scholarly journals Stance markers in English medical research articles and newspaper opinion columns: A comparative corpus-based study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247981
Author(s):  
Qian Shen ◽  
Yating Tao

Stance markers are critical linguistic devices for writers to convey their personal attitudes, judgments or assessments about the proposition of certain messages. Following Hyland’s framework of stance, this study investigated the distribution of stance markers in two different genres: medical research articles (medical RA) and newspaper opinion columns (newspaper OC). The corpus constructed for the investigation includes 52 medical research articles and 175 newspaper opinion articles, which were both written in English and published from January to April in 2020 with the topic focusing on COVID-19. The findings of this study demonstrated that the occurrences of stance markers in newspaper OC were far more frequent than those in medical RA, indicating the different conventions of these two genres. Despite the significant difference in the occurrences of stance markers between the two sub-corpora, similarities of the most frequent stance markers in two genres were also highlighted. The study indicated that the topic content seems to play an important role in shaping the way of how writers construct their stance. The lack of information or evidence on the topic of COVID-19 could restrain writers from making high degree of commitment to their claims, which make them adopt a more tentative stance to qualify their statements.

Author(s):  
Nisha Patidar ◽  
Nitya Vyas ◽  
Shanoo Sharma ◽  
Babita Sharma

Abstract Objective Carbapenems are last resort antibiotics for multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. However, resistance to carbapenem is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide leading to major therapeutic failures and increased mortality rate. Early and effective detection of carbapenemase producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is therefore key to control dissemination of carbapenem resistance in nosocomial as well as community-acquired infection. The aim of present study was to evaluate efficacy of Modified strip Carba NP (CNP) test against Modified Hodge test (MHT) for early detection of carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). Material and Methods Enterobacteriaceae isolated from various clinical samples were screened for carbapenem resistance. A total of 107 CRE were subjected to MHT and Modified strip CNP test for the detection of CPE. Statistical Analysis It was done on Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, IBM India; version V26. Nonparametric test chi-square and Z-test were used to analyze the results within a 95% level of confidence. Results Out of 107 CRE, 94 (88%) were phenotypically confirmed as carbapenemase producer by Modified strip CNP test and 46 (43%) were confirmed by Modified Hodge Test (MHT). Thirty-eight (36%) isolates showed carbapenemase production by both MHT and CNP test, 56 isolates (52%) were CNP test positive but MHT negative, eight (7%) isolates were MHT positive but CNP test negative and five (5%) isolates were both MHT and CNP test negative. There is statistically significant difference in efficiency of Modified CNP test and MHT (p < 0.05). Conclusion Modified strip CNP test is simple and inexpensive test which is easy to perform and interpret and gives rapid results in less than 5 minutes. It has high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Modified strip CNP test shows significantly higher detection capacity for carbapenemase producers as compared with MHT.


2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Guimond ◽  
Michel Streith ◽  
Elodie Roebroeck

Studies on the perception of multiculturalism, in France and elsewhere, usually look only at personal attitudes without asking what individuals perceive as the norm in their community. This article presents the findings of a survey based on a representative sample of the French population ( N = 1001) which aims to fill this gap. In accordance with the concept of ‘pluralist ignorance’, the results reveal a significant difference between personal attitudes toward multiculturalism and assimilation (i.e. the French are personally in favor of multiculturalism) and the perceived social norm (they think that the majority of French people are opposed to multiculturalism). Furthermore, as expected, the perceptions of the norm are broadly shared, regardless of sex, age or political orientation, unlike personal attitudes. Thus, whereas both the far right and the far left agree on the perception of the norm, only sympathizers of the far right declare themselves personally in favor of assimilation. Finally, the results make an important contribution to understanding the influence of education (number of years of schooling), on individuals’ attitudes, showing that within the most educated categories there are significant differences according to field of study.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 532-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gozde Gur ◽  
Ozden Ozkal ◽  
Burcu Dilek ◽  
Songul Aksoy ◽  
Nilgun Bek ◽  
...  

Background: Taping is an effective temporary therapy for improving hallux valgus (HV) in adults. Although HV has been demonstrated to impair postural balance, there is a lack of information about how corrective taping affects balance and gait patterns in adults with HV deformity. Methods: Eighteen middle-aged female patients (average age, 53.5 years) with HV were included. Corrective tape was applied to correct HV angulation. A series of balance and gait stability tests were performed before applying tape and 1 hour after the tape was applied with a Balance Master computerized posturography device. The study involved the following tests: modified clinical test of sensory interaction and balance (mCTSIB), unilateral stance (US), limit of stability (LoS), step up/over (SUO), and walk across (WA) tests. Results: No significant difference was found between the no-tape and taped condition in the static balance mCTSIB and US tests ( P > .05). The taping intervention resulted in significant improvement in the dynamic balance measures for the LoS test’s backward reaction time and left maximum excursion ( P < .05), a significantly higher impact index bilaterally in the SUO assessment ( P < .05), and an increase in step width mean and variability in the WA test ( P < .05). Conclusions: Taping for correcting HV angulation had negative acute effects on dynamic balance in the SUO and WA tests and positive effects in the LoS test. Clinical Relevance: Corrective taping, although a form of conservative treatment for hallux valgus, has been insufficiently studied in terms of effects on balance. Our results show that taping, as an acute effect, may impair balance in middle-aged adults when walking or ascending and descending stairs.


Author(s):  
Marthinus J. Kotze ◽  
Kurt-W. Bütow ◽  
Steve A. Olorunju ◽  
Harry F. Kotze

There is a lack of information in comparing the healing rate between the left and right sides of the maxilla and mandible. Osteogenesis of alveolar bone was evaluated with digital radiology by comparing differences in bone density (BD) at different time points within the left and right maxilla and mandible. Alveolar bone defects were created in five healthy Chacma baboons. Standardised x-ray images were acquired over time and the densities of the selected trauma areas were measured pre-operatively, post-operatively and at 3 and 6 weeks post-operatively. Differences in densities were statistically tested. There was no significant difference when the grey scale averages of the combined first and fourth quadrants (right side) and combined second and third quadrants (left side) were compared pre-operatively (t = 0.70), immediately post-operatively (t = 0.34), 3 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.40) and 6 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.66). There was also no significant difference between the values for the first and second quadrants (maxilla) pre-operatively (t = 0.37), immediately post-operatively (t = 0.30), 3 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.30) and 6 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.38); the third and fourth quadrants (mandible) were also not significantly different pre-operatively (t = 0.29), immediately post-operatively (t = 0.69), 3 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.07) and 6 weeks postoperatively (t = 0.06). However, the results showed an increased predisposition of the right side to regenerate faster than the left side and indicated sufficient information to investigate the effect of laterality and preferred side of mastication on the rate of healing and alveolar BD in the maxilla and mandible.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-199
Author(s):  
Helen Rosita J ◽  
Gnanaselvan J ◽  
Amudhavadivu S ◽  
Anna Kurian Mullasseril

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, one of the risk factor recognised being high myopia. Intra ocular pressure may be normal in myopic patients, with optic nerve head glaucoma characteristics. Eye ball elongation and optic nerve head tilting may be present in patients with high myopia that will represent field defects mimicking glaucoma. Treating patients with myopia having suspected aspects of glaucoma may be a challenge but even more challenging is the diagnosis of glaucoma in myopic patients.: To evaluate the association of glaucoma features with myopia. To create the awareness regarding the long term follow up.: Patients in the age group of 15 to 45 years who had attended our institution over a period of one year who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were subjected for this study. Fifty four patients who were diagnosed to have moderate or high degree myopia were selected for this analytical study. They were subjected to vision, ocular examination, tonometry and results obtained were analysed.: In our study moderate myopes constituted 55.5% and high myopes were 44.5%. The mean Intra ocular pressure and the mean corrected Intra ocular pressure in high myopes were observed to be higher than in moderate myopia. It was observed that higher prevalence of glaucoma was observed in high myopes.: There is a clinically as well as statistically significant difference between mean Intra ocular pressure and mean corrected Intra ocular pressure. So mean corrected Intra ocular pressure should be measured .From our study, there is a clear indication that there is increased prevalence of glaucoma in high myopes.


Author(s):  
Dr. AHMAD ALI AL- JABALI

This study aims at identifying the evaluation of learning resources rooms in public schools in Ajloun governorate from the point of view of their teachers. The study was based on the descriptive analytical method. The study population consisted of (107) male and female teachers. random. The study reached a set of results, The most important: The arithmetic averages of the responses of the study sample to evaluate the room of learning resources as a whole came with a high degree, with an average of (3.63) and the field of parents with a high degree, and an arithmetic average (3.92), followed by the teacher field, with an average (3.66). ), Then the student field, with an average (3.64), while the resource room field, the lowest average score, with an average (3.40), The results also showed that there is no statistically significant difference according to sex and educational qualification, and that there are statistically significant difference for the job experience variable for (11 years and above). To disseminate the experience of forming a support committee to all departments, institutions and programs working with people with special needs in the local community.


Author(s):  
Rahmafitria Rahmafitria ◽  
Mutmainnah Mutmainnah ◽  
Ibrahim Abdul Samad

Evaluating the degree of liver fibrosis degree is invasive as well as uncomfortable, therefore, non invasive examinations such as liverfunction tests and elastography (Fibro Scan) as a predictor‘s device of liver fibrosis degree are necessary. The aim of this study was toknow the differences of liver function parameters based on the fibrosis degree in patients with chronic liver disease. This study was a crosssectional design using data from chronic liver disease patients treated at the Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital. The elasticity of the liverwas measured using a fibro scan device during June 2010–July 2011. The analysis was carried out by ANOVA test on various parametersof liver function particularly on the fibrosis degree in chronic liver disease. In this study PT, albumin, total bilirubin and platelet countshowed a significant difference of 0.019, 0.009, 0.017 and 0.000 respectively. The mean values of PT and total bilirubin were significantlyhigher in the high degree of fibrosis compared to those with medium and low degree of fibrosis in the chronic liver disease patients. Basedon this study, the mean albumin levels and platelet count were significantly lower in the high degree of fibrosis compared with the mediumand low degree of fibrosis, however, no significant differences in AST, ALT, APTT and GGT were found.


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