foods do the same in humans, but Scientists say there is good reason to believe they do. In the future, diseases might be reversed by diet in this way, it says. Modifying DNA: While many disorders in humans are caused by mutations to DNA, a few, including some cancers, occur when genes are switched on or off. There are thousands of genes in the body, but not all of them are active. Scientists have been looking at what factors might control gene activity and have found some evidence to suggest that diet is important.

Folic Acid Saves the Day In baking, some ingredients are simply not optional¡ forget the baking powder, forget the muffins. Just as baking powder is essential for some recipes, helper molecules called cofactors are necessary ingredients for many biochemical reactions. Take folic acid (one of the B vitamins), for example. Scientists have known for decades that folic acid can protect against certain birth defects¡ such as spina bifida¡ that develop during the first few weeks after conception. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration recommends that every woman of child-bearing age supplement her diet with 400 micrograms of the vitamin. Scientists figured out that folic acid does its molecular good deeds by lowering levels of a potentially harmful compound called homocysteine, which is also a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. As it turns out, folic acid performs this task by speeding up the conversion of homoc ys teine to methionine, a nontoxic amino acid that the body needs.

In a recent animal experiment, adult rats were made to behave differently by injecting them with a specific amino acid called L-methionine. After the injections, the animals were less confident when exploring new environments and produced higher levels of stress hormones. The change to their behaviour occurred because the amino acid altered the way the rat's genes were expressed.

Folic acid does this by improving the fit between an enzyme and its cofactor. The enzyme in this case is known shorthand as MTHFR, and the cofactor, a molecule called FAD, is also vitamin-derived (from vitamin B2) and is essential for converting homocysteine to methionine. Martha Ludwig and Rowena Matthews, both of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, determined that by locking FAD onto MTHFR, folic acid performs this protective role in the body.

Tejaswi Sathuluri

www.nigms.nih.gov

DECEMBER, 1-31, 2008

3

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY World¡s First Double Arm Transplant Karl Merk, a German dairy farmer whose arms had been amputated after an accident, said he felt like a "whole man" again as he spoke for the first time since the operation in July."The feeling is indescribable. Every day I gain more mobility," said Mr Merk as he showed off the arms, which are being supported by a special "corset" while the healing continues. Six years ago Mr Merk lost his arms in a farm maize threshing machine. Found by a colleague as he lay bleeding to death, he screamed: "Kill me, kill me!" But the man saved his life instead. Doctors at the teaching hospital of the Technical University in Munich then planned a world first: to transplant two arms at once. The procedure was conducted over two days in July. A team of 40 surgeons and nurses working in two operating rooms removed the arms from the donor, who had died only hours before, and transplanted them to Mr Merk, who had only been left with small stumps just below his shoulders following his amputations.

Camouflage Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain indiscernible from the surrounding environment through deception. Examples include a tiger's stripes and the battledress of a modern soldier. Cryptic colouration has evolved in many species that have been subjected to the pressures of predation and also in predatory species. Such colours help predators and prey cryptic powers are possessed by those animals in which the individuals can change their colours into any tint which would be appropriate to a normal environment. This power is widely prevalent in fish, and also occurs in Amphibia and Reptilia. All the chameleon species are able to change their skin colour. Changing colour is an expression of the physical and psychological condition of the lizard, not, as is commonly believed, to match their surroundings. Chameleons change their colour in response to light exposure and ambient temperature, as well as to express their mood. Emotions and attraction of a mate can induce the colour change. Different chameleon species are able to change different colours which can include pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown and yellow. Chameleons are naturally coloured for their surroundings as a camouflage. However, recent research has indicated that Chameleons may use colour changes as a method of communication, including make themselves more attractive to potential mates.

The first step was to expose the muscle, nerves and blood vessels to be connected. Before the bones of the donor could be cut, blood vessels in Mr Merk's arms were filled with a cooled preservation solution. Both arms were then removed exactly at the point matching the patient's arm stumps. First the bones were joined, then arteries and veins to ensure blood circulation as quickly as possible. The surgeons then attached the muscles and tendons, then the nerves and finally the skin.

Chameleons have specialized cells, collectively called chromatophores, lie in layers under their transparent outer skin. The cells in the upper layer, called xanthophores and erythrophores, contain yellow and red pigments respectively. Below these is another layer of cells called iridophores or guanophores, and they contain the colourless crystalline substance guanine. These reflect, among others, the blue part of incident light. If the upper layer of chromatophores appears mainly yellow, the reflected light becomes green (blue plus yellow). A layer of dark melanin containing melanophores is situated even deeper under the reflective iridophores. The melanophores influence the 'lightness' of the reflected light. All these pigment cells can rapidly relocate their pigments, thereby influencing the colour of the chameleon. Safety orange is used to set objects apart from their surroundings, particularly in complementary contrast to the azure color of the sky. This is warning color.

Tejaswi Sathuluri

Rakesh Babu

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THE INFORMATICS

ART & CULTURE THE PLYMOUTH THANKSGIVING STORY When the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1620, they landed on the rocky shores of a territory that was inhabited by the Wampanoag (Wam pa NO ag) Indians. They lived in villages along the coast of what is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Wampanoags moved several times during each year in order to get food. In the spring they would fish in the rivers for salmon and herring. In the planting season they moved to the forest to hunt deer and other animals. After the end of the hunting season people moved inland where there was greater protection from the weather. We can only guess what the Wampanoags must have thought when they first saw the strange ships of the Pilgrims arriving on their shores. But their custom was to help visitors, and they treated the newcomers with courtesy. It was mainly because of their kindness that the Pilgrims survived at all. The wheat the Pilgrims had brought with them to plant would not grow in the rocky soil. They needed to learn new ways for a new world, and the man who came to help them was called "Tisquantum" (Tis SKWAN tum) or "Squanto" (SKWAN toe). Squanto was originally from the village of Patuxet (Pa TUK et) and a member of the Pokanokit Wampanoag nation. Patuxet once stood on the exact site where the Pilgrims built Plymouth. In 1605, fifteen years before the Pilgrims came, Squanto went to England with a friendly English explorer named John Weymouth. He had many adventures and learned to speak English. Squanto came back to New England with Captain Weymouth. Later Squanto was captured by a British slaver who raided the village and sold Squanto to the Spanish in the Caribbean Islands. A Spanish Franciscan priest befriended Squanto and helped him to get to Spain and later on a ship to England. Squanto then found Captain Weymouth, who paid his way back to his homeland. When he arrived, the village was deserted and there were skeletons everywhere. Everyone in the village had died from an illness the English slavers had left behind. After several days, Squanto and Samoset stayed nearby the beach near Patuxet observing the newcomers. Finally they decided to approach them. Samoset walked into the village and said "welcome," Squanto soon joined him. The Pilgrims were very surprised to meet two Indians who spoke English. The Pilgrims were living in dirt-covered shelters, there was a shortage of food, and nearly half of them had died during the winter. They obviously needed help and the two men were a welcome sight. Squanto, who probably knew more English than any other Indian in North America at that time, decided to stay with the Pilgrims for the next few months and teach them how to survive in this new place. He brought them deer meat and beaver skins. He taught them how to cultivate corn and other new vegetables and how to build Indian-style houses. He pointed out poisonous plants and showed how other plants could be used as medicine. He explained how to dig and cook clams, how to get sap from the maple trees, use fish for fertilizer, and dozens of other skills needed for their survival. By the time fall arrived things were going much better for the Pilgrims, thanks to the help they had received. The corn they planted had grown well. There was enough food to last the winter. They were living comfortably in their Indian-style wigwams and had also managed to build one European-style building out of squared logs. This was their church. They were now in better health, and they knew more about surviving in this new land. The Pilgrims decided to have a Thanksgiving feast to celebrate their good fortune. They had observed thanksgiving feasts in November as religious obligations in England for many years before coming to the New World. Today the town of Plymouth Rock has a Thanksgiving ceremony each year in remembrance of the first Thanksgiving. In 1970, they asked one of them to speak at the ceremony to mark the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim's arrival. Here is part of what was said: ¡ Today is a time of celebrating for you -- a time of looking back to the first days of white people in America. But it is not a time of celebrating for me. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People. When the Pilgrims arrived, we, the Wampanoags, welcomed them with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end. That before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a tribe. That we and other Indians living near the settlers would be killed by their guns or dead from diseases that we caught from them. Let us always remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white people.¡ Although our way of life is almost gone, we, the Wampanoags, still walk the lands of Massachusetts. What has happened cannot be changed. But today we work toward a better America, a more Indian America where people and nature once again are important." Keshav Bhattarai For more details: http://www.esnips.com/web/thanksgivingstory

DECEMBER, 1-31, 2008

5

SPORTS & EVENTS World Chess Championship

The

Thanksgiving

2008

The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Both men and women are eligible to contest this title. The official world championship is generally regarded to have begun in 1886, when the two leading players in the world played a match. From 1886 to 1946, the championship was conducted on an informal basis, with a challenger having to defeat the incumbent in a match to become the new world champion. From 1948 to 1993, the championship was administered by FIDE, the international chess organization. In 1993, the reigning champion (Garry Kasparov) broke away from FIDE, meaning there were two rival championships. This situation remained until 2006, when the title was unified at the World Chess Championship 2006.

Viswanathan Anand

The current world champion is Viswanathan Anand, who won the World Chess Championship 2007 and successfully defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in the World Chess Championship 2008.

In addition, there is a separate event for women only, for the title of Women's World Champion, and separate competitions and titles for juniors, seniors and computers. However, these days the strongest competitors in the junior, senior, and women's categories often forego these niche title events in order to pursue top level competition, although they continue to be part of chess tradition. Computers are barred from competing for the open title. Keshav Bhattarai

The Thanksgiving 2008, held on November 28, 2008 at the JW MARRIOTT in Chongqing City, Jiefangbei, China was attended by a number of Foreign teachers and International students. Although the thanksgiving celebration is a part of American culture, the Thanksgiving Feast at the JW Marriott was enjoyed by the people of all the continents with their hearts full of friendship and brotherhood. EDITOR

Appointment Distribution and Magazine Exhibition THE INFORMATICS (the international English language monthly wall magazine) of Chongqing Medical University was made official on 2008-11-11 by the distribution of appointment letters to all the editors of the magazine by the Director (Mrs. Yang Hong) of the Foreign Affairs Office and Deputy Chief (Mr. Wang Dong; Victor) of Foreign Students¡ Affairs Division.

The event was followed by the exhibition of the second issue/ edition of the magazine in front of the statue of the then Chairman Mao Zedong near the main gate of Chongqing Medical University. From that day THE INFORMATICS became the first official international English language monthly wall magazine of Chongqing Medical University. The magazine is published by International Students¡ Union on the legal guidance of Foreign Students¡ Affairs Division. EDITOR

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THE INFORMATICS

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT 2008 has undoubtedly been a great year for music. Many artists made their comeback after long hiatuses to bring back to us that fantastic sound that we remember them for. New artists emerged and bands were also formed. On top of that, Avril Lavigne and Jay Chou came to Chongqing to hold their world tour concerts. One artist who also made a comeback this year is Enya. You may or may not have heard of her. Enya who is from Ireland, is the country¡s second biggest star next to U2. And Winter Came¡ is her seventh studio album to date. It was released on November 10 this year. The album consists of 12 tracks which are of New Age genre. When someone listens to New Age music, he or she will experience a sense of peace. This type of music is intended to create relaxation, inspiration, and positive feelings. It is perfect way to manage stress; especially since it¡s exam season. The album has a winter or Christmas feel to it. In fact some familiar Christmas carols such as O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and an Irish version of Silent Night can also be heard. In conclusion, this is a great album for the holiday season as well as relaxation. Boniface Ferdinand Masau

FUN WITH CHESS Question: White is to move and checkmate the black king in two moves. What are the right moves? Send your answers to: [email protected]. Correct answer will be published in next issue.

Tips:

MOVIE REVIEW

And Winter Came¡

¡ ¡I'll have a vodka martini, shaken not stirred, and instead of a side of pretzels give me a quantum of solace!¡ QUANTUM of Solace¡ picks up from one hour after the events of ¡Casino Royale¡ and finds Bond (Daniel Craig) seeking revenge for the death of girlfriend, Vesper Lynd. Naturally, his search for those responsible takes in a sum of beauties, many gunshots and explosions, and a ¡supervillain¡, this time an environmentalist trying to take control of Bolivia¡s water supply. A heart-thumping car chase across the landscape of northern Italy introduces us to a plot that will swing, branch to branch, across Europe and to Latin America in pursuit of a shadowy organisation that is "everywhere, but you haven't even heard of it". Director, Marc Forster, has females acting out for him who lay down their lives as well as their clothes for the super-spy 007 James Bond who hardly utters anything more than, ¡Bond, James Bond!¡

The knight and rook of the white will be involved in the moves, whereas the king of the black will This furiously-energetic sequel is be facing the atleaner, meaner, and the shortest 007 tack. movie (100mins), but ultimately when Keshav Bhattarai the dust settles it probably lacks the

all-round classier approach of Daniel Craig's first outing (Casino Royale). Shrestha Sagun

DECEMBER, 1-31, 2008

7

内文标题行

COMMENTS & COMPOSITIONS Fire Disaster Protection When there¡s a fire inside your building, you need to get out immediately! Since smoke from a fire can make it difficult to see, it¡s important to know the best way to exit the building. During a fire, you should do the following: Use a fire extinguisher to put out small fires. You can also use water if the fire is not electrical or chemical. Do NOT try to put out a fire that you can¡t control.



If there¡s a fire that is too big to put out, leave the building immediately. You might not have much time before the fire spreads, so don¡t even stop to call fire department. Once you¡re outside and safe, you can use a cell phone or a neighbor¡s phone to call.



If your clothes catch fire, do NOT run. This could make the fire spread more quickly. Instead, stop, drop, and roll! In other words, stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll back and forth until the fire is put out. If there is smoke in your house, cover your nose and mouth with a small cloth and stay low to the ground as you¡re leaving. Smoke is very dangerous to breathe and difficult to see through. Since smoke naturally rises, you should crawl on your hands and knees to exit the building.

Fire Extinguisher

If you¡re in a room with the door closed when a fire breaks out, here are tips:



Do NOT open the door if the door is hot, there is smoke coming through the cracks around or under the door, or the doorknob is hot. This means that the fire is close.



If you are trapped in the room, use duct tape, wet towels, or clothing to seal off any cracks or vents around the door. If the doorknob feels cool and smoke is not coming in the room, open the door slowly and carefully. Then quickly exit the building. Swechha Maskey

My Dear Grandmother

Fire Disaster Prevention

I made a call to my grandmother¡s cell phone one evening on last weekend. She picked up the call and answered it with a brief emotionless ¡ hello¡ as usual without any further response. She is an illiterate which made her not possible to comprehend the characters displayed on the cell phone¡s screen.

Dedicate yourself to the following in order to prevent fires as well as being prepared in case you need to escape from a fire: ¡ Grandma, it¡s me.¡ Her voice warmed up when she recognized my voice over the phone. ¡ How are you and grandpa doing?¡ I asked. ¡ Everything is fine. I am getting ready to sleep but your 1. Don't leave flammable grandpa is still enjoying the television shows.¡ She replied slowly. ¡ Then, what show is he items around your home. watching now?¡ I giggled. 2. Don't smoke in bed or She remained silent over the phone but I know she was smiling as she could not understand the content of the television show that was aired at that moment. A picture of a warm, nice cozy drop lit cigarette butts. room with my grandfather sitting in front of the television and my grandmother in her bed was 3. Don't leave the stove unatportrayed in my mind as she described the scene to me. tended when frying food. My grandmother grew up uneducated. Back at her age, the chance of education in China was 4. Don't light open-air fires scarce. She could not recognize neither wrote her name properly. Sometimes, I really wondered on windy days. how she pulled herself together in her daily life. She¡s seventy years old now and she spent most her lifetime being a responsible housewife with her house chores. She never traveled out of town 5. Don't let children play but still she is an optimist despite the ups and downs she experienced throughout her lifetime. with matches or lighters. My brother and I stayed with our grandparents until the second year of our junior school. My 6. Use electrical goods as per parents were away for work and our house was left vacant. She took great care of our basic their instructions and don't needs. I went to boarding school afterwards and the chance of meeting her was thin. Whenever I overload power points. came home, she would take me in her arms and questioned my wellbeing in boarding school. 7. Don't leave flammable ¡ Be sure to keep yourself warm, always wear clean clothes, and eat your meal punctually.¡ She repeated the same words whenever she meets me. I grew up under her canopy of love and never items near gas or electric am I not grateful for that. She may be an ordinary woman in her life, but she is a heroine in my heater. life, forever. Yujun (China)

Shambhu Kumar Sah

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THE INFORMATICS

MESSAGE CHINA & THE WORLD Sightseeing in Chongqing, China Dazu Rock Carvings belong to the UNESCO World Heritage. The carvings are a series of Confucian, Buddhist & Taoist sculptures, inscriptions & epigraphs dating from the 7th century. There are around 75 protected sites that comprise the whole complex with thousands of statues. This is a definitely must-see attraction spot that you will most certainly appreciate. Dazu County, reputed as 'the county of rock carving' is located at the southeast of Sichuan province. It is 167 km from Chongqing on its east. The Dazu Rock Cavings contains all the cliffside carvings in Dazu County. The collection is composed of the rock carvings in: Beishan Rock Carving：2 km away from the northwest of Dazu County. Baodingshan Rock Carving: It is 15 km from the northeast of Dazu County. Nanshan Rock Carving: Standing at the southeast of Dazu County, Shizhuanshan Rock Carving: It 25 km far from the southwest of Dazu County. Shimenshan Rock Carving: Apart 20 km from the eastern part of Dazu County. Travel Tips: You may take a bus at the Caiyuan Ba, Chongqing Municipal to the Dazu County Bus Station (CNY 45). There are two bus stations at the Dazu County, one for long distance another for short distance. After arrival at Long-Distanced Bus Station of the Dazu County two hours later, you may hire a rickshaw (CNY 2) to the Short-Distanced Bus Station. Then taking a bus to the Baodingshan (CNY 3) will take you twenty minutes and later you will reach the entrance of this spot. At last you will take a rickshaw to the ticket office of the spot.

Admission Fee:

CNY 120 (including Baodingshan and Beishan) CNY 80 for Baodingshan CNY 60 for Beishan

Opening Hours:

08:40 to 17:00

Recommended Time for a Visit:

One and a half hours

Shilpa Karanjit 2006 BATCH

All the opinions and articles published herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. While every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the information contained herein, we accept no responsibility for any inconvenience that may be caused. The contents may not be produced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. Copyright ? 2008 by International Students¡ Union, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. THE INFORMATICS welcomes you to send us your articles, comments, suggestions and opinions in electronic version via email.

THE INFORMATICS, DECEMBER, 1-31, 2008

The wall magazine is exhibited free of cost to all the readers.

THE INFORMATICS welcomes you to send us your articles, comments, suggestions and opinions in electronic version via email. PUBLISHER International Students¡ Union Chongqing Medical University ADDRESS Overseas Students¡ Office Chongqing Medical University No. 1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, The P. R. China Tel: 0086-23-68485947 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.esnips.com/web/theinformatics

YEAR 1 VOL. 1 NO. 3, Overseas Students¡ Office, Chongqing Medical University

All the opinions and articles published herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or of the editors. While every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the information contained herein, we accept no responsibility for any inconvenience that may be caused. The contents may not be produced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. Copyright ? 2008 by International Students¡ Union, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.