A multi-objective route planning model based on genetic algorithm for cuboid surfaces

During a natural disaster, risk management for the evacuation of people in high-rise buildings is very important for saving lives. In the case of fire, all parameters such as detection, lighting, warning systems, etc. for safety must be used interactively. Determination of evacuation conditions and different ways out are important parameters during the fire. In this study, a system is proposed for evacuating people from building with the shortest/safest route, taking into account certain factors to evaluate the current situation of the fire. Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) may be adapted to this real-life problem to protect people in the shortest time finding optimum route. In this study, the system based on Genetic Algorithm is performed using the online information about smoke, heat and safety level, the location of fire and the potential congestion of people in order to evacuate people from the building with safety route. The system contains two- and three-dimensional surface applications to ensure evacuation with optimum distance inside/outside of the building. Results are evaluated considering the evacuation distance. Compared to other methods in the literature, the solution to this problem is improved by adding the evacuation process for the elevator and inside of the building

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

Clinicopathological Characteristics Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Turkey

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main malignant tumor of the liver, is very common and highly lethal. The aim of this study was to determine its clinicopathologic characteristics and risk factors in Turkey. Materials and methods: In this study, patients who were diagnosed as suffering from HCC in the period between August 2004 and December 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Results: A total of 98 patients were included, with a median age 61 (range: 16 to 82). Seventy nine (80.6%) were male 59 (60.2%) were infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 15 (15.3%) with HCV, another 15 (15.3%) being alcohol abusers. Seventy two (73.5%) were at advanced stage and 54 (55.1%) had elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Surgery, chemoembolization, systemic chemotherapy and application of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib were the major treatment options. Conclusions: According to our findings HCC is mostly diagnosed in advanced stage and age, being five times more common in males than females. Main risk factors of HCC are HBV infection, HCV infection and alcohol abuse. Elevation in AFP may facilitate early diagnosis of HCC in high risk groups.WoSScopu

Can only chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment be applied to patients with rectal cancer who could not be operated?

Objectives: This study is aimed to evaluate patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer who could not be operated due to any reason and were treated with chemoradiotherapy alone or chemotherapy following chemoradiotherapy. Methods: Patients with locally advanced non-metastatic rectal cancer, who were treated and followed-up were evaluated. Results: Totally 263 patients with stage II and III rectal cancer were evaluated. It was determined that 14 (5.2%) of the patients with locally advanced stages received chemoradiotherapy alone or chemotherapy following chemoradiotherapy, and they were followed-up instead of undergoing operation. The baseline assessments revealed that 8 (57.1%) patients had clinical stage II, and 6 (42.9%) patients had clinical stage III diseases. Recurrence was detected in 3 (21.4%) patients. 6 (42.9%) patients died, and death due to rectal cancer progression was detected in 2 (14.3%) patients. Median progression-free survival was 25 months (8 to 68 months), median overall survival was 35 months (12 to 68 months), overall survival rates in 1, 3 and 5 years were 92.9%, 69.8% and 52.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Chemoradiotherapy alone or subsequent chemotherapy after chemoradiotherapy may be suitable for patients with non-metastatic locally advanced rectal cancer who could not be operated due to any reason. © Pioneer Bioscience Publishing Company

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Rather than Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer with High Tumor Burden

Background/Aims: We investigated the characteristics of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients who had received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT), and who developed early metastasis during the perioperative period. Methodology: LARC who were treated and followed-up were included in this study. Patients' files were reviewed retrospectively and the data on patients were recorded. Results: Totally, 182 stage II and III rectal cancer patients who received NCRT were retrospectively evaluated. Seventeen (9.3%) patients were metastatic during the perioperative period. Of them, metastases developed pre-operatively in 3 (17.6%) patients after NCRT, while 14 (82.4%) developed metastases postoperatively before adjuvant chemotherapy (CT). Twelve (70.6%) patients had clinical stage T4N+ disease. The median time interval between pathological diagnosis and metastasis development was 4 (3-5) months. The median survival was 24 months. Conclusions: More effective treatment is warranted in patients with LARC with a high tumor burden

A multi-objective route planning model based on genetic algorithm for cuboid surfaces

During a natural disaster, risk management for the evacuation of people in high-rise buildings is very important for saving lives. In the case of fire, all parameters such as detection, lighting, warning systems, etc. for safety must be used interactively. Determination of evacuation conditions and different ways out are important parameters during the fire. In this study, a system is proposed for evacuating people from building with the shortest/safest route, taking into account certain factors to evaluate the current situation of the fire. Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) may be adapted to this real-life problem to protect people in the shortest time finding optimum route. In this study, the system based on Genetic Algorithm is performed using the online information about smoke, heat and safety level, the location of fire and the potential congestion of people in order to evacuate people from the building with safety route. The system contains two- and three-dimensional surface applications to ensure evacuation with optimum distance inside/outside of the building. Results are evaluated considering the evacuation distance. Compared to other methods in the literature, the solution to this problem is improved by adding the evacuation process for the elevator and inside of the building

Comparison of antimicrobial activity of bio-synthesized silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles using Lavandula stoechas leaf extract

In this study, the extract of Lavandula stoechas for production of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticle without use of any chemical agent was investigated. The silver (AgNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) showed strong antibacterial activity against both tested Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (Gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) bacteria. The antibacterial activity of bio-synthesized nanoparticles against two pathogens was assessed by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. The MIC values ofAgNPs and ZnONPs of 10.63 mu g/mL and 12.5 mu g/mL for E.coli 0157:H7 AgNPs and Staphylococcus aureus against ZnONPs were at 3.32 mu g/mL and 6.25 mu g/mL respectively

FOLFOX7 regimen in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

Background/Aims: We aimed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of a FOLFOX7 regimen in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Modified De Gramont and Modified FOLFOX4 Regimens for Adjuvant Therapy of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of modified De Gramont (mDG) and FOLFOX4 (mFOLFOX4) regimens in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Patients that received adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) for the treatment of LARC (stage II and III) were retrospectively evaluated. Results: A total of 231 patients were examined. Median age was 58 (range, 18-83) and, of these patients, 36 (15.6%) had stage II and 195 (84.4%) had stage III disease. While the patients with stage II disease received only mDG regimen (36, 100.0%), of the patients with stage III disease, 71 (36.5%) received mDG and 124 (63.5%) received mFOLFOX4 regimen. Patients with stage III disease showed recurrences more often, but this difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, for the patients with stage III disease, there was no statistically significant relation between the adjuvant CT regimen received and the rate of recurrence. In patients with stage II disease, who received mDG, median DFS was 101 months and median OS was 106 months. For the patients with stage III disease, the patients that received mDG showed a median DFS of 78 months and a median OS of 96 months, while the patients that received mFOLFOX4 had a median DFS of 51 months and a median OS of 78 months. Although, for the patients with stage III disease, there are major differences between the two different regimens of CT in terms of DFS and OS, this difference was not statistically significant. When the results were evaluated from the perspective of toxicity, the patients that received mFOLFOX4 showed more toxicity. Neurotoxicity, which was seen in the patients that were given mFOLFOX4, was the most prominent toxicity. Conclusions: mDG and mFOLFOX4 regimens are applicable regimens as adjuvant CT for the treatment of LARC