Multi-objective portfolio optimization of mutual funds under downside risk measure using fuzzy theory

Mutual fund is one of the most popular techniques for many people to invest their funds where a professional fund manager invests people's funds based on some special predefined objectives; therefore, performance evaluation of mutual funds is an important problem. This paper proposes a multi-objective portfolio optimization to offer asset allocation. The proposed model clusters mutual funds with two methods based on six characteristics including rate of return, variance, semivariance, turnover rate, Treynor index and Sharpe index. Semivariance is used as a downside risk measure. The proposed model of this paper uses fuzzy variables for return rate and semivariance. A multi-objective fuzzy mean-semivariance portfolio optimization model is implemented and fuzzy programming technique is adopted to solve the resulted problem. The proposed model of this paper has gathered the information of mutual fund traded on Nasdaq from 2007 to 2009 and Pareto optimal solutions are obtained considering different weights for objective functions. The results of asset allocation, rate of return and risk of each cluster are also determined and they are compared with the results of two clustering methods

Flexibility methods in update of architecture and school educational approaches

Background and Objectives: With globalization and being in the direction of various intellectual currents, architectural design as an influential factor has changed in the process. The architecture of schools needs to be changed due to the changes in the educational system and the growing needs of students due to communication and the unification of intellectual currents in the world. The pervasiveness of information and communication technology has affected the educational system and the educational environment must constantly adapt to the developments and changes of today's world. Only then can it train capable and competent individuals to meet the needs of the world ahead and the future. Educational policy is constantly being programmed in response to new research on how to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Flexibility is recognized as a result of globalization in architecture. The need for change is important in school architecture due to the diversity of users and the variety of their needs and wants. Flexible spaces have more acceptance capabilities from the general public due to their type of use. In this study, the evolution of ideas among individuals in the discussion of globalization is determined to identify the need for changes in the education system, analyze how the education system changes and the need for flexible schools, express the flexible characteristics of schools and their capabilities, and practically change the country's schools by improving educational approaches and the design of school architecture. Methods: This research uses an analytical-applied method, assuming that flexibility can update educational approaches and, conversely, tries to find the relationship between architecture and educational approaches with flexibility. To do this, it uses library studies of books and articles. Findings: In this regard, the criterion of open plan system, flexible learning spaces, flexible furniture, adaptablity through moving walls, and flexible public spaces are practical solutions that can cause updates in educational approaches to school. Conclusion: Architecture as a guide in design can plan the design process from fertilization to birth. Therefore, the attitude towards architecture should be present at the same time going back and forth in whole and in part. School architecture is one of the effective educational parameters in modern education and just as thinkers in the study of educational issues always consider various factors such as family, teacher, educational management, etc. as effective factors in the process of learning; the architecture or physical space of the school also plays a role as a living and dynamic factor in the quality of students' educational activities. In a world of such rapid change and in a day when knowledge is a powerful tool for development and even social survival, flexibility is the common denominator between architecture and educational approaches. Architecture can use to flexibly improve the educational approaches needed in the new world. Flexibility as a solution is effective in education in two ways: updating the educational approach with the help of architecture, innovation in architectural design by new educational approaches. The learning environment influences students' creativity. The more creative the design, the more fertile the student's mind becomes, and the greater the need to raise educational levels, and this process is infinitely reproducible. ===================================================================================== COPYRIGHTS  ©2021 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.  ====================================================================================

Sparse {Fourier Transform} by Traversing {Cooley-Tukey FFT} Computation Graphs

Computing the dominant Fourier coefficients of a vector is a common task in many fields, such as signal processing, learning theory, and computational complexity. In the Sparse Fast Fourier Transform (Sparse FFT) problem, one is given oracle access to a $d$-dimensional vector $x$ of size $N$, and is asked to compute the best $k$-term approximation of its Discrete Fourier Transform, quickly and using few samples of the input vector $x$. While the sample complexity of this problem is quite well understood, all previous approaches either suffer from an exponential dependence of runtime on the dimension $d$ or can only tolerate a trivial amount of noise. This is in sharp contrast with the classical FFT algorithm of Cooley and Tukey, which is stable and completely insensitive to the dimension of the input vector: its runtime is $O(N\log N)$ in any dimension $d$. In this work, we introduce a new high-dimensional Sparse FFT toolkit and use it to obtain new algorithms, both on the exact, as well as in the case of bounded $\ell_2$ noise. This toolkit includes i) a new strategy for exploring a pruned FFT computation tree that reduces the cost of filtering, ii) new structural properties of adaptive aliasing filters recently introduced by Kapralov, Velingker and Zandieh'SODA'19, and iii) a novel lazy estimation argument, suited to reducing the cost of estimation in FFT tree-traversal approaches. Our robust algorithm can be viewed as a highly optimized sparse, stable extension of the Cooley-Tukey FFT algorithm. Finally, we explain the barriers we have faced by proving a conditional quadratic lower bound on the running time of the well-studied non-equispaced Fourier transform problem. This resolves a natural and frequently asked question in computational Fourier transforms. Lastly, we provide a preliminary experimental evaluation comparing the runtime of our algorithm to FFTW and SFFT 2.0

The Effect of Estradiol and Progesterone on Toll Like Receptor Gene Expression in A Human Fallopian Tube Epithelial Cell Line

OBJECTIVE: Toll like receptors (TLRs) are one of the main components of the innate im- mune system. It has been reported that expression of these receptors are altered in the female reproductive tract (FRT) during menstrual cycle. Here we used a fallopian tube epithelial cell line (OE-E6/E7) to evaluate the effect of two sex hormones in modulating TLR expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, initially TLR gene expression in OE- E6/E7 cells was evaluated and compared with that of fallopian tube tissue using quanti- tative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunostaining. Thereafter, OE-E6/E7 cells were cultured with different concentrations of estradiol and progesterone, and combination of both. qRT-PCR was performed to reveal any changes in expression of TLR genes as a result of hormonal treatment. RESULTS: TLR1-10 genes were expressed in human fallopian tube tissue. TLR1-6 genes and their respective proteins were expressed in the OE-E6/E7 cell line. Although estradiol and progesterone separately had no significant effect on TLR expression, their combined treatment altered the expression of TLRs in this cell line. Also, the pattern of TLR expres- sion in preovulation (P), mensturation (M) and window of implantation (W) were the same for all TLRs with no significant differences between P, M and W groups. CONCLUSION: These data show the significant involvement of the combination of es- tradiol and progesterone in modulation of TLR gene expression in this human fal- lopian tube cell line. Further experiments may reveal the regulatory mechanism and signalling pathway behind the effect of sex hormones in modulating TLRs in the hu- man FRT

Human sperm DNA damage has an effect on immunological interaction between spermatozoa and fallopian tube

Background: Toll-like receptors play a crucial role in the immunological interaction between the spermatozoa and fallopian tube and contribute to the ovulation, sperm capacitation, fertilization, and pregnancy. Objectives: To investigate the expression of toll-like receptors and their adaptor molecules and cytokines under the effect of spermatozoa with high DNA fragmentation (high DF) in human fallopian tube cell line (OE-E6/E7) and compare to those in normal spermatozoa. Materials and methods: Fresh semen samples were obtained from 10 unexplained infertile males with high DF (more than 20) and from 10 healthy donors with a DF less than 3. After sperm preparation, samples were co-cultured with OE-E6/E7. Toll-like receptors, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), TIR domain-containing adapter protein (TIRAP), TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing IFN-b (TRIF), TRIF-related adapter molecule as well as IL-6, IL-8, IFN-�, and TNFa mRNA expression were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR. Protein levels of these cytokines and chemokines were measured using ELISA method. Results: TLR 1-6 mRNA expression in OE-E6/E7 was significantly higher under the effect of spermatozoa with high DF compared to the spermatozoa with low DF. Furthermore, significantly increased mRNA expression of MyD88, TIRAP, and TRIF was observed in the high DF group compared to the low DF group, except TRIF-related adapter molecule. Moreover, the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in the high DF group was significantly higher than low DF group, although there was no significant difference in IFN-� and TNFa expression between the groups. Discussion and conclusion: Damage-associated molecular patterns from DNA damage activate TLR signaling pathway in human fallopian tubes and result in the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. This situation may provide pathologic environment for capacitation, fertilization, embryo development, and implantation in female reproductive tract and can be one of the mechanisms of infertility in men with high DF. © 2019 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Androlog

Systematic review of available guidelines on fertility preservation of young patients with breast cancer

Background: Since the survival rate of breast cancer patients has improved, harmful effects of new treatment modalities on fertility of the young breast cancer patients has become a focus of attention. This study aimed to systematically review and critically appraise all available guidelines for fertility preservation in young breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Major citation databases were searched for treatment guidelines. Experts from relevant disciplines appraised the available guidelines. The AGREE II Instrument that includes 23 criteria in seven domains (scope and purpose of the guidelines, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity, applicability, editorial independence, and overall quality) was used to apprise and score the guidelines. Results: The search strategy retrieved 2,606 citations; 72 were considered for full-text screening and seven guidelines were included in the study. There was variability in the scores assigned to different domains among the guidelines. ASCO (2013), with an overall score of 68.0, had the highest score, and St Gallen, with an overall score of 24.7, had the lowest scores among the guidelines. Conclusions: With the promising survival rate among breast cancer patients, more attention should be given to include specific fertility preservation recommendations for young breast cancer patients

The effect of preincubation time and myo-inositol supplementation on the quality of mouse mii oocytes

Background: It is demonstrated that optimal preincubation time improves oocyte quality, fertilization potential and developmental rate. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of preincubation time in the simple and myo-inositol supplemented medium on the oocyte quality regarding oxidative stress and mitochondrial alteration. Methods: Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) retrieved from superovulated NMRI mice were divided in groups of 0, 4 and 8 hr preincubation time in the simple and 20 mmol/L myo-inositol supplemented media. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (H2O2), glutathione (GSH), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP content, and mitochondrial amount were measured and analyzed in experimental groups. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis were respectively used for parametric and nonparametric variables. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. Results: In comparison to control group, variables including ROS, GSH, mitochondrial amount, fertilization and developmental rates were significantly changed after 4 hr of preincubation in the simple medium, while MMP decreased following 8 hr of preincubation in the simple medium (p<0.001). Preincubation of oocytes up to 8 hr in the simple medium could not decrease ATP content. For both 4 and 8 hr preincubation times, myo-inositole could decrease H2O2 and increase GSH and MMP levels and consequently could improve fertilization rate compared to oocytes preincubated in the simple culture. Conclusion: It seems that 4 hr or more preincubation time can decrease the oocyte quality and lead to reduced oocyte fertilization and developmental potential. Howevere, myo-inositol may prevent oocyte quality reduction and improve fertilization potential in comparision to the equivalent simple groups. © 2020 Avicenna Research Institute. All rights reserved

Design and evaluation of a novel nanodrug delivery system for reducing the side effects of clomiphene citrate on endometrium

Background: Stimulation of ovulation with clomiphene citrate can cause side effects on endometrial receptivity. Formulation with nano-size may be an alternative therapy for women with ovulatory disorders. In this study, we investigated sustained-release clomiphene citrate by using Phosal-based formulation (PBF) and evaluate its decreased side effect on the endometrial receptivity. Methods: In the in-vitro study, CC loaded PBF was analyzed using Zetasizer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the in-vivo study, 24 female mice were randomly divided into three groups: CC (5 mg/kg), CC/PBF (5 mg/kg) and SS (1 ml) daily administered and injected with 5 IU HCG and mated after two days. At day 4.5, pregnant mice were euthanized and endometrial tissue was extracted for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) analysis. Results: The optimized PBF contained Phosal 50PG/glycerol in a 2:8 ratios (w/w) and the particle size of optimum formulation was 67 ± 0.30551 nm and the release of CC from CC-containing PBF was slightly faster in the first 24 h; wherein, 29 of CC was released, and 76 of CC was released up to 120 h. The mRNA levels of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), leukemia inhibitory factor receptor alpha (LIFR), HOXA10, Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were significantly upregulated and MUC1 and PGR mRNA levels were significantly downregulated in the CC-containing PBF-treated animals compared with only CC group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Sustained release formulation of clomiphene citrate increased its targeting efficiency and improved the impact of the CC on implantation. Figure not available: see fulltext. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Comparative evaluation of NOTCH signaling molecules in the endometrium of women with various gynecological diseases during the window of implantation

Objective(s): NOTCH signaling pathway is well known for its role in cell fate, cell survival, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. Some of the NOTCH signaling genes are critical for endometrial function and implantation in animals and appear to play a similar role in humans. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the potential roles of some main components of the NOTCH family in human endometrium during implantation period in common gynecological diseases. Materials and Methods: Endometrial NOTCH receptors NOTCH1, 3, 4 and ligand JAG1, 2 and survivin mRNA expression were investigated using the Q-PCR technique and the amount of the JAG1, 2 proteins was also determined by Western blot. Samples were obtained from 12 patients with endometriosis, 12 patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF), 12 patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and 10 healthy fertile women as a control group. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18. Group comparisons were performed by one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis. Results: All patient groups failed to show the expected mid-luteal increase in NOTCH1, JAG 1, 2, and survivin expression as documented in the control group. Moreover, a significant rise in NOTCH3 expression levels was found only in PCOS women. There was a direct correlation between gene expression and protein level for JAG 1, 2. Conclusion: Aberrant NOTCH signaling molecules expression suggests that altered development of the endometrium at the molecular level may be associated with the impaired decidualization and implantation failure in gynecological disorders such as endometriosis, PCOS, and RIF. © 2019, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Comparing various protocols of human and bovine ovarian tissue decellularization to prepare extracellular matrix-alginate scaffold for better follicle development in vitro

Background: Nowadays, the number of cancer survivors is significantly increasing as a result of efficient chemo/radio therapeutic treatments. Female cancer survivors may suffer from decreased fertility. In this regard, different fertility preservation techniques were developed. Artificial ovary is one of these methods suggested by several scientific groups. Decellularized ovarian cortex has been introduced as a scaffold in the field of human fertility preservation. This study was carried out to compare decellularization of the ovarian scaffold by various protocols and evaluate the follicle survival in extracellular matrix (ECM)-alginate scaffold. Results: The micrographs of H&E and DAPI staining confirmed successful decellularization of the ovarian cortex in all experimental groups, but residual DNA content in SDS-Triton group was significantly higher than other groups (P < 0.05). SEM images demonstrated that complex fiber network and porosity structure were maintained in all groups. Furthermore, elastin and collagen fibers were observed in all groups after decellularization process. MTT test revealed higher cytobiocompatibility of the SDS-Triton-Ammonium and SDS-Triton decellularized scaffolds compared with SDS groups. Compared to the transferred follicles into the sodium alginate (81), 85.9 of the transferred follicles into the decellularized scaffold were viable after 7 days of cultivation (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Although all the decellularization procedures was effective in removal of cells from ovarian cortex, SDS-Triton-Ammonium group showed less residual DNA content with higher cytobiocompatibility for follicles when compared with other groups. In addition, the scaffold made from ovarian tissues decellularized using SDS-Triton-Ammonium and sodium alginate is suggested as a potential 3D substrate for in vitro culture of follicles for fertility preservation. © 2021, The Author(s)