2017考博英语阅读题源经济学人文章每日精析（三十七）

　　filariasis：n.丝虫病

　　river blindness：n.盘尾丝虫病

　　scabies：n.疥疮

　　frowned on：不悦;不满

　　注：《科学转化医学期刊》(ScienceTranslationalMedicine)为一科际整合性的医学期刊，由美国科学促进会创办于2009年10月。本期刊主要涵盖人类疾病在纯研究、转化研究，以及临床研究等方面之转译医学研究探讨。依据期刊引证报告,本期刊在2011年之影响因子为7.80。

　　The starting point for their device is a material called poly E-caprolactone (PCL). They melted this and blended it with powdered ivermectin. Then they tested the resulting composite in an acidic solution intended to mimic conditions found in the human stomach, to see how well it protected the drug, and also the rate at which ivermectin migrated out of it. They found that the PCL did indeed protect the ivermectin from the acid. It also let the drug diffuse out steadily over the course of 14 days.

　　他们的灵感源自于一种叫做聚已内酯的材料。他们将其融化并与粉末状伊维菌素混合。随后将混合物置于与人类胃内环境相似的酸性溶液中进行测试，观察此材料是如何保护药物以及伊维菌素从PCL上释放的速率。他们发现PCL确实能在酸性环境中保护伊维菌素并使其在14天内稳步扩散。

　　poly E-caprolactone：聚已内酯

　　diffuse：v.扩散;传播

　　Encouraged by this finding, the two researchers pondered how to arrange for a block of ivermectin-doped PCL to stay in the stomach that long, rather than passing through to the intestine and thence, ultimately, to the outside world. Their solution was a star-shaped structure 4cm across (see picture) with a flexible polyurethane core and arms made of ivermectin-laden PCL.

　　受此鼓舞两位研究员开始思考如何使一粒添加有伊维菌素的PCL药物在胃内停留足够长的时间，而不会通过肠道最终排出体外。他们的解决方案是一个周长为4厘米的星状结构(如图)，此结构的核心是柔软的聚氨酯，四周是带有伊维菌素PCL的臂状结构。

　　ponder：v.考虑;沉思

　　For delivery, this is folded up inside a gelatine capsule, so that it can be swallowed. Once it arrives in the stomach, the gelatine is rapidly digested and the star unfolds into something large enough to avoid being expelled into the intestine, but insubstantial enough not to obstruct the passage of semi-digested food through the alimentary canal. After careful experiment, the researchers came up with an ivermectin-PCL mixture that disintegrates as it gives up its payload. Once the arms, which are made of this mixture, have dissolved, the core is small enough to pass to the intestine and out of the body

　　他们将药物折叠置于胶囊中以便吞下并运送到体内。当其到达胃部，胶囊迅速被消化，星型结构展开到足够大以避免被排到小肠，又不会阻碍食糜通过消化道。经过仔细实验，研究人员制成一种当伊维菌素消耗殆尽时可以自动分解的PCL伊维菌素混合物。一旦混合物制成的臂状结构溶解后，其小小的核就能通过肠道排出体外。

　　gelatine：n.胶质

　　alimentary canal：消化道

　　Laboratory tests suggested this arrangement would work, so the researchers tried it out on animals—specifically, a dozen Yorkshire pigs. These are a common breed, and the passages between their stomachs and their intestines are similar in size to those of people.

　　实验表明这一装置可行，所以研究人员决定进行动物实验并特别选定了约克郡猪。因为这种猪很常见，并且其胃肠通道与人的差不多大。

　　Using X-rays, they monitored the stars’ movements through the pigs’ guts. They also sampled the animals’ blood, to work out how much ivermectin was getting into it. As they had hoped, the stars were able to release mosquito-killing doses of ivermectin for up to two weeks. And, as intended, when their payloads were expended they collapsed and passed safely through the remainder of the digestive system without causing any obvious ill effects.

　　他们用X射线来监测星型结构在猪内脏里的运动轨迹。他们也采集了动物血液标本以检验伊维菌素在血液中的含量。正像他们所希望的那样，星型结构能够连续2周释放可以杀灭疟蚊剂量的伊维菌素。并且当药量耗尽后会自动分解，安全地通过余下的消化系统，还不会带来任何明显的副作用。

　　collapse：v.倒塌;崩溃

　　Dr Langer and DrTraverso hope to start human trials next year. But they also wonder if they have come up with something that might be more widely deployed. Taking repeated doses of any drug to keep its level up is a faff. If the stars could be impregnated with other drugs, then things now requiring daily or more frequent doses might be delivered on a one-horse-pill-per-fortnight basis. That would almost certainly improve compliance.

　　Langer博士和drtraverso博士希望明年开始进行人体试验。但他们也在怀疑此药是否还有别的用途。期待您的翻译，您可以将翻译留言到文章底部，第二天会有详细解析哦。

　　be impregnated with：充满

　　Which, if any, other drugs might be delivered in this way remains to be seen. But, even if the stars work only for ivermectin (assuming they do), they will still be a useful addition to the armoury being deployed against malaria. And that, alone, could save many lives a year.

　　不知是否别的药物也能用这种方式服用，如果有的话，让我们拭目以待吧。不过即使星型结构仅对伊维菌素适用的话(仅仅是假设)，它们无疑将会成为对抗疟疾兵器库里的强有力武器。并且只此一项每年就可挽救无数人的生命。

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