Cognitive status and referential acts in functional discourse grammar

In Functional Discourse Grammar, both Ascription and Reference are characterized as actional processes and are captured at the Interpersonal Level of linguistic description. Additionally, the temporal sequencing of Discourse Acts seems relevant to establishing dependency relations among them. However, the remainder of the levels of representation in the theory contain static descriptions of linguistic structures and not of processes. In this paper, I will argue that this is the result of an inherent contradiction between FDG?s characterization as a static grammar and the dynamicity of verbal interaction, which is best solved if the theory commits itself to the procedural nature of the Interpersonal Level. In order to do so, the different categories that have been identified in the literature on the cognitive status of referents should find relevance in the grammar. Elaborating upon García Velasco (2014), I will show that the temporal dimension of the text creating activity and referent accessibility, are relevant for a full account of constituent preposing in Spanish

El sufijo nominalizador-Iing como un caso de préstamo: una propuesta de análisis en FDG

En este artículo se analiza un caso particular de préstamo lingüístico: el uso del sufijo inglés -ing con bases nativas y se da cuenta de su aparición y uso en el español peninsular de forma que resulta compatible con la arquitectura general de la Gramática Discursivo Funcional. En primer lugar, se introducen nociones relevantes del cambio lingüístico motivado por el contacto entre lenguas. A continuación, se describe el uso de anglicismos con el sufijo -ing en el español con especial referencia a formas híbridas que contienen bases nativas. Se trata la cuestión de si este fenómeno ilustra un caso de préstamo directo o indirecto y se concluye que muestra signos de ambos. En la segunda parte del artículo se integran estas observaciones en el marco de la Gramática Discursivo Funcional. Se argumenta que el Componente Contextual resulta crucial tanto para dar cuenta de la motivación del préstamo como del uso derivativo del sufijo, que es inicialmente introducido desde el contexto al codificador morfosintáctico.In this paper, I explore a particular type of borrowing into the Spanish language, the use of the English suffix -ing with Spanish bases, and provide an account of both its emergence in the language and its use in peninsular Spanish which is compatible with the general architecture of Functional Discourse Grammar and the theory of verbal interaction in which the grammar component is integrated. First, I introduce some relevant notions of contact-induced language change, lexical and affix borrowing and their motivating factors. Next, I describe the widespread use of -ing Anglicisms in the Spanish language with special attention to hybrid forms containing Spanish bases. I address the question whether the use of English -ing suffix with Spanish bases qualifies as a case of direct or indirect affix bor- rowing and I conclude that the process shows signs of both at the same time. In the second part of the paper, I integrate my findings in the theory of Functional Discourse Grammar. I argue that the Contextual Component is crucial both in accounting for the motivation of this borrowing and the derivational use of the suffix, which is introduced directly from the context and feeds the Morphosyntactic encoder

Degree Words in English: A Functional Discourse Grammar Account

El presente artículo desarrolla un análisis de las palabras de grado en el inglés en la Gramática Discursivo-Funcional. La función de las palabras de grado es especificar el grado o valor de una unidad graduable en una escala o dimensión. Una observación crucial es el hecho de que las palabras de grado muestran propiedades gramaticales diferentes, lo que se debe en parte a que tan sólo algunas introducen un estándar de comparación en forma de cláusula comparativa o de resultado. En consecuencia, el artículo argumenta que estas han de ser analizadas como predicados léxicos, mientras que aquellas que no introducen un estándar de comparación deben considerarse como la expresión gramatical de un operador en el Nivel Representativo. Por último, el artículo hace también referencia al valor interpersonal de los adverbios de grado en -ly.This paper proposes an account of English degree words within Functional Discourse Grammar. It is argued that the function of degree words is to specify the degree or value of a gradable unit along a scale or dimension. Crucially, the members of the degree word class show different grammatical properties, which is partly due to the fact that some introduce a standard of comparison with result or comparative clauses, whereas others do not. Consequently, it is claimed that the former are best treated as lexical predicates, while the latter should be considered the grammatical expression of operators at the Representational Level. Additionally, the interpersonal value of degree adverbs in -ly is also commented upon

Identification of Opportunities for Applying the Circular Economy to Intensive Agriculture in Almería (South-East Spain)

The use of intensive high-yield agricultural systems has proved to be a feasible alternative to traditional systems as they able to meet the objective of guaranteeing long-term sustainability in the supply of food. In order to implement these systems, it is necessary to replace the traditional model of “extract-use-consume-dispose” with a model based on the principles of the Circular Economy (CE), optimizing the use of resources and minimizing the generation of waste. Almería has become a paradigm of this type of high-yield agricultural system, with the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world. This study analyses the opportunities that the CE can offer the intensive agriculture sector in Almería in order to obtain long-term sustainability. The results show a wide variety of alternatives, both on an agricultural exploitation level and in the case of the product packaging and wholesale centers. The priority areas of action are waste management, the prevention of product waste and the improvement in the efficiency of the use of water and energy. The principal limitations for adopting circular practices are the large investment required, the limited transfer of knowledge between the different users and the lack of sufficient support from the government and the sector

Presence of plastic particles in waterbirds faeces collected in Spanish lakes

Plastic intake by marine vertebrates has been widely reported, but information about its presence in continental waterfowl is scarce. Here we analyzed faeces of waterbirds species (European coot, Fulica atra, mallard, Anas platyrhynchos and shelduck, Tadorna tadorna) for plastic debris in five wetlands in Central Spain. We collected 89 faeces of Shelduck distributed in four lakes, 43.8% of them presented plastic remnants. Sixty percent of 10 faeces of European coot and 45% of 40 faeces of mallard contained plastic debris. Plastic debris found was of two types, threads and fragments, and were identified as remnants of plastic objects used in agricultural fields surrounding the lakes. Differences in prevalence of plastic in faeces, number of plastic pieces per excrement and size of the plastic pieces were not statistically significant between waterfowl species. Thus, our results suggest that plastic may also be frequently ingested by waterfowl in continental waters, at least in our study area. Future studies should address this potential problem for waterbird conservation in other wetlands to evaluate the real impact of this pollutant on waterbirds living in inland water. The faeces of three waterfowl species collected in inland lakes of Spain presented high prevalence of plastics, which have the potential of being a problem for birds. Stricter regulations for eliminating used agricultural plastics should be developed and applied

Wnt receptors, bone mass, and fractures: gene-wide association analysis of LRP5 and LRP6 polymorphisms with replication

Objectives. Genes explaining the susceptibility to osteoporosis have not been fully elucidated. Our objective was to explore the association of polymorphisms capturing common variations of the lipoprotein receptor related protein (LRP) 5 and 6 genes, encoding two Wnt receptors, with femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporotic fractures of the spine and the hip. Design. Cross-sectional, case-control and replication genetic association study. Methods. Thirty nine tagging and functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were analyzed in a group of 1043 postmenopausal women and 394 women with hip fractures. The results were replicated in a different group of 342 women. Results. Three SNPs of the LRP6 gene were associated with BMD (nominal uncorrected pvalues< 0.05) in the discovery cohort. One showed a significant association after multiple test correction; two of them were also associated in the replication cohort, with a combined standardized mean difference of 0.51 (p=0.009) and 0.65 (p<0.0001) across rs11054704 and rs2302685 genotypes. In the discovery cohort, several LRP5 SNPs were associated with vertebral fractures (odds ratio 0.67; p=0.01), with hip fractures (unadjusted odds ratios between 0.59 and 1.21, p=0.005-0.033, but not significant after multiple test- or age-adjustment), and with height and the projected femoral neck area, but not with BMD. Transcripts of LRP5 and LRP6 were similarly abundant in bone samples. Conclusions. In this study we found common polymorphisms of LRP5 associated with osteoporotic fractures, and polymorphisms of the LRP6 gene associated with BMD, thus suggesting them as likely candidates to contribute explaining the hereditary influence on osteoporosis

Oral chondroitin sulfate and prebiotics for the treatment of canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND Canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic enteropathy of unknown etiology, although microbiome dysbiosis, genetic susceptibility, and dietary and/or environmental factors are hypothesized to be involved in its pathogenesis. Since some of the current therapies are associated with severe side effects, novel therapeutic modalities are needed. A new oral supplement for long-term management of canine IBD containing chondroitin sulfate (CS) and prebiotics (resistant starch, β-glucans and mannaoligosaccharides) was developed to target intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress, and restore normobiosis, without exhibiting any side effects. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in dogs with IBD aims to evaluate the effects of 180 days administration of this supplement together with a hydrolyzed diet on clinical signs, intestinal histology, gut microbiota, and serum biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. RESULTS Twenty-seven client-owned biopsy-confirmed IBD dogs were included in the study, switched to the same hydrolyzed diet and classified into one of two groups: supplement and placebo. Initially, there were no significant differences between groups (p > 0.05) for any of the studied parameters. Final data analysis (supplement: n = 9; placebo: n = 10) showed a significant decrease in canine IBD activity index (CIBDAI) score in both groups after treatment (p < 0.001). After treatment, a significant decrease (1.53-fold; p < 0.01) in histologic score was seen only in the supplement group. When groups were compared, the supplement group showed significantly higher serum cholesterol (p < 0.05) and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) levels after 60 days of treatment (p < 0.01), and the placebo group showed significantly reduced serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels after 120 days (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between groups at any time point for CIBDAI, WSAVA histologic score and fecal microbiota evaluated by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). No side effects were reported in any group. CONCLUSIONS The combined administration of the supplement with hydrolyzed diet over 180 days was safe and induced improvements in selected serum biomarkers, possibly suggesting a reduction in disease activity. This study was likely underpowered, therefore larger studies are warranted in order to demonstrate a supplemental effect to dietary treatment of this supplement on intestinal histology and CIBDAI

Visor de escenarios de cambio climático de adapteCCa: consulta interactiva y acceso a escenarios-PNACC 2017

Ponencia presentada en: XI Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología celebrado en Cartagena entre el 17 y el 19 de octubre de 2018.[ES]Las proyecciones regionales de cambio climático son una información básica para realizar estudios de impacto y adaptación en distintos sectores socio-económicos. La recopilación y producción de estas proyecciones a nivel nacional es una tarea básica del Plan Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático (PNACC), a través de Escenarios-PNACC. La primera versión (2012) se basó en la información del IPCCAR4 y en dos acciones estratégicas nacionales (ESCENA y ESTCENA). Recientemente, se ha llevado a cabo una actualización de estos escenarios regionales a partir de IPCC-AR5 y de los proyectos CORDEX y VALUE (con la participación de AEMET y CSIC-UC), que proporciona series diarias en rejilla y puntuales de distintas variables e índices para múltiples escenarios y modelos. En este trabajo se presenta la actualización Escenarios-PNACC 2017, así como el visor de escenarios de cambio climático desarrollado en el marco de la plataforma AdapteCCa para facilitar a los usuarios el análisis interactivo y el acceso a esta información (http://escenarios.adaptecca.es).[EN]Regional projections of climate change are key information to carry out impact and adaptation studies in different socio-economic sectors. The compilation and production of these projections at the national level is a basic task of the National Plan of Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC), through Escenarios-PNACC. The first version (2012) was based on IPCC-AR3 information and two national strategic actions (ESCENA and ESTCENA). Recently, an update of these regional scenarios has been carried out from IPCC-AR5 and from the CORDEX and VALUE projects (with the participation of AEMET and CSIC-UC), providing daily gridded and point series of different variables and indices for multiple scenarios and models. This paper describes the update Escenarios-PNACC 2017, as well as the "viewer of climate change scenarios" developed within the framework of the AdapteCCa platform to provide users with interactive analysis and access to this information (http://escenarios.adaptecca.es)

High-sensitivity microsatellite instability assessment for the detection of mismatch repair defects in normal tissue of biallelic germline mismatch repair mutation carriers

Introduction: Lynch syndrome (LS) and constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) are hereditary cancer syndromes associated with mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency. Tumours show microsatellite instability (MSI), also reported at low levels in non-neoplastic tissues. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of high-sensitivity MSI (hs-MSI) assessment for the identification of LS and CMMRD in non-neoplastic tissues. Materials and methods: Blood DNA samples from 131 individuals were grouped into three cohorts: baseline (22 controls), training (11 CMMRD, 48 LS and 15 controls) and validation (18 CMMRD and 18 controls). Custom next generation sequencing panel and bioinformatics pipeline were used to detect insertions and deletions in microsatellite markers. An hs-MSI score was calculated representing the percentage of unstable markers. Results: The hs-MSI score was significantly higher in CMMRD blood samples when compared with controls in the training cohort (p<0.001). This finding was confirmed in the validation set, reaching 100% specificity and sensitivity. Higher hs-MSI scores were detected in biallelic MSH2 carriers (n=5) compared with MSH6 carriers (n=15). The hs-MSI analysis did not detect a difference between LS and control blood samples (p=0.564). Conclusions: The hs-MSI approach is a valuable tool for CMMRD diagnosis, especially in suspected patients harbouring MMR variants of unknown significance or non-detected biallelic germline mutations. Keywords: constitutional mismatch repair deficiency; highly sensitive methodologies; lynch syndrome; microsatellite instability; next generation sequencing