不建議在藥學(xué)論文的英文摘要中使用“good”修飾“stability”、“high”修飾“specificity(特異性)”
近來(lái),本刊發(fā)現(xiàn)在稿件中“good stability”非常普遍。這種描述是否符合英文習(xí)慣呢?在PubMed網(wǎng)站輸入“good stability”、“antibody drug”進(jìn)行搜索,在數(shù)篇論文摘要中,并未發(fā)現(xiàn)“good”與“stability”聯(lián)用。例句如下:
Radiolabelled antibody showed clearance via hepatobiliary and renal routes and activity in tibia was found to be quite low indicatingin vivostability of90Y-DOTA-rituximab.
The stability at 4-8℃ of three independent lots was investigated and found to exceed 18 months.
We demonstrated that ipilimumab in opened vials stored at 4℃ and 25℃ remained stable for at least 28 d. No physical,chemical or structural instability was found.
Levofloxacin revealed stability in all media and conditions,including at 37℃,with exception to freeze-thaw cycle conditions.
從以上例句中可以看出,在描述穩(wěn)定性時(shí),均結(jié)合實(shí)驗(yàn)數(shù)據(jù),不加“好”字,用數(shù)據(jù)說(shuō)話。而在其他領(lǐng)域論文中,有“good/high/poor”修飾“stability”的用法出現(xiàn)。因此,本刊建議在生物藥學(xué)論文的英文摘要撰寫(xiě)時(shí),可參考以上例句,盡量避免籠統(tǒng)使用“good”修飾“stability”。
“high specificity(特異性)”也廣為出現(xiàn),是否正確呢?“specific”指“relating to one particular thing”,即“特異的”、“特定的”。因此,“specific”表示一對(duì)一的關(guān)系,例如人體內(nèi)的神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)、激素等內(nèi)源性配體與各自的受體的結(jié)合,抗原與抗體的結(jié)合,酶與底物的結(jié)合,這些都是一一對(duì)應(yīng)的關(guān)系。這些分子除了與自身的配體結(jié)合之外,幾乎不與其他物質(zhì)結(jié)合,所以這些結(jié)合是特異性的或者專一性的,為“specific binding”(特異結(jié)合)。
根據(jù)IUPAC的定義,“specificity”被定義為“ultimate of selectivity”,即完全不受其他組分的干擾,其他組分不產(chǎn)生任何分析信號(hào)。請(qǐng)避免使用“high specificity”或“l(fā)ow specificity”之類的表述。
(本刊編輯 于學(xué)玲)