近代我国畜牧科技事业发展回顾与思考

1840年以来，尽管西方资本主义列强对我国进行长期搔扰以及国内战争频伐，我国畜牧科技现代化发展遭遇极大困难；但在全国广大人民的共同努力和畜牧科技工作者的辛勤工作下，通过克服重重困难，不仅建立了许多畜牧科技机构，还开展大量具有远见卓识的畜禽饲养和繁殖研究以及牧草引种栽培试验，为我国现代畜牧科技的发展奠定了基础；同时为我国畜牧科技今后的发展构筑了框架，指明了方向。总结我国畜牧科技这段艰难发展历程，看今天我国畜牧科技现代化发展道路，无疑将给我们许多重要启迪与借鉴。     

中国近代科学技术落后的原因与未来科学技术发展展望

中国是古代世界科学活动中心，然而，近现代世界科学活动的中心转移到了西方国家，中国近代科学技术落后了，笔者认为资本主义生产对科技的需求促进了科技的发展，而在中国漫长的封建社会缺乏这种需求，这是中国近代科技落后的外因；中国古代科技体系结构不合理，科技长期处于经验层次，重视实用技术，轻视理论的提升，这是中国近代科技落后的内国，展望未来，世界科学活动中心否再次转移到中国。     

Theophrastus on Lyngurium: Medieval and Early Modern Lore from the Classical Lapidary Tradition

The ancient philosopher Theophrastus (c. 371-285 BC) described a gemstone called lyngurium, purported to be solidified lynx urine, in his work De lapidibus ('On Stones'). Knowledge of the stone passed from him to other classical authors and into the medieval lapidary tradition, but there it was almost always linked to the 'learned master Theophrastus'. Although no physical example of the stone appears to have been seen or touched in ancient, medieval, or early modern times, its physical and medicinal properties were continually reiterated and elaborated as if it did 'exist'. By the seventeenth century, it began to disappear from lapidaries, but with no attempt to explain previous authors' errors since it had never 'existed' anyway. In tracing the career of lyngurium, this study sheds some light on the transmission of knowledge from the classical world to the Renaissance and the changing criteria by which such knowledge was judged.     

Quantification, Mandated Science and Judgment

In his Trust in Numbers: The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life, Ted Porter asks how to account for the prestige and power of quantitative methods in the modern world. His answer involves two theses. One reverses a standard claim by asserting that quantification in basic sciences can often be driven by quantification in more applied areas such as government and business. The second thesis, which I call judgment replacement, asserts that quantification overcomes lack of trust in humans by replacing human judgment in scientific communities and public life. Some aspects of the latter thesis are insightful and convincing. However, as a general claim, the judgment replacement thesis says that quantification and objectivity imply shallowness, superficiality and lack of subtlety. I examine one of Porter's key examples and show that as a general proposition the judgment replacement thesis gives a warped account of governmental decisions that involve a great deal of scientific input, an activity that colleagues and I have called mandated science. I show that Porter obfuscates the very features of mandated science that need the most clarification. The quantitative mentality can be superficial but it can also be complex and profound, and quantification can actually increase human judgment. The virtues of quantitative methods help account for their prestige and power.     

近现代中国农业科学技术发展回顾与展望

本文回顾了近现代中国农业科学院技术发展的历程，阐述了中国农业科学技术发展取得的成就，总结了半个世纪以来中国农业科技进步的主要特征，对21世纪中国农业发展前景进行了分析展望，作者认为，坚持共产党的领导，走社会主义道路，中国才结束了积贫积弱的历史，才实现中国历史上最广泛最深刻的社会，才使中国人民掌握了自己的命运，中国基本解决温饱问题，支撑现代化建设两步走战略目标的提前实现，一个很重要的因素就是科学技术取得长足的进步，对农业、农村发展做出了重要贡献，21世纪，中国农业担负的任务要比改革开放20年来解决温饱进入小康更为繁重，这是中国现代化进程中最艰巨的历史性任务，科学技术的跨越发展将为21世纪中国实现农业现代化发挥决定性的作用。     

Early microbiota,antibiotics and health

The colonization of the neonatal digestive tract provides a microbial stimulus required for an adequate maturation towards the physiological homeostasis of the host. This colonization, which is affected by several factors, begins with facultative anaerobes and continues with anaerobic genera. Accumulating evidence underlines the key role of the early neonatal period for this microbiota-induced maturation, being a key determinant factor for later health. Therefore, understanding the factors that determine the establishment of the microbiota in the infant is of critical importance. Exposure to antibiotics, either prenatally or postnatally, is common in early life mainly due to the use of intrapartum prophylaxis or to the administration of antibiotics in C-section deliveries. However, we are still far from understanding the impact of early antibiotics and their long-term effects. Increased risk of non-communicable diseases, such as allergies or obesity, has been observed in individuals exposed to antibiotics during early infancy. Moreover, the impact of antibiotics on the establishment of the infant gut resistome, and on the role of the microbiota as a reservoir of resistance genes, should be evaluated in the context of the problems associated with the increasing number of antibiotic resistant pathogenic strains. In this article, we review and discuss the above-mentioned issues with the aim of encouraging debate on the actions needed for understanding the impact of early life antibiotics upon human microbiota and health and for developing strategies aimed at minimizing this impact.