Translating children's literature: Some insights from corpus stylistics

In this paper I explore the potential of a corpus stylistic approach to the study of literary translation. The study focuses on translation of children’s literature with its specific constrains, and illustrates with two corpus linguistic techniques: keyword and cluster analysis — specific cases of repetition. So in a broader sense the paper discusses the phenomenon of repetition in different literary (stylistic) traditions. These are illustrated by examples from two children’s classics aimed at two different age groups: the Harry Potter and the Winnie the Pooh books — and their translations into Czech. Various shifts in translation, especially in the translation of children’s literature, are often explained by the operation of so-called ‘translation universals’. Though ‘repetition’ as such does not belong to the commonly discussed set of translation universals, the stylistic norms opposing repetition seem to be a strong explanation for the translation shifts identified.  </jats:p

His eyes narrowed-her eyes downcast: Contrastive corpus-stylistic analysis of female and male writing

Tis study presents a comparative and cross-linguistic (English and Czech) examination of female and male characters in contemporary British and Czech fction texts writen by female and male authors. We approach the texts within the corpus stylistics framework using four broadly comparable corpora of British and Czech fction. Our focus is on the most frequent nouns occurring with the possessive pronouns his and her and jeho and její, respectively. By examining the nouns we look at how female and male characters are linguistically represented: what are the main differences between their representation and to what extent they are similar. We also aim to look at whether the author's gender plays a role in the process of characterisation. Further, we aim to pinpoint the differences in characterisation by comparing the British and Czech fction texts

Effects of shortening the dry period of dairy cows on milk production, energy balance, health, and fertility: A systemtic review

A dry period of 6–8 weeks for dairy cows is generally thought to maximise milk production in the next lactation. However, the value of such a long dry period is increasingly questioned. In particular, shortening the dry period shifts milk production from the critical period after calving to the weeks before calving. This shift in milk production could improve the energy balance (EB), health and fertility of dairy cows. The objective of this study was to systematically review the current knowledge on dry period length in relation to milk production, EB, fertility, and health of cows and calves. A meta-analysis was performed for variables where at least five studies were available. Overall, both shortening and omitting the dry period reduces milk production, increases milk protein percentage and tends to reduce the risk of ketosis in the next lactation. Individual studies reported an improvement of EB after a short or no dry period, compared with a conventional dry period. Shortening or omitting the dry period did not affect milk fat percentage and shortening the dry period did not alter the odds ratio for mastitis, metritis, or fertility measures in the next lactation. So, current evidence for an improvement of health and fertility of dairy cows is marginal and may be partly explained by the limited number of studies which have evaluated health and fertility in relation to dry period length, the limited number of animals in those studies and the variable responses reported

Wczesne i odległe wyniki małoinwazyjnego pomostowania tętnic wieńcowych u osób starszych

Background: Standard (conventional) coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an invasive procedure which requires full median sternotomy and is performed with extracorporeal circulation (ECC), which can lead to serious complications.Aim: To analyse the results of minimally invasive CABG (MIDCAB) in elderly patients. Methods: Between 1999 and 2007, a total of 698 MIDCAB procedures were performed at our institution. We present the data on 235 elderly (&#8805; 70 years) patients (160 males, mean age 74.5 &#177; 3.2 years, range: 70-83 years) who were consecutively operated on in this period. Early mortality, post-operative complications, long-term survival, impact of multivessel disease (MVD) and hybrid coronary artery revascularisation on total mortality were analysed. Logistic EuroSCORE was 8.7%. The survival of 235 elderly patients was compared to the survival of the remaining 463 MIDCAB patients aged < 70 years (including risk factors for total mortality). Results: The 30-day mortality was 2.5% (six patients). During follow-up, two patients underwent coronary reoperation and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 16 patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a 1.5-year survival of 89.8% (95% CI 85.9-93.7%) and five-year survival of 79.7% (95% CI 74.3-85%). Compared to single vessel disease (SVD) patients, the MVD patients had significantly higher total mortality (p = 0.0038). Our study revealed MVD (p = 0.0016) and male sex (p = 0.0091) as important independent factors of total mortality in this group of elderly patients. The difference in total mortality between non-hybrid vs hybrid MIDCABs was not significant (p = 0.63). The younger MIDCAB patients (< 70 years) have a tendency to better survival, but the difference did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.088). They had the same independent factors of total mortality as in the elderly group: MVD (p = 0.0001) and male sex (p = 0.0059). Conclusions: The MIDCAB is a reasonable option for elderly patients with SVD, and in selected patients with MVD. The decision to perform MIDCAB rather than PCI in these high risk patients should always be very carefully considered in conjunction with the interventional cardiologist. Kardiol Pol 2011; 69, 3: 213-218Wstęp: Pomostowanie tętnic wieńcowych (CABG) jest leczeniem z wyboru w wybranych grupach osób z chorobą wieńcową. Standardowe CABG jest inwazyjną procedurą wymagającą sternotomii i krążenia pozaustrojowego, co wiąże się z ryzykiem wystąpienia powikłań. Małoinwazyjne CABG (MIDCAB) polegające na rewaskularyzacji gałęzi przedniej zstępującej lewej tętnicy wieńcowej z użyciem lewej tętnicy piersiowej wewnętrznej, poprzez lewostronną minitorakotomię i bez użycia krążenia pozaustrojowego, jest procedurą pozwalającą na ograniczenie powikłań CABG. Cel: Celem pracy była ocena wyników MIDCAB u osób starszych (&#8805; 70 lat). Metody: W latach 1999-2007 w ośrodku autorów pracy przeprowadzono 698 procedur MIDCAB. Badaniem objęto grupę kolejnych 235 chorych w wieku &#8805; 70 lat (160 mężczyzn, średnia wieku 74,5 &#177; 3,2 roku, zakres 70-83) operowanych w tym okresie. Analizowano wczesną śmiertelność, powikłania pooperacyjne, przeżycie długoterminowe i wpływ wielonaczyniowej choroby wieńcowej (MVD) oraz hybrydowej rewaskularyzacji na przeżycie odległe w grupie 235 chorych w wieku &#8805; 70 lat i u 463 pozostałych osób. Przewidywana wczesna śmiertelność według EuroSCORE wynosiła 8,7%. Wyniki: Śmiertelność 30-dniowa w badanej grupie starszych chorych wyniosła 2,55% (zmarło 6 osób). W okresie obserwacji odległej 2 pacjentów przebyło reoperację w zakresie tętnic wieńcowych, a u 16 wykonano przezskórną interwencję wieńcową (PCI). Analiza za pomocą krzywych Kaplana-Meiera ujawniła 1,5-roczną i 5-letnią przeżywalność wynoszącą odpowiednio 89,8% (95% CI 85,9-93,7%) i 79,7% (95% CI 74,3-85%). W porównaniu z osobami z jednonaczyniową chorobą wieńcową (SVD) w grupie pacjentów z MVD zanotowano wyższą całkowitą śmiertelność (p = 0,0038). Wykazano, że MVD (p = 0,0016) i płeć męska (p = 0,0091) są niezależnymi czynnikami ryzyka zgonu w badanej populacji osób starszych. Różnica w śmiertelności w grupie chorych poddanych niehybrydowemu i hybrydowemu MIDCAB była nieistotna statystycznie (p = 0,63). W grupie chorych < 70. roku życia poddanych MIDCAB zaobserwowano nieistotną statystycznie (p = 0,088) tendencję do mniejszej śmiertelności. U tych pacjentów stwierdzono, podobnie jak w grupie chorych starszych, że niezależnymi czynnikami ryzyka zgonu są MVD (p = 0,0001) i płeć męska (p = 0,0059). Wnioski: Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników można stwierdzić, że MIDCAB jest odpowiednim wyborem w przypadku osób starszych z SVD i wybranych chorych z MVD. Decyzja co do rodzaju zabiegu rewaskularyzacyjnego (MIDCAB czy PCI) w tej obarczonej dużym ryzykiem grupie pacjentów powinna być podjęta wspólnie przez kardiochirurga i kardiologa inwazyjnego. Kardiol Pol 2011; 69, 3: 213-21

Effects of shortening the dry period of dairy cows on milk production, energy balance, health, and fertility: A systemtic review

A dry period of 6–8 weeks for dairy cows is generally thought to maximise milk production in the next lactation. However, the value of such a long dry period is increasingly questioned. In particular, shortening the dry period shifts milk production from the critical period after calving to the weeks before calving. This shift in milk production could improve the energy balance (EB), health and fertility of dairy cows. The objective of this study was to systematically review the current knowledge on dry period length in relation to milk production, EB, fertility, and health of cows and calves. A meta-analysis was performed for variables where at least five studies were available. Overall, both shortening and omitting the dry period reduces milk production, increases milk protein percentage and tends to reduce the risk of ketosis in the next lactation. Individual studies reported an improvement of EB after a short or no dry period, compared with a conventional dry period. Shortening or omitting the dry period did not affect milk fat percentage and shortening the dry period did not alter the odds ratio for mastitis, metritis, or fertility measures in the next lactation. So, current evidence for an improvement of health and fertility of dairy cows is marginal and may be partly explained by the limited number of studies which have evaluated health and fertility in relation to dry period length, the limited number of animals in those studies and the variable responses reported

Impairing MLL-fusion gene-mediated transformation by dissecting critical interactions with the lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75)

The lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) tethers the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL1) protein complex to chromatin. Likewise, LEDGF/p75 tethers the HIV-1 pre-integration complex to chromatin. We previously demonstrated that expression of the C-terminal fragment fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) (eGFP-LEDGF(325-530)) impaired HIV-1 replication. Here, we explored this strategy to selectively interfere with the leukemogenic activity of MLL-fusion proteins. We found that expression of LEDGF(325-530) impaired the clonogenic growth of MLL-fusion gene transformed human and mouse hematopoietic cells, without affecting the growth of control cells immortalized by the FLT3-ITD mutant or normal lineage-marker-depleted murine bone marrow cells. Expression of LEDGF(325-530) was associated with downregulation of the MLL target Hoxa9 and impaired cell cycle progression. Structure-function analysis revealed two small eGFP-fused LEDGF/p75 peptides, LEDGF(424-435) and LEDGF(375-386) phenocopying these effects. Both LEDGF(325-530) and the smaller active peptides were able to disrupt the LEDGF/p75-MLL interaction. Expression of LEDGF(325-530) or LEDGF(375-386) fragments increased the latency period to disease development in vivo in a mouse bone marrow transplant model of MLL-AF9-induced AML. We conclude that small peptides disrupting the LEDGF/p75-MLL interface have selective anti-leukemic activity providing a direct rationale for the design of small molecule inhibitors targeting this interaction

Validation and structural characterization of the LEDGF/p75-MLL interface as a new target for the treatment of MLL-dependent leukemia

Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion-driven acute leukemias represent a genetically distinct subset of leukemias with poor prognosis. MLL forms a ternary complex with the lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) and MENIN. LEDGF/p75, a chromatin reader recognizing H3K36me3 marks, contributes to the association of the MLL multiprotein complex to chromatin. Formation of this complex is critical for the development of MLL leukemia. Available X-ray data represent only a partial structure of the LEDGF/p75-MLL-MENIN complex. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we identified an additional LEDGF/p75-MLL interface, which overlaps with the binding site of known LEDGF/p75 interactors-HIV-1 integrase, PogZ, and JPO2. Binding of these proteins or MLL to LEDGF/p75 is mutually exclusive. The resolved structure, as well as mutational analysis, shows that the interaction is primarily sustained via two aromatic residues of MLL (F148 and F151). Colony-forming assays in MLL-AF9(+) leukemic cells expressing MLL interaction-defective LEDGF/p75 mutants revealed that this interaction is essential for transformation. Finally, we show that the clonogenic growth of primary murine MLL-AF9-expressing leukemic blasts is selectively impaired upon overexpression of a LEDGF/p75-binding cyclic peptide CP65, originally developed to inhibit the LEDGF/p75-HIV-1 integrase interaction. The newly defined protein-protein interface therefore represents a new target for the development of therapeutics against LEDGF/p75-dependent MLL fusion-driven leukemic disorders. Cancer Res; 74(18); 5139-51. ©2014 AACR

Cloning, purification and structure determination of the HIV integrase-binding domain of lens epithelium-derived growth factor

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 is the dominant binding partner of HIV-1 integrase in human cells. The crystal structure of the HIV integrase-binding domain (IBD) of LEDGF has been determined in the absence of ligand. IBD was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized by sitting-drop vapour diffusion. X-ray diffraction data were collected at Diamond Light Source to a resolution of 2.05 Å. The crystals belonged to space group P21, with eight polypeptide chains in the asymmetric unit arranged as an unusual octamer composed of four domain-swapped IBD dimers. IBD exists as a mixture of monomers and dimers in concentrated solutions, but the dimers are unlikely to be biologically relevant