Solving Unconstrained Optimization Problems by a New Conjugate Gradient Method with Sufficient Descent Property

There have been some conjugate gradient methods with strong convergence but numerical instability and conversely‎. Improving these methods is an interesting idea to produce new methods with both strong convergence and‎‏  ‎numerical stability‎. ‎In this paper‎, ‎a new hybrid conjugate gradient method is introduced based on the Fletcher ‎formula (CD) with strong convergence and the Liu and Storey formula (LS) with good numerical results‎. ‎New directions satisfy the sufficient descent property‎, ‎independent of line search‎. ‎Under some mild assumptions‎, ‎the global convergence of new hybrid method is proved‎. ‎Numerical results on unconstrained CUTEst test problems show that the new algorithm is ‎very robust and efficient‎

Effects of hot nanofluid injection on oil recovery from a model porous medium

Peer reviewedPostprin

An Assessment of the Sustainability of Agricultural Systems in Golestan Province, Iran

Sustainable agriculture is a holistic approach to produce food, fiber, feed and fuel in a way that does not damage the environment and also must meet the needs of the present and future population of the world, while considering agro-ecosystem health, social and economic equity and profitability. Therefore, the sustainable agriculture cannot be isolated from the concept of sustainable development in any country or region. The current survey was conducted in order to study the sustainability of agricultural systems in Golestan Province in the north of Iran during the period of 2002-2011. The required data were obtained from formal statistical database. The total numerical value of sustainability was calculated for individual years using 21 different indexes. Because of the diverse nature of the selected indexes and their wide range, they were normalized to facilitate their comparison. The results show that the agricultural sustainability has been increased significantly over the studied period. The lowest value of sustainability was observed in the first year of the studied period (i.e., 2002) but the highest value was calculated for 2009 and thereafter the sustainability of agro-ecosystem has decreased slightly. The improvement of sustainability could be attributed to the application of less chemical inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers, higher water and nitrogen use efficiencies, higher yield of different crops, especially dry land crops and the higher cultivation area of nitrogen fixing species

The Effect of High-frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Reducing Depression and Anxiety in Methamphetamine Users

Background: Methamphetamine use has been associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety. Themesocorticolimbic dopaminergic reward system seems to play a crucial role in inducing depression andanxiety in methamphetamine users. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) hasbeen shown to alter dopaminergic neurotransmission considering the acute rewarding and reinforcing effectsin the subcortical structure. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of rTMS in reducingdepression and anxiety symptoms in methamphetamine users.Methods: In a single-subject method with concurrent multiple baseline designs, in 2017, in Iran, eightmethamphetamine users were included, which compared 15 days of active versus placebo stimulation andcontrol group. Two subjects received rTMS on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and twosubjects received rTMS on the left DLPFC. We carried out the measurement using the Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before, during, and after 15 and 30 days of the procedure.Findings: Right and left DLPFC stimulation significantly reduced depression and anxiety, but the reductionof depression and anxiety by the right DLPFC stimulation was noticeable in this study.Conclusion: High-frequency rTMS is useful for the treatment of depression and anxiety in methamphetamineuser

Assessment of Dysregulation of HERC6 and Essential Biological Processes in Response to Laser Therapy of Human Arm Skin

Introduction: The widespread application of lasers in medicine, especially in the treatment of diseases implies more investigations to understand the precious molecular mechanism of the laser effect on the human body. In the present study, the prominent role of HERC6 in response to CO2 Laser therapy of human skin is investigated.Methods: The numbers of 16 gene expression profiles before and after the treatment with the CO2 laser are downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) are analyzed to find the significant DEGs. Gene ontology analysis revealed that HERC6 and a set of its neighbors played a significant role in response to laser application.Results: The expression changes of 52 significant DEGs were compared via heat map analysis and 27 significant DEGs were introduced as the critical genes which are involved in response to laser irradiation. “Thymidylate kinase activity” among 9 clusters of biological terms was highlighted as an important biological process related to the identified DEGs. HERC2 was proposed as a critical DEG which was related to several essential cellular processes in response to laser application.Conclusion: The findings from the present study indicate that HERC6 and the numbers of its first neighbors are involved in the essential cellular response to laser therapy of human skin

Evaluation of Laser Effects on the Human Body After Laser Therapy

Lasers have wide applications in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases and various medical fields. Laser therapy like the other methods has advantages and disadvantages. Some risks such as bleeding, pain, and infection are created after laser therapy. Explanation and evaluation of laser effects on cell function, tissue, and the body are the aims of this study. We reviewed papers available from 1986 to 2019 about the effects of lasers on cells and tissue. An online search of PubMed, Science Direct and Google scholar using such keywords as “laser”, “cell”, “tissue”, “body” and “side effects” was performed. The laser photons are absorbed by chromophores, resulting in the target heating and localized damage. Laser irradiation alters cellular metabolism and cellular functions. These alterations may be accompanied by undesired side effects which can be monitored via metabolites level change in the body. Based on this finding, laser therapy may be associated with several side effects and complications; therefore, before treatment, the determination of laser types and their properties is necessary to avoid creating side effects. The advantages and disadvantages of the treatment type should be considered in order to choose the best treatment with the least side effects. The patients’ awareness of possible side effects before treatment and also an effective follow-up and management of patients after action are two important points in laser therapy. Training curriculum definition should be determined for laser applicant qualifications in different medical fields

A conventional PCR for differentiating common taeniid species of dogs based on in silico microsatellite analysis

Canine taeniids are among the major tapeworms with remarkable medical and economic significance. Reliable diagnosis and differentiation of dog taeniids using simple and sensitive tools are of paramount importance for establishing an efficient surveillance system. Microsatellites as abundant unique tandem repeats of short DNA motifs are useful genetic markers for molecular epidemiological studies. The purpose of the present study was to find a primer pair for rapid differentiation of major tapeworms of dogs, Taenia hydatigena, T. multiceps, T. ovis and Echinococcus granulosus, by screening existing nucleotide data. All the mitochondrial genome records as well as non-coding ITS1 sequences of Taeniidae species were downloaded from Nucleotide database from NCBI. For prediction and analysis of potential loci of STR/SSR in ITS1 as well as mitochondrial regions, we used ChloroMitoSSRDB 2.0 and GMATo v1.2. software. Different tapeworm species were categorized according to different motif sequences and type and size of each microsatellite locus. Three primer sets were designed and tested for differentiating taeniid species and evaluated in a conventional PCR system. Four taeniid species were successfully differentiated using a primer pair in a simple conventional PCR system. We predicted 2-19 and 1-4 microsatellite loci in ITS1 and mitochondrial genome, respectively. In ITS1, 41 Di and 21 Tri motifs were found in the taeniids while the majority of the motifs in the mitochondrial genome were Tetra (89) and Tri (70). It is documented that the number and diversity of microsatellite loci is higher in nuclear ITS1 region than mostly coding mitochondrial genome

Assessment of Laser Effects on Skin Rejuvenation

Laser skin resurfacing has changed the approach of facial skin rejuvenation over the past decade. This article evaluates the laser effects on skin rejuvenation by the assessment of laser characteristics and histological and molecular changes, accompanied by the expression of proteins during and after laser-assisted rejuvenation of skin. It is important to note that different layers of skin with different cells are normally exposed to the sun’s UV radiation which is the most likely factor in aging and damaging healthy skin. To identify the expression of proteins, using validated databases and reviewing existing data could reveal altered proteins which could be analyzed and mapped to investigate their expression and their different effects on cell biological responses. In this regard, proteomics data can be used for better investigation of the changes in the proteomic profile of the treated skin. Different assessments have revealed the survival and activation of fibroblasts and new keratinocytes with an increase of collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis and the reduction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) as a result of different low-power laser therapies of skin. There are a wide range of biological effects associated with laser application in skin rejuvenation; therefore, more safety considerations should be regarded in the application of lasers in skin rejuvenation

Neuroprotective Properties of Photobiomodulation in Retinal Regeneration in Rats: Perspectives From Interaction Levels

Introduction: Photobiomodulation (PBM) is known as low-level laser (or light) therapy and is applied in different fields of medicine. However, it is required that its molecular and cellular mechanism be investigated. This study aims to assess the neuroprotective properties of PBM in the rat retina.Methods: GSE22818 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the regulation of the significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) which are produced by light damage in the rat retina by the pretreatment of PBM application was assessed via network analysis and gene ontology enrichment.Results: The 78 produced DEGs by light-damage in the rat retina were protected via PBM pretreatment action. Among these determined DEGs, 53 individuals were included in the main connected component of the constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Ccl2, Icam1, Cxcl10, Timp1, and Fos were determined as hub nodes. Eight clusters including 26 regulated biochemical pathways by PBM pretreatment were identified. The critical DEGs based on the action maps were introduced.Conclusion: The finding indicates that PBM treatment protects rat retina against light damage via the prevention of Fos, Ccl2, Icam1, Cxcl10, and Myc dysregulation.