A Genetic Algorithm Meta-Heuristic for a Generalized Quadratic Assignment Problem

The generalized quadratic assignment problem (GQAP) is one of the hardest problems to solve in the operations research area. The GQAP addressed in this work is defined as the task of minimizing the assignment and transportation costs of assigning a set of facilities to a set of locations. The facilities have different space requirements, and the locations have different space capacities. Multiple facilities can be assigned to each location if the space capacity is not violated. In this work, three instances of GQAP in different situations are presented. Then, a genetic algorithm is developed to solve the GQAP instances. Finally, the local neighborhood search with the steepest descend strategy is constructed and applied to the final solution obtained by the GA, and the final solution is compared with the best solution found by MPL/CPLEX software and reference papers. The results show that the developed GA heuristic is effective for solving the GQAP

Fear of cancer recurrence and coping strategies among prostate cancer survivors : A qualitative study

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Olfactory function following open rhinoplasty: A 6-month follow-up study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients undergoing any type of nasal surgery may experience degrees of postoperative olfactory dysfunction. We sought to investigate "when" the olfactory function recovers to its preoperative levels.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this cohort design, 40 of 65 esthetic open rhinoplasty candidates with equal gender distribution, who met the inclusion criteria, were assessed for their olfactory function using the Smell Identification Test (SIT) with 40 familiar odors in sniffing bottles. All the patients were evaluated for the SIT scores preoperatively and postoperatively (at week 1, week 6, and month 6).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At postoperative week one, 87.5% of the patients had anosmia, and the rest exhibited at least moderate levels of hyposmia. The anosmia, which was the dominant pattern at postoperative week 1, resolved and converted to various levels of hyposmia, so that no one at postoperative week 6 showed any such complain. At postoperative week six, 85% of the subjects experienced degrees of hyposmia, almost all being mild to moderate. At postoperative six month, the olfactory function had already reverted to the preoperative levels: no anosmia or moderate to severe hyposmia. A repeated ANOVA was indicative of significant differences in the olfactory function at the different time points. According to our post hoc Benfronney, the preoperative scores had a significant difference with those at postoperative week 1, week 6, but not with the ones at month 6.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Esthetic open rhinoplasty may be accompanied by some degrees of postoperative olfactory dysfunction. Patients need a time interval of 6 weeks to 6 months to fully recover their baseline olfactory function.</p

Examining mental health indices in students using Facebook in Iran

AbstractBackground: Facebook is one of the most acclaimed social Web-site in world. Existing many research about it, e. g. examining Mental Health Indices in users of Facebook. Purpose of Study: The present study is aimed to investigate the relationship between in mental health indexes and Facebook in Iranian students. Methods: 265 students from Esfahan university(162 Female & 103 Male) were chosen using convenience sampling. Farsi form of DASS-21 was translated and studied by Samani & Jokar(2006). For assessment “using Facebook” was used demography questionnaire. Findings and Results: The findings of the study indicated that use of Facebook has a positive and significant relation with anxiety and stress. Conclusions: results show that individuals that using Facebook site(compared to non user) have more anxiety and stress

Physics-based and data-driven hybrid modeling in manufacturing: a review

ABSTRACTManufacturing, an industry set in the physical world, is undergoing its digital transformation, also known as the fourth industrial revolution. Sensors, connectivity, and platforms provide unprecedented access to quantify the quality and diversity of manufacturing data. Progress in data-driven modeling is exponential across all industries. This leads to the question of how physics-based and data-driven modeling can be utilized in a hybrid modeling approach to advance our understanding of processes, materials, and systems in manufacturing. In this review, we focus on discrete manufacturing based on the understanding that hybrid modeling is more mature in process manufacturing. This paper aims to provide an overview of projects where hybrid modeling was used in manufacturing and introduce various ways of composing hybrid models. We provide examples highlighting the implementation of models, structure and expand on metrics to test and validate hybrid models, discuss challenges, and future research directions of hybrid modeling in manufacturing

Non-conventional sources of agricultural water management : Insights from young professionals in the irrigation and drainage sector

Distribution and availability of global resources is highly variable over time and heterogeneous in space. With the natural or conventional supply of these resources no longer meeting a growing demand, the need to promote resource efficiency is now being paralleled with innovative approaches to conserve resources within their use cycle. These ‘innovative approaches’ herewith referred to as non-conventional was the subject of a 10-weeks extensive discussion among Young Professionals (YPs) in the field of irrigation and drainage. The discussion aligns to a higher objective of breeding a generation of YPs with an open mindset and multi-disciplinary approach to the challenges in irrigation and drainage. Cutting across development corridors in the water sector, this review paper presents insights on non-conventional sources of agricultural water management (AWM) as viewed from the lenses of YPs. The discussions underscore the need for broad-based approaches to resource management, building on the premise that all forms of resources are linked to form a system that provides the most effective service when managed in an integrated fashion. Non-conventional requires divergent approaches and flexibility; underlining the invaluable capabilities YPs present in AWM. Besides highlighting these roles, insights provided by YPs suggests that feeding a growing population necessitates looking beyond system efficiency to multivariate approaches of resource optimisation and utilisation in the field of irrigation and drainage