SCANM: A Novel Hybrid Metaheuristic Algorithm and its Comparative Performance Assessment

This paper proposes a novel sine-cosine and Nelder-Mead (SCANM) algorithm which hybridizes the sine-cosine algorithm (SCA) and Nelder-Mead (NM) local search method. The original version of SCA is prone to early convergence at the local minimum. The purpose of the SCANM algorithm is to overcome this issue. Thus, it aims to overcome this issue with the employment of the NM method. The SCANM algorithm was firstly compared with the SCA algorithm through 23 well-known test functions. The statistical assessment confirmed the better performance of the proposed algorithm. The comparative convergence profiles further demonstrated the significant performance improvement of the proposed SCANM algorithm. Besides, a non-parametric test was performed, and the results that showed the ability of the proposed approach were not by coincidence. A popular and well-performed metaheuristic algorithm known as grey wolf optimization was also used along with the recent and promising two other algorithms (Archimedes optimization and Harris hawks optimization) to comparatively demonstrate the performance of the SCANM algorithm against well-known classical benchmark functions and CEC 2017 test suite. The comparative assessment showed that the SCANM algorithm has promising performance for optimization problems. The non-parametric test further verified the better capability of the proposed SCANM algorithm for optimization problems

Evaluation of the relationship between nasal septal deviation and development of facial asymmetry with anthropometric measurements depending on age

Aim: It was aimed to determine the change of facial asymmetry resulting from nasal septal deviation (SD) depending on age, gender, degree of deviation and the affected area besides the effect of SD on somatotype and craniofacial morphology. Materials and methods: 171 volunteers (90 males, 81 females), 27 individuals aged 9-13, 44 individuals aged 14-18, 44 individuals aged 19-23 and 56 individuals in control group participated in the study conducted in otorhinolaryngology polyclinic.11 photometric, 16 anthropometric measurements were taken from the participants. Results: SD affects facial asymmetry formation, although not statistically significant compared to healthy individuals asymmetry rates (p>0.05). It was determined that the degree of SD affected asymmetry only between the ages of 14-18 (in adolescence) and the development of asymmetry in all SD patients was not statistically dependent on age and gender (p>0.05). Photometric measurements demonstrated asymmetries in horizontally-extending parameters of 1/3 middle part of face. There was no statistically significant difference in the cranial anthropometric measurements of the upper and lower 1/3 of the face compared to the control group (p>0.05). The order of the most asymmetrical parameters is Alare-Zygion, Alare-Subnasale, Cheilion-Gonion, Exocanthion-Cheilion, Midsagittal plane-Zygion, Zygion-Cheilion, Zygion-Gonion, Subalare-Cheilion, Glabella-Exocanthion. In all participants were determined that endomorph somatotype was dominant in female and mesomorph somatotype was dominant in male besides SD did not affect somatotype and somatotype did not alter with age. Conclusion: The development of facial asymmetry due to SD is not affected by age and gender furthermore SD does not affect craniofacial asymmetry and somatotype

The knowledge of physicians about notifiable diseases in a University hospital

Objective: In the present study, evaluation of knowledge levels of the physicians practicing in different services of our hospital about notifiable infectious diseases (NID). Methods: The present study was a questionnaire and applied to 105 volunteer individuals including academic personnel and residents in Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospitals in 2015. Results: Volunteer physician participants of our study consisted of 77 (73.3%) males and 28 (26.7%) females. When the physicians were evaluated according to the age range, 63 (60%) were between 24-30, 21 (20%) were between 31-35, 14 (13.3%) were between 36-40 and 7 (6.7%) physicians were at 41 years and over. We detected that 90 (85.7%) physicians felt themselves ineligible about NIDs. In the present research, no significant statistical difference was detected between the age group, title, practice period and knowledge level (p>0.05). When knowledge level of the physicians based on the departments, a statistically significant difference was found in knowledge of the departments of which in-service training about NIDs were provided such as Medical Microbiology, Chest Diseases and Public Health departments when compared with other departments (p<0,05). Conclusion: Longer professional experience, title, age and gender factors are not effective on the knowledge level about NIDs; however, higher knowledge level about NIDs in the departments interested in this subject of which in-service training was provided about NIDs reveals the supporting fact that knowledge level is associated with training. Including NIDs into the topics of top priority for orientation training topics and in-service trainings will be useful