Stability of a functional equation deriving from cubic and quartic functions

In this paper, we obtain the general solution and the generalized Ulam-Hyers stability of the cubic and quartic functional equation &4(f(3x+y)+f(3x-y))=-12(f(x+y)+f(x-y)) &+12(f(2x+y)+f(2x-y))-8f(y)-192f(x)+f(2y)+30f(2x)

S-Restricted Compositions Revisited

An S-restricted composition of a positive integer n is an ordered partition of n where each summand is drawn from a given subset S of positive integers. There are various problems regarding such compositions which have received attention in recent years. This paper is an attempt at finding a closed- form formula for the number of S-restricted compositions of n. To do so, we reduce the problem to finding solutions to corresponding so-called interpreters which are linear homogeneous recurrence relations with constant coefficients. Then, we reduce interpreters to Diophantine equations. Such equations are not in general solvable. Thus, we restrict our attention to those S-restricted composition problems whose interpreters have a small number of coefficients, thereby leading to solvable Diophantine equations. The formalism developed is then used to study the integer sequences related to some well-known cases of the S-restricted composition problem

Generalized relation between the relative entropy and dissipation for nonequilibrium systems

Recently, Kawai, Parrondo, and Van den Broeck have related dissipation to time-reversal asymmetry. We generalized the result by considering a protocol where the physical system is driven away from an initial thermal equilibrium state with temperature $\beta_0$ to a final thermal equilibrium state at a different temperature. We illustrate the result using a model with an exact solution, i.e., a particle in a moving one-dimensional harmonic well.Comment: 4 page

The Bakhtiaris: an anthropological-linguistic lexical study of Haft Lang nomads of southwestern Iran

This research is organized in six chapters and ten appendices.Chapter one contains some introductory remarks on the reasons behind the choice of Bakhtiari for this research and the background studies, as well as some explanations over the methods that were employed to carry out this study. Some ideas for further research are also suggested in the last section of this chapter (See 1.5 below).In chapter two the socio-historical background of the Bakhtiaris is critically reviewed by providing first hand observational and analytic facts that at times contradict the existing and mainstream notions on the subject. As an example, in section 2.2.2, a new etymology for lænɡ is proposed. This word is a crucial term in Bakhtiari but its meaning is ambiguous. In the last two hundred years, a number of hypotheses on its meaning have been repeated without substantial revision. Here, all the previous notions are reviewed critically and the proposed etymology incor-porates the ideas and suggestions of some prominent contemporary linguists specialized in Iranian studies. At the end of chapter two, parts of my M.A thesis are included. Although it was carried out around two decades ago, it is considered to this day as a pioneer socio-linguistic study on a modern Iranian language, subsequently, several articles, M.A. theses and PhD theses have been written at the Iranian universities based on this model. Chapter three presents a novel study for an Iranian language, viz. a semantic study of the vo-cabulary from an anthropological viewpoint. For this research I had no previous model to follow, so that it presented many challenges. The chapter contains two sections. In the first section the semantic fields of kinship terms (3.1.1) and body parts (3.1.3) are detailed studies based on exist-ing theories of language universals and word categories. The second part of the chapter three is a new study of the Bakhtiari fauna and flora. It investigates the ways in which Bakhtiari nomads classify their natural surroundings (Ethno-taxonomy). The study of ethnic taxonomies, or as it is usually referred to, Ethno-biology, is relatively new, and to this day it has not received due atten-tion among scholars working on the Iranian languages. Therefore, at the beginning of this chapter, this field of study is introduced very briefly and then several semantic fields of Bakhtiari are examined. The new findings are presented with tentative explanations that are rooted in the cul-tural history of the nomads.Chapters four to six constitute the linguistic part of the study. In chapter four a brief introduc-tion to the phonemic system of the present day Haftlang variety of Bakhtiari is provided. This chapter should be regarded as a guide to study the bulk of the words and sentences that are used throughout the book. For a more detailed study of the Bakhtiari phonology, the interested reader is encouraged to consult Anonby (2014).In chapter five a thorough discussion of noun morphology is presented. All the different cate-gories of nominal morphology are addressed, with detailed examples gathered through decades of research. Derivational morphology is not covered in the present volume; the relevant, extensive data must await a future opportunity to produce a more comprehensive description of the lan-guage.Chapter six is a thorough description of Bakhtiari verbs. An attempt is made to categorize dif-ferent verb classes using mainly synchronic data. In the description of the verbs, it was inevitable to resort to a historical explanation to deal with some minor grammatical issues.It should be noted that chapters five and six are modelled on the traditional grammars of Per-sian and other Iranian languages. I chose not to depart from the centuries-old tradition of Persian grammar writing in the case of the Bakhtiari grammar, also in order to maintain comparability with other grammars of Iranian languages and dialects. Therefore, at times, it may seem that the description is not strictly from within the language, as in the case of introducing some forms of subjunctive verbs separately under a heading as Imperatives. However, the synchronic state of matters can at all times be seen by the reader. The ten appendices contain word lists, the content of which are either partly (1, 9) or fully (3, 6, 7 and 10) discussed in the body of the research and they are represented as an appendix to be used as a quick vocabulary reference. Some other word lists 2, 4 and 5) have not been discussed in the book. These word lists, however, contain important data to be used in later anthropological or philological studies.Language Use in Past and Presen

Detection of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA in the plasma of Iranian HBeAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis B

Background: Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a marker of HBV replication in the liver of patients infected with HBV. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between the presence of cccDNA in the plasma samples of Iranian treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and HBV viral load and HBsAg levels. Patients and Methods: From April 2012 to May 2015, 106 treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The HBsAg titer was measured by the Roche HBsAg II assay on the Cobas e411 system, and HBV DNA quantitation was performed using the COBAS TaqMan 48 kit. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for the detection of HBV cccDNA. Results: The mean (SD) age of the patients was 41.1 ± 12.4 years (range, 20 - 62 years). From a total of 106 study participants, 67 (63.2) were males. The HBV cccDNA was detected in plasma specimens in 19 (17.9) out of the total 106 patients, and a significant relationship was found between the presence of cccDNA in plasma sample of males (23.9) and females (7.7) (P = 0.039). Also, a significant correlation was found between the presence of cccDNA in plasma sample of the patients and HBV viral load level (P < 0.0001) and HBsAg titer (P = 0.0043). Conclusions: This study showed that cccDNA can be detected in the plasma specimen of 17.9 of Iranian treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Therefore, designing prospective studies focusing on the detection of cccDNA in these patients would provide more information. © 2015, Kowsar Corp

In vivo killing of Staphylococcus aureus using a light-activated antimicrobial agent

Background: The widespread problem of antibiotic resistance in pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus has prompted the search for new antimicrobial approaches. In this study we report for the first time the use of a light-activated antimicrobial agent, methylene blue, to kill an epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (EMRSA-16) strain in two mouse wound models.Results: Following irradiation of wounds with 360 J/cm(2) of laser light (670 nm) in the presence of 100 mu g/ml of methylene blue, a 25-fold reduction in the number of viable EMRSA was seen. This was independent of the increase in temperature of the wounds associated with the treatment. Histological examination of the wounds revealed no difference between the photodynamic therapy (PDT)-treated wounds and the untreated wounds, all of which showed the same degree of inflammatory infiltration at 24 hours.Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that PDT is effective at reducing the total number of viable EMRSA in a wound. This approach has promise as a means of treating wound infections caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes as well as for the elimination of such organisms from carriage sites