Set-valued orthogonal additivity

We study the set-valued Cauchy equation postulated for orthogonal vectors. We give its general solution as well as we look for selections of functions satisfying the equation

Set optimization - a rather short introduction

Recent developments in set optimization are surveyed and extended including various set relations as well as fundamental constructions of a convex analysis for set- and vector-valued functions, and duality for set optimization problems. Extensive sections with bibliographical comments summarize the state of the art. Applications to vector optimization and financial risk measures are discussed along with algorithmic approaches to set optimization problems

Estrogen- and Progesterone (P4)-Mediated Epigenetic Modifications of Endometrial Stromal Cells (EnSCs) and/or Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs) in the Etiopathogenesis of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammatory condition in which endometrial tissue appears outside the uterine cavity. Because ectopic endometriosis cells express both estrogen and progesterone (P4) receptors, they grow and undergo cyclic proliferation and breakdown similar to the endometrium. This debilitating gynecological disease affects up to 15% of reproductive aged women. Despite many years of research, the etiopathogenesis of endometrial lesions remains unclear. Retrograde transport of the viable menstrual endometrial cells with retained ability for attachment within the pelvic cavity, proliferation, differentiation and subsequent invasion into the surrounding tissue constitutes the rationale for widely accepted implantation theory. Accordingly, the most abundant cells in the endometrium are endometrial stromal cells (EnSCs). These cells constitute a particular population with clonogenic activity that resembles properties of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). Thus, a significant role of stem cell-based dysfunction in formation of the initial endometrial lesions is suspected. There is increasing evidence that the role of epigenetic mechanisms and processes in endometriosis have been underestimated. The importance of excess estrogen exposure and P4 resistance in epigenetic homeostasis failure in the endometrial/endometriotic tissue are crucial. Epigenetic alterations regarding transcription factors of estrogen and P4 signaling pathways in MSCs are robust in endometriotic tissue. Thus, perspectives for the future may include MSCs and EnSCs as the targets of epigenetic therapies in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis. Here, we reviewed the current known changes in the epigenetic background of EnSCs and MSCs due to estrogen/P4 imbalances in the context of etiopathogenesis of endometriosis

Orthogonalities and functional equations

In this survey we show how various notions of orthogonality appear in the theory of functional equations. After introducing some orthogonality relations, we give examples of functional equations postulated for orthogonal vectors only. We show their solutions as well as some applications. Then we discuss the problem of stability of some of them considering various aspects of the problem. In the sequel, we mention the orthogonality equation and the problem of preserving orthogonality. Last, but not least, in addition to presenting results, we state some open problems concerning these topics. Taking into account the big amount of results concerning functional equations postulated for orthogonal vectors which have appeared in the literature during the last decades, we restrict ourselves to the most classical equations

The application of ZnO/SiO2 nanocomposite for the photocatalytic degradation of a textile dye in aqueous solutions in comparison with pure ZnO nanoparticles

One of the major disadvantages of the application of ZnO nanoparticles as photocatalyst in photocatalytic systems is photoinstability due to the photocorrosion under UV light irradiation resulting in the significant reduction in their photocatalytic activity. Therefore, in the present study, SiO2 nanopowders were incorporated into the ZnO nanoparticles to enhance their photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) dye in comparison with pure ZnO/UV process. The efficiency of UV/ZnO/SiO2 process was compared with UV/ZnO process for the decolorization of MB dye and the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The effect of various amounts of SiO2 (5, 10, and 15) incorporated into ZnO nanoparticles was studied. At optimal SiO2 loading of 10, the decolorization efficiency of MB and the removal of COD were obtained to be 100 and 81, respectively. However, using UV/ZnO process at the same operational conditions, the decolorization efficiency of MB and the removal of COD were 66 and 44, respectively. An initial pH of 7 and initial dye concentration of 25mg/L were chosen as optimal experimental conditions. It can be stated that the incorporation of SiO2 nanopowders into the ZnO nanoparticles would be beneficial for enhancing their photocatalytic activity

A comparative system-level analysis of the neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are disorders in the central nervous system with consequent progressive neurological symptoms including behavioral and cognitive disabilities. Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia are the most important and abundant neurodegenerative diseases that affect different parts of the brain. Detailed studies unveiled the molecular mechanisms and pathways affected in each of these disorders. The role of many genes has been documented in the onset and progression of each disease. Although many system‐level approaches have been used to understand the exact cause of these diseases, there is no comparative analysis in this regard. Despite all differences in the molecular basis of these diseases, overlapping symptoms might indicate the involvement of the similar pathways and processes. Here, we have applied a system biology approach to uncover many aspects of main neurodegenerative diseases using microarray data obtained from 118 cases of postmortem brain samples. Our analysis has identified key genes that might contribute to the status of diseases. We have also compared the involved biological process and pathway between different disease to find possible similar mechanisms that exist in all of them. We also predicted potentially important transcription factors in each disease and predicted the core gene regulatory networks. We have provided a list of possible new key regulators that could be further explored and also discussed the role of these hub genes. The results of this study would be useful to develop new diagnostic strategies and also to find new drug targets.Rasoul Godini, Hossein Fallahi, Esameil Ebrahimi

Treatment of waste sludge: a comparison between anodic oxidation and electro-Fenton processes

BACKGROUND: Electrochemical methods, as one of the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), have recently been applied to remove different contaminants from water and wastewater. This study compares the performance of anodic oxidation (AO) and electro-Fenton (EF) methods on waste sludge treatment. METHODS: This experimental study was performed on real sludge and the effect of operating parameters such as solution pH, operating time, current density, supporting electrolyte and hydrogen peroxide concentration were investigated in a batch reactor. For determination of oxidation and treatability of the sludge, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total coliform (TC) removal were examined. Pb/PbO2 and iron electrodes respectively for AO and EF were applied. RESULTS: Experimental data indicated for both AO and EF as the operating time and current density increased, COD removal increased. pH=4.0 and 3.0 and current density=1.75 and 2 A respectively for AO and EF and the concentration = 57.2 mMol of hydrogen peroxide for EF were measured as the optimum amounts of these variables. The removal efficiency of COD in AO and EF process was 76 and 72, respectively. Of course, the efficiency of EF in TC removal was better and the percentage of TC removal in 60 min for AO and EF was 99.0 and 99.9, respectively. The amounts of consumed electrical energy for AO and EF were 8.6 and 28.0 kWh kg-1 COD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: AO was more effective in treatment and mineralization of waste sludge and TC removal than EF in terms of environmental economical features

Investigation of Fungal Bioaerosols and Particulate Matter in the Teaching-Medical Hospitals of Khorramabad City, Iran During 2015

Background and Objective: The presence of fungal bioaerosols in hospitals indoor environments have affected the health of patients with the defect in immunity system. Therefore, determination of the rate and species of these agents is essential. This study aimed to investigate association between fungi contamination and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1) concentrations in the main indoor wards and outdoor environment and to determine I/O ratio in two educational-medical hospitals of Khorramabad City. Materials and Methods: In this description-analytical study, the concentration of fungal bioaerosols and particulate matter was measured in 10 indoor parts and 2 outdoor stations over 6 mounts. The sampling was conducted using Quick Take-30 at an airflow rate of 28.3 L/min and sampling period of 2.5 min onto Sabouraud dextrose agar medium containing chloramphenicol. The particulate matters were measured using Monitor Dust-Trak 8520. Moreover, the relative humidity and temperature were recorded using digital TES-1360. Results: Analysis of 288 fungi samples and 864 particulate matter samples showed that the average of fungi accumulation was 59.75 CFU/m3 and the mean concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 in the indoor environment was&nbsp; 27.3, 23, and 20.2 &micro;g/m3 respectively. In addition, in ambient air the mean concentration was 135.3 CFU/m3 for fungal bioaerosols and 40.2, 35.7, and 29.8 &micro;g/m3 for PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 respectively. At the total of fungi samples, 12.5% were negative and 87.5% were positive. Having 101.7%, Infection ward was the most contaminated ward. The operation ward in both hospitals showed the minimum fungal contamination. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that at all of the samplings the ratio of I/O was lower than one. It was noticed the dominancy of fungal bioaerosols and particulate matter of outdoor source on the indoor environment. In addition, a significant correlation (P < 0.001( was found between fungal bioaerosols frequency and particulate matter and as well as fungal bioaerosols frequency, relative humidity and temperature