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The analytical structure plays an important role in system design and stability analysis of FLC. Structure analysis of traditional IT2 TS FLCs using Zadeh min operator and KM algorithm requires multiple IC dividing, which results in complex calculation and cumbersome parameter adjustment. This article proposes a new IT2 TS FLC by adopting product-type operator and NT algorithm. The proposed controller has such advantages: 1)use product-type operator to skip the partitioning in fuzzy inference process;2) use NT algorithm to avoid determining switching points and sorting rule consequents in type-reduction process. Then, the controller is proved to be universal approximator and sufficient condition is deduced. Finally, we derive the analytical structure of the controller by substituting the parameters, and study the relationship between the uncertainty parameter θ and the analytical structure when the rule consequents are symmetric or asymmetric. Both the computational costs during operation and the computational workload for structural analysis can be reduced significantly by using the new FLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop nomogram models to predict individualized estimates of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Patients and methods: A total of 751 patients with ACC were identified within the Surveillance Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 1973 and 2015. The predictors comprised marital status, sex, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, laterality, histologic grade, ethnicity, historic stage, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery of primary site. Based on the results of the multivariate logistic regression analyses, the nomogram models were used for predicting OS and CSS in patients with ACC. The nomograms were tested using concordance index (C-index) and calibration curves. Results: In univariate and multivariate analyses of OS, OS was significantly associated with age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, histologic grade, historic stage, and chemotherapy. In univariate and multivariate analyses of CSS, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, historic stage, and chemotherapy were the independent risk factors with CSS. These characteristics were included in the nomograms predicting OS and CSS. The nomograms demonstrated good accuracy in predicting OS and CSS, with the C-index of 0.677 and 0.672. Conclusion: These clinically useful tools predicted OS and CSS in patients with ACC using readily available clinicopathologic factors and could aid individualized clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the level of serum microRNA-199a/b-3p (miR-199a/b-3p) can serve as a predictor of treatment response to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: Serum miR-199a/b-3p expression level was measured in 132 patients with HCC before TACE (t1) and 3-5 days after TACE (t2). Additionally, 126 patients of these 132 patients had levels measured 4 weeks after TACE (t3) and 3-5 days after second TACE (t4). Serum miR-199a/b-3p expression levels were compared with those of 50 healthy controls. Correlations between miR-199a/b-3p expression levels and clinicopathologic factors and tumor responsiveness were analyzed. The modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors assessment was conducted at t3., Results: A lower mean baseline miR-199a/b-3p expression level was observed in patients with HCC compared with healthy controls (0.68±0.81 vs 2.50±2.16, P<0.001). A negative correlation between baseline miR-199a/b-3p expression levels and tumor size (P<0.001) was observed. The nonresponder group had significantly lower miR-199a/b-3p expression levels than the responder group at t1 (0.77±1.09 vs 1.96±1.32, P<0.001). In addition, the decrease in miR-199a/b-3p at t2 was greater in the responder group than in the nonresponder group (P=0.011). A higher proportion of the responder group achieved a >25% decrease in serum miR-199a/b-3p expression levels compared with the nonresponder group (64% vs 39%)., Conclusion: Serum miR-199a/b-3p may represent a novel biomarker for predicting efficacy of TACE in patients with HCC.