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A systematic literature review of intersemiotic translation and meaning
Get PDF—The essence of translation activities lies in the transformation of meaning. How to better convey meaning has always been a central topic in translation studies. However, this exploration has traditionally focused on the meaning of linguistic signs. With the introduction and increasing application of intersemiotic translation, the expression of meaning at the non-verbal signs level has also gained importance. This systematic literature review aims to discuss studies related to intersemiotic translation and meaning to gain a more holistic understanding of the research perspectives, theoretical approaches, and research findings. Using the PRISMA framework, this study analyzed 27 included publications from the Scopus and CNKI databases. The findings reveal that what takes up more are the researches on meaning of intersemiotic translation of literary texts from verbal signs to non-verbal signs. The generation of meaning explained through semiotics and theories from other disciplines is feasible, while many studies lack sufficient theoretical grounding. Intersemiotic translation can positively facilitate the generation and transformation of meaning but also carries a certain risk of distorting the original intent
Porous carbon foams supported rGO-ppy//rGO for asymmteric supercapacitor device
Get PDFPorous carbon foams (PCF) doped with binary composite of rGO-ppy was prepared using a simple dip coating method with the use of a linker and used as compressible electrodes for the asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC). Porous carbon foams were fabricated from melamine foam by carbonization in a furnace at a temperature of 300 °C and the binary composite was synthesized using hydrothermal method. The electrode materials were characterized using XRD, XPS, FTIR, BET/BJH, Raman and FESEM to confirm it's structural, functional group, surface area, thermal stability and morphological characteristics. The stress–strain tests of the samples were conducted on an electronic universal testing machine and the porous carbon foams can withstand the stresses of 14.5, 17.9 and 30.0 KPa at 40 %, 60 % and 80 % strains respectively. The mechanical properties were further examined by repeating the compression release process for 200cycles at a maintained strain of 80 %. The fabricated PCF-rGO-ppy//rGO supercapacitor device exhibited high deformation tolerance, outstanding electrochemical behaviour and enhanced cycling stability due to the flexible and compressible skeleton of the PCF and high electrical conductivity of rGO and ppy. Finally, an ASC was fabricated using PCF-rGO-ppy as cathode and rGO as the anode which showed a specific capacitance of 328.91F/g at 0.5A/g, energy density of 29.234Wh/kg and power density of 4000 W/kg. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies showed that rGO and the porous carbon can effectively improve the charge-transfer rate from the low charge-transfer resistance (Rct) value. The fabricated electrode also showed an exceptional cycling stability of 98.89 % after 10,000 galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) cycles
Preparation of bio-polyol via bamboo wastes liquefaction and the effects of bleaching by Hydrogen Peroxide treatment
Get PDFIn this study, polyols have been prepared via liquefaction of wastes of four types of bamboo, namely, Dendrocalamus asper (Betong), Gigantochloa levis (Beting), Bambusa vulgaris (Minyak), and G. scortechinii (Semantan). The effects of reaction temperatures and times on the yield percentage, hydroxyl number and viscosity were investigated. The study revealed that under a temperature of 150 °C and a duration of 60 min, the most optimum results were achieved, including a yield of 94.59%, a hydroxyl number of 342.83 mg KOH/g, and a viscosity of 231.60 cP. The study also suggests that a mixture of bamboo wastes can be used for the liquefication process to obtain a comparable result with bamboo waste of single species, which is more practical for the industries to adopt. The polyols produced were dark brown in colour and they were undergone bleaching process using hydrogen peroxide with potassium carbonate serving as the activator. The colour of the liquefied bamboo polyol was successfully changed to a light yellowish tone by adding 60% hydrogen peroxide and stirring for a period of 12 h. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) results showed that bleached and unbleached bamboo polyols only showed slight distinctions indicates that the chemical composition and structure of the untreated liquefied bamboo did not undergo significant changes as a result of the bleaching process
Spatial Cluster Analysis and Key Influencing Factors of African Swine Fever in China (2018-2021)
No full textImportance: African swine fever (ASF) is a significant transboundary disease with profound global economic impacts. ASF, caused by the Asfarviridae virus, is highly resilient and has caused substantial economic losses in affected regions, with no available vaccination or treatment. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the spatial clusters and potential factors contributing to the ASF epidemic in China from August 2018 to April 2021. Objective: The study aimed to trace ASF transmission, map the spatial distribution and spread dynamics, and model the spread to evaluate the potential control strategies. Methods: Standardized deviational ellipse analysis was used to identify the directionality and distribution of ASF outbreaks. Ordinary least squares regression and geographically weighted regression were applied to account for spatial heterogeneity and explore the localized relationships within the data set. Results: The ASF transmission in China was delineated across three phases, characterized by an initial rapid spread, a subsequent westward expansion, and a final plateau phase with a southwestward trend. The key factors influencing ASF transmission included the pig population density, wind speeds, altitude, and the presence of high-risk roads, with seasonality also playing a significant role in the disease incidence. Conclusions and Relevance: This research highlights the significant impact of small-scale farming practices and the live pig transportation network on ASF spread. In addition, it identifies key epidemiological factors, including the pig density and seasonal variations, which are crucial for developing effective disease control strategies
Analysis of phased array corrosion mapping data using Probabilistic Detection (POD) method
Get PDFPhased Array Corrosion Mapping (PACM) has emerged as a powerful tool for detecting localized corrosion in industrial settings, particularly in the petrochemical industry. However, its application has been limited to plant operating temperatures within the recommended range for on-stream ultrasonic testing. This study addresses this gap by conducting a comprehensive Probability of Detection (POD) analysis using the MH1823 POD software, following the guidelines of MIL-HDBK-1823A (Department of Defense Handbook, 2009). The binary hit/miss method was employed to evaluate the accuracy of PACM on carbon steel (CS) and stainless steel (SS 304 and SS 316) surfaces at elevated temperatures up to 250 °C. Experimental results demonstrated successful detection of all flat-bottom-hole (FBH) indications, with deviations categorized as “miss” when exceeding 10% of the designed dimension. The POD curves revealed robust detection capabilities across various temperatures, with distinct clusters exhibiting different a50, a90, and a90/95 values. These findings underscore the reliability and efficacy of PACM in high-temperature applications, offering a significant advancement in non-destructive testing (NDT) for the petrochemical industry. The study highlights the potential of PACM to enhance turnaround maintenance (TAM) by enabling accurate on-stream inspections, thereby reducing downtime and increasing operational efficiency. Future research should explore the “â versus a” method to further enhance the accuracy and understanding of PACM in NDT applications
Effects of heat stress on growth metrics, carcass characteristics, telomere length, and gene expression in chickens
Get PDFThis study investigated the impact of heat stress (HS) on growth performance, carcass traits, telomere length (TL), and gene expression profiles in three chicken breeds with varying growth rates: slow-growing (SAGA), medium-growing (Sasso), and fast-growing (Cobb 500). Three hundred 14-day-old male chicks were exposed to either control (25°C) or HS (34°C for 6 hours/day) conditions for four weeks in a controlled environment. Weekly growth metrics, TL at two and four weeks, Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) expression in muscle and liver at two and four weeks of HS exposure, and carcass/organ yields at four weeks were analyzed. Cobb 500 chickens exhibited significant growth reductions under HS, while SAGA showed resilience. Notably, SAGA chickens exhibited a significant increase in intestinal organ mass under HS, which may indicate an adaptive response to thermal stress. HS exposure significantly shortened TL across all breeds, suggesting its utility as a universal biomarker for HS in chickens. All breeds upregulated HSP70 expression, with the Cobb 500 showing the most prominent increase. Similarly, IGF-1 was expressed (upregulated), particularly in 500 broilers at both time-points, highlighting breed-specific differences in growth performance. These results demonstrate breed-specific physiological adaptations to HS. TL and stress-related gene expression are crucial indicators of heat susceptibility and adaptation. The study provides insights into developing breed-specific management and breeding strategies to enhance poultry resilience to increasing global temperatures
Contraceptive knowledge and attitude of Sabah married women
No full textBackground: An unplanned pregnancy was identified as a major public health concern worldwide in developed and developing countries. Since nurses are frontline healthcare providers of reproductive health counselling in Malaysia, the present study evaluated the level of knowledge and attitude toward contraception among married women in Sabah, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 254 women who resided in the Interior and West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Knowledge and attitude on the contraceptive questionnaire were administered to participants via convenience sampling. The instruments had high level of reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.73 for both knowledge and attitude. Results: The participants' mean age was 35.20 7.189 years. Most respondents (n=92, 36.2%) had poor knowledge of contraceptives, while (n=162, 63.8%) showed a satisfactory attitude towards contraception. Age group, residential address, monthly income, and number of children were significantly associated with women's knowledge level (p>0.05). Meanwhile, the monthly income and number of children were significantly associated with attitude level of women residing in Sabah (p<0.05). Conclusion: A worryingly high percentage of women in Sabah demonstrated poor knowledge, despite showing a satisfactory attitude. This crucial information can guide targeted interventions to improve contraceptive awareness and uptake. Community health nurse and nurse-midwives can leverage these findings to design targeted, culturally sensitive education and counselling interventions, particularly for lower-income, multiparous, and rural women, to improve contraceptive literacy and uptake
Elucidating the virulence roles of secreted aspartyl proteinase (Sap 1972) in non-albicans Meyerozyma guilliermondii through construction of a structure-guided mutant
No full textMeyerozyma guilliermondii (Candida guilliermondii) is one of the non-albicans Candida species associated with invasive candidiasis. M. guilliermondii strain SO that was isolated from spoiled orange could express industrially important enzymes without hazardous methanol as inducer. Our prior studies confirmed the presence, expression, and activity of virulence-associated secreted aspartyl proteinases (MgSap). Given the time-consuming process to delete all MgSAP members from the fungal genome, this study aimed to elucidate the virulence roles of MgSap by constructing a structure-guided mutant. As the most conserved MgSap with pathogenic Candida Sap, MgSap1972 was predicted to possess the largest druggable active cleft (1122.652 Å2) despite the undruggable cleft in MgSap4979 (1323.165 Å2). Employing the homologous recombination strategy, we successfully deleted MgSAP1972 from the fungal genome. The resulting mutant (MgSOΔSAP1972) showed slightly heightened susceptibility to LiCl and exhibited a 38.8 % reduction in biofilm mass than the wild type. With the normal heartbeat and slightly higher hatching rates, a 16.7 % decrease in the mortality rate of zebrafish embryos at 96 h post-exposure was observed, where several sub-lethal endpoints such as kyphosis and short tail were absent in embryos infected with MgSOΔSAP1972. These findings underscore the virulence roles of MgSap1972 in the fungal pathogenicity of M. guilliermondii strain SO. Our study showcases an efficient in silico-in vitro-in vivo pipeline for identifying and targeting fungal virulence factors, facilitating hypothesis construction prior to validation through mutant generation. This investigation offers significant understanding of potential targets for therapy, establishing a foundation for future efforts to combat C. guilliermondii infection
Proteomic analysis reveals phage-driven metabolic shifts and biofilm disruption in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
No full textMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms pose a severe risk to public health, showing resistance to standard antibiotics, which drives the need for novel antibacterial strategies. Bacteriophages have emerged as potential agents against biofilms, especially through their phage-encoded enzymes that disrupt the biofilm matrix, enhancing bacterial susceptibility. In this study, two bacteriophages, UPMK_1 and UPMK_2, were propagated on MRSA strains t127/4 and t223/20, respectively. Biofilms formed by these strains were treated with phages at specified concentrations, followed by protein extraction and analysis. Comparative proteomic profiling was performed using one-dimensional and two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, with protein identification facilitated by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS spectrometry, to observe biofilm degradation effects. Proteomic analysis revealed that phage treatment induced significant changes in biofilm protein expression, particularly with upregulated ribosome-recycling factors and elongation factors linked to enhanced protein synthesis, reflecting a reactivation of amino acid metabolism in the treated biofilms. This was marked by upregulated intracellular proteases like CIpL, which play a role in protein refolding and degradation, critical for phage progeny production and biofilm disruption. Phage treatment demonstrated notable effects on the metabolic and protein synthesis pathways within MRSA biofilms, suggesting that phages can redirect bacterial cellular processes to favour biofilm breakdown. This indicates the potential of bacteriophages as a viable adjunct to traditional antimicrobial approaches, particularly in combating antibiotic-resistant infections like MRSA. The study underscores the efficacy of bacteriophages as anti-biofilm agents, offering a promising strategy to weaken biofilms and combat antibiotic resistance through targeted disruption of bacterial metabolic pathways and biofilm integrity