China downplays risk to children from lead poisoning

Chinese children suffering lead poisoning from polluting smelters and factories have been denied testing, effective treatment and even basic information by officials who downplayed health threats, a human rights advocacy group said on Wednesday.

The report from Human Rights Watch comes after China's latest lead pollution outbreak, when 103 children and scores of adults were poisoned by tinfoil-making workshops in eastern Zhejiang province.

Beijing has vowed to clean up this chronic pollution, but New York-based Human Rights Watch said those efforts only go so far in addressing the needs of hundreds of thousands of children it says are suffering from lead poisoning in China.

Lead, especially harmful for children, can lead to learning difficulties and behavioral problems, and often parents who work at the plants bring home extra doses on their clothes and skin.

"I want to know how sick my son is, but I can't trust the local test results," one mother from Hunan province in southern China told investigators, according to the report available on the Human Rights Watch website: (www.hrw.org).

Citizens who complain about the problem face pressure, the rights watchdog said, citing dozens of interviews with parents in areas afflicted by pollution.

"Parents, journalists, and community activists who dare to speak out about lead are detained, harassed, and ultimately silenced," Joe Amon, health and human rights director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement released with the report

Rapid industrial growth in China has increased citizens' worries about their health, especially where towns and villages located next to poorly regulated factories and workshops have been stricken by pollution problems.

China is the world's biggest consumer of refined lead, and battery making accounts for 70 percent of that consumption, which is likely to grow to 4.1 million tonnes in 2011.

China's environment ministry has promised to tackle heavy metal poisoning as widespread cases have sparked public anger and protests.

Three-quarters of lead-acid battery manufacturing plants in China could be phased out in the next two to three years, an industry body said last month.

MISLEADING INFORMATION

Despite those vows, leaders in Beijing have struggled to rein in local officials who put jobs and economic growth ahead of environmental protection.

Based on 52 interviews, Human Rights Watch found that local governments denied the scope of potential poisoning and issued misleading information about the dangers of living close to polluting factories.

Parents were often told that drinking milk or eating garlic and eggs was adequate treatment for lead poisoning, the advocacy group said.

"The doctor told us all the children in this village have lead poisoning. Then they told us a few months later that all the children are healthy. They wouldn't let us see the results from the tests though," said a parent from Yunnan province quoted in the report.

"The government doesn't want to have to give us anything so they make up the results," another parent from Henan province said.

Lead poisoning can build up through regular exposure to small amounts, damaging the nervous and reproductive systems and kidneys, as well as causing high blood pressure and anemia.

"In villages where lead exposure is highest, a generation of cognitively and physically disabled children will need significant and ongoing support," the report said.

The group compared the corruption and cover-up of nationwide lead poisoning cases to the high-profile AIDS and SARs scandals that shattered international confidence in China's public health administration in the 1990s and early 2000s.

"The response to lead poisoning has so far followed this same road, but it is not too late for the Chinese government to take a different approach," the report said.


■単語
lead１
音節lead１ 発音記号/líːd/音声を聞く
【動詞】
(音節led 発音記号/léd/) 【他動詞】
1a〔+目+副(句)〕〈人を〉(…に)導く，案内する 《★【類語】 lead は先に立って人を連れていく; guide は人に付きっきりで案内する; direct は道順・方向などを人に教える; conduct は人をある場所に連れていく》.
用例
lead a visitor in [out, back] 客を中まで[外まで, またもとへ]案内する.
b〔+目+副(句)〕〈人・動物を〉(手を取って)連れていく，(綱などをつけて)引いていく.
用例
She led the child across the street. 彼女はその子の手を取って通りを渡っていった.
c〔+目+by+名〕〈人の〉〔手を〕引く 《★【用法】 体の部分を表わす名詞の前に the を用いる》.
用例
lead an old man by the hand 老人の手を引く.
2a〔+目+副(句)〕〈道路などが〉〈…を〉(ある場所に)導く，もたらす，運ぶ.
用例
This street will lead you to the station. この通りを行けば駅に着きます.
b〔+目+前+(代)名〕〈…を〉〔…の状態・結果へ〕導く 〔to，into〕.
用例
A chance idea led him to the discovery. まぐれの思いつきから彼はその発見に至った.
c〔+目+to do〕(誘因となって)〈人に〉〈…する〉気にさせる.
用例
Nervousness led me to make mistakes. 私はあがってしまったのでいくつか間違いをした.
d〔+目+into+doing〕〈人を〉うまく〔…するように〕させる.
用例
She led him into believing that she was unmarried. 彼女は独身だということをうまく彼に信じ込ませた.
3〈…を〉先導する，指揮する，〈…の〉先頭に立つ; 〈…を〉率いる.
用例
lead an army [a search party] 軍[捜索隊]を指揮する.
4〈…の〉首位を占める.
用例
She leads the company in sales. 彼女は売り上げでは会社の一番である.
5a〈ある種の人生を〉過ごす，送る.
用例
He led a life of poverty for many years. 彼は何年も貧乏暮らしをした.
b〔+目+目〕〈人に〉〈ある人生を〉送らせる.
用例
His wife led him a miserable life. 妻のために彼は悲惨な生活を送った.
6【トランプ】 (ゲームの一巡で)〈初めの人が〉〈ある札を〉最初の手として出す，打ち出す.
用例
He led a heart. 彼は最初にハートの札を出した.
【自動詞】
1a先に立って行く; 案内役[先導]を務める.
用例
The green car is leading. 緑の車が先頭を走っている.
b指揮をする; 指揮者となる.
2a〔+副(句)〕〈道路などが〉(…に)至る，通じる，(…を)通る.
用例
All roads lead to Rome. ⇒Rome 1.
b〔+to+(代)名〕(結果として)〔…と〕なる.
用例
That will only lead to trouble. そんなことをすれば面倒なことになるだけだ.
3〔動(+in+(代)名)〕
a〔競走などで〕先頭に立つ，リードする.
用例
The horse led easily until the homestretch. その馬はホームストレッチまで楽々とリードして走った.
b〔…で〕首位を占める.
用例
I lead in French. フランス語では私が一番だ.
4【トランプ】 最初に札を出す.

自動詞としての「lead」のイディオムやフレーズ
léad a person a (mérry) dánce léad ánywhere
léad a person a (prétty [jólly，mérry]) dánce léad astráy
léad a person by the nóse léad nówhere
léad óff léad ón
léad a person ùp the gárden pàth léad úp to…
【名詞】
1[単数形で]
a先頭(の位置), 先導.
用例
He was in the lead. 彼は先頭に立っていた.
b率先; 指揮，指導力.
2【可算名詞】 手本，模範.
用例
follow a person's lead 人に(手本として)ならう.
3a[the lead] (競走などでの)先頭，首位; 第一位，一等.
用例
gain [have] the lead in a race レースで首位に立つ[立っている].
b[a lead] 勝ち越し(の差) 《距離・時間など》, リード 〔of〕; 優勢 〔over〕.
用例
He had [held] a lead of three laps over the second‐place car at the finish. 彼は決勝戦で 2 位の車よりも 3 周リードしていた.
4【可算名詞】 《口語》 (問題解決の)きっかけ，手がかり.
用例
So far there're no firm leads as to who the hit‐and‐run driver is. 今のところひき逃げ犯人を割り出す確かな手がかりがつかめていない.
5[the lead] 【演劇】 立て役，主役; 主役俳優，立て役者.
用例
play the lead 主役を演じる, 主演する.
6【可算名詞】 (新聞記事などの)書き出し，冒頭.
7【可算名詞】 (犬などの)引きひも.
用例
have [keep] a dog on a lead 犬をひもにつないでおく.
8[単数形で; 通例 the lead] 【トランプ】 打ち出し(の権利); 打ち出し番の人.
9【可算名詞】 【電気】 導線; (アンテナの)引き込み線.

名詞としての「lead」のイディオムやフレーズ
tàke the léad
【形容詞】【限定用法の形容詞】
1先導する，先を行く.
用例
the lead car 先導車.
2(新聞・ラジオ・テレビの)主要記事の，トップニュースの.
用例
a lead editorial 社説, 論説.
［古期英語から］
lead２
音節lead２ 発音記号/léd/音声を聞く
【名詞】
1【不可算名詞】 【化学】 鉛 《金属元素; 記号 Pb》.
用例
⇒red lead, white lead.
2a【可算名詞】 (船から水深を測るために用いる)測鉛.
用例
cast [heave] the lead 水深を測る.
b[複数形で] 《主に英国で用いられる》 屋根ふき用鉛板; トタン屋根.
c[複数形で] (窓ガラスの)鉛枠 《ステンドグラスの窓に用いる》.
3【不可算名詞】 [集合的に] (鉛の)弾丸.
4【不可算名詞】 [種類には 【可算名詞】] 鉛筆の芯(しん).
用例
a soft [hard] lead 柔らかい[硬い]鉛筆の芯.
5【可算名詞】 【印刷】 差し鉛，インテル 《行間をうめる鉛片》.

名詞としての「lead」のイディオムやフレーズ
gét the léad óut swíng the léad
【形容詞】【限定用法の形容詞】
鉛(製)の.
用例
a lead pipe 鉛管.
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1a〈…を〉鉛でおおう[ふく].
b〈…に〉鉛を詰める.
2〈…に〉鉛化合物を入れる.
3【印刷】〈…に〉インテルを入れる.

downplay
【動詞】
1
重要性や質を過小に言う
(understate the importance or quality of)

2
それほど重要でない、または重大でないと主張する
(represent as less significant or important)

pollution
音節pol・lu・tion 発音記号/pəlúːʃən/音声を聞く
【名詞】【不可算名詞】
1a汚染(すること，している状態); (汚染による)公害.
用例
environmental pollution 環境汚染.
b汚染するもの[ごみ].
2(精神的)堕落.
［POLLUTE+‐ION］

dose
音節dose 発音記号/dóʊs｜dˈəʊs/音声を聞く
【名詞】【可算名詞】
1〔薬の〕一服; (特に)〔水薬の〕服用量(の 1 回分) 〔of〕.
用例
in large doses 大量に.
2〔刑罰・苦役などの〕 1 回分，少量 〔of〕.
用例
give a person a dose of labor 人にひと仕事をさせる.
3《俗語》 淋病.

可算名詞としての「dose」のイディオムやフレーズ
lìke a dóse of sálts
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1a〈人に〉投薬する.
b〔+目+with+(代)名〕〈人に〉〔薬を〕服用させる.
用例
The doctor dosed the girl with antibiotics. 医者は少女に抗生物質を服用させた.
c《主に米国で用いられる》 〔+目(+out)〕〈薬を〉盛る，分ける.
用例
He doses out aspirin for every complaint. 彼は(やぶ医者なので)どの病気にもアスピリンを与える.
2〔+目+with+(代)名〕〈ワインなどに〉〔風味・補強などの成分を〕添加する.
［ギリシャ語「与える」の意］

detain
音節de・tain 発音記号/dɪtéɪn/音声を聞く
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1〈人を〉引き止める，待たせておく.
用例
I won't detain you (long). お手間はかけません.
2【法律, 法学】〈人を〉留置[拘留，監禁]する.
用例
The police detained the suspect for further questioning. 警察はさらに尋問するために容疑者を拘留した.
［ラテン語「押さえつけておく」の意 (DE‐+tenēre 「つかむ，保つ」); 【名詞】 detention］

harass
音節ha・rass 発音記号/hərˈæs, hˈærəs｜hˈærəs, hərˈæs/音声を聞く
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1〈人を〉(しつこく)悩ます，困らせる，うるさがらせる，苦しめる 《★しばしば受身で用い，「〈人が〉〔…に〕悩む，困る，うるさがる，苦しむ」の意になる; 前置詞は by，with; ⇒harassed 1》.
用例
He was harassed by [with] crank phone calls. 彼はいたずら電話に悩まされた.
2(間断なく攻撃して)〈…を〉悩ます.
用例
Our advance was harassed by the enemy. わが軍の前進は相次ぐ敵の攻撃ではばまれた.
［(古期)フランス語; 犬をけしかける時の叫び声から; 【名詞】 harassment］

tackle
音節tack・le 発音記号/tˈækl/音声を聞く
【名詞】
1【可算名詞】
a【アメフト・ラグビー】 タックル 《ボールを持つ敵に組みついて前進を妨げること》.
b【アメフト】 タックル 《攻撃線にいる 2 選手中の一人》.
2[海語では /téɪkl/] 【可算名詞】 [集合的には 【不可算名詞】] 船の索具; (特に動索の通っている)滑車装置，テークル.
用例
a single [compound] tackle 単[複]滑車.
3【不可算名詞】 道具，用具，装置.
用例
fishing tackle 釣り具.

名詞としての「tackle」のイディオムやフレーズ
blóck and táckle
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1【アメフト・ラグビー】〈相手に〉タックルする.
2a〈仕事・問題などと〉取り組む.
用例
tackle an urgent problem 緊急の問題に取り組む.
b〔+目+前+(代)名〕〈人と〉〔…について〕議論をたたかわす 〔on，about〕.
用例
I tackled him on the question of the future of the Cabinet. 内閣の将来に関する問題について彼と大いに論じ合った.
3〈人を〉つかむ，〈…に〉組みつく.
用例
He tackled the thief fearlessly. 彼は勇敢に泥棒に組みついた.
【自動詞】
【アメフト・ラグビー】 タックルする.

rein
音節rein 発音記号/réɪn/音声を聞く
【名詞】【可算名詞】
1a[しばしば複数形で] (通例革製の，馬につける)手綱(たづな) (⇒harness さし絵).
用例
pull [draw in] the reins 手綱を引く[引いて馬を止める].
b[複数形で] (幼児などにつけて一端を親が持つ)安全ひも，手引きひも.
用例
⇒leading reins.
2[複数形で] 統御，制御，抑制.
用例
impose reins on… … を制御[抑制]する.

可算名詞としての「rein」のイディオムやフレーズ
dráw réin gìve frée réin to…
kèep a tíght réin on…
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1〔+目 (+副(句))〕〈馬を〉(…に)手綱であやつる，御する.
2〈感情などを〉抑える，抑制する.

他動詞としての「rein」のイディオムやフレーズ
réin báck [《主に米国で用いられる》 úp] réin ín
［ラテン語「抑えるもの」の意］

garlic
音節gar・lic 発音記号/gάɚlɪk｜gάː‐/音声を聞く
【名詞】【不可算名詞】
1【植物, 植物学】 ニンニク.
2にんにく.
用例
a clove of garlic にんにくひとつ[の 1 片].
［古期英語から (gar 「槍(やり)」+lēac 'leek'); 葉が槍(やり)に似ていることから; 【形容詞】 garlicky］

File syncing made easy with Iomega cloud

Every big consumer IT company - like Apple with its iCloud, Microsoft with SkyDrive, and Amazon with Cloud Drive - is moving into some kind of cloud-based storage sharing solution in the marketplace.

Don't even mention the dozens of smaller companies in this space like trailblazer Dropbox, Tonido and Pogoplug out there.

Now even consumer product manufacturers are moving in on the act to enable "cloud sharing" on their devices.

At a media launch in Singapore today, storage vendor Iomega trotted out their new range of Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices that allow people to share data with others on their new personal cloud.

Basically it allows other machines to download, upload and even sync data with the NAS devices - after having been given permission by the owner of course - via authenticating through an Iomega server. It's backed by an AES 128-bit key encryption, so it defeats man-in-the-middle hijacks.

Currently the devices work on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, with support for iOS included. According to the Iomega folks, support for Android is on the way.

Actually, I like the home media network hard drive cloud editions Iomega were showing off today. The 1TB and 2TB versions are being sold at US$189.99 (S$209) and $S299.99 (S$283), which has fairly decent specs, device support and software bundled in for such a price point.

These products were just available in Singapore during the recent PC Show 2011 at Suntec City last weekend.

File sharing made easy

Adding in easy file sharing and syncing capabilities was a smart move on Iomega's part, and I suspect it might become a huge hit with casual users.

I know several savvy geek friends who already run file servers that friends can FTP into, but the pitch for Iomega's personal cloud is that it is easier to use. Invite a friend via an email address, authenticate through a web interface to Iomega servers, which will then create a secure tunnel for file sharing.

It's not anywhere new though, and just drawing from a local example I've seen slivers of this technology on our homegrown Singapore iTwin product almost two years back, about a year-and-a-half before Iomega announced this in January this year at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.

Sure iTwin is point-to-point, auto-discovery of dongle, and even more brain-dead simple to use as its just plug-and-play, but it's essentially a similar secure remote access file sharing technology.

I think Iomega's NAS drives with their "cloud" capability is a far stronger proposition though. Storage is a product that businesses and people consume more and more, given that we live in a world of increasing data explosion.

Will people buy iTwin just for remote file sharing, however simple? Not sure about that.

Just how many more flavours of cloud do we have?

And finally a rant that's entirely off topic.

As a cranky curmudgeon, I've already written reams about the bastardization of the term "cloud" just because it is the in-word.

Essential to the cloud definition, at least in the past, was that the application or data is hosted off-premises. Does turning your PC into a miniaturized data centre for friends justify coining yet another version of the cloud word?

Apparently yes.

You know, not too long ago, we had a term for this definition of "personal cloud": It's called remote access and file sharing.

Samsung Poised to Edge Nokia in Smartphone War

Samsung Electronics is expected to become the world's largest producer of smartphones in the second quarter of this year, Reuters reported on Monday, citing market research firm Nomura.

This means that Nokia, which has been leading the global market for cell phones since 1996, is likely to relinquish top spot to Samsung in this category.

Nomura also predicted that Nokia's smartphone sales will be overtaken by Apple in the third quarter, relegating the Finnish phone maker to third place in the global rankings.

Nokia's sales are expected to rank alongside those of Taiwan-based HTC next year.

SingTel launches HTC ChaCha

SingTel has introduced the HTC ChaCha, a social networking smartphone. The handset, which is powered by Android Gingerbread 2.3.3, features a dedicated Facebook button for one-touch access to the key functions of Facebook. Furthermore, Facebook messages and conversations are integrated within the phone and appear within text messages and e-mail inboxes alongside regular conversations. When a phone call is made or received, the screen displays friends' latest statuses and photos. The ChaCha comes with a Qwerty keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, and a VGA front-facing camera. The device also features a 2.6-inch, 480 x 320 resolution landscape touchscreen and comes pre-loaded with SingTel's AMPed music service, MobileTV video streaming service as well as MySingTel app which allows customers to view their SingTel bills, manage their mobile services, check data usage and subscribe to overseas data roaming on the go. The HTC ChaCha is available exclusively from SingTel for SGD 0 with 3G Flexi AMPed plans and selected iPlans.

China shares drop after bank reserve hike

China's main stock index opened down 0.5 per cent today after the central bank surprised the market with a rise in banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) after the market closed yesterday.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index opened at 2717.7 points after it closed up 1.1 per cent on Tuesday following data showing annual consumer inflation at 5.5 per cent in May, a 30-month high but within market expectations.

China's main property index dropped 0.6 per cent after S&P revised the outlook for China's property developers to negative.

In a move to help fight high inflation, the People's Bank of China announced a 50 basis-point RRR increase to take effect next Monday, its sixth such move this year, forcing big banks to put aside a record high 21.5 per cent of their deposits as required reserves.

3D wave set to sweep broadcasting, media trade show in Singapore

The wave of three-dimensional ( 3D) devices are expected to sweep the upcoming BroadcastAsia in Singapore, with over 650 companies showing the latest products such as 3D and Hybrid TV as well as digital devices and professional audio technologies, organizers said Tuesday.

About 86 percent of the exhibitors at the show, slated for June 21 to June 23, will be from outside Singapore. There will be a strong European presence this year with the group pavilions from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain.

It will also highlight a new cinematography/film/production zone to bring together production companies.

"I think with Asian films evolving and moving at a very astounding speed and also most of the films right now in Asia, you can see they are highly recognized more viewership. So we felt there is a need for us to continue to put equal or important emphasis on cinematography, film and production," said Calvin Koh, senior project manager of BroadcastAsia.

A growth of 5 to 7 percent in the number of visitors is expected for the show this year.

The BroadcastAsia 2011 International Conference will feature over 80 high-level, international speakers.

"I think 3D is still on a wave and will continue. In fact, we got two new cameras at BroadcastAsia -- one is compact size, another is a shoulder camcorder for 3D use. So yeah, we see demand and sales growing in that area," said Chris Grey, head of Content Creation Solutions at Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.

Sony Corporation will unveil a few new products at the event, including the BVM series OLED monitors, as well as the first fully integrated 3D compact camcorder HXR-NX3D1P.