143 research outputs found
English Language Standards in Academic Articles: Attitudes of Peer Reviewers
This paper investigates comments on English language in peer reviews of manuscripts sub-
mitted to the journal English for Specific Purposes. The source of data is a corpus of 228 peer
reviews of papers written by native English speaking (NES) and non-native English speak-
ing (NNES) authors. The findings suggest that the reviewers considered English language
standard to be an important factor in judging papers to be publishable or not. Papers by
both NES and NNES authors attracted comments on English, but the NES-authored pa-
pers generally attracted more positive and the NNS-authored papers more negative com-
ment. Certain areas of language appeared to be more problematic for NNS authors and
others for NNES authors. Overall, however, the study suggests that we need to look at
factors other than English language standards in submitted papers for an explanation of the
lower rate of NNES-authored papers judged by reviewers to be publishable.Este artículo examina los comentarios acerca del uso de la lengua inglesa en las evaluaciones
de originales enviados a la revista English for Specific Purposes. Los datos se basan en un
corpus de 228 evaluaciones de artículos escritos tanto por hablantes nativos del inglés (HNI)
como por no nativos del inglés (HNNI). La investigación demuestra que los evaluadores
consideran el estándar de la lengua inglesa un factor importante a la hora de decidir si el
artículo es publicable o no. Aunque se comenta el uso de la lengua tanto de los autores HNI
como de los HNNI, lo cierto que es los primeros suelen recibir comentarios más positivos
que los segundos. En general, sin embargo, el estudio sugiere que además del empleo de la
lengua inglesa hay que contemplar otros factores para explicar el porcentaje inferior de
aceptación para su publicación de los artículos de autores HNI
Patterns of debate in tertiary level asynchronous text-based conferencing
Argumentation can be defined at different levels and serve different purposes, but its role in knowledge understanding and construction has given it a central place in education, particularly at tertiary level. The advent of computer-supported text-based conferences has created new sites where such educational dialogues can take place, but the quality of the interaction and whether it is serving its educational purpose is still uncertain. This paper reports on a framework of analysis that has been developed to illuminate the arguing process within an asynchronous electronic conferencing environment, showing how it is both similar to, and different from, argumentation in the more traditional forums of multi-party, face-to-face discussion and traditional written essays. The framework develops earlier work by the authors and is applied to two electronic conferences within the same postgraduate course, comparing overall patterns of argumentation. Findings are presented on the extent to which the technology of electronic conferencing shapes and supports students’ participation in academic literacy practices relating to argumentation, proposing, at the same time, that the teaching strategy adopted by the lecturer is also an important variable
Language, learning and electronic communications media
Guest editorial - article outline
1. Why is language significant?
2. Research settings
2.1. School age students:
(i) text-based conferencing
(ii) multimodal writing
2.2. University students:
(i) text-based conferencing
(ii) web-based literacy support
2.3. Informal adult learning: web-based reading
3. Methodologies for exploring language and learnin
Influence of antigen density and TLR ligands on preclinical efficacy of a VLP-based vaccine against peanut allergy.
BACKGROUND
Virus-like particle (VLP) Peanut is a novel immunotherapeutic vaccine candidate for the treatment of peanut allergy. The active pharmaceutical ingredient represents cucumber mosaic VLPs (CuMVTT -VLPs) that are genetically fused with one of the major peanut allergens, Ara h 2 (CuMVTT -Ara h 2). We previously demonstrated the immunogenicity and the protective capacity of VLP Peanut-based immunization in a murine model for peanut allergy. Moreover, a Phase I clinical trial has been initiated using VLP Peanut material manufactured following a GMP-compliant manufacturing process. Key product characterization studies were undertaken here to understand the role and contribution of critical quality attributes that translate as predictive markers of immunogenicity and protective efficacy for clinical vaccine development.
METHOD
The role of prokaryotic RNA encapsulated within VLP Peanut on vaccine immunogenicity was assessed by producing a VLP Peanut batch with a reduced RNA content (VLP Peanut low RNA). Immunogenicity and peanut allergen challenge studies were conducted with VLP Peanut low RNA, as well as with VLP Peanut in WT and TLR 7 KO mice. Furthermore, mass spectrometry and SDS-PAGE based methods were used to determine Ara h 2 antigen density on the surface of VLP Peanut particles. This methodology was subsequently applied to investigate the relationship between Ara h 2 antigen density and immunogenicity of VLP Peanut.
RESULTS
A TLR 7 dependent formation of Ara h 2 specific high-avidity IgG antibodies, as well as a TLR 7 dependent change in the dominant IgG subclass, was observed following VLP Peanut vaccination, while total allergen-specific IgG remained relatively unaffected. Consistently, a missing TLR 7 signal caused only a weak decrease in allergen tolerability after vaccination. In contrast, a reduced RNA content for VLP Peanut resulted in diminished total Ara h 2 specific IgG responses, followed by a significant impairment in peanut allergen tolerability. The discrepant effect on allergen tolerance caused by an absent TLR 7 signal versus a reduced RNA content is explained by the observation that VLP Peanut-derived RNA not only stimulates TLR 7 but also TLR 3. Additionally, a strong correlation was observed between the number of Ara h 2 antigens displayed on the surface of VLP Peanut particles and the vaccine's immunogenicity and protective capacity.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate that prokaryotic RNA encapsulated within VLP Peanut, including antigen density of Ara h 2 on viral particles, are key contributors to the immunogenicity and protective capacity of the vaccine. Thus, antigenicity and RNA content are two critical quality attributes that need to be determined at the stage of manufacturing, providing robust information regarding the immunogenicity and protective capacity of VLP Peanut in the mouse which has translational relevance to the human setting
3,5-Dimethylisoxazoles Act As Acetyl-lysine-mimetic Bromodomain Ligands
Histone-lysine acetylation is a vital chromatin post-translational modification involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. Bromodomains bind acetylated lysines, acting as readers of the histone-acetylation code. Competitive inhibitors of this interaction have antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. With 57 distinct bromodomains known, the discovery of subtype-selective inhibitors of the histone-bromodomain interaction is of great importance. We have identified the 3,5 dimethylisoxazole moiety as a novel acetyl-lysine bioisostere, which displaces acetylated histone-mimicking peptides from bromodomains. Using X-ray crystallographic analysis, we have determined the interactions responsible for the activity and selectivity of 4-substituted 3,5-dimethylisoxazoles against a selection of phylogenetically diverse bromodomains. By exploiting these interactions, we have developed compound 4d, which has IC50 values of <5 μM for the bromodomain-containing proteins BRD2(1) and BRD4(1). These compounds are promising leads for the further development of selective probes for the bromodomain and extra C-terminal domain (BET) family and CREBBP bromodomains
Selective inhibition of BET bromodomain epigenetic signalling interferes with the bone-associated tumour vicious cycle
The vicious cycle established between bone-associated tumours and bone resorption is the central problem with therapeutic strategies against primary bone tumours and bone metastasis. Here we report data to support inhibition of BET bromodomain proteins as a promising therapeutic strategy that target simultaneously the three partners of the vicious cycle. Treatment with JQ1, a BET bromodomain inhibitor, reduces cell viability of osteosarcoma cells and inhibits osteoblastic differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. These effects are associated with transcriptional silencing of MYC and RUNX2, resulting from the depletion of BRD4 from their respective loci. Moreover, JQ1 also inhibits osteoclast differentiation by interfering with BRD4-dependent RANKL activation of NFATC1 transcription. Collectively, our data indicate that JQ1 is a potent inhibitor of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation as well as bone tumour development
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Grammar and Context
Grammar and Context:
-considers how grammatical choices influence and are influenced by the context in which communication takes place
-examines the interaction of a wide variety of contexts – including socio-cultural, situational and global influences
-includes a range of different types of grammar – functional, pedagogic, descriptive and prescriptive
-explores grammatical features in a lively variety of communicative contexts, such as advertising, dinner-table talk, email and political speeches
-gathers together influential readings from key names in the discipline, including: David Crystal, M.A.K. Halliday, Joanna Thornborrow, Ken Hyland and Stephen Levey
'It is interesting to note that …': a comparative study of anticipatory ‘it’ in student and published writing
The study of metadiscoursal components of academic texts, through which writers organise, interpret and evaluate content matter, provides one means of examining the relationship between writer and reader. This paper explores one grammatical feature of metadiscourse, clauses with an anticipatory it and extraposed subject (as in ‘It is interesting to note that no solution is offered’). This feature is compared in two computerised corpora of text, one consisting of published journal articles from the field of Business Studies and the second of MBA student dissertations written by non-native speakers of English. It-clauses are found to have four main interpersonal roles in hedging, marking the writer's attitude, emphasis, and attribution. The main differences between the two corpora are in the use of it-clauses to persuade readers of the validity of claims, with student writers making an apparently greater and more overt persuasive effort, and stating propositions more forcefully. Proposals are made on why this might be the case, taking into account the different writer-reader relationships in journal articles and dissertations. Implications of the findings for the teaching of academic writing are presented
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Impersonalizing stance: a study of anticipatory ‘it’ in student and published academic writing
About the book: This edited collection is about the application of English grammar and specialises in 'functional' and'corpus' approaches, approaches which are increasingly recognised as providing significant insights into English language in action. It aims to stimulate interest and understanding of grammar as an applied tool not just for grammarians or language learners, but for all those interested in how language is organized to shape our view of events in the world
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