Turn a Person’s Clothing into a Shield

In April，2017， bombs fell on a village in the Middle Eastern country of Syria. The explosions released toxic chemicals that killed or injured hundreds of people. On battlefields and in war-torn countries， protection against attacks by skin exposure to chemical weapons is a life-or-death need. And a new technology may help them. It would put such protection in a person's clothing.

Scientists recently showed how to coat fabric with a light layer of a certain chemical mix. This coating can absorb and neutralize chemical weapons in minutes. They described their new coating in Chemistry of Materials.

The coatings secret ingredient is a chemical known as a Metal-Organic Framework， or MOF. Such materials are composed of carbon-containing molecules attached to clusters of metal atoms. These materials have tiny holes， or pores， that can trap other chemicals. An MOF can interact with the trapped chemicals to break them down into harmless pieces. In the last few years， scientists have identified many different MOFs.

“This light material can absorb the nasty chemicals or harmful agents， and at the same time deactivate them，” explains Omar Farha. He is a chemist at Northwestern University in Evanston， Ill. Farha did not work on the fabric coating. But he knows all about it. His research focuses on materials that can hold chemicals and break them into less toxic substances. Those materials include MOFs. In the past， his lab identified MOFs that could be used to store and break down toxic chemicals on clothing.

2017年4月，多颗炸弹落在了中东国家叙利亚的一个村子里，爆炸释放的有毒化学物质导致数百人丧生或受伤。在战场上和饱受战争摧残的国家里，保护自己，不让自己的皮肤暴露于化学武器而受到伤害，是一种生死攸关的需要。一项新技术可能会对那里的人们有帮助，它把这种保护托付给人们的衣服。

最近一些科学家展示了如何在衣服涂覆一层很轻的某种化学混合物。这样的涂层能够在几分钟内将化学武器吸收并使之无效。他们在《材料化学》杂志上描述了他们的新型涂层。

这种涂层的秘密成分是一种被称作“金属有机骨架”的化学物质，简称MOF。该物质由附在金属原子簇上的含碳分子组成。这些材料有极小的空洞，即小孔，它们能够困住其他化学物质。有一种MOF会与被困住的化学物质发生相互作用从而将它们分解成无害的碎片。在过去几年，科学家已经识别了很多不同的MOF。

“这种轻型材料能够吸收危险的化学物质或者有害制剂，同时使它们失活。”奥马尔·法哈解释道。他是美国伊利诺伊州埃文斯通镇的西北大学的化学家。法哈没有从事该项衣服涂层的研究，但他知晓详情。他专注于研究能够攫住化學物质并将其分解成毒性较小物质的材料。这些材料包括各种MOF。他的实验室过去识别了多种能够用来储存和分解衣服上有毒化学物质的MOF。

（注意砖红色文字的译法）

Our smartphones are our constant companions. We hunch over their screens， gaze at their blue-tinted light， and sacrifice human companionship for digital company. Over time， all these habits can wreak havoc on our （A）h________ .

Luckily， you can avoid some of these negative （1）e___________  without entirely relinquishing your pocket computers company. Heres how to protect your health from your （B）s________.

As we gaze down at our phones for hours every day， were reversing the typical backward curve of the neck. Unfortunately， this unnatural （2）p________  could be causing an increasing number of neck and spine injuries. To avoid that， you should keep your phone at eye level when texting， （C）e________， or social networking. This habit lets you hold your head up and your shoulders back when youre trying to sit ergonomically at your （D）c________. In addition， while standing， you keep your arms close to your body. When youre sitting， lean forward—again with your phone at eye level—with your elbows supported on your knees.

Cutting down on prolonged smartphone sessions will also help improve your posture and prevent other potential （3）p_______ like eye strain. If you must use your phone for hours， break up the time with small stretches， such as rolling your neck.

The sun and your digital （4）d_________  both emit short-wavelength high-energy blue light. Recent （E）r_________ has identified a process through which too much blue light can significantly damage cells in the eye. So you should protect your eyes by reducing the time of using your phone.

One of the best （F）m________ to protect your health from your phone is to use the gadget less frequently. To help with this goal， both iOS and Android are introducing so-called “digital wellness” tools that help you limit your smartphone use. Perhaps you need to have these tools to help you.

（A， B， C， D， E， F FOR CROSS， 1， 2， 3， 4 FOR DOWN. The first letters of the absents were given.）

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