An equitable approach to the payment scheduling problem in project management

This study reports on a new approach to the payment scheduling problem. In this approach, the amount and timing of the payments made by the client and received by the contractor are determined so as to achieve an equitable solution. An equitable solution is defined as one where both the contractor and the client deviate from their respective ideal solutions by an equal percentage. The ideal solutions for the contractor and the client result from having a lump sum payment at the start and end of the project respectively. A double loop genetic algorithm is proposed to solve for an equitable solution. The outer loop represents the client and the inner loop the contractor. The inner loop corresponds to a multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problem with the objective of maximizing the contractor's net present value for a given payment distribution. When searching for an equitable solution, information flows between the outer and inner loops regarding the payment distribution over the event nodes and the timing of these payments. An example problem is solved and analyzed. A set of 93 problems from the literature are solved and some computational results are reported

The relationship between serum asymmetric dimethylarginine levels and subjective sleep quality in normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background/Aims: Poor sleep quality (SQ) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Additionally, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. However, no sufficient data regarding the relationship between ADMA levels and SQ have been reported. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the association between SQ and ADMA levels in normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: The study participants consisted of 78 normotensive type 2 diabetics. The SQ of all participants was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Patients with a global PSQI score > 5 were defined as "poor sleepers." Factors associated with poor SQ were analyzed using a multiple regression model. Serum ADMA levels were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Results: The median ADMA levels of the poor sleepers were increased compared with patients defined as good sleepers (5.5 [4.2 to 6.6] vs. 4.4 [2.9 to 5.4], p < 0.01, respectively). However, the L-arginine/ADMA ratio was decreased in poor sleepers (p < 0.01). Global PSQI scores were positively correlated with ADMA levels (p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with the L-arginine/ADMA ratio (p = 0.02). ADMA levels were correlated with sleep latency (p < 0.01) and sleep efficiency (p = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that ADMA levels (odds ratio [OR], 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 2.44; p = 0.01) and body mass index (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.31; p = 0.04) were associated with poor SQ independently of glomerular filtration rate, sex, age, duration of diabetes, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure. Conclusions: Self-reported SQ was independently associated with ADMA levels in normotensive patients with diabetes mellitus

Lichen Planus Pigmentosus-Inversus: A Report of Two Cases

WOS: 000474604500007Lichen planus pigmentosus (LPP)-inversus has been identified in a few East European cases primarily intertriginous areas such as axilla and groin which is not contacting with sunlight, and involvement in other skin areas was rarely detected. Because the lesions are similar to LPP in clinical and histological appearance, this condition, which is characterized by hyperpigmented, brown macules or plaques, is called LPP-inversus. Until today, actinic LP, linear LP, zosteriform, and LP pigmentosus clinical subtypes of lichen planus have been described. LPP-inversus is a rare form of LP and so far, there have been few case reports. LPP-inversus has been reported mostly in Caucasians and Asians, and axilla was the most involved body region. In a small proportion (approximately 10%) of the cases, classical LP or LPP lesions may be located outside the flexural areas. So far, about 50 cases have been reported; also we presented two new cases that we diagnosed

Retrospective analysis of endemic melasma patients

Gunduz, Ozgur/0000-0003-1021-5219WOS: 000404407400006PubMed: 28652905Melasma is an acquired diffuse hypermelanosis characterized by localized, symmetrical, irregular, light-to-dark brown maculae occurring in sun-exposed areas of skin. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine demographics of patients, analysis of etiologic factors, clinical features, efficacy and side effects of available topical treatments due to high incidence of melasma patients. In this study melasma patients in Birecik State Hospital were investigated retrospectively. Between January 2014 and October 2015, 1008 patients had diagnosis of melasma in 49,809 applications of 24,603 different patients who admitted to Dermatology Outpatient Clinics. Of the 1008 patients, 263 had completed 3-month treatment period. These patients did not receive treatment in June, July, August and September. All melasma patients were rural and dealing with agriculture. There was no significant difference between female and male patients in terms of age. Of the 253 female melasma patients, only 2 of them had not child and none of them were using hormone drug. Of the 263 patients with melasma, Fitzpatrick skin type was 3 in 79 (30%) patients, 4 in 184 (70%) patients. Sanliurfa city showed higher fertility rate, sun exposure, and skin type than Turkey as a whole. These predisposing factors may explain higher melasma occurrence in Sanliurfa. Patient information about preventive measures and treatment play important role in treatment of cosmetic condition. The most important measure seems to advise patients about sun-protection especially during pregnancy

CAG polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene in women may be associated with nodulocystic acne

Gunduz, Ozgur/0000-0003-1021-5219WOS: 000467799900007PubMed: 31320850Introduction: Acne vulgaris (AV) is a multifactorial, inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Hormones play a major role in the pathogenesis of acne. In cases of hyperandrogenism; hirsutism, acne, seborrhoea and alopecia appear in women. However, severe acne can also be seen without evidence of hyperandrogenism. In this case, hypersensitivity of the androgen receptor gene (ARG) encoded in the X chromosome, which is the only receptor for androgens, can be considered. ARG contains a polymorphic CAG triple loop encoding the polyglutamine pathway at the 5'end of exon 1. Aim: To investigate CAG repeat polymorphism in the ARG in nodulocystic acne patients in Turkish population. Material and methods: This prospective clinical study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. DNA isolation from blood was performed using the RTA (R) Genomic DNA Isolation Kit. The fragment lengths obtained from the device to determine CAG repeat numbers were analysed based on -288 bp length 22 CAG repeat content. Results: A total of 199 subjects; 100 patients (51 males, 49 females) and 99 controls (49 males, 50 females) were included in the study. The mean allele length in the patient group was 19.34; and 19.7 in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between female patients and the control group, when the patients and control groups were compared by gender (p = 0.0059). Conclusions: The CAG trinucleotide repeat count in the ARG may be associated with acne, without hirsutism findings.Kirikkale University Scientific Research Project Support Coordination UnitThis study was carried out with the support of the Kirikkale University Scientific Research Project Support Coordination Unit

Circular traffic sign recognition empowered by circle detection algorithm

21st Signal Processing and Communications Applications Conference (SIU) -- APR 24-26, 2013 -- CYPRUS WOS: 000325005300272 Automatic traffic sign detection and recognition is one of the most important components of advanced driver assistance systems. In this paper, a novel method utilizing histograms of oriented gradients based features together with a recently developed and successful circle detection algorithm is proposed for circular traffic sign recognition. In the proposed method, irrelevant backgrounds of traffic signs, whose locations on images are identified within rectangular boundaries, are filtered by detecting their actual circular boundaries. In this way, features representing the traffic signs better can be extracted. The results of the experimental study conducted on a considerably large database demonstrate that the proposed method offers a higher classification performance than the case in which the circle detection is not applied

Candidal vulvitis: a possible trigger for lichen striatus

Gunduz, Ozgur/0000-0003-1021-5219WOS: 000449396500014PubMed: 29888701

A Case of Leukoencephalopathy and Small Vessels Disease Caused by a Novel HTRA1 Homozygous Mutation

Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) is a heritable, rare small vessel disease, which is caused by HTRA1 mutations and mostly reported Japanese and Chinese population. CARASIL is an orphan disease, which presents with progressive motor and cognitive impairment, alopecia, and spondylosis. The disease typically starts with lumbago at early twenties. Ischemic strokes start at mid-twenties. Patients have no cardiovascular or any other risk factors. Multiple lacunar infarcts and leukoencephalopathy cause progressive neurologic involvement. Leukoencephalopathy and small vessel disease without any risk factors is a significant finding for the differential diagnosis of HTRA1 gene pathology. This report presents clinical and genetic features of a rare case of typical CARASIL from Turkey who was followed with uncertain diagnoses for years

EVALUATION OF OPTIC NERVE WITH STRAIN AND SHEAR WAVE ELASTOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH BEHCET'S DISEASE AND HEALTHY SUBJECTS

INAL, MIKAIL/0000-0003-0642-7913; Gunduz, Ozgur/0000-0003-1021-5219WOS: 000402486300005PubMed: 28450035The objective of this study was to investigate the elasticity characteristics of the optic nerve using strain and shear wave elastography in patients with Behc, et's disease and to compare the results with those of healthy volunteers. Forty-six optic nerves from patients with Behc, et's disease and 54 optic nerves from healthy volunteers were investigated prospectively in this study using strain and shear wave elastography. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of elasticity patterns between patients and healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). Elastographic images of healthy volunteers revealed most optic nerves to be type 3 (51.8%); however, type 2 (40.7%) and type 1 (7.5%) were also observed. Elastographic examination of Behc, et's disease patients revealed type 2 in 52.2%, type 1 in 43.5% and type 3 in 4.3% of patients. Statistically significant differences were observed between patients and healthy volunteers in the analysis of shear wave elastography values (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was perfect (0.933) (95% CI = 0.885-0.980), and a cutoff value of 16.5 kPa shear had very high sensitivity and specificity for the patient group. Strain and shear wave elastography findings for the optic nerves of patients with Behc, et's disease were significantly different from those for healthy volunteers. (E-mail: [email protected]) (C) 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology