Cation Chain Length of Nonhalogenated Ionic Liquids Matters in Enhancing SERS of Cytochrome c on Zr-Al-Co-O Nanotube Arrays.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a remarkably powerful analytical technique enabling trace-level detection of biological molecules. The interaction of a probe molecule with the SERS substrate shows important distinctions in the SERS spectra, providing inherent fingerprint information on the probe molecule. Herein, nonhalogenated phosphonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) containing cations with varying chain lengths were used as trace additives to amplify the interaction between the cytochrome c (Cyt c) and Zr-Al-Co-O (ZACO) nanotube arrays, strengthening the SERS signals. An increased enhancement factor (EF) by 2.5-41.2 times compared with the system without ILs was achieved. The improvement of the SERS sensitivity with the introduction of these ILs is strongly dependent on the cation chain length, in which the increasing magnitude of EF is more pronounced in the system with a longer alkyl chain length on the cation. Comparing the interaction forces measured by Cyt c-grafted atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes on ZACO substrates with those predicted by the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory, the van der Waals forces became increasingly dominant as the chain length of the cations increased, associated with stronger Cyt c-ZACO XDLVO interaction forces. The major contributing component, van der Waals force, stems from the longer cation chains of the IL, which act as a bridge to connect Cyt c and the ZACO substrate, promoting the anchoring of the Cyt c molecules onto the substrate, thereby benefiting SERS enhancement.

Sustainability of translator training in higher education.

The United Nations has set a Sustainable Development Goal in education to be met hopefully by 2030. One of the target areas is to substantially increase the number of youth and adults possessing training and proficiency relevant to the technical and vocational skills needed for employment, well-paying jobs, and decent entrepreneurships. Enrolled students need to be equipped with core competencies suitable for the fields in which they are specializing, including the field of translation. For student translators, "transcreation" is a core competency they are expected to acquire and practice. With its increasing application in all sectors of life, the use of artificial intelligence or machine translation is on its way to becoming mainstream in the translation industry, eliminating bread-winning opportunities from translators, leaving them in the stream of life to sink or swim. That is why trainers of translators and practitioners alike insist that it is time to consider transcreation so that student translators can better embrace future challenges and boost their employability. A one-shot case study was adopted in this research. After a one-semester trial of teaching and practicing transcreation, an online questionnaire survey was administered to gain the overall perceptions of transcreation from the students. Findings show that the students have raised their awareness of transcreation as a novel approach to translation and most of them feel confident about their employability in the translation job market. Implications for translation syllabus design and translator training are also illustrated.

Mass spectrometry-based multimodal approaches for the identification and quantification analysis of microplastics in food matrix.

Background: Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have become emerging contaminants worldwide in food matrices. However, analytical approaches for their determination have yet to be standardized. Therefore, a systematic study is urgently needed to highlight the merits of mass spectrometry (MS) based methods for these applications. Purpose: The aim of the study is to review the current status of MS-based multimodal analysis for the determination of MPs in food matrices. Methods: Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched and screened until Jan. 2023. Inclusion criteria: "publication years" was set to the last decades, "English" was selected as the "language," and "research area" was set to environmental chemistry, food analysis and polymer science. The keywords were "microplastics," "nanoplastics," "determination," "identification/quantification," and "mass spectrometry." Results: Traditional spectrometry techniques offer good abilities to conduct the multimodal analysis of MPs in terms of color, shape and other morphologies. However, such technologies have some limitations, in particular the relatively high limits of detection. In contrast, MS-based methods supply excellent supplements. In MS-based methods, gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and LC-MS/MS were selected as representative methods for determining MPs in the food matrices, while specialized MS methods (i.e., MALDI-ToF MS and ToF-SIMS) were considered to offer great potential in multimodal analysis of MPs especially when interfaced with the imaging systems. Significance: This study will contribute to gaining a deeper insight into the assessment of the exposure levels of MPs in human body, and may help build a bridge between the monitoring studies and the toxicology field.

A novel mycovirus closely related to viruses in the genus Alphapartitivirus confers hypovirulence in the phytopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani.

We report here the biological and molecular attributes of a novel dsRNA mycovirus designated Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 2 (RsPV2) from strain GD-11 of R. solani AG-1 IA, the causal agent of rice sheath blight. The RsPV2 genome comprises two dsRNAs, each possessing a single ORF. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that this novel virus species RsPV2 showed a high sequence identity with the members of genus Alphapartitivirus in the family Partitiviridae, and formed a distinct clade distantly related to the other genera of Partitiviridae. Introduction of purified RsPV2 virus particles into protoplasts of a virus-free virulent strain GD-118 of R. solani AG-1 IA resulted in a derivative isogenic strain GD-118T with reduced mycelial growth and hypovirulence to rice leaves. Taken together, it is concluded that RsPV2 is a novel dsRNA virus belonging to Alphapartitivirus, with potential role in biological control of R. solani.

[Internal fixation of spinal column by posterior approach and extraperitoneal bilateral focal debridement for treatment of tuberculosis of lumbosacral vertebral body].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the application value of internal fixation of spinal column by posterior approach and extraperitoneal bilateral focal debridement for the treatment of tuberculosis of lumbosacral vertebral body. METHODS: From March 2000 to February 2005, 16 cases of spinal tuberculosis in L3-S1 were treated with internal fixation of spinal column by posterior approach and extraperitoneal bilateral focal debridement. Sixteen cases included 11 males and 5 females, and the age was 21-56 years. The locations of spinal tuberculosis were L3 in 4 cases, L4 in 6, Ls in 4, and S1 in 2. The course of disease averaged 13 months (range 6 months to 6 years). The ESR of all cases was greater than 20 mm/h (average 40 mm/h); WBC was normal in 14 cases, and a little high in 2 cases. The X-ray picture showed narrow intervertebral space in 5 cases, compressed body of vertebra in 7 cases, and destroyed 2 consecutive vertebra and its sclerotin was conduplicate in 1 case. All cases were abscess in major psoas muscle. The CT showed destruction of bone, abscess-formation and dead bone in body of vertebra of 16 cases. The abscess were found in vertebral canal in 5 cases and dura mater of spinal cord and spinal nerve root crushed in 2 cases. The MRI showed destruction of bone, abscess-formation and hibateral abscess in major psoas muscle in 11 cases. The abscess were found in vertebral canal and dura mater of spinal cord and spinal nerve root crushed in 6 cases. The therapy of paid was treated after operation in all the cases. RESULTS: Incision healed by first intention in 16 cases; and disruption of wound occurred and healing was achieved after symptomatic treatment in 1 case. Sixteen cases were followed up 2-5 years (29 months on average). Among all the cases, anaesthesia in double thigh was found in 3 cases, adynamia of dorsiflexion in foot in 1 case, gatism in 1 case; after 2 weeks the symptoms were vanished. Indirect hernia of fold inguen were found in 1 case after 2 years, and the patient refused operation for age and was no longer followed up. Fuzzy, ensic and acerb in eyes were found in 6 cases, hearing disturbance were found in 2 cases, and symptoms were vanished after medication adjustment. Low-grade fever and lumbar myalgia were found in 1 case and cured after staying in bed and medication adjustment. All ESR were normal, synostosis of lumbosacral vertebral body was found in 13 cases, kyphosis in 1 case. CONCLUSION: Internal fixation of spinal column by posterior approach and extraperitoneal bilateral focal debridement is safe and available way for the treatment of tuberculosis of lumbosacral vertebral body, it can save the times of operation, shorten period and enhance effect of treatment.