ON THE MEASURE OF FUZZINESS AND NEGATION Part I: Membership in the Unit Interval

We investigate the meaning of the concept of fuzziness. It is suggested that fuzziness can be related to the lack of distinction between a set and its negation. Using fuzzy subsets with grades of membership in the unit interval, measures of fuzziness are suggested. First, a class of measures based on metric distances is used to derive numeric measures of fuzziness of a fuzzy set. Finally, the concept of compatibility is used to develop linguistic measures of fuzziness.     

WHY MODEL?

I discuss the utility of modeling in the social sciences, with emphasis on the long-term study of the coevolution between society and nature. I emphasize the need for such models to develop dynamical theories concerning processes about which we are only informed through their consequences and results.     

On the sensitivity of the linear state regulator†

The sensitivity of the optimal response of a linear system with quadratic performance index to changes in the weighting factors in the performance index is determined. This necessitates finding the sensitivity of the feedback gain matrix K to changes in the weighting factors. It is shown that the sensitivities of K can be obtained as the solution of a set of linear matrix differential equations. Further, for time-invariant systems and an infinite time interval, it is seen that the sensitivities of K are found more simply by solving a set of linear algebraic matrix equations.     

Inline electron holography and VEELS for the measurement of strain in ternary and quaternary (In,Al,Ga)N alloyed thin films and its effect on bandgap energy

We present the use of (1) dark‐field inline electron holography for measuring the structural strain, and indirectly obtaining the composition, in a wurtzite, 4‐nm‐thick InAlGaN epilayer on a AlN/GaN/AlN/GaN multinano‐layer heterosystem, and (2) valence electron energy‐loss spectroscopy to study the bandgap value of five different, also hexagonal, 20–50‐nm‐thick InAlGaN layers. The measured strain values were almost identical to the ones obtained by other techniques for similarly grown materials. We found that the biaxial strain in the III‐N alloys lowers the bandgap energy as compared to the value calculated with different known expressions and bowing parameters for unstrained layers. By contrast, calculated and experimental values agreed in the case of lattice‐matched (almost unstrained) heterostructures.     

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Temperature Sensitivity and Pressure Resistance of Mushroom Polyphenoloxidase

Measurements of residual enzyme activity and FTIR-spectroscopy revealed that mushroom polyphenoloxidase is a thermosensitive enzyme readily inactivated by temperatures exceeding 50°C. The enzyme is, however, very pressure stable. At room temperature no enzyme inactivation occurred at pressures up to 6 kbar. FTIR-spectroscopy revealed that a modification in enzyme conformation occurred below 9 kbar. Kinetic studies showed that pressure and temperature did not always act synergistically with respect to enzyme inactivation. FTIR-spectroscopy showed that pressure- or temperature-induced changes were considerably different. Both temperature and pressure-temperature inactivation were only slightly influenced by pH (in the pH-range 5.5–7.5).     

The relationship between laboratory-based outcome measures and mortality in end-stage renal disease: A systematic review

Despite data that traditional laboratory-based outcome measures in dialysis are improving over time, population-based data indicate that mortality rates are not improving in parallel. With increased focus on performance measures based on laboratory-based outcomes (e.g., hematocrit, albumin, and parathyroid hormone), less emphasis has been placed on other markers, some of which may be stronger predictors of mortality. We performed a systematic review to interpret the predictive value of laboratory-based outcome measures in dialysis. We identified studies with data regarding the predictive value of laboratory-based outcomes for mortality in dialysis. We calculated the sample size-weighted pooled relative risk of death with dichotomized "high" vs. "low" levels of each measure. We rank-ordered predictors by scaling the pooled relative risk of each measure by its pooled standard deviation. There were 5171 titles, of which 128 (representing 44 laboratory-based outcomes) were selected. Nine were significantly associated with mortality, in order of decreasing scaled effect size: (1) tumor necrosis factor-α, (2) hematocrit, (3) interleukin-6, (4) troponin T, (5) Kt/V_urea, (6) prealbumin, (7) urea reduction ratio, (8) serum albumin, and (9) C-reactive protein. Other oft-cited measures such as calcium phosphate product and parathyroid hormone were not significantly associated with mortality in pooled analysis. Quality improvement efforts to improve traditional laboratory-based outcomes in end-stage renal disease are necessary, but likely insufficient, to improve overall mortality in dialysis. Renewed consideration of cardiovascular, inflammatory, and nutritional markers that are especially strong predictors of mortality may have important implications for risk stratification and targeted therapeutic interventions.