Topic Reading-Vol.2576-5/1/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Centuries ago, women ruled Japan. What changed?

Today May 1, 2019, a new Emperor, Naruhito, is enthroned in Japan and its era name is changed to Reiwa, meaning beauty or order and harmony. He is the 126^th emperor of the world's oldest monarchy. This succession has been long expected and accepted among Japanese ever since he was born in 1960 as he is the first son of the just abdicated emperor, Akihito. However, when a new emperor’s first child, Aiko, was born in 2001, Japanese people celebrated the birth in the royal family but in the meantime a little disappointed simply because it was a girl.

Under current law, only the male heirs of the former emperor can succeed to the throne. Accordingly, there are only two male royal family members are in line to the throne, the Crown Prince Akishino, the new emperor’s younger brother, and his 12-year-old son, Hisahito.

This male-only succession was established back in 1889 under the Meiji Restoration initiatives. Despite the fact that there had been ten eras that were reined by female emperors, those Meiji leaders decided to base their constitution from the Prussian constitution, which forbade women from ascending the throne. Because of the shrinking royal line, it has been discussed as to whether to allow a female emperor or to keep princesses to stay in the royal family. However, predominantly male-controlled Japan’s diet, with only under 14% female representation in both upper and lower house combined, it seems to take long or never to amend the law unless the problem becomes unsolvable. After all, Japan is a country that respects “harmony” the most.

Enjoy reading and learning about the new era and emperor in Japan and its future concern.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/27/asia/japan-female-rulers-akihito-abdication-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2575-4/30/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why the Swiss still love cash

Switzerland is a landlocked country in the center of Europe. Though all the surrounding countries belong to the EU and adopt Euro, Swiss distances itself from the union nor and currency zone. Their official currency is Swiss Franc. Seven denominations of coins and six series of banknotes are in circulation. Each coin has distinct weight; one franc, two francs, and five francs coin weighs 4.4, 8.8, and 13.2 grams respectively. The main colors of the banknotes are also distinct; yellow, red, green, blue, brown, and purple. Their one-thousand-franc bill is one of the most valuable banknotes in the world, which is worth around ten 100-dollar US bills. This super banknote is still commonly used for big-ticket items and paying bills. Indeed, cash is still the dominant payment method in Switzerland as 70% of the transactions are made by cash and 22% by debit cards, an instant withdrawal from the bank account.

It seems that cash is considered as part of their culture. They prefer to have control over their spending, keep privacy, and prevent getting into debt.

Enjoy reading the article and learn what cash means to the culture.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190416-why-the-swiss-still-love-cash

Topic Reading-Vol.2574-4/29/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Gorillas pose for selfie with DR Congo anti-poaching unit

Located in the east of Democratic Republic Congo, Virunga National Park is a national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the most biologically diverse protected area in Africa. Since the region has suffered from wars and armed conflicts for over 20 years, the park is protected by 600 trained and dedicated rangers. Facing armed poachers and militants, their jobs and lives are no safer than critically endangered mountain gorillas that are protected in the park. In fact, over 130 park rangers have been killed since 1996.

There, two infant gorillas were rescued by the park rangers in 2007 right after their mothers were killed by poachers. Those two female gorillas have been raised by the park’s caretakers ever since and seem to have learned a lot from them. Now, when the rangers who rescued them took a selfie photo, those two gorillas posed just like humans. One stood straight proudly in a power pose with her feet wide apart, and the other leaned forward to be taken her photo.

Did they also smile when they saw the photo with the ranger?

Enjoy seeing the photo and think about what primates could learn from humans.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48011113

Topic Reading-Vol.2573-4/28/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Agent Orange: US to clean up toxic Vietnam War air base

Agent Orange was the most-used herbicide by US military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest and crops for their enemy, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. Over 90 million liters of herbicides, such as Agent Orange, Agent Green, Agent Pink, and Agent purple, which were produced by chemical companies like Dow Chemical and Monsanto, were used over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos for ten years until 1971.

These herbicides contained deadly chemical dioxin. Once exposed, it causes severe skin problems, diabetes, immune system and muscular dysfunction, nerve disorders, or heart disease. It is also highly persistent and lasts many years in the environment in soil, water and in the food chain. As a result, increased rates of cancers and birth defects are linked to these deadly herbicides. Several millions of Vietnamese were affected by the agent including over 150,000 birth defects, according to the Vietnamese government.

Over four decades after the end of the war, the US finally started cleaning up the most contaminated land by Agent Orange, Bien Hoa airport, outside Ho Chi Minh City, where US air force based during the war. Why it took so long to take such an action is not clear. But those chemical manufacturers agreed to pay $180 million in compensation to US veterans 35 years ago.

Read the article and learn about this deadly chemical used by the US military forces.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48000185

Topic Reading-Vol.2572-4/27/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Jilin-made explosion-proof train introduced in Tel Aviv

The light rail vehicle, LRV, is a low-capacity, low-speed urban rail transit. It runs either on the ground along exclusive rights-of-way or dedicated railway. Light rail systems are getting popular recently to ease congestion and provide environmentally friendly transportation option in urban cities with relatively low capital costs.

Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel with a population of over 400,000 and the economic and technological center of the country. The city signed a contract with a Chinese firm to build and maintain its first light rail system in 2021. Because of continual Palestinian political violence, the city wanted the light rail cars explosion-proof. The vehicles’ windows are blast resistant, the underframe structure is fire resistant, and the door is impenetrable to intruders. The light rail vehicles are also traffic resistant. Thanks to the traffic lights control system, they travel without stopping at red lights.

It surely sounds like a state-of-art, Israeli-standard transportation system. But will it be free from terrorist attacks? Will passengers go through a security gate or pass a metal detector for every ride?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this explosion-proof light rail vehicle.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/2016jilin/2019-04/18/content_37459931.htm

Topic Reading-Vol.2571-4/26/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Pig brains partially revived four hours after death

It had been thought that the brain dies quickly and completely when blood supply stops until this new experiment conducted to 32 decapitated pigs (at a slaughterhouse). Though no signals that indicated awareness or consciousness were detected, the presumably dead brains of the pigs showed some signs of response like a normal brain does when special liquid was pumped into at the same pace as the pulse four hours after death.

The finding surprised both science and ethics community. If a brain death was reversed, there could be ways to treat damaged brain functions by Alzheimer disease, a stroke, or oxygen starvation at birth. In the meantime, it could ignite debates as to if brain dead is permanently dead or irreversible. When should life support be terminated? When should organs be donated for transplant?

The recovery or restoration of brain functions could change our definitions of death.

Read the article and learn about this sensational discovery.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47960874

Topic Reading-Vol.2570-4/25/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Eating just one slice of bacon a day linked to higher risk of colorectal cancer, says study

Eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what about red meat?

While the red fruit may help you keep your health, a chunk of red meat or a slice of processed meat seems to increase the risk of bowel cancer significantly, according to a study conducted to adults in the UK. In fact, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and US, where both red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb and processed meat like bacon, sausages, and ham are popular food items. They say that an even small amount of processed meat seems to affect as much as a large portion of red meat to bring you closer to cancer, like cigarettes, alcohol, and asbestos. That sounds scary, isn’t it?

So, the next time you are tempted to pick a pastrami sandwich or bacon cheeseburger, think twice before you order. What about a BLT sandwich without bacon?

Enjoy reading the article and think of an alternative sandwich menu.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/17/health/colorectal-cancer-risk-red-processed-meat-study-intl/index.html