Exploring prose style in scholarly journal articles in journalism and communications : do editors believe there is a need for change?

Academic prose style has been criticized by some academics as willfully obtuse, intentionally opaque and impossible for anyone but an academic to understand. This research uses the theoretical lens of critical discourse analysis and framing theory to determine if academic prose style is problematic in journalism and communications scholarly publications. In-depth interviews of 10 academic journal editors show that academic prose is problematic. Editors agree that academic prose is used for power, control and inclusion/exclusion. Perceptions about academic jargon or language, too, suggest that academics use their words for matters well beyond knowledge sharing. Editors desire change, but they don't believe forces such as open access to scholarship will improve academic prose style. Academic culture as it relates to academic writing is studied via editor values and beliefs

When Scientists Look at Their Data, They Don\u27t Know the Answer: Talking Science in a University Introductory Science Course

We use conversation for instruction in our introductory level physical science course. The content focuses on science as a way of knowing, particularly the ways in which scientific claims are backed by evidence. We find our 21st Century students do understand consensus building and have some skill in listening to each other’s ideas, and are learning to harness these strengths for instruction

Generation and characterisation of anti-C6 monoclonal antibodies in C6-deficient mice : the search for an anti-C6 therapy

For the second approach, monoclonal antibodies were raised against rabbit, rat, mouse and human C6. The two most interesting antibodies were raised against human C6 and inhibited complement-mediated haemolysis in a cell-based assay. Both of these antibodies were species specific, excluding the possibility of testing their therapeutic properties in animal models of complement-mediated disease. Instead, an ex vivo model of cardiopulmonary bypass was established and used to test the ability of these antibodies to block soluble C5b-9 formation. Neither antibody inhibited soluble C5b-9 formation, suggesting that they might be interfering with the insertion of C6 into the cell membrane during MAC assembly.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Generation and characterisation of anti-C6 monoclonal antibodies in C6-deficient mice: the search for an anti-C6 therapy.

For the second approach, monoclonal antibodies were raised against rabbit, rat, mouse and human C6. The two most interesting antibodies were raised against human C6 and inhibited complement-mediated haemolysis in a cell-based assay. Both of these antibodies were species specific, excluding the possibility of testing their therapeutic properties in animal models of complement-mediated disease. Instead, an ex vivo model of cardiopulmonary bypass was established and used to test the ability of these antibodies to block soluble C5b-9 formation. Neither antibody inhibited soluble C5b-9 formation, suggesting that they might be interfering with the insertion of C6 into the cell membrane during MAC assembly

Etiology of persistent mathematics difficulties from childhood to adolescence following very preterm birth

Children born very preterm (VP; 0.05), with the exception of writing large numbers and conceptual understanding of arithmetic. In a previous study, 83 of the VP adolescents and 49 of the term-born adolescents were assessed at age 8–10years using measures of the same skills. Amongst these, the between-group difference in mathematics achievement remained stable over time. This study extends findings of a persistent deficit in mathematics achievement among VP children over the primary and secondary school years, and provides evidence of a deficit in factual, procedural and conceptual mathematics skills and in higher order mathematical operations among VP adolescents. We provide further evidence that VP children’s mathematics difficulties are driven by deficits in domain-general rather than domain-specific cognitive skills

Explaining the relationship between number line estimation and mathematical achievement: the role of visuomotor integration and visuospatial skills

Performance on number line tasks, typically used as a measure of numerical representations, are reliably related to children's mathematical achievement. However, recent debate has questioned what precisely performance on the number line estimation task measures. Specifically, there has been a suggestion that this task may measure not only numerical representations but also proportional judgment skills; if this is the case, then individual differences in visuospatial skills, not just the precision of numerical representations, may explain the relationship between number line estimation and mathematical achievement. The current study investigated the relationships among visuospatial skills, visuomotor integration, number line estimation, and mathematical achievement. In total, 77 children were assessed using a number line estimation task, a standardized measure of mathematical achievement, and tests of visuospatial skills and visuomotor integration. The majority of measures were significantly correlated. In addition, the relationship between one metric from the number line estimation task (R2 LIN) and mathematical achievement was fully explained by visuomotor integration and visuospatial skill competency. These results have important implications for understanding what the number line task measures as well as the choice of number line metric for research purposes

Understanding arithmetic concepts: the role of domain-specific and domain-general skills

A large body of research has identified cognitive skills associated with overall mathematics achievement, focusing primarily on identifying associates of procedural skills. Conceptual understanding, however, has received less attention, despite its importance for the development of mathematics proficiency. Consequently, we know little about the quantitative and domain-general skills associated with conceptual understanding. Here we investigated 8 – 10-year-old children’s conceptual understanding of arithmetic, as well as a wide range of basic quantitative skills, numerical representations and domain-general skills. We found that conceptual understanding was most strongly associated with performance on a number line task. This relationship was not explained by the use of particular strategies on the number line task, and may instead reflect children’s knowledge of the structure of the number system. Understanding the skills involved in conceptual learning is important to support efforts by educators to improve children’s conceptual understanding of mathematics

The regulation of miRNAs by reconstituted high-density lipoproteins in diabetes-impaired angiogenesis

Diabetic vascular complications are associated with impaired ischaemia-driven angiogenesis. We recently found that reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (rHDL) rescue diabetes-impaired angiogenesis. microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate angiogenesis and are transported within HDL to sites of injury/repair. The role of miRNAs in the rescue of diabetes-impaired angiogenesis by rHDL is unknown. Using a miRNA array, we found that rHDL inhibits hsa-miR-181c-5p expression in vitro and using a hsa-miR-181c-5p mimic and antimiR identify a novel anti-angiogenic role for miR-181c-5p. miRNA expression was tracked over time post-hindlimb ischaemic induction in diabetic mice. Early post-ischaemia when angiogenesis is important, rHDL suppressed hindlimb mmu-miR-181c-5p. mmu-miR-181c-5p was not detected in the plasma or within HDL, suggesting rHDL specifically targets mmu-miR-181c-5p at the ischaemic site. Three known angiogenic miRNAs (mmu-miR-223-3p, mmu-miR-27b-3p, mmu-miR-92a-3p) were elevated in the HDL fraction of diabetic rHDL-infused mice early post-ischaemia. This was accompanied by a decrease in plasma levels. Only mmu-miR-223-3p levels were elevated in the hindlimb 3 days post-ischaemia, indicating that rHDL regulates mmu-miR-223-3p in a time-dependent and site-specific manner. The early regulation of miRNAs, particularly miR-181c-5p, may underpin the rescue of diabetes-impaired angiogenesis by rHDL and has implications for the treatment of diabetes-related vascular complications