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The apicomplexan cattle parasite Theileria parva is a major barrier to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Africa, killing over one million cattle on the continent each year. Although exotic breeds not native to Africa are highly susceptible to the disease, previous studies have illustrated that such breeds often show innate tolerance to infection by the parasite. The mechanisms underlying this tolerance remain largely unclear. To better understand the host response to T. parva infection we characterised the transcriptional response over 15 days in tolerant and susceptible cattle (n = 29) naturally exposed to the parasite. We identify key genes and pathways activated in response to infection as well as, importantly, several genes differentially expressed between the animals that ultimately survived or succumbed to infection. These include genes linked to key cell proliferation and infection pathways. Furthermore, we identify response expression quantitative trait loci containing genetic variants whose impact on the expression level of nearby genes changes in response to the infection. These therefore provide an indication of the genetic basis of differential host responses. Together these results provide a comprehensive analysis of the host transcriptional response to this under-studied pathogen, providing clues as to the mechanisms underlying natural tolerance to the disease.

This paper sets out to illuminate the lived experience of the adventure motorcyclist during a multi-day trip across the Sarn Helen, a stretch of Roman road that makes up part of the Trans European Trail in Wales, which is now a rough unpaved rural road. The accompanying text first discusses autoethnography and how creating comics can be used in research. This is followed by an autoethnographic account of the journey, presented as a short comic, and a discussion of my changing philosophical stance which gives meaning to the experience. Unpaved roads provide a “Heterotopia”, a liminal space that allows for the meaning making of experiences and the negotiation and renegotiation of identities of self. This work draws upon an autoethnographic methodology to explore the lived experience of adventure motorcycling and utilises the creation of comics as a form of analysis and presentation of data. Through the application of the Hero’s and Pilgrim’s lens or viewpoint this autoethnographic work highlights how adventurous journeys through heterotopic spaces can provide an ighlyn of identity, sense making, as well as demonstrating both the outward physical journey and the internal emotional journey undertaken.

Natural killer (NK) cells are important anti-viral effector cells. The function and phenotype of the NK cells that constitute an individual’s NK cell repertoire can be influenced by ongoing or previous viral infections. Indeed, infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drives the expansion of a highly differentiated NK cell population characterized by expression of CD57 and the activating NKG2C receptor. This NK cell population has also been noted to occur in HIV-1-infected individuals. We evaluated the NK cells of HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected individuals to determine the relative frequency of highly differentiated CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells and characterize these cells for their receptor expression and responsiveness to diverse stimuli. Highly differentiated CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells occurred at higher frequencies in HCMV-infected donors relative to HCMV-uninfected donors and were dramatically expanded in HIV-1/HCMV co-infected donors. The expanded CD57+NKG2C+ NK cell population in HIV-1-infected donors remained stable following antiretroviral therapy. CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells derived from HIV-1-infected individuals were robustly activated by antibody-dependent stimuli that contained anti-HIV-1 antibodies or therapeutic anti-CD20 antibody, and these NK cells mediated cytolysis through NKG2C. Lastly, CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells from HIV-1-infected donors were characterized by reduced expression of the inhibitory NKG2A receptor. The abundance of highly functional CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells in HIV-1-infected individuals raises the possibility that these NK cells could play a role in HIV-1 pathogenesis or serve as effector cells for therapeutic/cure strategies.

The study aimed to determine the predictors of procedural failure (coronary cannulation) in patients undergoing coronary angiography ± percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from the transradial (TR) approach.We conducted an observational study of 20,315 consecutive patients undergoing TR angiography between 2016 and 2020. TR failure was described as inability to cannulate the coronary arteries. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine independent predictors of TR failure.Out of the study population, TR failure was observed in 365 (1.8%) patients, out of which 281 (77%) crossed over successfully to the transfemoral (TF) route and 84 (23%) to left radial access (LRA). Unsuccessful procedures were most likely seen in patients who were elderly, female, BAME background, short stature or with a history of hypertension, diabetes, and renal disease. On regression analysis, age (OR: 1.024; 95% Cl: 1.014-1.035), female gender (OR: 0.729; 95% Cl: 0.555-0.957), BAME (OR: 0.786; 95% Cl: 0.612-0.959), height (OR: 0.988; 95% Cl: 0.977-0.999), hypertension (OR: 1.510; 95% Cl: 1.147-1.987) and RRA (OR: 1.977; 95% Cl: 1.105-3.538) were independent predictors of TR failure. On further analysis, these predictors of failure were not seen from the LRA approach.This study identifies that rates of TR failure are low and that predictors of failure differ between the RRA and LRA. The difference in predictors between the 2 routes suggests that in patients when coronary cannulation is unsuccessful via the RRA then the LRA could be considered as a second access site. Further study is needed to see if in selected patient groups the LRA could be used as the first-choice access route.

With the aim to improve the design of metal complexes as stabilizers of noncanonical DNA secondary structures, namely, G-quadruplexes (G4s), a series of cyclic dinuclear Au(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes based on xanthine and benzimidazole ligands has been synthesized and characterized by various methods, including X-ray diffraction. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and CD DNA melting assays unraveled the compounds’ stabilization properties toward G4s of different topologies of physiological relevance. Initial structure–activity relationships have been identified and recognize the family of xanthine derivatives as those more selective toward G4s versus duplex DNA. The binding modes and free-energy landscape of the most active xanthine derivative (featuring a propyl linker) with the promoter sequence cKIT1 have been studied by metadynamics. The atomistic simulations evidenced that the Au(I) compound interacts noncovalently with the top G4 tetrad. The theoretical results on the Au(I) complex/DNA Gibbs free energy of binding were experimentally validated by FRET DNA melting assays. The compounds have also been tested for their antiproliferative properties in human cancer cells in vitro, showing generally moderate activity. This study provides further insights into the biological activity of Au(I) organometallics acting via noncovalent interactions and underlines their promise for tunable targeted applications by appropriate chemical modifications.

The transradial access approach is a well-established route for coronary angiography and percutaneous intervention, given its lower complication rate over the transfemoral route. However, complications are still apparent, some of which can lead to serious injury. We report a case of delayed diagnosis of localized compartment syndrome , caused by haematoma and pseudoaneurysm formation following a radial procedure which resulted in long term disability. We emphasize the importance of early recognition and diagnosis of compartment syndrome to avoid long term sequalae.

The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic shift in evidence for composite objects and adhesive manufacture in the Palaeolithic. The oldest cases extend back beyond 200,000 years ago in both early H. sapiens and the Neandertals, and usewear studies point to far more ancient origins. This chapter reviews the metamorphosis in theoretical expectations around these technologies, and the cognitive models that have evolved in response to accumulating archaeological data. It also examines the increasing sophistication in the study of Palaeolithic adhesives and hafting, in particular in terms of material constituents and properties, and how that relates to choices made by their producers. Of course, adhesives and composite artifacts are closely bounded in practical and cognitive terms, and moreover are entangled with other aspects such as materiality, creativity, forethought, and memory. The wider implications for the minds of Neandertals and early H. sapiens are here examined within a landscape context of embodied engagement.

Supplementary Table 11: Key clinical data for the CRC cohort showing overall survival (OS)

Supplementary Table 10: Key clinical data for clear cell RCC cohort 3 showing overall survival (OS).

Murine RTqPCR primers used for the research detailed in this paper.

Supplementary Table 7: Key clinical data for different types of kidney cancer and metastasis

Supplementary Table 2: Clinical-pathological data for colorectal cancer patients used for genomic analysis and validation Supplementary Table 3: Clinical-pathological data for colorectal liver metastasis patients used for genomic analysis and validation Supplementary Table 4: Clinical-pathological data for renal cancer patients used for genomic analysis and validation

Supplementary Table 9: Key clinical data for clear cell RCC cohort 2 showing overall survival (OS)

Endothelial isolation from murine breast tumours. A, workflow of the main steps involved in the murine endothelial cell isolation procedure. B, RTqPCR for markers of leukocytes (CD11b), macrophages (CD68), epithelium (EPCAM), smooth muscle (PDGFRA) and endothelium (PECAM) in the endothelial isolates (EC) from responsive, untreated and non-responsive tumours (n=4,4,4) standardised to beta-actin (a house keeping gene) and normalised for marker expression to matched bulk tissue. Mean fold change of marker expression between the endothelial and bulk fraction is shown {plus minus} SEM.

The structure and molecular signature of tumor-associated vasculature are distinct from those of the host tissue, offering an opportunity to selectively target the tumor blood vessels. To identify tumor-specific endothelial markers, we performed a microarray on tumor-associated and nonmalignant endothelium collected from patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), colorectal carcinoma, or colorectal liver metastasis. We identified a panel of genes consistently upregulated by tumor blood vessels, of which melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) and its extracellular matrix interaction partner laminin alpha 4 (LAMA4) emerged as the most consistently expressed genes. This result was subsequently confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis of MCAM and LAMA4 expression in RCC and colorectal carcinoma blood vessels. Strong MCAM and LAMA4 expression was also shown to predict poor survival in RCC, but not in colorectal carcinoma. Notably, MCAM and LAMA4 were enhanced in locally advanced tumors as well as both the primary tumor and secondary metastases. Expression analysis in 18 different cancers and matched healthy tissues revealed vascular MCAM as highly specific in RCC, where it was induced strongly by VEGF, which is highly abundant in this disease. Lastly, MCAM monoclonal antibodies specifically localized to vessels in a murine model of RCC, offering an opportunity for endothelial-specific targeting of anticancer agents. Overall, our findings highlight MCAM and LAMA4 as prime candidates for RCC prognosis and therapeutic targeting. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2314–26. ©2016 AACR.

Supplementary Table 8: Key clinical data for clear cell RCC cohort 1, showing overall survival (OS)

Supplementary table 5. Expression change of genes that enhance metastasis in tumour bulk harvested at 1300 mm3. Log2 fold change in gene expression shown. Supplementary table 6. Expression change of genes that enhance endothelial migration in tumour bulk harvested at each time-point. Log2 fold change in gene expression shown.

Sunitinib resistance inheritance. Tumour cells were isolated from 4T1 tumours displaying acquired (responsive cohort) or innate (non-responsive cohort) resistance to sunitinib treatment in vivo and cultured for 2 weeks. A, tumour growth curves of the selected tumours from each cohort. 2.5 x 105 tumour cells from each culture along with treatment naïve 4T1 tumour cells were innoculated into Balb/c mice and the tumours allowed to grow to 600 mm3 with or without 40 mg/Kg sunitinib treatment. B, tumour growth curves (mean {plus minus} SEM) and Kaplan-meier plots for each inoculation, split into Untreated (green), Responsive (blue) and Non-responsive (red) cohorts. N-numbers as shown.

Antiangiogenic therapies have failed to confer survival benefits in patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). However, to date, there has not been an inquiry into the roles for acquired versus innate drug resistance in this setting. In this study, we report roles for these distinct phenotypes in determining therapeutic response in a murine model of mBC resistance to the antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib. Using tumor measurement and vascular patterning approaches, we differentiated tumors displaying innate versus acquired resistance. Bioluminescent imaging of tumor metastases to the liver, lungs, and spleen revealed that sunitinib administration enhances metastasis, but only in tumors displaying innate resistance to therapy. Transcriptomic analysis of tumors displaying acquired versus innate resistance allowed the identification of specific biomarkers, many of which have a role in angiogenesis. In particular, aquaporin-1 upregulation occurred in acquired resistance, mTOR in innate resistance, and pleiotrophin in both settings, suggesting their utility as candidate diagnostics to predict drug response or to design tactics to circumvent resistance. Our results unravel specific features of antiangiogenic resistance, with potential therapeutic implications. Cancer Res; 77(4); 1008–20. ©2016 AACR.

Supplementary table 2. Expression change of genes on which sunitinib has a known or predicted effect, in tumour bulk harvested at each time-point. Log2 fold change in gene expression shown. Supplementary table 3. Expression change of genes on which sunitinib has a predicted effect, in EC isolates from tumours harvested at 1300 mm3. Log2 fold change in gene expression shown. Supplementary table 4. Expression change of genes that enhance metastasis in tumour bulk harvested at each time-point. Log2 fold change in gene expression shown.

Supplementary Table 1: Primer sequences for RTqPCR using the Roche Exiqon probe library system. Supplementary Figure 1. Representative images demonstrative of scoring for staining intensity. Images are of MCAM staining in RCC at a weak (i-ii) or strong (iii-iv) level with associated H&E images (v,vi,vii,viii) . Scale bar = 50 μm.

Representative tumours from the non-responsive (square), responsive (circle) and untreated (cross) group at each time period, were subjected to microarray transcriptomic analysis. Graphs showing individual tumour growth data points and mean tumour size of the selected tumours over the period of the experiment. N-numbers for each experiment are shown.

Supplementary Table 5: Matrix metallopeptidase regulation across tissue types (Gene expression comparison shown as Log2 fold change) Supplementary Table 6: Collagen regulation across tissue types (Gene expression comparison shown as Log2 fold change)

BACKGROUND Mortality from alcohol-related liver disease has risen significantly for three decades. Transient elastography (TE) is a non-invasive test providing a numerical marker of liver disease. Preliminary evidence suggests that receiving TE can reduce alcohol consumption. The KLIFAD (Does knowledge of liver fibrosis affect high risk drinking behaviour?) study has developed a complex intervention in which people receiving alcohol treatment are provided with access to TE, accompanied by scripted feedback tailored to disease state, and access to video narratives describing alcohol misuse recovery after receiving TE. Recovery narratives are included due to preliminary evidence from mental health studies which suggest that access to digital narratives describing recovery from mental health problems can help people affected by mental health problems, including through mechanisms with potential to be transferable to an alcohol treatment setting, for example by increasing hope for the future, enabling learning from the experience of others, or promoting help-seeking behaviours. OBJECTIVE To develop the KLIFAD Intervention to the point that it could be delivered in a feasibility trial; to produce knowledge relevant to clinicians and researchers developing interventions making use of biomarkers of disease. METHODS In research activity one, standardised scripted feedback was developed by the study, and then iterated through focus groups with people who had experienced alcohol misuse and transient elastography, and key alcohol workers with experience of delivering transient elastography. We report critical design considerations identified through focus groups, in the form of sensitizing concepts. In research activity two, a video production guide was co-produced to enable the production of impactful video-based recovery narratives, and a PPI panel was consulted for recommendations on how best to integrated recovery narratives into an alcohol treatment setting. We report PPI recommendations and an overview of video form and content. RESULTS Through research activity one, we learnt that patient feedback has not been standardised in prior use of transient elastography, that receiving a numeric marker can provide an objective target that motivates and rewards recovery, and that key alcohol workers regularly tailor information to their clients. Through research activity two, we developed a video production guide asking narrators what recovery means to them, what helped their recovery, and what they have learned about recovery. We produced ten recovery narratives and collected PPI recommendations on maximising impact and safety. These led to the production of unplanned videos presenting carer and clinician perspectives, and a choice to limit narrative availability to alcohol treatment settings, where support is available around distressing content. These choices will be evaluated through a feasibility RCT [ISRCTN16922410]. CONCLUSIONS Providing an objective target that motivates and rewards recovery is a candidate change mechanism for complex interventions integrating biomarkers of disease. Recovery narratives can contain distressing content; intervention developers should attend to safe usage. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054954

Understanding the generation of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in lymphoid tissues draining the site of infection has implications for immunity to SARS-CoV-2. We performed tonsil biopsies under local anesthesia in 19 subjects who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection 24–225 d previously. The biopsies yielded >3 million cells for flow cytometric analysis in 17 subjects. Total and SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific germinal center B cells, and T follicular helper cells, were readily detectable in human tonsils early after SARS-CoV-2 infection, as assessed by flow cytometry. Responses were higher in samples within 2 mo of infection but still detectable in some subjects out to 7 mo following infection. We conclude the tonsils are a secondary lymphoid organ that develop germinal center responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and could play a role in the long-term development of immunity.

This article examines the deliberations and actions of a group of communication design educators in replacing discretionary grading in eight core units of a design course with a combination of pass/fail grading, rich formative feedback and a reinvigorated studio environment. The changes sought to better focus students on their creative process and improve their awareness of their acquisition of attributes, skills and knowledge along the path to becoming work-ready graduates. The traditional studio model of graphic design education approaches student learning through immersion in practice, imagining novice designers absorbing abilities and dispositions through experimentation and proximity to discipline experts and peers. If this model ever truly operated in Australia’s design schools, it has been eviscerated by the massification, marketization and rationalization of tertiary education since the early 1990s. Australian design education now operates with significantly reduced contact hours, tightly scheduled classes and standardized administrative, classroom and assessment practices that do not effectively model professional practice and limit students’ development of creative confidence. Another barrier to fostering students’ design acumen is their frequent fixation on grades as markers of success. We looked to removing grades to revitalize students’ flagging creative ambitions within the constraints of a tertiary education system we could not change. In stressing that a move to pass/fail grading is not an action to be taken lightly, we discuss our research into its advantages and disadvantages, the integral reconceptualization of learning and teaching approaches required to make the change and the challenges in implementation. This included understanding how students and staff interacted in the studio, their emotional and philosophical attachment to graded assessment, the effort required to communicate the changes to staff and students and developing resources to combat the fragmentation of the educational experience, which risks stripping change of its meaning and purpose.

During dissertation writing, PhD candidates face challenges engaging with academic writing, among other things, which leads to their participation in writing retreats with their peers. Developing a better understanding of PhD candidates’ needs to optimize engagement with writing is important for improving the overall doctoral experience and reduce attrition. We then conducted a qualitative longitudinal experimental study with PhD candidates from Canadian universities: 15 respondents who participated in a writing retreat and 15 respondents who never participated in such event. Based on our findings, this article presents a complementary perspective to the theoretical model of engagement with writing by Murray (2015). Thereon, we expand on the intersectionality of components (cognitive, physical, social) to illustrate the influence of structured writing activities. These intersections highlight the benefits of writing retreats to answer the needs of PhD candidates to engage with writing: planning dedicated writing periods, implementing effective work methods in environments enabling concentration, and engaging with collective writing activities. By way of supplementing the most recent literature on the subject, we suggest that the participation in structured writing retreats serves as a pedagogical benchmark for graduate programs to offer students comparable conditions in support of their writing requirements to enhance academic success.

In ‘Intertextuality and hypertextuality in recorded popular music’, S. Lacasse (in M. Talbot (ed.) The Musical Work: Reality or Invention?, Liverpool University Press, 2000) proposes a model for understanding intertextuality in recorded popular music. His model provides different ways one text may reference another, while simultaneously transforming the style and/or subject of the original text. Style and subject are two of the integral elements that make up a work, yet what is missing from Lacasse's model is the medium through which these elements are presented. This article addresses that gap by introducing three phonomatic referential practices (retronormativity, vinyl aesthetics and analogue allusion) that transform the medium of a referenced work alongside transformations of style and/or subject. It further expands the model by discussing self-quotation as a referential practice. The applicability of the expanded model is demonstrated using the music of Portishead, one of the bands that pioneered the trip hop genre in the 1990s.

We have monitored the regeneration of H-ZSM-5 via operando time-resolved powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD) coupled with mass spectroscopy (MS). Parametric Rietveld refinements and calculation of the extra-framework electronic density by differential Fourier maps analysis provide details on the mode of coke removal combined with the corresponding sub-unit cell changes of the zeolite structure. It is clear that the coke removal is a complex process that occurs in at least two steps; a thermal decomposition followed by oxidation. In a coked zeolite, the straight 10-ring channel circumference is warped to an oval shape due to structural distortion induced by rigid aromatic coke species. The data presented explain why the difference in length between the a-vector and the b-vector of the MFI unit cell is a robust descriptor for bulky coke, as opposed to the unit cell volume, which is affected also by adsorbed species and thermal effects. Our approach holds the promise to quantify and identify coke removal (and formation) in structurally distinct locations within the zeolite framework.

BaGdLaCoO (BGLC) compositions with large compositional ranges of Ba, Gd, and La have been characterised with respect to phase compositions, structure, and thermal and chemical expansion. The results show a system with large compositional flexibility, enabling tuning of functional properties and thermal and chemical expansion. We show anisotropic chemical expansion and detailed refinements of emerging phases as La is substituted for Ba and Gd. The dominating phase is the double perovskite structure Pmmm, which is A-site ordered along the c-axes and with O vacancy ordering along the b-axis in the Ln-layer. Phases emerging when substituting La for Ba are orthorhombic Ba-deficient Pbnm and cubic LaCoO-based R3̄c. When La is almost completely substituted for Gd, the material can be stabilised in Pmmm, or cubic Pm3̄m, depending on thermal and atmospheric history. We list thermal expansion coefficients for x = 0-0.3, y = 0.2., The research has been supported by the National Science Centre Poland (2016/22/Z/ST5/00691), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PCIN-2017-125, RTI2018-102161 and IJCI-2017-34110), and the Research Council of Norway (Grant no. 272797 “GoPHy MiCO”) through the M-ERA.NET Joint Call 2016. The authors acknowledge the skilful assistance from the staff of the Swiss–Norwegian Beamline (SNBL) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France. Dr. Cheng Li at POWGEN, SNS, Oak Ridge, US and Dr. Chiu C. Tang at beamline I11 at Diamond, Didcot, UK are gratefully acknowledged for PND and SR-PXD measurements, respectively.

BACKGROUND Normative cognitive data can distinguish impairment from healthy cognitive function and pathological decline from normal ageing. Traditional methods for deriving normative data typically require extremely large samples of healthy participants, stratifying test variation by pre-specified age groups and key demographic features (age, sex, education). Linear regression approaches can provide normative data from more sparsely sampled datasets, but non-normal distributions of many cognitive test results may lead to violation of model assumptions, limiting generalisability OBJECTIVE The aims of the study are to describe a novel methodological approach for generating normative cognitive data and examine the sensitivity of this novel approach in comparison to other methods for deriving normative data. METHODS The current study proposes a novel Bayesian framework for normative data generation. Participants (n=728; 368 male and 360 female, age 18-75 years), completed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery via the research crowdsourcing website Prolific.ac. Participants completed tests of visuospatial recognition memory (Spatial Working Memory test), visual episodic memory (Paired Associate Learning test) and sustained attention (Rapid Visual Information Processing test). Test outcomes were modelled as a function of age using Bayesian Generalised Linear Models, which were able to derive posterior distributions of the authentic data, drawing from a wide family of distributions. RESULTS Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms generated a large synthetic dataset from posterior distributions for each outcome measure, capturing normative distributions of cognition as a function of age, sex and education. Comparison with stratified and linear regression methods showed converging results, with the Bayesian approach producing similar age, sex and education trends in the data, and similar categorisation of individual performance levels. CONCLUSIONS This study documents a novel, reproducible and robust method for describing normative cognitive performance with ageing using a large dataset.

Malgré les progrès réalisés en matière de parité des genres, en milieu universitaire, les femmes demeurent désavantagées sur plusieurs plans. En tant que professeures, chercheuses ou étudiantes, elles ne bénéficient pas des mêmes possibilités que leurs confrères. Dans cet article, nous présentons les résultats d’une étude de cas mettant en exergue l’accompagnement par les pairs entre doctorantes devant s’approprier des compétences rédactionnelles pour s’insérer dans leur champ de recherche. En nous appuyant sur le cadre théorique de socialisation au métier de chercheur développé par Skakni (2011), nous analysons des extraits d’entrevues semi-dirigées menées auprès de 25 doctorantes provenant d’universités canadiennes. Les résultats révèlent une préférence des participantes de s’associer à leurs semblables dans des groupes de rédaction académique afin de normaliser les défis auxquels elles font face en milieu universitaire. De plus, elles semblent accorder autant de valeur à l’accompagnement dont elles bénéficient de leurs pairs que du soutien qu’elles offrent à leurs consœurs. En définitive, il en ressort des collaborations, autant professionnelles que personnelles, par l’établissement d’un réseau de chercheuses novices qui privilégient la solidarité, plutôt que la compétitivité habituellement observée aux cycles supérieurs. La discussion porte sur la perspective féminine de cette culture de compétitivité et des différences de genre menant à une disparité dans les besoins de socialisation qui règnent en milieu universitaire. Enfin, des suggestions sont offertes pour l’exploration d’actions sociales étudiantes, en complémentarité à l’encadrement institutionnel, afin d’optimiser la socialisation des doctorantes, et par le fait même, leur professionnalisation au monde de la recherche. Despite progress achieved in academia regarding gender parity, women remain disadvantaged on several fronts. As professors, researchers, and students, they do not benefit from the same opportunities as their male colleagues. In this article, we present results from a case study highlighting peer support between PhD candidates requiring to develop academic writing skills to integrate their field of research. Based on a theoretical framework on the socialization to the scholar profession that was developed by Skakni (2011), we analyze semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 PhD candidates from Canadian universities. The findings reveal that participants prefer to join forces with their equals by joining academic writing groups to normalize their challenges faced in academic settings. Moreover, they seem to value the support they receive from their peers, as much as the support they offer to their female counterparts. As a consequence, professional and personal collaborations emerge, through the establishment of a network of novice scholars promoting solidarity, instead of the competition usually observed in graduate studies. We then discuss the feminine perspective on this culture of competition and the gender differences leading to a disparity in socialization requirements in academia. Finally, we offer suggestions for further exploration of student-led actions, in conjunction with institutional support, to optimize the socialization of female PhD candidates, and by the same token, their insertion into the scholar profession.