Netlang: A software for the linguistic analysis of corpora by means of complex networks

To date there is no software that directly connects the linguistic analysis of a conversation to a network program. Networks programs are able to extract statistical information from data basis with information about systems of interacting elements. Language has also been conceived and studied as a complex system. However, most proposals do not analyze language according to linguistic theory, but use instead computational systems that should save time at the price of leaving aside many crucial aspects for linguistic theory. Some approaches to network studies on language do apply precise linguistic analyses, made by a linguist. The problem until now has been the lack of interface between the analysis of a sentence and its integration into the network that could be managed by a linguist and that could save the analysis of any language. Previous works have used old software that was not created for these purposes and that often produced problems with some idiosyncrasies of the target language. The desired interface should be able to deal with the syntactic peculiarities of a particular language, the options of linguistic theory preferred by the user and the preservation of morpho-syntactic information (lexical categories and syntactic relations between items). Netlang is the first program able to do that. Recently, a new kind of linguistic analysis has been developed, which is able to extract a complexity pattern from the speaker’s linguistic production which is depicted as a network where words are inside nodes, and these nodes connect each other by means of edges or links (the information inside the edge can be syntactic, semantic, etc.). The Netlang software has become the bridge between rough linguistic data and the network program. Netlang has integrated and improved the functions of programs used in the past, namely the DGA annotator and two scripts (ToXML.pl and Xml2Pairs.py) used for transforming and pruning data. Netlang allows the researcher to make accurate linguistic analysis by means of syntactic dependency relations between words, while tracking record of the nature of such syntactic relationships (subject, object, etc). The Netlang software is presented as a new tool that solve many problems detected in the past. The most important improvement is that Netlang integrates three past applications into one program, and is able to produce a series of file formats that can be read by a network program. Through the Netlang software, the linguistic network analysis based on syntactic analyses, characterized for its low cost and the completely non-invasive procedure aims to evolve into a sufficiently fine grained tool for clinical diagnosis in potential cases of language disorders

EVALUACIÓN DEL EFECTO CORROSIVO DE LOS CRUDOS PESADOS SOBRE EL ACERO 5Cr-1/2Mo UTILIZADO EN LAS UNIDADES DE DESTILACIÓN

RESUMEN Los crudos pesados contienen un alto porcentaje de ácidos orgánicos y azufre, que a altas temperaturas y velocidades de flujo, resultan corrosivos en hornos, torres y líneas de transferencia de unidades de destilación. En este trabajo se evaluó el efecto corrosivo de dos crudos pesados con diferente TAN (número de acidez total) sobre el acero inoxidable 5Cr-1Mo, a tres diferentes temperaturas, manteniendo una velocidad de agitación y presión constante. Las pruebas se desarrollaron en un autoclave dinámico adecuado para alta temperatura, utilizando análisis gravimétrico para determinar la velocidad de corrosión. Se evaluó la dependencia de la corrosión con el número de acidez total (TAN) y el contenido de compuestos de sulfuro. Posteriormente, las muestras se caracterizaron por SEM y EDX encontrándose compuestos de sulfuro en la capa formada. Palabras claves: Crudo pesado, efecto corrosivo, TAN (número de acidez total).   ABSTRACT The heavy crude oils with high percentage of organic acids and sulfur, which at high temperatures and flow rates, are corrosive in furnaces, towers and lines transfer distillation units. The corrosive effect of two heavy crude oils with different TAN (total acid number) on stainless steel 5Cr-1Mo, at three different temperatures, maintaining a rotating speed and pressure constants was studied. The tests were conducted in a dynamic autoclave suitable for high temperature, by using gravimetric analysis to determine the corrosion rate. The dependence of the corrosion with the total acid number (TAN) and the content of sulfur compounds were evaluated. Subsequently, samples were characterized by SEM and EDX where sulfur compounds were found in the layer formed. Key words: Corrosive effect, heavy crude, TAN (Total Acidity Number)

EVALUACIÓN DEL EFECTO CORROSIVO DE LOS CRUDOS PESADOS SOBRE EL ACERO 5Cr-1/2Mo UTILIZADO EN LAS UNIDADES DE DESTILACIÓN

RESUMEN Los crudos pesados contienen un alto porcentaje de ácidos orgánicos y azufre, que a altas temperaturas y velocidades de flujo, resultan corrosivos en hornos, torres y líneas de transferencia de unidades de destilación. En este trabajo se evaluó el efecto corrosivo de dos crudos pesados con diferente TAN (número de acidez total) sobre el acero inoxidable 5Cr-1Mo, a tres diferentes temperaturas, manteniendo una velocidad de agitación y presión constante. Las pruebas se desarrollaron en un autoclave dinámico adecuado para alta temperatura, utilizando análisis gravimétrico para determinar la velocidad de corrosión. Se evaluó la dependencia de la corrosión con el número de acidez total (TAN) y el contenido de compuestos de sulfuro. Posteriormente, las muestras se caracterizaron por SEM y EDX encontrándose compuestos de sulfuro en la capa formada. Palabras claves: Crudo pesado, efecto corrosivo, TAN (número de acidez total).   ABSTRACT The heavy crude oils with high percentage of organic acids and sulfur, which at high temperatures and flow rates, are corrosive in furnaces, towers and lines transfer distillation units. The corrosive effect of two heavy crude oils with different TAN (total acid number) on stainless steel 5Cr-1Mo, at three different temperatures, maintaining a rotating speed and pressure constants was studied. The tests were conducted in a dynamic autoclave suitable for high temperature, by using gravimetric analysis to determine the corrosion rate. The dependence of the corrosion with the total acid number (TAN) and the content of sulfur compounds were evaluated. Subsequently, samples were characterized by SEM and EDX where sulfur compounds were found in the layer formed. Key words: Corrosive effect, heavy crude, TAN (Total Acidity Number)

Water quality index based on fuzzy logic applied to the Aburra river basin in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Area.

The inherent uncertainties, subjectivity, and engineering challenges in environmental problems are increasingly being worked upon computing methods based on artifi cial intelligence (AI), including computerized tools that allow an analyst to use approximate reasoning with incomplete and inaccurate information and with the support of an expert in the fi eld. In order to evaluate the applicability of this tool, this paper presents the development of a new water quality index based on fuzzy logic called the “fuzzy water quality index” (FWQI). This index is compared to the NSF water quality index (NSFWQI) and with the water quality index (ARWQI) obtained for the project “Red Río Fase I” for the Medellin metropolitan area environmental authority. The new FWQI provided reasonable correlations and results in comparison to the other two reference indexes. Finally, the FWQI could be used as a decision maker in the water management of Aburra River

BAFF, APRIL and BAFFR on the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis

BAFF, APRIL and BAFF-R are key proteins involved in the development of B-lymphocytes and autoimmunity. Additionally, BAFF, APRIL and BAFFR polymorphisms were associated with immune-mediated conditions, being BAFF GCTGT>A a shared insertion-deletion genetic variant for several autoimmune diseases. Accordingly, we assessed whether BAFF, APRIL and BAFFR represent novel genetic risk factors for Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV), a predominantly B-lymphocyte inflammatory condition. BAFF rs374039502, which colocalizes with BAFF GCTGT>A, and two tag variants within APRIL (rs11552708 and rs6608) and BAFFR (rs7290134 and rs77874543) were genotyped in 386 Caucasian IgAV patients and 806 matched healthy controls. No genotypes or alleles differences were observed between IgAV patients and controls when BAFF, APRIL and BAFFR variants were analysed independently. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found in the genotype and allele frequencies of BAFF, APRIL or BAFFR when IgAV patients were stratified according to the age at disease onset or to the presence/absence of gastrointestinal (GI) or renal manifestations. Similar results were disclosed when APRIL and BAFFR haplotypes were compared between IgAV patients and controls and between IgAV patients stratified according to the clinical characteristics mentioned above. Our results suggest that BAFF, APRIL and BAFFR do not contribute to the genetic network underlying IgAV.Acknowledgements: We are indebted to the patients and healthy controls for their essential collaboration to this study. We also thank the National DNA Bank Repository (Salamanca) for supplying part of the control samples. This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and `Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias´ (grant PI18/00042) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). DP-P is a recipient of a Río Hortega programme fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF, `Investing in your future´) (grant number CM20/00006). SR-M is supported by funds of the RETICS Program (RD16/0012/0009) (ISCIII, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)). VP-C is supported by a pre-doctoral grant from IDIVAL (PREVAL 18/01). BA-M is a recipient of a `López Albo´ Post-Residency Programme funded by Servicio Cántabro de Salud. LL-G is supported by funds from IDIVAL (INNVAL20/06). OG is staff personnel of Xunta de Galicia (Servizo Galego de Saude (SERGAS)) through a research-staff stabilization contract (ISCIII/SERGAS) and his work is funded by ISCIII and the European Union FEDER fund (grant numbers RD16/0012/0014 (RIER) and PI17/00409). He is beneficiary of project funds from the Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Union in the framework of MSCA-RISE Action of the H2020 Programme, Project 734899—Olive-Net. RL-M is a recipient of a Miguel Servet type I programme fellowship from the ISCIII, cofunded by ESF (`Investing in your future´) (grant number CP16/00033)

A cross-disease meta-GWAS identifies four new susceptibility loci shared between systemic sclerosis and Crohn’s disease

© 2020, The Author(s). Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified a number of genetic risk loci associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and Crohn’s disease (CD), some of which confer susceptibility to both diseases. In order to identify new risk loci shared between these two immune-mediated disorders, we performed a cross-disease meta-analysis including GWAS data from 5,734 SSc patients, 4,588 CD patients and 14,568 controls of European origin. We identified 4 new loci shared between SSc and CD, IL12RB2, IRF1/SLC22A5, STAT3 and an intergenic locus at 6p21.31. Pleiotropic variants within these loci showed opposite allelic effects in the two analysed diseases and all of them showed a significant effect on gene expression. In addition, an enrichment in the IL-12 family and type I interferon signaling pathways was observed among the set of SSc-CD common genetic risk loci. In conclusion, through the first cross-disease meta-analysis of SSc and CD, we identified genetic variants with pleiotropic effects on two clinically distinct immune-mediated disorders. The fact that all these pleiotropic SNPs have opposite allelic effects in SSc and CD reveals the complexity of the molecular mechanisms by which polymorphisms affect diseases

Analysis of anti-RNA polymerase III antibody positive systemic sclerosis suggests altered GPATCH2L and CTNND2 expression in scleroderma renal crisis

OBJECTIVE: Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a life-threatening complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) strongly associated with anti RNA polymerase III antibody (ARA) autoantibodies. We explore genetic susceptibility and altered protein expression in renal biopsy specimens in ARA positive SRC. METHODS: ARA-positive patients (n=99) with at least 5 years' follow-up (49% with a history of SRC) were selected from a well-characterised SSc cohort (n=2254). Cases were genotyped using the Illumina Human Omni-express chip. Based on initial regression analysis, nine SNPs were chosen for validation in a separate cohort of 256 ARA+ patients (40 with SRC). Immunostaining of tissue sections from SRC or control kidney was used to quantify expression of candidate proteins based upon genetic analysis of the discovery cohort. RESULTS: Analysis of 641,489 SNPs suggested association of POU2F1 (rs2093658; 1.98x10-5), CTNND2 (rs1859082; p=7.14 x 10-5), HECW2 (rs16849716; p=1.2 x 10-4) and GPATCH2L (rs935332; p=4.92 x 10-5) with SRC. Furthermore, the validation cohort showed an association between rs935332 within the GPATCH2L region, with SRC (p=0.025). Immunostaining of renal biopsy sections showed increased tubular expression of GPATCH2L (p=0.026), and glomerular expression of CTNND2 (p=0.026) in SRC samples (n=8) compared with normal human kidney controls (n=8), despite absence of any genetic replication for the associated SNP. CONCLUSION: Increased expression of two candidate proteins GPATCH2L and CTNND2 in SRC compared with control kidney suggests a potential role in pathogenesis of SRC. For GPATCH2L this may reflect genetic susceptibility in ARA positive SSc based upon 2 independent cohorts

Melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptors in the ram reproductive tract

Some melatonin functions in mammals are exerted through MT1 and MT2 receptors. However, there are no reports of their presence in the reproductive tract of the ram, a seasonal species. Thus, we have investigated their existence in the ram testis, epididymis, accessory glands and ductus deferens. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) revealed higher levels of m-RNA for both receptors in the testis, ampulla, seminal vesicles, and vas deferens, than in the other organs of the reproductive tract (p < 0.05). Western blot analyses showed protein bands compatible with the MT1 in the testis and cauda epididymis, and for the MT2 in the cauda epididymis and deferent duct. Immunohistochemistry analyses revealed the presence of MT1 receptors in spermatogonias, spermatocytes, and spermatids, and MT2 receptors in the newly-formed spermatozoa in the testis, whereas both receptors were located in the epithelial cells of the ampulla, seminal vesicles, and ductus deferens. Indirect immunofluorescence showed significant differences in the immunolocation of both receptors in spermatozoa during their transit in the epididymis. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that melatonin receptors are present in the ram reproductive tract. These results open the way for new studies on the molecular mechanism of melatonin and the biological significance of its receptors

Characteristics and outcome of adult patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia and increased body mass index treated with the PETHEMA Protocols

Objective The obesity/overweight may have an influence on APL outcomes. Methods This is the biggest multicentre analysis on 1320 APL patients treated with AIDA-induction and risk-adapted consolidation between 1996 and 2012. Patients body mass index (BMI) was classified as underweight (= 30 kg/m(2)) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Results and conclusions Relationship between male gender, older age, and other known laboratory abnormalities in overweight/obese patients was significant. The induction mortality rate was significantly higher in APL with BMI >= 25 vs BMI = 25 had a trend to lower OS (74% vs 80%; P = .06). However, in the multivariate analysis, BMI did not retain the independent predictive value (P = .46). There was no higher incidence of differentiation syndrome with BMI >= 25, but there was a trend in obese. There was no difference in relapse rate according to the BMI. In summary, overweight/obesity does not represent an independent risk factor for APL outcomes. The influence of obesity in APL patients treated with chemotherapy-free regimens remains to be established

Buenas prácticas para la salud bucal en adultos mayores

Desde una mirada integral de docentes rehabilitadores de la cátedra de Prostodoncia IV”B” de la facultad de Odontología de Córdoba, observamos que en la actualidad los tratamientos odontológicos generales carecen de la inclusión de controles una vez que el paciente geronte ha recibido el alta odontológica. La mayoría de las veces, el profesional a cargo de la salud bucal tiene una mirada hacia la enfermedad y no  al mantenimiento de la salud bucal. Sumado a ello, los adultos mayores presentan condiciones físicas, emocionales y sociales que los hace vulnerables. Todas estas carencias llevan a producir diferentes alteraciones en la salud a nivel general y bucal, es por esto, que debemos enfatizar en el cuidado  de higiene y mantenimiento de sus prótesis para no añadirle otra complicación. El presente proyecto pretende acercar una propuesta de buenas prácticas para la salud bucal e higiene de las prótesis removibles a personas adultas mayores y al equipo multidisciplinario, que trabajan en pos de su calidad de vida del centro de jubilados ubicado en el barrio Bella Vista de la ciudad de Córdoba capital. La idea central de esta propuesta es crear y fortalecer hábitos favorables para la salud bucal a partir de lo que el “otro” sabe para desde allí facilitar la incorporación de nuevos conocimientos y promover el cambio de un estilo de vida en lo que se refiere a su salud bucal. Con el propósito de intercambiar y acercar  información se realizarán diversas dinámicas, con la participación activa de los adultos mayores y de todo el equipo interdisciplinario, donde ellos mismos serán actores de teatralizaciones , creadores de folletos, elaboradores de juegos de mente, relatores de cuentos, fábulas o historias en temas relacionados a hábitos de higiene y salud bucal en general. Se espera que con este Proyecto se creen canales de difusión generados por ellos mismos hacia otros pares no involucrados en el mismo, a los fines de que los beneficios sean de carácter multiplicador a otros centros de jubilados fomentando a estimular a los adultos mayores, a su círculo familiar y social a tomar conciencia sobre el impacto que genera una correcta salud oral aplicada en la vida cotidiana de todo ser humano