Comments on: Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets are generalization of Interval-Valued Fuzzy Sets: Towards a Wider view on their relationship

This Letter makes some observations about [2] that further support the distinction between an interval type-2 fuzzy set (IT2 FS) and an interval-valued fuzzy set (IV FS), points out that all operations, methods and systems that have been developed and published about IT2 FSs are, so far, only valid in the special case when IT2 FS = IVFS, and suggests some research opportunities

A bibliometric analysis of the first twenty years of soft computing

© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG. Soft Computing was launched in 1997. Today, the journal is becoming twenty years old. Motivated by this anniversary, this article develops a bibliometric analysis of the journal in order to identify the leading trends of the journal in terms of publications and citations. The work considers several issues including the leading authors, institutions and countries. The study also uses a software to develop a graphical analysis. The results show a significant increase of the journal during the last years that has consolidated the journal as a leading one in the field

Does historical data still count? Exploring the applicability of smart building applications in the post-pandemic period

The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic is causing tremendous impact on our daily lives, including the way people interact with buildings. Leveraging the advances in machine learning and other supporting digital technologies, recent attempts have been sought to establish exciting smart building applications that facilitates better facility management and higher energy efficiency. However, relying on the historical data collected prior to the pandemic, the resulting smart building applications are not necessarily effective under the current ever-changing situation due to the drifts of data distribution. This paper investigates the bidirectional interaction between human and buildings that leads to dramatic change of building performance data distributions post-pandemic, and evaluates the applicability of typical facility management and energy management applications against these changes. According to the evaluation, this paper recommends three mitigation measures to rescue the applications and embedded machine learning algorithms from the data inconsistency issue in the post-pandemic era. Among these measures, incorporating occupancy and behavioural parameters as independent variables in machine learning algorithms is highlighted. Taking a Bayesian perspective, the value of data is exploited, historical or recent, pre- and post-pandemic, under a people-focused view

The management of bronchus intermedius complications after lung transplantation: A retrospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Airway complications following lung transplantation remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The management of bronchial complications in Bronchus Intermedius (BI) is challenging due to the location of right upper bronchus. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of BI Montgomery T-tube stent in a consecutive patients with lung transplantations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between January 2007 and December 2010, 132 lung transplantations were performed at Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France. All the patients who had BI Montgomery T-tube after lung transplantation were included in this retrospective study. The demographic and interventional data and also complications were recorded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of 132 lung transplant recipients, 12 patients (9 male and 3 female) were entered into this study. The indications for lung transplantation were: cystic fibrosis 8 (67%), emphysema 3 (25%), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 1 (8%). Most of the patients (83%) had bilateral lung transplantation. The mean interval between lung transplantation and interventional bronchoscopy was 11.5 ± 9.8 (SD) months. There was bronchial stenosis at the level of BI in 7 patients (58.3%). The Montgomery T-tube number 10 was used in 9 patients (75%). There was statistically significant difference in Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) before and after stent placement (p = 0.01). The most common complication after stent placement was migration (33%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>BI complications after lung transplantation are still a significant problem. Stenosis or malacia following lung transplantation could be well managed with modified Montgomery T-tube.</p

Tissue Localization and Extracellular Matrix Degradation by PI, PII and PIII Snake Venom Metalloproteinases: Clues on the Mechanisms of Venom-Induced Hemorrhage

20 páginas, 4 figuras, 3 tablas y 7 tablas en material suplementario.Snake venom hemorrhagic metalloproteinases (SVMPs) of the PI, PII and PIII classes were compared in terms of tissue localization and their ability to hydrolyze basement membrane components in vivo, as well as by a proteomics analysis of exudates collected in tissue injected with these enzymes. Immunohistochemical analyses of co-localization of these SVMPs with type IV collagen revealed that PII and PIII enzymes co-localized with type IV collagen in capillaries, arterioles and post-capillary venules to a higher extent than PI SVMP, which showed a more widespread distribution in the tissue. The patterns of hydrolysis by these three SVMPs of laminin, type VI collagen and nidogen in vivo greatly differ, whereas the three enzymes showed a similar pattern of degradation of type IV collagen, supporting the concept that hydrolysis of this component is critical for the destabilization of microvessel structure leading to hemorrhage. Proteomic analysis of wound exudate revealed similarities and differences between the action of the three SVMPs. Higher extent of proteolysis was observed for the PI enzyme regarding several extracellular matrix components and fibrinogen, whereas exudates from mice injected with PII and PIII SVMPs had higher amounts of some intracellular proteins. Our results provide novel clues for understanding the mechanisms by which SVMPs induce damage to the microvasculature and generate hemorrhage.This work was performed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD degree for Cristina Herrera at Universidad de Costa Rica.Peer reviewe

Effects of brodifacoum and diphacinone exposure on four species of reptiles: tissue residue levels and survivorship

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulant rodenticides are used worldwide to control pest rodent species. However, the risks posed to nontarget reptiles have not been well characterized. In this study, 46 giant ameivas (Ameiva ameiva), 39 boa constrictors (Boa constrictor), 33 wood turtles (Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima), and 47 green iguanas (Iguana iguana) were orally dosed with one of two levels of either diphacinone or brodifacoum anticoagulant in propylene glycol solutions. Dosages were derived using daily food intake (DFI) equations, converting DFI to an equivalent anticoagulant bait amount and gavaging the solution volume needed to deliver the quantity of anticoagulant in that amount of bait. Animals were dosed on days 0 and 7 and monitored for a further 7 days for signs of anticoagulant intoxication and differences in behaviors and postures. At necropsy on day 14, animals were examined for thoracic and abdominal bleeding, and both tissue and organ samples were taken for histology. Liver and wholebody anticoagulant residues were assessed. RESULTS: No turtles or boas died due to anticoagulant exposure. However, anticoagulant intoxication was suspected in one iguana dosed with brodifacoum. A few treated ameivas died but exhibited no hemorrhaging. Liver residue levels were higher than whole-body remainder residue levels for all species. Unlike the other species, turtles had higher diphacinone residue levels than brodifacoum. CONCLUSION: Turtles and boas exhibited a relative insensitivity to diphacinone and brodifacoum, while the lizards appeared to be somewhat more sensitive to these compounds. This study provides data for future assessments of the risks to these species associated with anticoagulant use

CR1 Knops blood group alleles are not associated with severe malaria in the Gambia

The Knops blood group antigen erythrocyte polymorphisms have been associated with reduced falciparum malaria-based in vitro rosette formation (putative malaria virulence factor). Having previously identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human complement receptor 1 (CR1/CD35) gene underlying the Knops antithetical antigens Sl1/Sl2 and McC(a)/McC(b), we have now performed genotype comparisons to test associations between these two molecular variants and severe malaria in West African children living in the Gambia. While SNPs associated with Sl:2 and McC(b+) were equally distributed among malaria-infected children with severe malaria and control children not infected with malaria parasites, high allele frequencies for Sl 2 (0.800, 1,365/1,706) and McC(b) (0.385, 658/1706) were observed. Further, when compared to the Sl 1/McC(a) allele observed in all populations, the African Sl 2/McC(b) allele appears to have evolved as a result of positive selection (modified Nei-Gojobori test Ka-Ks/s.e.=1.77, P-value &lt;0.05). Given the role of CR1 in host defense, our findings suggest that Sl 2 and McC(b) have arisen to confer a selective advantage against infectious disease that, in view of these case-control study data, was not solely Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Factors underlying the lack of association between Sl 2 and McC(b) with severe malaria may involve variation in CR1 expression levels

Transformation of spin information into large electrical signals via carbon nanotubes

Spin electronics (spintronics) exploits the magnetic nature of the electron, and is commercially exploited in the spin valves of disc-drive read heads. There is currently widespread interest in using industrially relevant semiconductors in new types of spintronic devices based on the manipulation of spins injected into a semiconducting channel between a spin-polarized source and drain. However, the transformation of spin information into large electrical signals is limited by spin relaxation such that the magnetoresistive signals are below 1%. We overcome this long standing problem in spintronics by demonstrating large magnetoresistance effects of 61% at 5 K in devices where the non-magnetic channel is a multiwall carbon nanotube that spans a 1.5 micron gap between epitaxial electrodes of the highly spin polarized manganite La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. This improvement arises because the spin lifetime in nanotubes is long due the small spin-orbit coupling of carbon, because the high nanotube Fermi velocity permits the carrier dwell time to not significantly exceed this spin lifetime, because the manganite remains highly spin polarized up to the manganite-nanotube interface, and because the interfacial barrier is of an appropriate height. We support these latter statements regarding the interface using density functional theory calculations. The success of our experiments with such chemically and geometrically different materials should inspire adventure in materials selection for some future spintronicsComment: Content highly modified. New title, text, conclusions, figures and references. New author include