The vision of a completely blind man has been partially restored using light - sensing proteins first found in algae (藻). He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa 40 years ago. When he was treated with optogenetics (光遗传学), which uses light to control precisely the activity of brain cells, the ability of one of his eyes to detect light was restored.

The first step in the treatment was gene therapy (治疗). The genetic instructions for making the light - sensing proteins were taken from algae and given to cells in the deep surviving layers of the retina at the back of his eye. Now when they were hit with light they would send an electrical signal to the brain. However, they would respond only to amber light, so the patient wore a pair of goggles (protective glasses) with a video camera on the front and a projector on the back, to capture what was happening in the real world and project a version in the right wavelength onto the back of the eye. It took months for high enough levels of the rhodopsins to build up in the eye and for the brain essentially to learn a new language to be able to see again.

The man first knew it was working when he realized he could see the painted stripes of a crossing. He can now grab and count objects on a table, Nature Medicine reports. Dr Jose - Alain Sahel, from the Institute of Vision, in Paris, said: "This patient initially was a bit frustrated because it took a long time between the injection and the time he started to see something. But when he started to report he was able to see the white lines to come across the street you can imagine he was very excited. We were all excited.”

Prof Botond Roska, from the University of Basel, said: “The findings provide proof - of - concept that using optogenetic therapy to partially restore vision is possible.”

Keep Sight of Dry Eye

Do your eyes feel uncomfortable or dry? If so, you might have dry eye syndrome (综合征). 【小题1】 It can affect the enjoyment of social activities and your ability to focus on your studies. But solutions for dry eyes do exist, so read on.

In the past, dry eye syndrome was mainly a condition experienced by older adults, but it now affects many young people as well. Dry eye often results from overuse of computers or smartphones, which causes the user to blink (眨眼) less. Since blinking helps keep our eyes wet, a lack (缺少) of it can lead to dry eye. 【小题2】 As a result, those who spend a lot of time indoors are particularly at risk. Finally, wearing a medical mask can cause dry eye, since breathing with a mask on can force air out through the top of the mask and into our eyes.

【小题3】 The first step toward prevention is cleanliness. When you wash your face, clean your eyes with a mild soap. Then, cover your eyes with a warm, wet cloth. Preventing dry eye also means avoiding tiredness in the eyes, so take frequent breaks when using your computer. While you’re on a computer break, focus on blinking, making sure that you close your eyes fully on each blink. 【小题4】 Another way to prevent dry eye is to drink more water. For good overall health, experts advise drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water per day, which will increase tear production.

If you suffer from dry eye syndrome, these steps can go a long way toward making your eyes feel better. However, if the problem doesn’t go away, then it’s time to see a doctor. 【小题5】

Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men's hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.

The largest study of the effects of ageing on the heart has found that women's longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.

"We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20--25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,”said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.

"Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70，one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,”said Goldspink. "This is part of the ageing process."

What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman's heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one's.

"This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,”said Goldspink.

They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80，focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease.

The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart, said Goldspink.

The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.