Opinion Article Research Articles

Syntactic Complexity of Online Opinion Articles Published in South East Asian Countries

The research investigated the syntactic complexity of opinion articles published in online newspapers from English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) countries in South-East Asia (SEA). The aims of the research were, first, to analyze the types of Syntactic Complexity (SC) of opinion articles in online news media. The second was to seek the difference in syntactic complexity in online opinion articles between ESL and EFL countries. The third was to seek whether there was a significant difference in terms of types of syntactic measurements between ESL and EFL countries. To answer the questions, the research applied both quantitative and qualitative methods. Twelve opinion articles from online news media in SEA countries were derived from Malaysia and Singapore, which represented ESL countries, and Indonesia and Thailand, which represented EFL countries. The data were analyzed by using an L2 syntactic complexity analyzer. The Second Language Syntactic Complexity Analyzer (L2SCA) program displayed fourteen syntactic complexity measures divided into five types of measurements such as the length of production, sentence complexity, subordination, coordination, and particular structures. From comparing overall ESL and EFL countries and each of the opinion articles topics, the research results reveal that opinion articles of ESL countries show a higher score on the lengthof production, sentence complexity, subordination, and particular structures than EFL countries. Meanwhile, in coordination type, EFL countries display a higher number of a score than ESL ones. The research indicates there is no significant difference between ESL and EFL countries since the p-value of each type of syntactic complexity is higher than 0,05.

Humor Reduces Online Incivility

Abstract Online incivility is a persistent issue facing many news and social media platforms. To better understand it, we examined whether humorous content reduced online incivility and whether the (in)civility of another user might mitigate or amplify this effect in two experiments (Study 1, N = 122; Study 2, N = 208). Participants in both experiments read an online opinion article about an instance of negative stereotyping and provided a comment on a simulated online news forum. The first study manipulated article humor (humorous vs. not humorous). The second study manipulated humor and the (in)civility of a previous user’s comment (civil vs. uncivil). In both studies, humor-reduced incivility. Anger mediated this effect. Source liking mediated the positive effect of humor on reducing anger. The (in)civility of a previous comment did not affect these results. Overall, the findings point to the value of humor and anger reduction in managing online incivility. Lay Summary Online incivility is a common occurrence in online public forums. This article investigated factors that may reduce incivility in two online experiments. The first experiment tested whether humor reduced anger and subsequently the incivility of participants’ comments towards a negative stereotype-challenging op-ed article. The second experiment tested whether exposure to civil and uncivil previous user comments influenced the civility of participants’ comments. Humor was found to reduce online incivility by reducing feelings of anger and increasing liking towards the author in both experiments. Exposure to another user’s comment, whether civil or uncivil, did not appear to influence the civility of participants’ comments, suggesting that article content is a more likely trigger for online incivility.

Coordination of Chloroplast Activity with Plant Growth: Clues Point to TOR.

Photosynthesis is the defining function of most autotrophic organisms. In the plantae kingdom, chloroplasts host this function and ensure growth. However, these organelles are very sensitive to stressful conditions and the photosynthetic process can cause photooxidative damage if not perfectly regulated. In addition, their function is energivorous in terms of both chemical energy and nutrients. To coordinate chloroplast activity with the cell’s need, continuous signaling is required: from chloroplasts to cytoplasm and from nucleus to chloroplasts. In this opinion article, several mechanisms that ensure this communication are reported and the many clues that point to an important role of the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase in the coordination between the eukaryotic and prokaryotic sides of plants are highlighted.

Orthopaedic Implant-Associated Staphylococcal Infections: A Critical Reappraisal of Unmet Clinical Needs Associated with the Implementation of the Best Antibiotic Choice.

Infections associated with orthopaedic implants represent a major health concern characterized by a remarkable incidence of morbidity and mortality. The wide variety of clinical scenarios encountered in the heterogeneous world of infections associated with orthopaedic implants makes the implementation of an optimal and standardized antimicrobial treatment challenging. Antibiotic bone penetration, anti-biofilm activity, long-term safety, and drug choice/dosage regimens favouring outpatient management (i.e., long-acting or oral agents) play a major role in regards to the chronic evolution of these infections. The aim of this multidisciplinary opinion article is to summarize evidence supporting the use of the different anti-staphylococcal agents in terms of microbiological and pharmacological optimization according to bone penetration, anti-biofilm activity, long-term safety, and feasibility for outpatient regimens, and to provide a useful guide for clinicians in the management of patients affected by staphylococcal infections associated with orthopaedic implants Novel long-acting lipoglycopeptides, and particularly dalbavancin, alone or in combination with rifampicin, could represent the best antibiotic choice according to real-world evidence and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties. The implementation of a multidisciplinary taskforce and close cooperation between microbiologists and clinicians is crucial for providing the best care in this scenario.

Recent Update on Retinoic Acid-Driven Initiation of Spermatogonial Differentiation.

Germ cells (Gc) propagate the genetic information to subsequent generations. Diploid (2n) Gc get transformed to specialized haploid (n) gametes by mitotic and meiotic divisions in adult gonads. Retinoic acid (RA), an active derivative of vitamin A (retinol), plays a critical role in organ morphogenesis and regulates the meiotic onset in developing Gc. Unlike ovaries, fetal testes express an RA-degrading enzyme CYP26B1, and thereby, male Gc fail to enter into meiosis and instead get arrested at G0/G1 stage, termed as gonocytes/pro-spermatogonia by embryonic (E) 13.5 days. These gonocytes are transformed into spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells after birth (1–3 days of neonatal age). During post-natal testicular maturation, the differentiating spermatogonia enter into the meiotic prophase under the influence RA, independent of gonadotropic (both FSH and LH) support. The first pulse of RA ensures the transition of undifferentiated type A spermatogonia to differentiated A1 spermatogonia and upregulates STRA8 expression in Gc. Whereas, the second pulse of RA induces the meiotic prophase by augmenting MEIOSIN expression in differentiated spermatogonia B. This opinion article briefly reviews our current understanding on the RA-driven spermatogonial differentiation in murine testes.

New Opinion of Development Potential of Carboniferous Volcanic Gas Reservoir: Taking the Kelameili Gas Filed as an Example

OPINION article Front. Energy Res., 15 March 2022Sec.Advanced Clean Fuel Technologies https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.861901

Call for Papers: “Psychological Perspectives on Science Communication”

Call for Papers: “Psychological Perspectives on Science Communication”

The Coexistence of Flood and Drought Tolerance: An Opinion on the Development of Climate-Smart Rice.

OPINION article Front. Plant Sci., 08 March 2022Sec.Plant Abiotic Stress https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.860802

Promoting Flight Crew Mental Health Requires International Guidance for Down-Route Quarantine Circumstances.

OPINION article Front. Public Health, 04 March 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.854262

Viewpoints on the Theory of Agricultural Energy Internet

OPINION article Front. Energy Res., 02 March 2022Sec. Process and Energy Systems Engineering https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.871772

The Evolution of Data and Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech Concerns with Artificial Intelligence

AbstractThis opinion article, by Channarong Intahchomphoo and Christian Tschirhart, explains the evolution of data and how it becomes useful information and then insightful knowledge. In the current era we are witnessing a high increase in the development and adaptation of artificial intelligence (AI) in society. AI technologies have the ability to process large volumes of data and information to help in finding insightful knowledge. However, AI is not perfect and there are ethical concerns, particularly when unintended negative consequences result from it; this paper also discusses ethical concerns currently confronting our society related to the freedom of expression and hate speech issues with AI. Importantly, this paper notes that governments are working to find ways to regulate social media and internet companies through legal channels as governments are no longer confident in the ability of social media and internet companies to self-regulate and thereby to guide society on what content is right or wrong. This is a critical new development in internet and AI governance that information and technology professionals and public and private organizations need to monitor closely the situation as it evolves.

Learning or Memorization: Self-Directed Medical School Curriculum and the Dangers of Overemphasizing Student Selected Ancillary Resources

This article is a response to an opinion article, authored by Wu JH et al. and published in JAMA 2021, vol 326 (20) which suggested the that pre-clinical (first two) years of medical school curriculum should revolve around “high-yield” resources as the dominant teaching tool. The article posited that this highly controversial view was the best way to engage with students and was published in a well-read and utilized medical journal. Due to the growing divide between learning resources provided by medical schools and outside resources actually utilized by students, the conclusions drawn in the mentioned opinion article were understandable but interpreted in the wrong vein. Herein, the authors review landmark changes in medical education over the last century and the underpinning rationale to preface their examination of the suggested changes from the mentioned opinion article. The authors conclude with recommendations from a student perspective and a continuation of the last 100 years of advancements.

Music Education and the Limbo of Unrealized Possibilities

In this introductory editorial, I explore whether music education has moved to a stance of moralism rather than one of ethical teaching and action. In this essay, I define morality as the principles that enable one to discern if something is right or wrong, good or bad; ethics guide an individual or group’s behavior or activity based on those principles. 1 Therefore, any ethical action emerges from principles grounded in a moral belief. The questions posed in this editorial arise from a recent opinion article that called for “a less moralistic humanities.” What does this call mean, and how might it look in music education, a discipline classified within both the humanities and the social sciences? Following the discussion, I introduce the six articles in this issue of Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education. Each essay relates in some way to the question of “a less moralistic humanities,” for which the editorial introduction serves as a prompt for consideration.

The Framing of Water Issues in Opinion Articles of Arab Newspapers An Analytical Study Based on Conflict Theory (Arabic)

This study analyzes how a number of Arab newspapers approach water issues and the different perspectives they present about the water crises and water insecurity in the region. The paper examines the extent to which the framing of the topic tends to escalate the issue using conflict theory, or de-escalate it using what the author calls ‘adaptive-compatibility’ frames. Adaptive-compatibility methods are defined in this article as the ways in which the news attempts to portray the issue in a conciliatory manner, where they offer solutions and endeavor to de-escalate the crisis. Applying quantitative methods, the research analyzes 183 articles on the issue of water. The sample was drawn from articles published from January 2019 to April 2021, in six Arab newspapers: Al-Ahram, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Riyadh, Al-Zaman, An-Nahar, and Al-Ghad. The analysis demonstrated that the most prominent frame in the sample is one based on conflict. It was found that nearly 60% of the sample included the introduction of some kind of conflict over water resources, whether by referring to conflict mechanisms only or referring to the conflict and adaptive-compatibility mechanisms combined. The results also indicated that there is evident effort being exerted by the authors to communicate their concerns about water issues to the public and to decision-makers. Accordingly, the predominant approach to water issues by journalists in Arab countries is alarmist, focused on crises, and warning of impending conflicts over water. The research proposed a conceptual model of interpretation to help in understanding and predicting how conflicts over water resources are represented or going to be framed in newspaper articles.

HLA-G and the MHC Cusp Theory.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are significant genetic risk factors in a long list of diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain elusive in many cases. The best-characterized function of classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens is to allow safe presentation of antigenic peptides via a self/non-self-discrimination process. Therefore, most hypotheses to date have posited that the observed associations between certain HLA molecules and human diseases involve antigen presentation (AP). However, these hypotheses often represent inconsistencies with current knowledge. To offer answers to the inconsistencies, a decade ago we have invoked the MHC Cusp theory, postulating that in addition to its main role in AP, the MHC codes for allele-specific molecules that act as ligands in a conformationally-conserved cusp-like fold, which upon interaction with cognate receptors can trigger MHC-associated diseases. In the ensuing years, we have provided empirical evidence that substantiates the theory in several HLA-Class II-associated autoimmune diseases. Notably, in a recent study we have demonstrated that HLA-DRB1 alleles known to protect against several autoimmune diseases encode a protective epitope at the cusp region, which activates anti-inflammatory signaling leading to transcriptional and functional modulatory effects. Relevant to the topic of this session, cusp ligands demonstrate several similarities to the functional effects of HLA-G. The overall goal of this opinion article is to delineate the parallels and distinctive features of the MHC Cusp theory with structural and functional aspects of HLA-G molecules.

The Development of Natural Gas Hydrate Exploitation Technology From Perspective of Patents

OPINION article Front. Energy Res., 25 February 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.860591

Recommendations for the formatting of Variant Call Format (VCF) files to make plant genotyping data FAIR.

In this opinion article, we discuss the formatting of files from (plant) genotyping studies, in particular the formatting of (meta-) data in Variant Call Format (VCF) files. The flexibility of the VCF format specification facilitates its use as a generic interchange format across domains but can lead to inconsistency between files in the presentation of metadata. To enable fully autonomous machine actionable data flow, generic elements need to be further specified. We strongly support the merits of the FAIR principles and see the need to facilitate them also through technical implementation specifications. VCF files are an established standard for the exchange and publication of genotyping data. Other data formats are also used to capture variant call data (for example, the HapMap format and the gVCF format), but none currently have the reach of VCF. In VCF, only the sites of variation are described, whereas in gVCF, all positions are listed, and confidence values are also provided. For the sake of simplicity, we will only discuss VCF and our recommendations for its use. However, the part of the VCF standard relating to metadata (as opposed to the actual variant calls) defines a syntactic format but no vocabulary, unique identifier or recommended content. In practice, often only sparse (if any) descriptive metadata is included. When descriptive metadata is provided, proprietary metadata fields are frequently added that have not been agreed upon within the community which may limit long-term and comprehensive interoperability. To address this, we propose recommendations for supplying and encoding metadata, focusing on use cases from the plant sciences. We expect there to be overlap, but also divergence, with the needs of other domains.

Nanomedicines and Nanosimilars-Why a Robust Centralised Regulatory Framework Is Essential to Enhance Patient Safety.

OPINION article Front. Pharmacol., 24 February 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.787239

Modeling the Human Brain With ex vivo Slices and in vitro Organoids for Translational Neuroscience.

OPINION article Front. Neurosci., 24 February 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.838594

Concerns regarding tablet splitting: a systematic review.

Tablet splitting can provide dose flexibility and cost savings; however, pharmaceutical representatives typically discourage the practice. To identify and summarise all published concerns related to tablet splitting and to present the experimental evidence that investigates those concerns. Systematic review and qualitative synthesis of tablet-splitting concerns and evidence. Medline and EMBASE databases were searched over all years of publication for articles in English discussing the splitting of tablets. Eligible articles included original research, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and expert opinion. After removing duplicates, 1837 potentially relevant articles underwent dual review, whereupon 1612 articles were excluded based on title and abstract. After examination of 225 full texts, 138 articles were included (one systematic review, four narrative reviews, 101 original research articles, and 32 opinion articles). The described concerns included difficulty breaking tablets, loss of mass, weight variability, chemical instability, overly rapid dosing if sustained-release medications are split, non-compliance, and patient confusion resulting in medication errors. No substantive evidence was found to support concerns regarding loss of mass, weight variability, chemical instability, or non-compliance. Evidence does support some older adults struggling to split tablets without tablet splitters, and the inappropriateness of splitting sustained-release preparations, given the potential for alteration of the rate of drug release for some products. With the exception of sustained-release tablets, which should not be split, and excepting those older people who may struggle to split tablets based on physical limitations, there is little evidence to support tablet-splitting concerns.