We have a new resource for medical editors/writers:  Biodila's Joab Board, where you wil find the latest job openings for editors and writers. If you are an employer, you will be able to post suitable openings for our visitors.

Visitors can access the Resources pages. However, we still working in reorganizing and adding new resources. We apologize for the inconveniences.

We are reorganizing Biodila's resources section. It will not be available until further notice. Sorry for the inconveniences.

We have added a new web page on Grammarly, an editing software with capabilities for technical editing and plagiarism checking, within the Resources/Software section.

We have added a Search Tool to the website, visitors will be able to find pages containing their queries. The tool is at the top-right corner on every page.

We are giving Biodila.com a new look and organization. It will take a couple of weeks before it is finished. We will revise every page and update its content when necessary. Please, stay tuned.

Check this articles for an interesting reading on medical journal editing:

- Medical journals editors lacked familiarity with scientific publication Issues despite training and regular exposure

Check these two articles for an interesting reading on ethics and writing, and processing of statistical data.

- Ethics in writing: Learning to stay away from plagiarism and scientific misconduct

- Show the data, don't conceal them

We have reorganized the "Medical Writing Resources" sections of the site, including the addition of a new "Articles" page.

Some of the issues we found:

1. Pasive voice: "was demonstrated", "were observed", etc.

2. Make it simple

The revised paragraph:

We have shown that basal and hormone-stimulated lipolysis in isolated rat adipocytes increases because of elevated glucose concentrations in the incubation medium. Although Luang et al. (3) reported similar observations (3), these authors did not suggest any explanation for this phenomenon. Recently, Clot et al. (4) found that in isolated adipocytes glucose modulates the expression of the hormone-sensitive lipase gene.

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

It was demonstrated in our experiments that basal and hormone-stimulated lipolysis in isolated rat adipocytes was augmented as a result of elevated glucose concentrations in the incubation medium. Similar results were observed previously by others (3), but these authors did not suggest any explanation of this phenomenon. Recent experiments performed by Clot et al. (4) demonstrated that glucose modulated hormone-sensitive lipase gene expression in isolated adipocytes.

Some of the issues we found:

1. Long sentence (more than 50 words). Long sentences are ambiguous and confuse the reader.  

2. Singular articles such as "a" should not be used to modify uncountable nouns like "behavior".

3. Passive voice.

4. Use an adjective, and not an adverb ("gravely"), to modify the verb "to be" as in "has been gravely exaggerated".

The revised paragraph:

Our analysis suggests that the extent of technical noise in microarray studies is overestimated. Researches often attribute data variability to measurement errors, ignoring the stochastic nature  of the biological signal (xij). Biological variability, rather than "chaotic behavior", explains  xij  randomness.

Thanks for those who sent us their revisions. Please, look up in your feed readers for Practice 9, which should come out sometime within the next ten days.

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

The above analysis of the data demonstrates that the magnitude of technical noise in microarray data has been gravely exaggerated, which point of view is likely to originate from the deterministic way of thinking that attributes all the variability in the data to measurement errors, thereby entirely ignoring the fact that the biological signal xij is random. This latter statement should not be interpreted as a "chaotic behavior" of the biological signal, of course.

These are the key issues we found in the paragraph:

1.- Passive voice is overused.
2.- Splitting of infinitive verbs.  In general an infinitive verb (e.g., "to calculate") should not be spliced with modifiers (e.g., "directly") which should be placed before the verb.
3.- Wordy sentences. Our paragraph was adapted from a manuscript by a very good, non-native English speaking scientist. Sentences have many words, which confuse and bore readers.
4.- Try to avoid generic words such as "important". Use a more specific word.

The revised paragraph:

Geneticists engaged in microarray analysis often spend considerable time pursuing false leads and overlooking key findings. Although researchers ascribe this lack of consistency to high levels of technical noise [Bradley, 2005], none of the available studies has estimated noise levels in the absence of biological variability.

Thanks for those who sent us their revisions. Please, look up in your feed readers for Practice 8, which should come out ....

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

In the lustrum since the advent of microarray analyses, there has accumulated a great deal of disappointment among geneticists who spend too much work pursuing false leads and miss many important findings. Many discussions in the literature show that there is a propensity to explain the notorious lack of power and unsteadiness of the results of data analysis by a high level of technical noise in the data [Bradley, 2005]. Simultaneously, no attempt has been made to directly calculate this level for each target gene in circumstances where biological variability is absent.

This is our revision for Practice 6.

The revised paragraph:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a well-documented effect on acute postoperative pain (4). To assess the effectiveness and adverse effects of piroxicam-B-cyclodextrin (PBCD) on postoperative pain, we treated  adult patients with PBCD (20 or 40 mg) before endoscopic sinus surgery.

Watch for:
Using Abbreviations. When using a medical abbreviation consider the following:
- The fewer abbreviations, including acronyms (you can pronounce them as words -PubMed-) and initialisms (you cannot pronounce them as words -PBS-), the better. Overuse of abbreviations usually confuses readers.
- Use accepted abbreviations. Author-coined abbreviations should be avoided when possible.
- Avoid using abbreviations in titles and subtitles, or starting a sentence or paragraph with an abbreviation.
- Always spell abbreviations out in the abstract and at first appearance in the text. Universally understood abbreviations (e.g., RNA) do not ....

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

NSAIDs have a well documented effect on acute postoperative pain (4). The objective of the present prospective study was to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of 10 or 20 mg PBCD preoperatively administered for the treatment of postoperative pain to adult patients following endoscopic sinus surgery.

This is our revision for Practice 5.

The revised paragraph:
The 800 amino acid sequence of TGY comprises several domains. The N terminal 300 residues form the sulfotransferase domain, which contains the consensus motif for PAPS binding. Figure 2 lists sulfotransferases that have discrete PAPS-binding motifs.

Watch for:
Avoid long, vague expressions like "can be divided" or "contains a list of". Use strong, active verbs instead.

Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity. "N-terminal" and "N terminal" are both correct, although the former prevails in the literature. "300 residues" is the correct expression.

Be precise. "Sulfotransferase domain", and not "sulfation domain", is the correct designation. "Sulfation" is one of the chemical modifications found in proteins. A "sulfation domain" usually indicates a protein domain modified with sulfate groups. In contrast, a PAPS "sulfotransferase domain" designates a protein domain that catalyses the transfer of sulfate groups using PAPS....

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

The 800 amino acid sequence of TGY can be divided into several domains. The N-terminal 300-residue sequence is the sulfation domain that is characterized by the consensus motif involved in PAPS binding. Figure 2 contains a list of sulphotransferases known to have discreet PAPS-binding motifs.  

This is our review for Practice 4.

The revised paragraph:
During this transfer, P40 dissociates from the AC protein and binds to the P40 receptor. P40 dissociates from its receptor upon ATP hydrolysis by ARP40 and returns to the mitochondria. It is not established whether the dissociation of P40 requires GTP binding to either or both subunits of the P40 receptor.

Watch for:
Stay away from superfluous expressions like "becomes bound".

Although "It is unknown" is grammatically correct, we believe "It is not established" is better because obviously GTP binding is somehow suspected or expected.

Do not be afraid of repeating words if you cannot find an appropriate synonym as we have done here with "dissociates". Medical writing is about rigorous communication. "Dissociation" indicates the chemical, reversible nature of the binding.

 Thanks for those who sent us their revisions. Please, look up in your feed readers for Practice 5 that should come out sometime within the nine days.

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

During this transfer, P40 is dissociated from the AC protein and becomes bound to the P40 receptor. ATP hydrolysis by ARP40 results in the dissociation of P40 from the P40 receptor and its returns to the mitochondria. Whether GTP binding to either or both subunits of the P40 receptor is involved in the P40 dissociation is unknown.

This is our review for Practice 3.

The revised paragraph:
Smith (2008) detected a similar set of CHP-insoluble proteins after incubating a total membrane fraction with CHP, a procedure that obviates the use of plasma-membrane subfractions. This CHP-insoluble complex also comprises apically-enriched glycosphingolipids, apical cargo and transport vesicles.

Watch for:
Passive voice. Smith reported the aforementioned new procedure; it is unnecessary to hide this fact.

Clarity. Make your text simple and short. The message in the original paragraph was confusing. Why overstate your message with long, confusing sentences?

 Thanks for those who sent us their revisions. Please, look up in your feed readers for Practice 4 that should come out sometime within the next two weeks. Enjoy your well-deserved Summer vacation!

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

Furthermore, a similar set of CHP-insoluble proteins is found after solubilization of a total cellular membrane fraction, allowing a rapid purification of these proteins directly from the total cellular membrane fraction (Smith, 2008). This CHP-insoluble complex is enriched in glycosphingolipids (which are enriched in the apical membrane), apical cargo and a set of transport vesicles.

This is our review for Practice 2.

Revised paragraph:
To identify components required for AT-mediated retrieval in vivo, we used a genetic approach to isolate yeast mutants defective in this process.

Watch for:
Passive voice. The least you use passive voice the better. Using passive voice does not make your manuscript, grant or dissertation scientific but rather vague.

Clarity. Make your text simple and short.

Constructions like "In order to" are overused and often superfluous.

"Use" and "Utilize" have different meanings. "Use" is to employ procedures (methods) for intended purposes. In contrast, "Utilize" is to employ procedures (methods) for unintended purposes. The genetic method in these studies was originally designed for yeasts and hence "use" is the right verb.

Thanks for those who sent us their revisions. Please, look up in your feed readers for Practice 3 that should come out by Thursday.

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

In order to identify components involved in AT-mediated retrieval in vivo, a genetic approach was utilized to identify and isolate yeast mutants defective in this retrieval process.

This is our review for Practice 1.

Revised paragraph:
The monoclonal antibody R11 identified a 47 kDa protein, designated P47 but PRZ47 afterward.

Watch for:
Passive voice: (...was identified.....was originally referred...is now designated...) the least you use passive voice the better. Using passive voice does not make your manuscript, grant or dissertation scientific but rather vague.

Clarity: make it simple and short.

Thanks for those who sent us their revisions. Please, look up in your feed readers for Practice 2 that should come out in a few days.

Please, read this brief paragraph carefully and try to re-write it clear and direct. E-mail us your revised version at info#biodila.com (replace # with @). We will post ours in a few days.

A 47 kDa protein was identified by the monoclonal antibody R11. This protein was originally referred to as P47 and is now designated PRZ47.

We are delighted to launch Biodila's RSS feed "Medical Writing Tips for the Biomedical Scientist". We will post a paragraph taken from a biomedical paper for you to read and edit. Few days later, we will post an edited version of the same paragraph and briefly discuss the revisions. We hope that these tips will help you to write better biomedical papers, research grants or dissertations.