Genre Analysis of Argumentative Essays of Pakistani EFL Learners

Argumentative essay is an important but difficult genre for non-native learners. There is a dearth of research in Pakistan that describes the nature of argumentative writing from genre-analytical perspective. The current study aimed at finding rhetorical patterns of argumentative essays written by Pakistani college and university students at ICLE (International Corpus of Learner English). A corpus of thirty three argumentative essays has been made. Hyland's model (1990) has been used as the analytical framework to analyze the move-step structure of the essays. In this corpus-based study Ant Mover software as well as human coders have identified and coded the moves. Results have shown that most of the argumentative essays followed the three stages given in the model and they also have obligatory moves set in the model. Findings have revealed that these essays also include some new moves which are not part of the model. The results of this study have pedagogical implications for the teaching and learning of ESP/EFL. It also provides the teachers with better information that can help to improve their teaching approach and materials for academic writing. Key words: argumentative essays, corpus-based, genre analysis, move-step structur

Punica granatum (Pomegranate) juice provides an HIV-1 entry inhibitor and candidate topical microbicide

BACKGROUND: For ≈ 24 years the AIDS pandemic has claimed ≈ 30 million lives, causing ≈ 14,000 new HIV-1 infections daily worldwide in 2003. About 80% of infections occur by heterosexual transmission. In the absence of vaccines, topical microbicides, expected to block virus transmission, offer hope for controlling the pandemic. Antiretroviral chemotherapeutics have decreased AIDS mortality in industrialized countries, but only minimally in developing countries. To prevent an analogous dichotomy, microbicides should be: acceptable; accessible; affordable; and accelerative in transition from development to marketing. Already marketed pharmaceutical excipients or foods, with established safety records and adequate anti-HIV-1 activity, may provide this option. METHODS: Fruit juices were screened for inhibitory activity against HIV-1 IIIB using CD4 and CXCR4 as cell receptors. The best juice was tested for inhibition of: (1) infection by HIV-1 BaL, utilizing CCR5 as the cellular coreceptor; and (2) binding of gp120 IIIB and gp120 BaL, respectively, to CXCR4 and CCR5. To remove most colored juice components, the adsorption of the effective ingredient(s) to dispersible excipients and other foods was investigated. A selected complex was assayed for inhibition of infection by primary HIV-1 isolates. RESULTS: HIV-1 entry inhibitors from pomegranate juice adsorb onto corn starch. The resulting complex blocks virus binding to CD4 and CXCR4/CCR5 and inhibits infection by primary virus clades A to G and group O. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the possibility of producing an anti-HIV-1 microbicide from inexpensive, widely available sources, whose safety has been established throughout centuries, provided that its quality is adequately standardized and monitored

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk

Increasing frailty is associated with higher prevalence and reduced recognition of delirium in older hospitalised inpatients: results of a multi-centre study

Purpose: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder delineated by an acute change in cognition, attention, and consciousness. It is common, particularly in older adults, but poorly recognised. Frailty is the accumulation of deficits conferring an increased risk of adverse outcomes. We set out to determine how severity of frailty, as measured using the CFS, affected delirium rates, and recognition in hospitalised older people in the United Kingdom. Methods: Adults over 65 years were included in an observational multi-centre audit across UK hospitals, two prospective rounds, and one retrospective note review. Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), delirium status, and 30-day outcomes were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence of delirium was 16.3% (483). Patients with delirium were more frail than patients without delirium (median CFS 6 vs 4). The risk of delirium was greater with increasing frailty [OR 2.9 (1.8–4.6) in CFS 4 vs 1–3; OR 12.4 (6.2–24.5) in CFS 8 vs 1–3]. Higher CFS was associated with reduced recognition of delirium (OR of 0.7 (0.3–1.9) in CFS 4 compared to 0.2 (0.1–0.7) in CFS 8). These risks were both independent of age and dementia. Conclusion: We have demonstrated an incremental increase in risk of delirium with increasing frailty. This has important clinical implications, suggesting that frailty may provide a more nuanced measure of vulnerability to delirium and poor outcomes. However, the most frail patients are least likely to have their delirium diagnosed and there is a significant lack of research into the underlying pathophysiology of both of these common geriatric syndromes

Taxis and Logico-semantic Relations in AI-Generated Vs. Human-Written Argumentative Essays: A Comparative Study

In recent times, the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made a significant and far-reaching impact across various aspects of human life, with academia being no exception. One noteworthy emergence in this field is OpenAI's ChatGPT, an AI-driven language model that adeptly generates comprehensive text in accordance with user requirements. This research endeavors to delve into the parallels and distinctions existing between AI-generated argumentative essays and those crafted by human hands. This examination revolves around their underlying logical meta-functions. To achieve this objective, the study employs the System of Clause Complexes, encompassing taxis and logico-semantic relationships (as outlined by Halliday & Matthiessen in 2014), as the foundational theoretical framework. Furthermore, the research gathers a set of 10 argumentative essays each, generated by ChatGPT, composed by proficient English-native users, and authored by ESL learners. These collected essays are subsequently subjected to annotation, a task facilitated by the utilization of the UAM tool. The findings that emerge shed light on notable disparities. AI-generated argumentative essays prominently exhibit a higher proportion of clause complexes, paratactic structures, and positive additive relationships when compared to their human-written counterparts. Conversely, certain elements such as variation, alternation, and conditional relationships are conspicuously absent in AI-generated essays, whereas humans adeptly employ these elements in constructing their arguments. This discovery imparts crucial insights to the creators of AI, offering a deeper understanding of both its limitations and advancements. Moreover, it also holds relevance for English language educators and learners, who can draw upon these findings to enhance their understanding of the nuances and distinctions between AI-generated and human-crafted argumentative essays