Translation, ideology, and creativity

Early translation studies scholars explored the relationship between translation and literary creation, showing that translation serves innovative purposes in literary systems that are in crisis, or that are weak or relatively young. Translation also acts as an ‘alibi ’for the introduction of difference. These early explorations leave out the role of ideology in the creative aspects of translation, a role articulated in both discourse theory and postcolonial theory. As a form of linguistic interface, translation introduces discourse shifts, destabilizes received meanings, creates altern ate views of reality, establishes new representations, and makes possible new identities. All these changes can produce creative results in a literary system and a culture. These creative dimensions of translation are particularly apparent in post-colonial contexts, illustrated here by the nexus of language interface, translation, and literary creativity in Ireland from the end of the nineteenth century to the present.

hnRNPA1 regulates early translation to replication switch in SARS-CoV-2 life cycle

ABSTRACTOur study suggests that methylation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA is essential for its optimal replication in the target cells. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNPA1, an RNA-binding protein) was shown to mediate deposition of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in internal SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The levels of hNRNPA1 expression and extent of methylation varied, depending on the course of SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. The recruitment of eIF4E (translational initiation factor) facilitated viral RNA translation at 1 hour post infection (1 hpi). However, at 2 hpi, methylation of internal SARS-CoV-2 RNA recruited hNRNPA1 which facilitated viral RNA transcription but resulted in translational repression, a phenomenon contributing in understanding the early translation to replication switch in the viral life cycle. Besides, the abrogation of methylation also produced a defective 5’ cap of viral RNA which failed to interact with eIF4E, thereby resulting in a decreased synthesis of viral proteins. To conclude, methylation of the internal and 5’ cap of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was shown to regulate transcription and translation of SARS-CoV-2 in a time dependent manner.IMPORTANCERNA modifications are found in all life forms and have been linked to development, health and diseases. Our study reveals that internal SARS-CoV-2 RNA methylation (m6A) is essential for interaction with hNRNPA1 to effectively synthesize viral genome. Besides, m6A-marked RNA and hRNPA1 interaction was also shown to regulate early translation to replication switch in SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Blocking SARS-CoV-2 RNA methylation resulted in reduced virus yield, suggesting epitranscriptomic machinery (methylation) facilitates SARS-CoV-2 replication and might represent potential target for new antiviral drugs against COVID-19.

Xuan Zang’s Five Transliterations Revisited: A Corpus Linguistic Study of Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra

This paper examines the early translation theory of the Five Transliterations, which has been considered to be proposed by Xuan Zang back to 1300 years before, through corpus linguistic methods. The statistics based on our Sanskrit-Chinese Parallel corpus of Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra reveals that there exists very weak linguistic evidence that Xuan Zang proposed such a translation theory. The tension between historically recorded translation theories and practice is also discussed based on our findings. It is recommended that a corpus linguistic study may play a significant role in analyzing historical translation documents.

Chemical Photographic Treatment of Radiographic Films

The article discusses the features of automatic treatment of radiographic films, technological and psychological problems in the transition from manual processing to the use of machines for photographic processing. The chemical features of the development process in photomachines are discussed, typical errors and methods of their elimination are listed, the idea is expressed that it is necessary to control all components of the photomachine processing process. It was concluded that the main problems arising from machining are associated with a human factor: the photomachine exhibits films qualitatively and stably only with a corresponding production culture. The need for the early translation of ISO 11699-2 and the creation of its Russian counterpart was emphasized.

Seven amino acid types suffice to reconstruct the core fold of RNA polymerase

The extant complex proteins must have evolved from ancient short and simple ancestors. Nevertheless, how such prototype proteins emerged on the primitive earth remains enigmatic. The double-psi beta-barrel (DPBB) is one of the oldest protein folds and conserved in various fundamental enzymes, such as the core domain of RNA polymerase. Here, by reverse engineering a modern DPBB domain, we reconstructed its evolutionary pathway started by “interlacing homo- dimerization” of a half-size peptide, followed by gene duplication and fusion. Furthermore, by simplifying the amino acid repertoire of the peptide, we successfully created the DPBB fold with only seven amino acid types (Ala, Asp, Glu, Gly, Lys, Arg, and Val), which can be coded by only GNN and ARR (R = A or G) codons in the modern translation system. Thus, the DPBB fold could have been materialized by the early translation system and genetic code.

Modern Chinese Fiction (1919–1949) in Russia: Early Translation, Publication and Research

The article provides an overview of early Russian translations and publication of modern Chinese fiction (1919-1949). The approaches to the early study of the works of prominent representatives of modern Chinese literature are examined and the reasons why Soviet society is interested in their heritage are identified. Since the 1920s, well-known works of renowned Chinese writers have been frequently translated into Russian mainly by young sinologists. Most of them had been to China and had developed a direct understanding of the development of modern Chinese literature, translating primarily from Chinese and using English translations for various reasons occasionally. The Chinese and Soviet cultural activists also played an important role in the spread of modern Chinese prose in the USSR. At the same time, a serious study of modern Chinese prose began, and until the end of the 1940s was actually at the initial stage, being mainly of a socio-political nature as the study was determined by the state of the ideological atmosphere in Soviet society. Early researchers paid the most attention to the works of Lu Xun, referring to his ideological outlook and artistic merits. Overall, the early translation and study of modern Chinese fiction revealed to the Soviet reader the ideological and social aspects of the works of modern novelists belonging to the left flank of Chinese literature, and laid the foundation for more extensive and in-depth research of modern Chinese literature during the next phase.

Structure of the mature kinetoplastids mitoribosome and insights into its large subunit biogenesis

Kinetoplastids are unicellular eukaryotic parasites responsible for such human pathologies as Chagas disease, sleeping sickness, and leishmaniasis. They have a single large mitochondrion, essential for the parasite survival. In kinetoplastid mitochondria, most of the molecular machineries and gene expression processes have significantly diverged and specialized, with an extreme example being their mitochondrial ribosomes. These large complexes are in charge of translating the few essential mRNAs encoded by mitochondrial genomes. Structural studies performed inTrypanosoma bruceialready highlighted the numerous peculiarities of these mitoribosomes and the maturation of their small subunit. However, several important aspects mainly related to the large subunit (LSU) remain elusive, such as the structure and maturation of its ribosomal RNA. Here we present a cryo-electron microscopy study of the protozoansLeishmania tarentolaeandTrypanosoma cruzimitoribosomes. For both species, we obtained the structure of their mature mitoribosomes, complete rRNA of the LSU, as well as previously unidentified ribosomal proteins. In addition, we introduce the structure of an LSU assembly intermediate in the presence of 16 identified maturation factors. These maturation factors act on both the intersubunit and the solvent sides of the LSU, where they refold and chemically modify the rRNA and prevent early translation before full maturation of the LSU.

Lightning for Energy and Material Uses: A Structured Review

The average atmospheric charge density of Earth is neutral. Charge built up from thunderstorms and lightning phenomena is offset by oceanic surface charging, and offers a source of energy that has not been harnessed broadly. Unfortunately, the total terrestrial energy of the Earth’s atmospheric electrical system is modest (250–500 MW) compared to industrial requirements: Innovations are likely to offer improvements to societal efficiency rather than broad transformations. Direct capture systems located in places with very high occurrence of lightning discharge can generate ≈1 kWh per year on average. Material processing via triggered lightning is limited to techniques that utilize rapid discharges, e.g., metal and glass preprocessing of materials, waste volume reduction, biomass energy conversion, where current prices make plasma‐arc processes prohibitive. Triggered lightning may be used to assist blasting of mountain rock; or as a high‐voltage input for processes such as nuclear fusion. Passive collection of atmospheric electricity is modest but may be used in urban agriculture to increase biomass production. Thunderstorm charge‐separation processes suggest a new class of electricity generators based on kinetic energy and material collision. Ball lightning suggests additional research in dusty plasmas. These methods are all at proof‐of‐concept or early translation stages.