Data granulation by the principles of uncertainty

Researches in granular modeling produced a variety of mathematical models, such as intervals, (higher-order) fuzzy sets, rough sets, and shadowed sets, which are all suitable to characterize the so-called information granules. Modeling of the input data uncertainty is recognized as a crucial aspect in information granulation. Moreover, the uncertainty is a well-studied concept in many mathematical settings, such as those of probability theory, fuzzy set theory, and possibility theory. This fact suggests that an appropriate quantification of the uncertainty expressed by the information granule model could be used to define an invariant property, to be exploited in practical situations of information granulation. In this perspective, a procedure of information granulation is effective if the uncertainty conveyed by the synthesized information granule is in a monotonically increasing relation with the uncertainty of the input data. In this paper, we present a data granulation framework that elaborates over the principles of uncertainty introduced by Klir. Being the uncertainty a mesoscopic descriptor of systems and data, it is possible to apply such principles regardless of the input data type and the specific mathematical setting adopted for the information granules. The proposed framework is conceived (i) to offer a guideline for the synthesis of information granules and (ii) to build a groundwork to compare and quantitatively judge over different data granulation procedures. To provide a suitable case study, we introduce a new data granulation technique based on the minimum sum of distances, which is designed to generate type-2 fuzzy sets. We analyze the procedure by performing different experiments on two distinct data types: feature vectors and labeled graphs. Results show that the uncertainty of the input data is suitably conveyed by the generated type-2 fuzzy set models.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, 52 reference

Near infrared and Raman spectroscopy for the in-process monitoring of pharmaceutical production processes

A

Podoplanin immunopositive lymphatic vessels at the implant interface in a rat model of osteoporotic fractures

Insertion of bone substitution materials accelerates healing of osteoporotic fractures. Biodegradable materials are preferred for application in osteoporotic patients to avoid a second surgery for implant replacement. Degraded implant fragments are often absorbed by macrophages that are removed from the fracture side via passage through veins or lymphatic vessels. We investigated if lymphatic vessels occur in osteoporotic bone defects and whether they are regulated by the use of different materials. To address this issue osteoporosis was induced in rats using the classical method of bilateral ovariectomy and additional calcium and vitamin deficient diet. In addition, wedge-shaped defects of 3, 4, or 5 mm were generated in the distal metaphyseal area of femur via osteotomy. The 4 mm defects were subsequently used for implantation studies where bone substitution materials of calcium phosphate cement, composites of collagen and silica, and iron foams with interconnecting pores were inserted. Different materials were partly additionally functionalized by strontium or bisphosphonate whose positive effects in osteoporosis treatment are well known. The lymphatic vessels were identified by immunohistochemistry using an antibody against podoplanin. Podoplanin immunopositive lymphatic vessels were detected in the granulation tissue filling the fracture gap, surrounding the implant and growing into the iron foam through its interconnected pores. Significant more lymphatic capillaries were counted at the implant interface of composite, strontium and bisphosphonate functionalized iron foam. A significant increase was also observed in the number of lymphatics situated in the pores of strontium coated iron foam. In conclusion, our results indicate the occurrence of lymphatic vessels in osteoporotic bone. Our results show that lymphatic vessels are localized at the implant interface and in the fracture gap where they might be involved in the removal of lymphocytes, macrophages, debris and the implants degradation products. Therefore the lymphatic vessels are involved in implant integration and fracture healing

Novel locally active estrogens accelerate cutaneous wound healing-part 2

Estrogen deprivation is associated with delayed healing, while estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) accelerates acute wound healing and protects against development of chronic wounds. However, current estrogenic molecules have undesired systemic effects, thus the aim of our studies is to generate new molecules for topic administration that are devoid of systemic effects. Following a preliminary study, the new 17β-estradiol derivatives 1 were synthesized. The estrogenic activity of these novel compounds was evaluated in vitro using the cell line ERE-Luc B17 stably transfected with an ERE-Luc reporter. Among the 17β-estradiol derivatives synthesized, compounds 1e and 1f showed the highest transactivation potency and were therefore selected for the study of their systemic estrogenic activity. The study of these compounds in the ERE-Luc mouse model demonstrated that both compounds lack systemic effects when administered in the wound area. Furthermore, wound-healing experiments showed that 1e displays a significant regenerative and anti-inflammatory activity. It is therefore confirmed that this class of compounds are suitable for topical administration and have a clear beneficial effect on wound healing

Role of TGFbRII in myeloid cell mediated regenerative processes and fibroplasia

Tissue repair and fibrosis are controlled by the interaction of different cell lineages, their soluble factors and matrix signals. Recently, macrophages have been found to be crucial for proper tissue repair. In particular, the role of Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been extensively studied during tissue repair and fibrosis. Fibrosis is characterized by excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix, as well as immune cell infiltration. Macrophages are one of the main sources of TGF-β1. So far, studies on the mechanisms of tissue repair and fibrosis have mainly focused on macrophages or TGF-β1 individually. However, the specific function of TGF-β1 on macrophages in tissue repair and fibrosis still needs to be elucidated. To understand the macrophage specific role of TGFβ1-TGFβRII signaling in tissue repair and fibrosis, we generated a mouse model, which lacks TGFβRII in myeloid cells (TGFβRIIfl/fl/LysMCre). We observed that during mechanical tissue injury TGFβRII signaling in macrophages contributes to wound contraction, possibly by cross—talk between macrophages and fibroblasts. The attenuated wound contraction was accompanied by impaired myofibroblast differentiation and collagen deposition. However, the loss of TGFβRII signaling in macrophages did not lead to reduced expression of TGF- β1, which we proposed as one of the primary mechanisms in wound tissue underlying reduced myofibroblast formation observed in TGFβRIIfl/fl/LysMCre mice. Generation of cutaneous fibrosis by bleomycin injection for two and four weeks resulted in reduced fibrosis in TGFβRIIfl/fl/LysMCre mice, compared to control mice. The mechanisms leading to this phenotype were associated with reduced infiltration of immune cells, reduced deposition of collagen and diminished production of inflammatory mediators such as IL-1β, TNF-α and osteopontin-1 at the early stage of fibrosis formation. At the later stage, the expression of inflammatory mediators in TGFβRIIfl/fl/LysMCre mice was not altered compared to control mice, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms. Our data leads to the hypothesis that the reduced fibrosis is caused by the reduced expression of inflammatory mediators and accumulation of immune cells at the early stage of fibrosis in TGFβRIIfl/fl/LysMCre mice. Our results provide new insights into the crucial role of macrophage specific TGFβRII signaling in tissue repair and fibrosis

Optimization of a method for preparing solid complexes of essential clove oil with beta-cyclodextrins

Essential CO was successfully solubilized in aqueous solution by forming inclusion complexes with beta-cyclodextrins (beta-CDs). Moreover, phase solubility studies demonstrated that essential CO also forms insoluble complexes with beta-CDs. Based on these results, essential CO-beta-CD solid complexes were prepared by the novel approach of microwave irradiation (MWI) followed by three different drying methods: vacuum oven drying (VO), freeze drying (FD) or spray drying (SD). Quantification of the solid complexes formed pointed to the not involving heat, FD, as the best drying method, followed by VO and SD, which led to significantly lower amounts of encapsulated essential CO.Ciencias de la Alimentació