Selecting the Best Project Using the Fuzzy ELECTRE Method

Selecting projects is often a difficult task. It is complicated because there is usually more than one dimension for measuring the impact of each project, especially when there is more than one decision maker. This paper is aimed to present the fuzzy ELECTRE approach for prioritizing the most effective projects to improve decision making. To begin with, the ELECTRE is one of most extensively used methods to solve multicriteria decision making (MCDM) problems. The ELECTRE evaluation method is widely recognized for high-performance policy analysis involving both qualitative and quantitative criteria. In this paper, we consider a real application of project selection using the opinion of experts to be applied into a model by one of the group decision makers, called the fuzzy ELECTRE method. A numerical example for project selection is given to clarify the main developed result in this paper

TÜRKİYE’DE ELEKTRİK ÜRETİM PLANLAMASI İÇİN ÇOK AMAÇLI BİR KARIŞIK TAM SAYILI DOĞRUSAL PROGRAMLAMA MODELİ

The most appropriate energy policy selection has great importance in terms of the countries’ sustainable development and environment. Therefore, finding the local, sustainable, environmentally-friendly and economic resources and the optimal distribution of them have become a necessity. In this study, a multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model which reflects the Turkey’s realities and necessities and optimizes the objectives of cost minimization, CO2 emission minimization, fossil resource usage minimization and social acceptance maximization simultaneously is proposed. This model is solved by minimum deviation method that is used for solving the multi-objective optimization problems by considering all the energy resources used for the electricity generation all over the world, and a 12-years electricity generation plan is obtained on resource basis for the purpose of meeting the total electricity demand expected to occur between the years of 2012-2023 in Turkey.Ülkelerin sürdürülebilir gelişiminde ve çevre üzerinde, ülkelerce benimsenen enerji politikaları çok büyük öneme sahiptir. Bu nedenle; yerli, sürdürülebilir, çevreci ve ekonomik kaynakların bulunması ve bu kaynakların optimal dağıtımının yapılması bir zorunluluk haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’nin gerçekleri ve gereksinimlerini yansıtan ve maliyetin minimizasyonu, CO2 salınımının minimizasyonu, fosil yakıt kullanımının minimizasyonu ve sosyal kabulün maksimizasyonu hedeflerini eş zamanlı olarak optimize eden çok amaçlı bir karışık tam sayılı doğrusal programlama modeli önerilmiştir. Önerilen bu model, çok amaçlı optimizasyon problemlerinin çözümünde kullanılan minimum sapma yöntemi ile dünya genelinde elektrik üretiminde kullanılan bütün enerji kaynakları dikkate alınarak çözülmüş ve Türkiye’de 2012-2023 yılları arasında oluşması beklenen toplam elektrik enerjisi talebini karşılamak için kaynak bazında 12 yıllık bir elektrik üretim planı elde edilmiştir

Importance of Clinical Suspicion in Rapid Diagnostic Test Negativity in Malaria: Two Case Reports

Introduction: Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been used for the diagnosis of malaria without special equipment by unskilled personnel over the last 15 years. The treatment should only be given after the clinical diagnosis confirmed by RDT or microscopy. RDTs' specificity and sensitivity have been reported as >95% by the World Health Organization - Foundation for Initiative New Diagnostics (WHO-FIND). Case report: A 30-years-old male and a 23-years-old female presented to our emergency department with fever and history of a visit to a malaria-endemic country. Plasmodium trophozoites were seen in the blood smear samples via light microscopy. However, RDTs were negative. The patients were treated according to their pathogens. Conclusion: Rarely, RDT might result in a false negative in the diagnosis of malaria. People travelling to endemic areas should be closely monitored. Emergency department physicians should not neglect microscopy which is the gold standard for diagnosis of malaria

Anderson localization in optical lattices with speckle disorder

We study the localization properties of non-interacting waves propagating in a speckle-like potential superposed on a one-dimensional lattice. Using a decimation/renormalization procedure, we estimate the localization length for a tight-binding Hamiltonian where site-energies are square-sinc-correlated random variables. By decreasing the width of the correlation function, the disorder patterns approaches a $\delta$-correlated disorder, and the localization length becomes almost energy-independent in the strong disorder limit. We show that this regime can be reached for a size of the speckle grains of the order of (lower than) four lattice steps.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Hepatoprotective effects of B-1,3-(D)-Glucan on bortezomib-induced liver damage in rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of beta -1,3-(D)-glucan as an antioxidant and tissue protective agent and study the biochemical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical effects of first therapeutic proteasome inhibitor bortezomib on the liver for treating relapsed multiple myeloma. The experiment included 36 adult male rats, which were divided into four treatment groups: control (healthy); bortezomib-treated; beta-1,3-D-glucan-treated; and bortezomib + beta-1,3-(D)-glucan-treated. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups based on time of sacrifice (48 or 72 h). After the experiments, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and lipid peroxidation (LPO) amounts were determined, and immunohistochemical and histopathological changes were examined in all rat liver tissues. beta -1,3-(D)-Glucan treatment normalized changes of LPO and stimulated an over activity of endogenous SOD. The results of the histopathologic parameters showed that treatment with beta -1,3-(D)-Glucan in the bortezomib group ameliorated the development of non-specific reactive hepatitis (NSRH) and Kupffer cell activation via NF-kB. Administration of beta -1,3-(D)-Glucan is effective in reversing tissue damage induced by bortezomib in rat livers.Bu çalışmanın amacı, relaps multiple miyelom tedavi etmek için kullanılan ilk terapötik proteazom inhibitörü olan bortezomibin karaciğer üzerine immunohistokimyasal, histopatolojik ve biyokimyasal etkilerini araştırmak ve bir antioksidant ve doku koruyucu ajan olarak B-1,3-(D)-glukanın etkilerini değerlendirmekdi. Deney; kontrol (sağlıklı), bortezomib ile tedavi, B-1,3-(D)-glukan ile tedavi ve bortezomib + B-1,3-(D)-glukan ile tedavi olmak üzere dört tedavi grubuna bölünen 36 yetişkin erkek sıçan içerdi. Her bir grup sakrifikasyon zamanına (48 veya 72 saat) göre iki alt gruba ayrıldı. Deneylerin bitiminden sonra, süperoksit dismutaz (SOD) aktivitesi ve lipid peroksidasyon (LPO) miktarları ölçüldü ve tüm sıçan karaciğer dokularında immünohistokimyasal ve histopatolojik değişiklikler incelendi. B-1,3-(D)-glukan ile tedavi LPO değişikliğini normalize etti ve endojen SOD aktivitesi aşırı uyardı. Histopatolojik parametrelerin sonuçları, bortezomib grubunda B-1,3-(D)-glukan ile tedavi NF-kB yoluyla Kupffer hücre aktivasyonunu ve non-spesifik reaktif hepatit (NSRH) gelişimini regüle ettiğini gösterdi. B-1,3-(D)-glukan uygulaması, sıçan karaciğerinde bortezomibin neden olduğu geri döndürülebilir doku hasarında efektifdir

The epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations, radiology, microbiology, treatment, and prognosis of echinococcosis: Results of NENEHATUN study

Aim: Echinococcosis, caused by Echinococcus species, is an important zoonotic disease causing major health problems in humans and animals. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory parameters, radiological, serological, pathological, and treatment protocols of followed-up cases of hydatidosis. Methods: A total of 550 patients diagnosed with hydatid cyst disease were included in this study. Patients who were positive for one or more of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or indirect hemagglutination test, pathological results, or radiological findings were examined. The data analyzed were collected from nine centers between 2008 and 2020. Records were examined retrospectively. Results: Among the patients, 292 (53.1%) were women and 258 (46.9%) were men. The patients' mean age was 44.4 +/- 17.4 years. A history of living in rural areas was recorded in 57.4% of the patients. A total of 435 (79.1%) patients were symptomatic. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain in 277 (50.4%), listlessness in 244 (44.4%), and cough in 140 (25.5%) patients. Hepatomegaly was found in 147 (26.7%), and decreased breath sounds were observed in 124 (22.5%) patients. Radiological examination was performed in all cases and serological methods were also applied to 428 (77.8%) patients. The most frequently applied serological test was IHA (37.8%). A single cyst has been found in 66% patients. Hepatic involvement occurred in 327 (59.4%), pulmonary involvement was found in 128 (23.3%), whereas both of them were recorded in 43 (7.8%) patients. Splenic involvement was only detected in nine (1.6%) patients. Echinococcus granulosus (72.5%) was most frequently detected. Cyst diameters of 56.9% of the patients were in the range of 5-10 cm. A total of 414 (75.2%) patients received albendazole as an antiparasitic. Mortality was noted in nine (1.6%) patients. Conclusion: Echinococcosis is an important public health problem in Turkey. It can affect the social, economic, and political structures of the community. Public education and awareness are extremely important

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT RESUSCITATION FLUIDS ON NO-REFLOW PHENOMENON AFTER THE HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK

Amaç: Hemorajik şok, dolaşımdaki kan volümünün azalması ile meydana gelir.Vücuttaki tüm organlarda doku hipoperfüzyonuna ve hipoksisine sebep olur. Uzamışiskemi sonrası organların kan dolaşımında en önemli fonksiyon bozukluğu,reperfüzyon başladığında kapiller kan akımındaki azalmadır ve kapiller no-reflow olarakadlandırılır.Hemorajik şokta amaç sadece zamanında hacmi yerine koymak değil, organlardakiiskemi reperfüzyon (İ/R) sonrası no-reflow fenomenini engellemeye yönelik olmalıdır.Reperfüzyon amacıyla kullanılan sıvıların organlarda no-reflow fenomenini engellemeyeyönelik etkinliklerini belirlemek amacıyla çalışma planlanmıştır.Yöntem: Bu çalışmada hemorajik şok oluşturulan ratlara (ortalama arteriyel basıncı40 mmHg\'ye azalıncaya kadar kontrollü kanatılarak) 60 dk sonra grup 2 (n=5) de %0,9 NaCl sıvısı, grup 3 (n=5) de jelatin sıvısı, grup 4 (n=5) de hidroksi etil nişasta(hydroxyethyl starch, 130 kD) sıvısı ve grup 5 (n=5) de dekstran 40 sıvısı ileresüsitasyon yapıldı. Grup 1 (n=3) kontrol grubu olarak kullanıldı ve tüm gruplarınçeşitli organlarında (karaciğer, akciğer, böbrek, beyin, bağırsak ve kalp) resüsitasyondan60 dakika sonra çini mürekkebi ile perfüze olan kapiller sayıları histopatolojikinceleme ile belirlendi.Bulgular: Kalp, akciğer, karaciğer, bağırsak ve beyin dokularında HES 130 kD vedekstran 40 resüsitasyonunda perfüze olan kapiller sayısının, %0,9 NaCl ve jelatinresüsitasyonuna göre istatiksel olarak anlamlı fazla olduğu saptandı.Sonuç: Çini mürekkebi perfüzyon yöntemi kullanarak hemorajik şokta İ/R sonrasıno-reflow fenomenini, kalp, akciğer, karaciğer, bağırsak ve beyin dokularında jelatin ve%0,9 NaCl sıvısının engellemediği, HES 130 kD\'nin ve dekstran 40 sıvılarının ise noreflowfenomenini engellediği saptandı.Objective: Hemorrhagic shock is caused by a decrease in the circulating bloodvolume. It causes hypoperfusion and hypoxia of the tissues in all organs of the body.The principal functional impairment in circulation of these organs is reduction ofcapillary blood flow at establishment of reperfusion and it is called the "no-reflowphenomenon".The objective of treatment in hemorrhagic shock should not solely be institution ofvolume on time but to prevent no-reflow phenomenon after ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) of the organs. This study was planned to investigate the efficiency of several Method: In this study, rats were resuscitated with saline in group 2 (n=5), gelatinesolution in group 3 (n=5), hydroxyethyl starch, 130 kD (HES 130 kD) in group 4(n=5) and dextran 40 in group 5 (n=5) after formation of hemorrhagic shock(controlled bleeding till a mean arterial pressure of 40 mm Hg is reached). Group 1(n=3) constituted the control group. The number of ink perfused capillaries werecounted hystopathologically in the organs (liver, lungs, kidney, brain, colon andheart) in all groups 60 minutes following resuscitationin. Indian drawing ink wasused for this purpose.Results: In comparison with the saline and gelatine groups, capillary perfusion in theheart, lung, liver, colon and brain tissues were found to be significantly improved inHES 130 kD and dextran 40 groups.Conclusions: It was concluded that using the ink perfusion method, the no-reflowphenomenon was not prevented with saline and gelatine resuscitation in the heart,lung, liver, colon and brain tissues following IR in hemorrhagic shock, while noreflowphenomenon was prevented with HES 130 kD and dextran 40 resuscitation

Interview with Marjorie Harkins Buchanan Kiewit

In this interview with Julia Stringfellow, Marjorie Harkins Buchanan Kiewit, LU class of 1943, discusses her time as a student as well as her time on the Board of Trustees.https://lux.lawrence.edu/oralhistories/1036/thumbnail.jp