Commercial Translation Research Articles

Ultrasound contrast agents from microbubbles to biogenic gas vesicles.

Microbubbles have been the earliest and most widely used ultrasound contrast agents by virtue of their unique features: such as non-toxicity, intravenous injectability, ability to cross the pulmonary capillary bed, and significant enhancement of echo signals for the duration ofthe examination, resulting in essential preclinical and clinical applications. The use of microbubbles functionalized with targeting ligands to bind to specific targets in the bloodstream has further enabled ultrasound molecular imaging. Nevertheless, it is very challenging to utilize targeted microbubbles for molecular imaging of extravascular targets due to their size. A series of acoustic nanomaterials have been developed for breaking free from this constraint. Especially, biogenic gas vesicles, gas-filled protein nanostructures from microorganisms, were engineered as the first biomolecular ultrasound contrast agents, opening the door for more direct visualization of cellular and molecular function by ultrasound imaging. The ordered protein shell structure and unique gas filling mechanism of biogenic gas vesicles endow them with excellent stability and attractive acoustic responses. What's more, their genetic encodability enables them to actas acoustic reporter genes. This article reviews the upgrading progresses of ultrasound contrast agents from microbubbles to biogenic gas vesicles, and the opportunities and challenges for the commercial and clinical translation of the nascent field of biomolecular ultrasound.

Preventing Peri-implantitis: The Quest for a Next Generation of Titanium Dental Implants.

Titanium and its alloys are frequently the biomaterial of choice for dental implant applications. Although titanium dental implants have been utilized for decades, there are yet unresolved issues pertaining to implant failure. Dental implant failure can arise either through wear and fatigue of the implant itself or peri-implant disease and subsequent host inflammation. In the present report, we provide a comprehensive review of titanium and its alloys in the context of dental implant material, and how surface properties influence the rate of bacterial colonization and peri-implant disease. Details are provided on the various periodontal pathogens implicated in peri-implantitis, their adhesive behavior, and how this relationship is governed by the implant surface properties. Issues of osteointegration and immunomodulation are also discussed in relation to titanium dental implants. Some impediments in the commercial translation for a novel titanium-based dental implant from "bench to bedside" are discussed. Numerous in vitro studies on novel materials, processing techniques, and methodologies performed on dental implants have been highlighted. The present report review that comprehensively compares the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies of titanium and its alloys for dental implants.

The Reception of Histoire galante in England in a Competitive Market: The Case of Aphra Behn's Agnes de Castro (1688)

:Thanks to critics such as Ros Ballaster, Paul Salzman, Mary Helen McMurran and Leah Orr, we are now aware that the history of early English prose fiction in the seventeenth century should be seen in a transnational context, and that it is intricately linked with the translation of French, Spanish and Italian contemporary fiction. Translation provided a space for experimentation and opened up English fiction to continental trends. The contiguity between translation and creation is manifest in the juxtaposition of Aphra Behn's Agnes de Castro, a translation of a French histoire galante by Jean-Baptiste Brilhac, with two of her original stories, The Fair Jilt and Oroonoko, in Three Histories (1688). Ros Ballaster has argued that Behn "built her career in prose on translation from the French," but this compilation, although perhaps an editorial, rather than authorial, choice, shows that in Behn's career translating and writing new fiction are intimately related. With Agnes de Castro, a work still sometimes mistaken for an original work, Behn capitalizes on the new vogue for French fiction in translation, but her choice of a sentimental Portuguese story, a form of historical fiction which is a hapax in her short career, was a bold move and showed her experimenting with a genre that had just become fashionable. Intriguingly, her translation was published the very same year as a rival translation by Peter Belon, a commercial translator who specialized in fiction from the French. This article interrogates the meaning of this competition for French fiction and looks at the potential connections between the two translations. As will be apparent, Behn's treatment of the most sentimental features of the story reflects her particular mediation of the novella of sentiment. Moreover, Agnes de Castro leads us to reconsider the engagement of Behn with commercial translation.

Challenges and opportunities for the next generation of cardiovascular tissue engineering.

Engineered cardiac tissues derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells offer unique opportunities for patient-specific disease modeling, drug discovery and cardiac repair. Since the first engineered hearts were introduced over two decades ago, human induced pluripotent stem cell-based three-dimensional cardiac organoids and heart-on-a-chip systems have now become mainstays in basic cardiovascular research as valuable platforms for investigating fundamental human pathophysiology and development. However, major obstacles remain to be addressed before the field can truly advance toward commercial and clinical translation. Here we provide a snapshot of the state-of-the-art methods in cardiac tissue engineering, with a focus on in vitro models of the human heart. Looking ahead, we discuss major challenges and opportunities in the field and suggest strategies for enabling broad acceptance of engineered cardiac tissues as models of cardiac pathophysiology and testbeds for the development of therapies.

Dietary polyphenols for management of rheumatoid arthritis: Pharmacotherapy and novel delivery systems

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, complex, systemic autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation, swelling, and pain. It affects pulmonary and ocular physiology, gastrointestinal disturbance, skeletal disorders, and renal malfunctioning. Although conventional and biological drugs available to treat RA are potent and effective, they lead to life-threatening side effects and patient discomfort. Hence, alternative therapies are explored for their treatment which is safe, effective, and economical. Herbal drugs are widely used as an alternative therapy and some medicinal plants, especially dietary polyphenols proved their efficacy in treating RA. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites of plants possessing several pharmacological actions. They exert anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-rheumatoid activity by modulating tumor necrosis factor, mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, and c-Jun N-terminal kinases. Thus, polyphenols could be a promising option for the management of RA. Unfortunately, polyphenols suffer from poor bioavailability due to their physicochemical properties and incorporation into novel delivery systems such as liposomes, nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, micelles improved their oral bioavailability. This review article summarizes dietary polyphenols, their pharmacological actions and novel delivery systems for the treatment of RA. Nevertheless, the commercial translation of polyphenols could be only possible after establishing their safety profile and successful clinical trials.

Non-Viral Vectors for Delivery of Nucleic Acid Therapies for Cancer.

The research and development of non-viral gene therapy has been extensive over the past decade and has received a big push thanks to the recent successful approval of non-viral nucleic acid therapy products. Despite these developments, nucleic acid therapy applications in cancer have been limited. One of the main causes of this has been the imbalance in development of delivery vectors as compared with sophisticated nucleic acid payloads, such as siRNA, mRNA, etc. This paper reviews non-viral vectors that can be used to deliver nucleic acids for cancer treatment. It discusses various types of vectors and highlights their current applications. Additionally, it discusses a perspective on the current regulatory landscape to facilitate the commercial translation of gene therapy.

Emotive Response to a Hybrid-Face Robot and Translation to Consumer Social Robots

We present the conceptual formulation, design, fabrication, control and commercial translation of an IoT enabled social robot as mapped through validation of human emotional response to its affective interactions. The robot design centres on a humanoid hybrid-face that integrates a rigid faceplate with a digital display to simplify conveyance of complex facial movements while providing the impression of three-dimensional depth. We map the emotions of the robot to specific facial feature parameters, characterise recognisability of archetypical facial expressions, and introduce pupil dilation as an additional degree of freedom for emotion conveyance. Human interaction experiments demonstrate the ability to effectively convey emotion from the hybrid-robot face to humans. Conveyance is quantified by studying neurophysiological electroencephalography (EEG) response to perceived emotional information as well as through qualitative interviews. Results demonstrate core hybrid-face robotic expressions can be discriminated by humans (80%+ recognition) and invoke face-sensitive neurophysiological event-related potentials such as N170 and Vertex Positive Potentials in EEG. The hybrid-face robot concept has been modified, implemented, and released by Emotix Inc in the commercial IoT robotic platform Miko (‘My Companion’), an affective robot currently in use for human-robot interaction with children. We demonstrate that human EEG responses to Miko emotions are comparative to that of the hybrid-face robot validating design modifications implemented for large scale distribution. Finally, interviews show above 90% expression recognition rates in our commercial robot. We conclude that simplified hybrid-face abstraction conveys emotions effectively and enhances human-robot interaction.

In Situ Nanocoating on Porous Pyrolyzed Paper Enables Antibiofouling and Sensitive Electrochemical Analyses in Biological Fluids.

Electrochemical detection in complex biofluids is a long-standing challenge as electrode biofouling hampers its sensing performance and commercial translation. To overcome this drawback, pyrolyzed paper as porous electrode coupled with the drop casting of an off-the-shelf polysorbate, that is, Tween 20 (T20), is described here by taking advantage of the in situ formation of a hydrophilic nanocoating (2 nm layer of T20). The latter prevents biofouling while providing the capillarity of samples through paper pores, leveraging redox reactions across both only partially fouled and fresh electrodic surfaces with increasing detection areas. The nanometric thickness of this blocking layer is also essential by not significantly impairing the electron-transfer kinetics. These phenomena behave synergistically to enhance the sensibility that further increases over long-term exposures (4 h) in biological fluids. While the state-of-the-art antibiofouling strategies compromise the sensibility, this approach leads to peak currents that are up to 12.5-fold higher than the original currents after 1 h exposure to unprocessed human plasma. Label-free impedimetric immunoassays through modular bioconjugation by directly anchoring spike protein on gold nanoparticles are also allowed, as demonstrated for the COVID-19 screening of patient sera. The scalability and simplicity of the platform combined with its unique ability to operate in biofluids with enhanced sensibility provide the generation of promising biosensing technologies toward real-world applications in point-of-care diagnostics, mass testing, and in-home monitoring of chronic diseases.

Synthetic biology landscape and community in Germany

Despite its start in the early 2000s, synthetic biology is still overall perceived as a young discipline. In some countries, such as the US, synthetic biology is academically and industrially established, while in others, including Germany, it is still an upcoming field of research. Issues with funding schemes, commercial translation of technologies, public perception, and regulations need to be addressed to establish synthetic biology as a key discipline of the 21st century. This perspective article reviews the German and European synthetic biology landscape and how the German Association for Synthetic Biology (GASB) is addressing the above-mentioned challenges with its events and community-building activities.

Zemsta Trygława i Swaroga? Krytyka fanowska angielskiego tłumaczenia komiksu Kajko i Kokosz

The Revenge of Triglav and Svarog? Fan-Generated Translation Criticism of the English Version of the Comic Book Kajko i Kokosz The article discusses the role of fan communities as critics of translated texts. It shows how fans’ active involvement as prosumers in the production of translational (mock) critical content can affect the promotion and distribution of the official, commercial translation. The case in point is a fan-generated and fan-mediated reception of the English rendition of an album from a classic Polish Kajko i Kokosz comic series. First published in 1975, Szkoła latania (Flying School) is part of Poland’s shared popcultural idiom, since recently also part of the primary school reading canon. Its first English translation (2018) made available in a pre-release to the comic’s fans led to a number of controversies, ranging from humorous internet-mediated discussions of an editing mistake to an open petition to the publisher to preserve in translation the comic’s cultural specificity. The article sets off by discussing the profile of the translation critic emerging from leading models of translation criticism to move on to sketch new developments and the role of fandom and fan-generated criticism. Arguing that currently translations of speculative fiction into and out of English in the Polish context can be considered vulnerable translations, prone to fans’ critical scrutiny, it focuses on Flying School and its fan reception which lead to the prolonged postponement of the publication of the official translation. The article also provides an analysis of the pre-release commercial translation to provide background for the fan criticism. It shows the clash of the translator’s consistent domesticating strategy with fans’ expectations of an exoticizing translation, preserving the Slavic character of the series which raises the question of the translation brief and publisher-translator relationship.

Joint creative process in translation

AbstractIn this article, we explore socially distributed cognition (SDC) as a theoretical model of translation and investigate it empirically as an aspect of the collaborative and creative translation workflow. With the aim of developing a better understanding of SDC and collaborative workflows in translation, we analyzed two different settings where more than one person works on a translation: commercial specialized translation (CST) services, and the production of audio descriptions (AD) as teamwork between blind and sighted describers. The analysis focuses on how the process of co-creation unfolds in the communication that binds together the systems of SDC. While the process of co-creation was strikingly similar in the two different translation contexts, the differences were bound to channels of communication (with or without direct contact between participants), and the draft translation was identified as a central artifact that carries much of the communication when the participants do not work in the same space. With an emphasis on socially distributed cognition, our study provides a framework for both the cognitive and social aspects of translation and develops the understanding of collaborative translation processes. It also contributes to the development of translation practices by helping translation operators and trainers make choices between alternative workflows.

Ultrahigh Throughput On‐Chip Synthesis of Microgels with Tunable Mechanical Properties

AbstractMicrogels, 1–100 µm sized hydrogel particles, have emerged as versatile materials for constructing injectable tissue scaffolds, with superb control over various properties. Microfluidic synthesis of microgels offers significant advantages over conventional batch synthesis such as high uniformity and precise control over emulsion size. Despite these positive attributes, the gelation of microfluidic droplets is typically performed off‐chip, compromising the particle homogeneity, and confounding the ability to control their mechanical properties. To address this, a multistep microgel synthesis line is developed, comprising of a flow focusing droplet generator followed by a UV‐curing stage that delivers a precise UV dosage to each droplet, allowing precise control of the mechanical properties of hydrogel microparticles. Furthermore, parallel operation of 4080 identical synthesis lines on a single chip is demonstrates, generating precisely defined microgels at a throughput appropriate for commercial and clinical translation. The system is validated by generating poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate microgel particles with a diameter down to 40 µm at a throughput above 1 kg h−1 (106 particles s−1), with a coefficient of variation of 3%. It is demonstrated that the stiffness of the microgels can be precisely controlled from 103 to 104 Pa by varying the UV dosage.

Fabricating a Low-Cost, Microscopy-Compatible Mechanical Testing Device.

Most commercially-available mechanical testing devices are bulky, expensive, and unable to evaluate changes in sample microstructure under load. This leaves a crucial gap in understanding between material structure and bulk mechanical properties. Our objective was to fabricate a mechanical testing device small enough to fit in most upright or inverted microscopy stages and able to position samples to allow for simultaneous mechanical and microstructural characterization. Parts were 3D printed using the hobbyist-friendly Fused Filament Fabrication technique, then assembled with commercial fasteners and translation components to create a mechanical testing device that utilized the deflection of plastic posts to determine sample reaction forces under applied strain. Video of sample deformation was analyzed using a custom processing script to calculate stress and strain behavior in an automated and high-throughput manner. This device was able to perform mechanical characterization with an accuracy comparable to commercial mechanical testing devices for a wide range of nonlinear and viscoelastic samples under dry and hydrated conditions. Additionally, the device showed compatibility with different upright and inverted microscopes and was able to demonstrate accurate mechanical testing results when used with these instruments. We successfully developed a device capable of accurately testing a majority of soft materials in the field of Biomedical Engineering with the ability to perform additional microstructural characterization using microscopy at a price point of $600.

Investigating the Use of Translation Continuation Tasks in Commercial Translation Teaching: A Study on Translating User Manuals

Abstract Based on the xu-argument, this study investigated the use of translation continuation tasks in commercial translation instruction. Forty-four second-year Business English majors at a Chinese university participated in the study. They were divided into equal-sized control and experimental groups. Members of the experimental group were asked to read Chinese-English parallel texts from a user manual, while those of the control group were asked to read the Chinese text only. Subsequently, both groups were required to translate the continued Chinese text into English. The results indicated the following: 1) the experimental group’s translated text was of significantly higher quality than that of the control group; and 2) the experimental group’s translations were well-aligned with the original text in their use of terminology, sentence structure, and stylistic features. The study concludes by suggesting that translation continuation tasks can improve commercial translation instruction and hence should be further applied in practice.

Translator autonomy in the age of behavioural data

Abstract Translation behaviour is increasingly tracked to benchmark productivity, to calculate pay or to automate project management decisions. Although in many cases these practices are commonplace, their effects are surprisingly under-researched. This article investigates the consequences of activity tracking in commercial translation. It reports on a series of focus-group interviews involving sixteen translators who used productivity tools to independently monitor their work for a period of sixteen weeks. Our analysis revealed several ways in which the act of tracking activity can itself influence translators’ working practices. We examine translators’ conceptualisations of productivity and discuss the findings as a matter of translator autonomy. The article calls for further awareness of individual and collective consequences of monitoring translation behaviour. Although in some contexts translators found activity tracking to be useful, we argue that client-controlled tracking and translator autonomy are in most cases incompatible.

Consensus International Council for Commonality in Blood Banking Automation–International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy statement on standard nomenclature abbreviations for the tissue of origin of mesenchymal stromal cells

The Cellular Therapy Coding and Labeling Advisory Group of the International Council for Commonality in Blood Banking Automation and the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) committee are providing specific recommendations on abbreviating tissue sources of culture-adapted MSCs. These recommendations include using abbreviations based on the ISBT 128 terminology model that specifies standard class names to distinguish cell types and tissue sources for culture-adapted MSCs. Thus, MSCs from bone marrow are MSC(M), MSCs from cord blood are MSC(CB), MSCs from adipose tissue are MSC(AT) and MSCs from Wharton's jelly are MSC(WJ). Additional recommendations include using these abbreviations through the full spectrum of pre-clinical, translational and clinical research for the development of culture-adapted MSC products. This does not apply to basic research focused on investigating the developmental origins, identity or functionalities of endogenous progenitor cells in different tissues. These recommendations will serve to harmonize nomenclature in describing research and development surrounding culture-adapted MSCs, many of which are destined for clinical and/or commercial translation. These recommendations will also serve to align research and development efforts on culture-adapted MSCs with other cell therapy products.

Translating Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Regenerative Medicine Innovations to the Clinic through Interdisciplinary Commercial Translation Architecture

Few university-based regenerative medicine innovations in the dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) space have been commercialized and affected clinical practice in the United States. An analysis of the commercial translation literature and National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research’s (NIDCR’s) portfolio identified barriers to commercial translation of university-based DOC innovations. To overcome these barriers, the NIDCR established the Dental Oral Craniofacial Tissue Regeneration Consortium. We provide generalized strategies to inform readers how to bridge the “valley of death” and more effectively translate DOC technologies from the research laboratory or early stage company environment to clinical trials and bring needed innovations to the clinic. Three valleys of death are covered: 1) from basic science to translational development, 2) from translational technology validation to new company formation (or licensing to an existing company), and 3) from new company formation to scaling toward commercialization. An adapted phase-gate model is presented to inform DOC regenerative medicine teams how to involve regulatory, manufacturability, intellectual property, competitive assessments, business models, and commercially oriented funding mechanisms earlier in the translational development process. An Industrial Partners Program describes how to conduct market assessments, industry maps, business development processes, and industry relationship management methods to sustain commercial translation through the later-stage valley of death. Paramount to successfully implementing these methods is the coordination and collaboration of interdisciplinary teams around specific commercial translation goals and objectives. We also provide several case studies for translational projects with an emphasis on how they addressed DOC biomaterials for tissue regeneration within a rigorous commercial translation development environment. These generalized strategies and methods support innovations within a university-based and early stage company-based translational development process, traversing the many funding gaps in dental, oral, and craniofacial regenerative medicine innovations. Although the focus is on shepherding technologies through the US Food and Drug Administration, the approaches are applicable worldwide.

Bioresorbable tyrosol‐derived poly(ester‐arylate)s with tunable properties

AbstractWe designed and developed a novel library of tyrosol‐derived poly(ester‐arylate)s that exhibit tunable chemical, thermal, mechanical, and degradative properties. To build the library, the diphenols 4‐hydroxyphenethyl 2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)acetate (HTy) and 4‐hydroxyphenethyl 3‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)propanoate (DTy) are synthesized and subsequently polymerized with various diacids. Characterization of library members is performed in order to assess the impact of chemical structure on polymer properties. Specifically, the relative influence of diphenol pseudosymmetry versus asymmetry, diacid carbon chain length, and diacid bond rigidity on resulting properties is investigated. Diphenol choice greatly impacts resulting polymer thermal properties and processability. HTy‐containing polymers generally have lower melting temperatures compared to their DTy‐derived counterparts and are easier to quench in the amorphous phase. As a result, processing results in greater tunability for HTy‐derived polymers. One specific example was pHTy3, which increased its tensile modulus from 1 GPa to 3 GPa upon drawing. Diacid lengths and bond rigidity also significantly influence thermal, mechanical, and degradative properties. In all, members of this library can be synthesized efficiently, with high molecular weight and exhibit a wide range of properties, motivating future commercial translation.

Self-assembling crystalline peptide microrod for neuromorphic function implementation

Self-assembling crystalline peptide microrod for neuromorphic function implementation

A low cost and open access system for rapid synthesis of large volumes of gold and silver nanoparticles

Rapid synthesis of nanomaterials in scalable quantities is critical for accelerating the discovery and commercial translation of nanoscale-based technologies. The synthesis of metal nanogold and silver in volumes larger than 100 mL is not automatized and might require of the use of harsh conditions that in most cases is detrimental for the production of nanoparticles with reproducible size distributions. In this work, we present the development and optimization of an open-access low-cost NanoParticle Flow Synthesis System (NPFloSS) that allows for the rapid preparation of volumes of up to 1 L of gold and silver nanoparticle aqueous solutions.