Complete genome sequences of seven Vibrio cholerae phages isolated in China

The complete genome sequences of seven closely related Vibrio cholerae phages isolated from environmental sites in southeastern China are reported here. Phages QH, CJY, H1, H2, H3, J2, and J3 are members of the Podoviridae family and are highly similar to the previously sequenced Vibrio phages VP2, VP5, and phiVC8

Reviving phage therapy for the treatment of cholera

Cholera remains a major risk in developing countries, particularly after natural or man-made disasters. Vibrio cholerae El Tor is the most important cause of these outbreaks, and is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, so alternative therapies are urgently needed. In this study, a single bacteriophage, Phi_1, was used prophylactically and therapeutically to control cholera in an infant rabbit model. In both cases, phage-treated animals showed no clinical signs of disease, compared with 69% of untreated control animals. Bacterial counts in the intestines of phage-treated animals were reduced by up to 4 Log10 CFU/g. There was evidence of phage multiplication only in animals which received a V. cholerae challenge. No phage-resistant bacterial mutants were isolated from the animals, despite extensive searching. This is the first evidence that a single phage could be effective in the treatment of cholera, without detectable levels of resistance. Clinical trials in human patients should be considered

Orientational mapping augmented sub-wavelength hyper-spectral imaging of silk

Molecular alignment underpins optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of materials, however, its direct measurement from volumes with micrometer dimensions is not accessible, especially, for structurally complex bio-materials. How the molecular alignment is linked to extraordinary properties of silk and its amorphous-crystalline composition has to be accessed by a direct measurement from a single silk fiber. Here, we show orientation mapping of the internal silk fiber structure via polarisation-dependent IR absorbance at high spatial resolution of 4.2 μm and 1.9 μm in a hyper-spectral IR imaging by attenuated total reflection using synchrotron radiation in the spectral fingerprint region around 6 μm wavelength. Free-standing longitudinal micro-slices of silk fibers, thinner than the fiber cross section, were prepared by microtome for the four polarization method to directly measure the orientational sensitivity of absorbance in the molecular fingerprint spectral window of the amide bands of β-sheet polypeptides of silk. Microtomed lateral slices of silk fibers, which may avoid possible artefacts that affect spectroscopic measurements with fibers of an elliptical cross sections were used in the study. Amorphisation of silk by ultra-short laser single-pulse exposure is demonstrated

Translation in Intercultural Communication: Differences and Solutions: A Case Study of the English Translated Text of Song of A Pipa Player

Intercultural communication has always been an important concept and core hot-spot in the field of intercultural research. In the early 1980s, Chinese scholars introduced the study of intercultural communication. The study of intercultural communication in China has formed a trend of cross-integration with the disciplines including Language Teaching, Translation Studies and Culturology, etc., after about 40 years of development. Thanks to the differences between Chinese and English, there are still many issues in translation on intercultural communication. Therefore, this research focuses on the in-depth analysis of three types of differences in the English translated text of Song of a Pipa Player from the perspective of intercultural communication to put forward corresponding translation strategies for intercultural communication and offer some help to the translation among different cultures