Theoretical Framework of Stance: An Introduction of A New Analytical Category, Neutral Epistemic Stance

This paper extends Hyland’s (2005) theoretical framework of stance through the introduction of an additional analytic category of stance, neutral epistemic stance corresponding to Mushin’s (2001) factual epistemological stance. This article reviews various theoretical frameworks of stance and argues that none of these theoretical frameworks provide neutral linguistic markers of stance in academic writing. Using a corpus of twelve accounting PhD theses I conducted a textual analysis of different rhetorical sections between the theses, identifying what stance markers are used and why such stance markers are used and in what linguistic context such markers are used. This process led me to identify a new analytical category, neutral epistemic stance. This study contributes to the ongoing literature on stance in academic writing, arguing that unevaluated stance is also indicating taking up a neutral stance and can be understood as part of ‘doing objectivity’ in academic writing

The Effect of Indirect Written Corrective Feedback to Arabic Language Intermediate Students’ in Kuwait

This study investigates the effect of indirect written corrective feedback to Arabic intermediate students in Kuwait. There are 20 participants altogether in this study, ten male and ten female. They each wrote two assignments on the same topic. No feedback was received on the first assignment, and the second was conducted after indirect feedback was offered to them on the first task. The results show that indirect feedback is effective in improving their writing and language skills. The results also indicated a higher number of spelling errors than any other errors. The findings of this study suggest some teaching implications which include raising students’ awareness of the need to avoid many writing errors. Teachers should not correct all students’ errors, but should only correct those errors which are deemed necessary to correct. Teachers should also focus their attention on teaching and learning tasks, which concentrate on indirect written feedback rather than direct feedback. Again, as the leaners seem to have more problems with spelling errors rather than any other errors, teachers should devise strategies which concentrate on improving such errors, and writing correct words. This study advocates a large scale of studies which cover the wider context of Kuwaiti intermediate students

Authorial stance in accounting PhD theses in a Nigerian university

Stance has emerged in the literature on academic writing in a major way, and as an important and pervasive mechanism by which academic writers ‘inhabit’ their writing and give it distinctiveness (Baynham, 2011; 2014). In this study, I investigate what linguistic markers of stance accounting PhD authors are more frequently used in Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and what factors might constrain or influence their use. I draw primarily on a corpus-based textual analysis but complement this with a consideration of institutional and disciplinary factors which might explain why the writers investigated write as they do. I employ nine participants: six accounting PhD authors and three accounting PhD supervisors. I compile a corpus of six accounting PhD theses from Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria (BUK corpus), and an accounting sub-corpus: four accounting UK PhD theses (UK corpus) for comparative analysis with the BUK corpus. The result of comparative corpus-based textual analysis between BUK theses shows that there are certain similarities and differences in terms of using stance markers. For example, in terms of similarities all the six authors use higher frequencies of booster than the other categories of stance markers in their result sections; whereas in their conclusion section they all use higher frequencies of hedges than the other categories of stance markers. They also use few restricted typologies of each category of stance markers. On the other hand, there are certain differences in using stance markers, for example, only two out of the six authors use explicit self-mention features. Overall comparative results show that three authors use higher frequencies of hedge than the other categories of stance markers; whereas two authors use higher frequencies of booster than the other categories of stance markers; and one author use same frequency for both booster and hedge. The result of comparative corpus-based textual analysis between the BUK and UK corpora still shows there are certain similarities and differences that both corpora have higher frequencies of hedges than the other categories of stance markers. On the other hand, UK corpus has higher frequencies of attitude markers, neutral stance markers, explicit self-mention features; whereas BUK corpus has higher frequencies of hedge and booster. The contextual data however suggests that several factors might have constrained some of the accounting PhD authors (BUK) to use explicit self-mention features. Some of the factors are: the traditional practices of the University and Department discouraging the students to make themselves explicitly present through the use of personal pronouns; unequal power relationship between lecturers and students; a lack of explicit assumptions of academic writing, as well as absence of explicit statements or rules provided regarding the use of linguistic markers of stance in feedback provided during the supervision process. This study proposes an additional analytic category of stance into Hyland’s model, influenced by Mushin’s factual epistemological stance. The new category is neutral epistemic stance. Unlike previous studies which deal only in parts of theses, this study deals with theses as complete texts in order to add our understanding and knowledge on what linguistic markers of stance are more frequently used in the discipline of accounting across whole macrostructures of the theses particularly at BUK. On the basis of these findings, this study recommends a more broadly a genre-sensitive approach to the teaching of academic writing, including explicit teaching of linguistic markers of stance rather than traditional grammar only. It also recommends raising of awareness of the students on the institutional/social practices in relation to the construction of the PhD thesis, such as the norms and conventions of the discourse community

Seasonal Chemical Fractionation of Metals in Some Dumpsites Soils in Zaria Metropolis, Nigeria

The study was aimed at investigating the chemical fractionation, bioaccumulation and bioavailability of Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the refuse waste soils of some dumpsites across the seasons (wet and dry) in Zaria metropolis. The heavy metals in the waste soils were sequentially extracted and measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results revealed that high concentrations of metal in dry season. The non-residual fraction was found to be the most abundant pools for all the metals across the seasons (wet and dry). Also, significant amounts of Hg, Cd and Cu were mostly found in the bioavailable fractions across the sites in the seasons. Thus, these metals would readily be bioavailable to the environment. Overall, the order of mobility and bioavailability of these metals across the seasons (dry and wet) followed the pattern; Hg > Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu and Hg > Cd > Cu > Zn > Pb respectively. Tendencies of health risk for human and livestock due to the spread of the metal pollution from waste dumpsites to agricultural areas is high. Bioaccumulation of cadmium and mercury cause liver, brain and intestinal disorders, irreversible damage to nervous system and brain, protoplasmic poisoning etc. Keywords: Metals, Bioavailability, Dumpsites, Human Toxicity, Soil

Microwave assisted biodiesel production from Lagenaria vulgaris seed oil using amberlyst 15 ion exchange resin and eggshell as catalysts

The study involves the extraction of oil from the seeds of lagenaria vulgaris (Calabash) using soxhlet apparatus. The physicochemical properties of the calabash seeds oil analyzed were; crude oil yield (37.8%), density of oil (0.925g/cm3), acid value of oil (5.6mgKOH/g) and saponification value (190.1mgKOH/g).Catalytic transesterification was carried out using the oil produced in a microwave to yield biodiesel. A comparative analysis of the biodiesel produced from the extracted oil using two different catalysts; Amberlyst 15 ion exchange resin and calcium oxide (waste eggshell) was carried out. The biodiesel production was conducted under different catalyst concentrations, different temperature range and different time (minutes). The best yield of 95.07% was achieved with treated waste eggshell at 600C, 5% catalyst to oil ratio and 40% methanol to oil volume ratio after 40 minutes. Biodiesel characterization showed; specific gravity (0.890g/cm3), acid value (0.7mgKOH/g), API gravity (27.5g/cm3), kinematic viscosity (5.6mm2/s), cloud point (3.50C), pour point (-30C), copper strip corrosion test (1b), flash point (1380C), cetane/diesel index (35.1). The result shows that the biodiesel quality parameters were within the acceptable limits set by ASTM, although blends and additives maybe needed to improve performance.Keywords: Biodiesel, Transesterification, Amberlyst 15, Eggshel

Quantitative structure-activity relationship and molecular docking studies of a series of quinazolinonyl analogues as inhibitors of gamma amino butyric acid aminotransferase

Quantitative structure-activity relationship and molecular docking studies were carried out on a series of quinazolinonyl analogues as anticonvulsant inhibitors. Density Functional Theory (DFT) quantum chemical calculation method was used to find the optimized geometry of the anticonvulsants inhibitors. Four types of molecular descriptors were used to derive a quantitative relation between anticonvulsant activity and structural properties. The relevant molecular descriptors were selected by Genetic Function Algorithm (GFA). The best model was validated and found to be statistically significant with squared correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.934, adjusted squared correlation coefficient (R2adj) value of 0.912, Leave one out (LOO) cross validation coefficient (Q2) value of 0.8695 and the external validation (R2pred) of 0.72. Docking analysis revealed that the best compound with the docking scores of −9.5 kcal/mol formed hydrophobic interaction and H-bonding with amino acid residues of gamma aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABAAT). This research has shown that the binding affinity generated was found to be better than the commercially sold anti-epilepsy drug, vigabatrin. Also, it was found to be better than the one reported by other researcher. Our QSAR model and molecular docking results corroborate with each other and propose the directions for the design of new inhibitors with better activity against GABAAT. The present study will help in rational drug design and synthesis of new selective GABAAT inhibitors with predetermined affinity and activity and provides valuable information for the understanding of interactions between GABAAT and the anticonvulsants inhibitors

Molecular docking and quantitative structure-activity relationship study of anticonvulsant activity of aminobenzothiazole derivatives

In silico studies which include Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and molecular docking studies were carried out on the 37 amino-benzothiazole derivatives (anticonvulsant agents). Genetic function approximation (GFA) of Material studio software version 8 was used to perform the QSAR study while Autodock vina version 4.0 of Pyrx software was used to perform the molecular docking of all the anticonvulsant agents. The high value of the correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.961 and the R2pred = 0.925 indicated that the model was satisfactory. Molecular docking analyses with Gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferases (GABAAT) revealed that aminobenzothiazole derivatives (anticonvulsant agents) with the best binding affinity was found to be −9.1 kcal/mol. The proposed model has good stability, robustness, and predictability on verifying with internal and external validation. The physicochemical parameters are to be considered when improving the inhibitory activities of the aminobenzothiazole derivatives against an enzyme that causes epilepsy (GABAAT). Keywords: Epilepsy, GABAAT, QSAR, DFT (B3LYP/6-31G∗

Proximate analysis of Hibiscus mutabilis seeds obtained from Samaru, Kaduna State

Sani Uba, Isreal Kehinde. Omoniyi, Abubakar Sani, Mikail Abdul Hameed.Received: 20 January 2023/Accepted 20 March 2023 Hibiscus mutabilis seed has been reported to be rich in oil and other proximate contents that can be a good feedstock forbiodiesel production and other technologies. Consequently, seeds were analysed for their proximate composition while the extracted oil was used for biodiesel synthesis. The proximate contents included moisture contents (11.46± 0.08%), ash content of (6.52 ± 0.2%), crude fat (8.41 ± 0.53%), protein (16.86 ±0.28%), (fiber (30.16 ± 0.26%) and carbohydrate (26.59 ± 0.39%). The evaluated results suggest that the plant seed may be useful for the production of paints, cosmetics and vegetable oils The results also suggested that Hibiscus mutabilis seed possesses some properties that were suitable for biodiesel production