Comparison of different strategies of utilizing fuzzy clustering in structure identification

Fuzzy systems approximate highly nonlinear systems by means of fuzzy "if-then" rules. In the literature, various algorithms are proposed for mining. These algorithms commonly utilize fuzzy clustering in structure identification. Basically, there are three different approaches in which one can utilize fuzzy clustering; the �first one is based on input space clustering, the second one considers clustering realized in the output space, while the third one is concerned with clustering realized in the combined input-output space. In this study, we analyze these three approaches. We discuss each of the algorithms in great detail and o¤er a thorough comparative analysis. Finally, we compare the performances of these algorithms in a medical diagnosis classi�cation problem, namely Aachen Aphasia Test. The experiment and the results provide a valuable insight about the merits and the shortcomings of these three clustering approaches

Evaluation of vitamin B12 levels in pediatric familial mediterranean fever patients on colchicine treatment

GİRİŞ ve AMAÇ: Ailevi Akdeniz Ateşi (AAA), ateş ve serözit atakları ile karakterize otoinflamatuvar bir hastalıktır. Düzenli olarak kullanılan günlük 1-2 mg kolşisin tedavisi ile AAA atakları azalmakta ya da tamamen geçmektedir. Bu çalışma ile pediatrik AAA hastalarında serum vitamin B12 düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi, kolşisin tedavisinin süresi ve dozu ile vitamin B12 düzeyi arasında ilişki olup olmadığının araştırılması planlanmıştır. YÖNTEM ve GEREÇLER: En az bir yıldır düzenli kolşisin tedavisi alan AAA tanılı 98 çocuk hasta ile yaş ve cinsiyet olarak benzer özellikteki 49 sağlıklı birey çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Hastalar almakta oldukları kolşisin süresine (≤ 3 yıl ve > 3 yıl) ve kolşisin dozuna (≤1 mg/gün ve > 1mg/gün) göre iki gruba ayrılmıştır. BULGULAR: Hasta ve sağlıklı bireyler arasında vitamin B12 düzeyleri arasında istatiksiksel olarak anlamlı fark saptanmadı (295,14 ± 171,62 pg/mL ile 301,55 ± 148,86 pg/mL, p=0,66). 3 yıl ve daha az süredir kolşisin tedavisi alan hastalar (310,22± 141,5 pg/ml ) ile 3 yıldan daha uzun süredir kolşisin tedavisi alan hastaların (281,81± 170,47 pg/ml) vitamin B12 düzeyleri arasında anlamlı fark saptanmadı (p=0,589). 1 mg/gün ‘den fazla miktarda kolşisin tedavisi alan hastaların medyan vitamin B12 düzeyleri, 1 mg/gün ve daha az miktarda kolşisin tedavisi alan hastaların medyan vitamin B12 düzeylerine göre anlamlı olarak düşük bulundu (197 pg/ml ile 275 pg/ml, p=0.04). TARTIŞMA ve SONUÇ: Çalışmamız ışığı altında düşünüldüğünde düzenli kolşisin tedavisi alan hastalarda vitamin B12 düzeylerinin bakılmasına gerek yoktur. Ancak yüksek dozlarda kolşisin alan hastalarda vitamin B12 düzeyinin düşük olabileceği akılda tutulmalıdır.INTRODUCTION: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an auto inflammatory disease characterized by acute, short episodes of serosal membrane inflammation and fever. Regular prophylactic treatment with colchicine at a dose of 1 – 2 mg daily prevents or substantially reduces FMF attacks and complications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum vitamin B12 levels in pediatric FMF patients and also compare the duration and dosage of colchicine therapy and vitamin B12 levels. METHODS: Ninety-eight pediatric FMF patients on at least one-year colchicine therapy and age and sex matched 49 healthy controls were enrolled. Complete blood count and vitamin B12 levels were measured. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration (more than 3 years and less than 3 years) and dosage (more than 1mg/day and less than 1mg/day) of colchicine therapy. RESULTS: The mean vitamin B12 values were not significantly different between the patient and control groups (295.14 ± 171.62 pg/mL vs. 301.55 ± 148.86 pg/mL, p=0.66). Mean vitamin B12 level of the patients that were on colchicine therapy for more than 3 years (208.37±40.57 pg/ml) was not significantly different from the patients who were on colchicine therapy for less than 3 years (390.77±124.19) (p=0.0001, p<0.005). Median vitamin B12 levels were significantly lower in patients who received 1mg/day and higher colchicine therapy than the patients that received less than 1mg/day colchicine therapy (275 pg/ml vs. 197 pg/ml, p=0.04). DISCUSSION and CONCLUSION: According to our study results there is no need to evaluate serum vitamin B12 levels regularly in patients receiving colchicine treatment. On the other hand vitamin B12 levels may be decreased in patients on high dosage of colchicine

A new fuzzy inference approach based on Mamdani inference using discrete type 2 fuzzy sets

Fuzzy system modeling (FSM) is one of the most prominent system modeling tools in analyzing the data in the presence of uncertainty. Linguistic fuzzy rulebase (LFR) structure, in which both the antecedent and consequent variables are represented by fuzzy sets, is the most well known fuzzy rulebase structure in the literature. The proposed FSM method identifies LFR system model by executing fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering method. One of the sources of uncertainty in system modeling is the uncertainty in selecting learning parameters. In order to capture this uncertainty in a more realistic way, the antecedent and consequent variables are represented by using type 2 fuzzy sets that are constructed by executing FCM method with different level of fuzziness, m, values. The proposed system modeling approach is applied on a well-known benchmark data set where the goal is to predict the price of a stock. After comparing the results with the ones obtained with other system modeling tools, it can be claimed successful results are achieved

Effects of vitamin D levels on asthma control and severity in pre-school children

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence of asthma and vitamin D deficiency has been increasing and leading to significant morbidities. This study aimed to compare the vitamin D levels in the pre-school children with asthma and in healthy controls and to assess the relationship between vitamin D levels and asthma clinical parameters and control