Transcript sciwri2(2011)

Key Principles:
 Readers prefer that the main characters are subjects and most of the
verbs name the actions of the characters.
 Sentences are cohesive with one another when we see at the
beginning of a second sentence information that appeared toward the
end of the preceding sentence.
 Passages are coherent when we see that the topics of each sentence
in the passage constitute a relatively small set of related ideas.
 Try to limit the use of passive voice.
 Be concise:
-Delete words and phrases that: mean little or nothing; that repeat
the meaning of other words; that are implied by other words.
-Replace a phrase with a word.
-Change negatives to affirmatives.
 Avoid hedging & intensifying; limit abbreviations
Common Usage Problems
That/Which: Use “that” for restrictive or defining clauses that are essential to
the rest of the sentence (a restrictive clause limits the possible meaning of the
preceding subject). NO COMMA
Use “which” for nondefining or nonrestrictive clauses that are not essential to
the rest of the sentence (non restrictive clauses tell you about, but do not limit
the meaning of a preceding subject). Can be omitted without changing the
meaning. COMMA
We will select the option that has the highest thermal efficiency.
We will select Option A, which has the highest thermal efficiency.
CetB mutants, which are tolerant to colicin E2, also have an altered…
(all CetB mutants are tolerant)
CetB mutants that are tolerant to colicin E2 also have an altered…
(only some CetB mutants are tolerant)
That or which?
The sequence _______ has had the most impact is the human genome.
The NIH ,_______ has funded most of these studies has, been pleased
with the outcome.
The universities ______ did most of the work included MIT/Whitehead.
The Whitehead Center _______
was led by Eric Lander contributed
about
,
,
1/3.
DNA sequencers _______
were purchased at huge cost were
,
, essential
to the effort.
Affect/Effect: Affect is almost always a verb; it means “to influence; to have an
effect on.” Effect is primarily a noun meaning “result” or “consequence.” To
affect something is to have an effect on it. But as a verb, effect means “to bring
about; produce” (used in phrases like: “to effect change”).
Continuous/Continual: “Continual” means repeatedly and “continuous”
means without interruption.
For two weeks, the whales continually dived to great depths in search of food.
The spectrum of light is continuous.
Criterion (singular)/Criteria (plural): The criteria for publication may include the
significance of the results and the relevance to a broad community of scientists,
but the central criterion should be the clarity of the writing.
Datum (singular)/Data (plural): Datum is rarely used any more and data is now
acceptable as either singular or plural. However, there are conservatives that
don’t agree with this. If you need a singular form and don’t wish to use datum,
write: “a data point.”
Assure/Ensure/Insure: A person assures (makes promises to, convinces) other
persons and ensures (makes certain) that things occur or that events take
place. Insure should be restricted to financial contexts.
Complementary/Complimentary: Complementary is used for items that
complete something (e.g., complementary strands of DNA). Complimentary is
used for expressing civility, regard or praise, or given free (e.g., complimentary
remarks, complimentary tickets, etc.)
Principal/Principle: Principal (chief, primary, most important) is usually an
adjective and principle (truth, rule, doctrine, course of action) is virtually always
a noun.
Quantify/Quantitate: Both are used as verbs, but quantify appears to be the
preferred choice:
-“quantitate is a needless variant of quantify, newly popular with social
scientists, whose word choice should never be treated as a strong
recommendation” (Bryan A. Garner in The Oxford Dictionary of American
Style and Usage)
-Quantify is recognized by 5 online libraries, but quantitate by only two.
-Quantify is recognized by Microsoft products, but quantitate is not.
 Use QUANTIFY in your writing.
Comprise/Compose: Correct use of these words is simple, but rare. The
parts compose the whole; the whole comprises the parts. Comprise means
“to contain” and compose means “to make up” (e.g., 52 cards compose a
full pack; a full pack comprises 52 cards)
Only: The precise placement of “only” in a sentence is important and
dramatically alters the meaning of the sentence:
Only I hit him in the eye yesterday.
I only hit him in the eye yesterday.
I hit only him in the eye yesterday.
I hit him only in the eye yesterday.
I hit him in the only eye yesterday.
I hit him in the eye only yesterday.
I hit him in the eye yesterday only.
ABSTRACT
Provides a brief (often 250 words or less) summary of your work. Should include the
following: Introduction; Question or Hypothesis addressed by the work; Materials and
Methods (optional); Results; Discussion.
A Good Example:
Loss-of-function mutations in PINK1 and Parkin cause parkinsonism in humans and
mitochondrial dysfunction in model organisms. Parkin is selectively recruited from the
cytosol to damaged mitochondria to trigger their autophagy. How Parkin recognizes
damaged mitochondria, however, is unknown. Here, we show that expression of PINK1 on
individual mitochondria is regulated by voltage-dependent proteolysis to maintain low levels
of PINK1 on healthy, polarized mitochondria, while facilitating the rapid accumulation of
PINK1 on mitochondria that sustain damage. PINK1 accumulation on mitochondria is both
necessary and sufficient for Parkin recruitment to mitochondria, and disease-causing
mutations in PINK1 and Parkin disrupt Parkin recruitment and Parkin-induced mitophagy at
distinct steps. These findings provide a biochemical explanation for the genetic epistasis
between PINK1 and Parkin in Drosophila melanogaster. In addition, they support a novel
model for the negative selection of damaged mitochondria, in which PINK1 signals
mitochondrial dysfunction to Parkin, and Parkin promotes their elimination.