1,721,509 research outputs found
A new method of measure of bubble gas volume shows that interleukin-6 injected into rats has no effect on gas embolism
No full textBondi M, Cavaggioni A, Gasperetti A, Rubini A. A new method of measure of bubble gas volume shows that interleukin-6 injected into rats has no effect on gas embolism. Undersea Hyperb Med 2009 1 36 (2):1031 115. The pleiotropic cytokine interleukin-6 increases in the plasma of rats after an air dive. Interleukin-6 shares both of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties and may condition the vascular system and gas embolism after an air dive. Up to now it is not known whether interleukin-6 has an effect on gas embolism. Aim of this work is to study the effect of interleukin-6 on gas embolism after a standard decompression protocol in a rat model. The volume of gas bubbles was measured in the heart cavities with a new method based on the buoyancy of the heart at different pressures which is physically sound, accurate and precise down to 10(-4) cm(3). No effect was found after injecting physiological doses of interleukin-6 at different times before the air dive. The mortality of the rats in the first half hour after the decompression was associated with a substantial gas volume measured in the heart. Multi-variate logistic regression analysis showed that the female rats had a higher risk compared to male rats of developing a substantial bubble volume and of not surviving; the spring-summer season was a risk factor for the survival. Further studies are needed to see whether interleukin-6 in association with other cytokines has ail effect on gas embolism
Preface [The Dissemination of Contemporary Knowledge in English: Genres, Discourse Strategies and Professional Practices]
No full textDialogicity in Individual and Institutional Scientific Blogs
Full text linkThe paper focuses on variation across institutional and individual scientific blogs, i.e., blogs that are managed by journals, magazines or associations involved in the dissemination of scientific information and blogs that are managed by individual researchers. Using comparable corpora of posts from different scientific disciplines, look in particular at markers of dialogicity, i.e., the representation of participants (markers of self-reference, reader-reference, as well as representation of the scientific community and markers of attribution), markers of communicative action (organizational units and metastatements), and evaluative dialogue (evaluative lexis and dialogic contraction or expansion). Concordance analysis of keywords and key-phrases (as calculated by Wordsmith Tools 8.0) shows that blogs managed by individual scientists emphasize personal voice and interpersonal elements, while institutional blogs are comparatively more informational. Dialogicity markers are shown to contribute to defining how bloggers manage subjective and intersubjective positioning and construct their credibility, thus defining the nature of their relation to the audience and ultimately the functions of blogging
Restricted lesions of olfactory mucosa are sufficient to modulate exploratory and social behaviours in mice.
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A Genre-Based Analysis of Forward-Looking Statements in Corporate Social Responsibility Reports
Full text linkCorporate social responsibility (CSR) reports are becoming a widespread corporate discourse practice and are often considered corporate image-building documents. The present study examines forward-looking statements in CSR reports from a genre-based perspective, aiming to better understand the textual practices of reporting genres in a globalized context and to raise awareness about ways they are used to shape perception of corporate activity. Using a corpus of 90 CSR reports in Chinese, English, and Italian and a subcorpus annotated with the "previewing future performance" move, the study combines a focus on genre-related contextual features and rhetorical patterns of CSR reports with a corpus-based study of future markers. The analysis reveals some cross-cultural variation in the distribution of the move, while its commissive function marks a common trend. Words indicating change (miglior*/(sic)/improv*) are found to be frequently used for future reference in all three languages, suggesting that future discourse, though regarded as an optional element of the genre, is widely exploited by companies in actual practice to promote a committed corporate image in CSR. Based on this analysis, the study puts forward the notion of "writing conformity," a general feature of many reporting genres, which may turn out to pose new and important challenges for professional writers
THE COVID-19 INFODEMIC ON TWITTER: Dialogic contraction within the echo chambers
Full text linkFake news and misinformation are a key topic when discussing social media analysis research. Special attention has been paid to how social media discourse, rather than focusing on the correct identification of sources and voices, can end up constructing trust and credibility by emphasising shared identities and positions, usually in opposition to other views. Studies on “echo chambers” look at how the views of others are systematically rejected and used instrumentally to support one’s own beliefs. Twitter discourse is often a case in point. The focus of our analysis is on the language that manifests the writer’s position, starting from the concept of engagement as defined in Martin and White’s (2005) appraisal framework. This indicates the speaker’s degree of commitment to what is being expressed and manifests the speaker’s attitudes to opening and closing the dialogic space for external views. Using a corpus of tweets and one of journalistic texts on the pandemic, we test the hypothesis that the space given to dialogic contraction on Twitter may be wider than that provided by traditional journalism. The study - based on frequency analysis, concordance analysis, and word embedding - centres on a predefined list of appraisal markers indicating contraction or expansion. We look at the relative frequency of these markers and at their role in the ongoing debate. The results show that there are specific markers that dominate Twitter discourse: adversative “but”, negative “no”/“not”, and cognitive verbs like “know” and “think”. A closer analysis of concordances of negatives and cognitive verbs shows that it is possible to identify patterns that are clear signals of explicit denials, whether in representing a position or rejecting it, and that the verbs are used as markers of ideological positioning. Twitter thus turns out to be characterised by positioning that emphasises contrasting views and denial of other positions. (302 words)
Introduction to the monographic section: Metadiscourse devices in academic discourse
Full text linkThe contribution provides a breif overview of metadiscourse studies in the field of EAP and introduces the monographic section of the journa
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