Some geometrical methods for constructing contradiction measures on Atanassov's intuitionistic fuzzy sets

Trillas et al. (1999, Soft computing, 3 (4), 197–199) and Trillas and Cubillo (1999, On non-contradictory input/output couples in Zadeh's CRI proceeding, 28–32) introduced the study of contradiction in the framework of fuzzy logic because of the significance of avoiding contradictory outputs in inference processes. Later, the study of contradiction in the framework of Atanassov's intuitionistic fuzzy sets (A-IFSs) was initiated by Cubillo and Castiñeira (2004, Contradiction in intuitionistic fuzzy sets proceeding, 2180–2186). The axiomatic definition of contradiction measure was stated in Castiñeira and Cubillo (2009, International journal of intelligent systems, 24, 863–888). Likewise, the concept of continuity of these measures was formalized through several axioms. To be precise, they defined continuity when the sets ‘are increasing’, denominated continuity from below, and continuity when the sets ‘are decreasing’, or continuity from above. The aim of this paper is to provide some geometrical construction methods for obtaining contradiction measures in the framework of A-IFSs and to study what continuity properties these measures satisfy. Furthermore, we show the geometrical interpretations motivating the measures

Aprendizaje activo en línea utilizando cuadernos virtuales para la asignatura de sistemas multiagente

Las metodologías activas están centradas en el estudiante y permiten a éstos desempeñar un papel fundamental en su proceso de aprendizaje mediante la participación activa. Para la aplicación de estas metodologías es necesario entornos de aprendizaje apropiados. En el caso concreto de la enseñanza en línea, el uso de herramientas tecnológicas se convierte en un elemento fundamental. En este artículo, presentamos una metodología de aprendizaje activo en línea para la asignatura de Sistemas Multiagente con la ayuda cuadernos virtuales que están disponibles a través de la plataforma Moodle. Esta metodología consta de dos etapas. En una primera etapa se presentan a los estudiantes dos problemas reales en los contextos de la salud e Internet de las cosas en los que los Sistemas Multiagente pueden aplicarse como solución. Los estudiantes se agrupan en “células de aprendizaje” donde discuten las posibles soluciones y llegan a un acuerdo sobre un posible diseño. Al mismo tiempo, el profesor proporciona información sobre problemas similares y sus soluciones a través de cuadernos virtuales. Utilizando estos cuadernos, los alumnos pueden ver de forma práctica cómo se han resuelto problemas similares y adquirir los conocimientos teóricos y prácticos necesarios para resolver el problema propuesto. En una segunda etapa cada “célula de aprendizaje” revisa el diseño de su solución inicial y puede implementarla y probarla a través de otro cuaderno. Para trabajar con estos cuadernos virtuales y la plataforma virtual, los estudiantes necesitarán una conexión a Internet y un navegador web. Con esta metodología de aprendizaje activo en línea se espera promover la utilidad de los sistemas multiagente en problemas reales y mejorar la motivación y la calidad del aprendizaje en las asignaturas en línea.Active methodologies are student-centered and allow students to play a key role in their learning process through active participation. These methodologies have been shown to reduce failure rates and increase student performance. Active learning methodologies need appropriate learning environments for their development. Moreover, if we add the factor of online teaching, the use of technological tools becomes a fundamental element. In this article, we present an online active learning methodology for the subject of Multiagent Systems with the help of virtual notebooks that are available through the Moodle platform. In the first stage, students are presented with two real problems in the contexts of health and the Internet of Things (IoT) in which Multiagent Systems can be applied as a solution. Students are grouped in "learning cells"where they discuss possible solutions and reach an agreement on a possible design. At the same time, the teacher provides information about similar problems and their solutions through a virtual notebook. Using these notebooks, students can see in a practical way how similar problems have been solved and acquire the theoretical knowledge needed to solve the proposed problem. Once this knowledge is acquired, in a second stage, each “learning cell” reviews the design of its initial solution and can test it through another notebook. To work with these virtual notebooks and the virtual platform, students will need an Internet connection and a web browser. With this active online learning methodology, it is expected to promote the usefulness of multi-agent systems in real problems and to improve the motivation and quality of learning in online subjects

Olfactory fMRI Connectivity Analysis Based on Granger Causality with Application in Anosmia Assessment

In this work, we describe hubs organization within the olfactory network with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Granger causality analyses were applied in the supposed regions of interest (ROIs) involved in olfactory tasks, as described in [1]. We aim to get deeper knowledge about the hierarchy of the regions within the olfactory network and to describe which of these regions, in terms of strength of the connectivity, impair in different types of anosmia

Tratamiento del síndrome antifosfolípido

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a disorder of recurrent thrombosis and/or pregnancy loss associated with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and persistently positive lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin or anti beta2-glycoprotein1. Oral anticoagulants are the best available and most effective treatment for the secondary prevention of recurrent venous or arterial thrombosis. Patients with APS are treated with long-term therapy to prolong the INR to 2.0-3.0. Low-molecular-weight heparin in combination with low-aspirin dose is a reasonable strategy to avoid pregnancy loss in women with this syndrome

Metric trees of generalized roundness one

Every finite metric tree has generalized roundness strictly greater than one. On the other hand, some countable metric trees have generalized roundness precisely one. The purpose of this paper is to identify some large classes of countable metric trees that have generalized roundness precisely one. At the outset we consider spherically symmetric trees endowed with the usual combinatorial metric (SSTs). Using a simple geometric argument we show how to determine decent upper bounds on the generalized roundness of finite SSTs that depend only on the downward degree sequence of the tree in question. By considering limits it follows that if the downward degree sequence $(d_{0}, d_{1}, d_{2}...)$ of a SST $(T,\rho)$ satisfies $|\{j \, | \, d_{j} > 1 \}| = \aleph_{0}$, then $(T,\rho)$ has generalized roundness one. Included among the trees that satisfy this condition are all complete $n$-ary trees of depth $\infty$ ($n \geq 2$), all $k$-regular trees ($k \geq 3$) and inductive limits of Cantor trees. The remainder of the paper deals with two classes of countable metric trees of generalized roundness one whose members are not, in general, spherically symmetric. The first such class of trees are merely required to spread out at a sufficient rate (with a restriction on the number of leaves) and the second such class of trees resemble infinite combs.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, 2 table

Linking the concentrations of itraconazole and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in human intestinal fluids after oral intake of Sporanox^®

In a previously performed small-scale clinical study, healthy volunteers were asked to ingest an oral solution of itraconazole (Sporanox®) containing 40% 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) (i) with or (ii) without a standardized volume of water (240 mL) after which gastrointestinal and blood samples were collected. Although omitting water during the administration of Sporanox® resulted in noticeably higher duodenal concentrations of itraconazole, systemic exposure was almost unaffected. It is assumed that this discrepancy can be explained by differences in the extent of entrapment of itraconazole in the duodenum caused by differential complexation depending on the concentration of cyclodextrins. To further substantiate this hypothesis, the quantification of HP-β-CD concentrations in the aspirated intestinal fluids was performed by LC-MS/MS. When comparing the intestinal concentrations of itraconazole and HP-β-CD for one single healthy volunteer (HV02) in both test conditions, an excellent correlation was observed (Spearman's rank coefficient of 0.96). Moreover, the data suggest that, similar to aqueous buffer media, also in human intestinal fluids a non-linear relationship exists between itraconazole solubility and HP-β-CD concentration (Ap-type profile; Spearman's rank coefficient of 0.78), indicating that higher order complexes are formed at higher concentrations of HP-β-CD. This difference in extent of entrapment in the inclusion complexes helps to understand the observed impact of water intake on precipitation and permeation behavior of itraconazole in man. Without water intake, higher HP-β-CD concentrations resulted in less precipitation and increased duodenal concentrations of itraconazole. On the other hand, the stronger interaction at higher HP-β-CD concentrations reduced the free fraction of the drug explaining that increased intraluminal concentrations of itraconazole were not translated into an enhanced uptake. In conclusion, quantifying the concentrations of the solubilizing agent HP-β-CD in human intestinal fluids appeared to be of crucial importance to interpret the intraluminal behavior of an orally administered cyclodextrin-based solution

Strategies for the synthesis of HBGl3, a glutamic acid derived ligand bearing phenolic and azacarboxylate donor groups at the nitrogen atom

The development of a route applicable to the preparation of acyclic glutamic acid-based chelating ligands bearing two different auxiliary donor groups linked to the nitrogen atom by methylene spacers is described and applied to the synthesis of the new polydentate ligand HBGl3, the first example of such a structure. The synthesis is accomplished using a strategy employing reductive amination and t-butyl ester protected intermediates. The most basic pKa values for the HBGl3 ligand have been estimated via potentiometric and UV–Visible titration techniques

Brain Sparing Effect on Neurodevelopment in Children with Intrauterine Growth Restriction: A Systematic Review.

Background: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a pregnancy complication. Multiple studies have connected FGR to poor cognitive development, behavior disorders, and academic difficulties during childhood. Brain sparing has traditionally been defined as an adaptive phenomenon in which the brain obtains the blood flow that it needs. However, this adaptive phenomenon might not have a complete protective effect. This publication aims to systematically review the consequences of brain redistribution on neurodevelopment in children who presented with placental intrauterine growth restriction. Methods: We performed a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines. It included studies on intrauterine growth restriction or small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses, which middle cerebral artery was measured, and neurodevelopment assessed during childhood. PUBMED and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant published studies. Results: Of the 526 studies reviewed, only 12 were included. Brain sparing was associated with poor cognitive function and lower scores in IQ. Cerebral redistribution was related to better executive function and better behavior at 4 years old but not at 12 years old. Conclusions: We can assume that fetal brain sparing could not be a fully protective phenomenon. We could not find clinical differences in behavioral and executive functions because the results were heterogeneous. Some cognitive abilities could be affected in FGR brain sparing fetuses

Half-BPS quotients in M-theory: ADE with a twist

We classify Freund-Rubin backgrounds of eleven-dimensional supergravity of the form AdS_4 x X^7 which are at least half BPS; equivalently, smooth quotients of the round 7-sphere by finite subgroups of SO(8) which admit an (N>3)-dimensional subspace of Killing spinors. The classification is given in terms of pairs consisting of an ADE subgroup of SU(2) and an automorphism defining its embedding in SO(8). In particular we find novel half-BPS quotients associated with the subgroups of type D_n (for n>5), E_7 and E_8 and their outer automorphisms.Comment: 16 pages; V2: notational inconsistencies addressed, final version to be published in JHE