The quotients between the (revised) Szeged index and Wiener index of graphs

Let $Sz(G),Sz^*(G)$ and $W(G)$ be the Szeged index, revised Szeged index and Wiener index of a graph $G.$ In this paper, the graphs with the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh largest Wiener indices among all unicyclic graphs of order $n\geqslant 10$ are characterized; as well the graphs with the first, second, third, and fourth largest Wiener indices among all bicyclic graphs are identified. Based on these results, further relation on the quotients between the (revised) Szeged index and the Wiener index are studied. Sharp lower bound on $Sz(G)/W(G)$ is determined for all connected graphs each of which contains at least one non-complete block. As well the connected graph with the second smallest value on $Sz^*(G)/W(G)$ is identified for $G$ containing at least one cycle.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

2-tert-Butyl-4-chloro-5-[4-(2-fluoro­eth­oxy)benz­yloxy]pyridazin-3(2H)-one

In the title compound, C17H20ClFN2O3, the dihedral angle between the pyridazine and benzene rings is 41.37 (10)°. In the crystal, there are no significant intermolecular interactions present. The terminal –CH2F group is disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.737 (2):0.263 (2)

Bis[4-oxido-2-oxo-2,3-di­hydro­pyrimidin-1-ium-5-carboxyl­ato(1.5−)-κ2 O 4,O 5]bis­(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N′)dysprosium(III) dihydrate

In the title compound, [Dy(C5H2.5N2O4)2(C12H8N2)2]·2H2O, the DyIII ion is located on a twofold rotation axis and is coordinated in a square-anti­prismatic geometry by two chelating 1,10-phenanthroline mol­ecules as well as two 4-oxido-2-oxo-2,3-di­hydro­pyrimidin-1-ium-5-carboxyl­ato(1.5−) anions. N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds help to stabilize the crystal structure. The H atom involved in an N—H⋯N hydrogen bond is disordered around a twofold rotation axis

Identifying the determinants and spatial nexus of provincial carbon intensity in China: A dynamic spatial panel approach

Is emission intensity of carbon dioxide (CO2) spatially correlated? What determines the CO2 intensity at a provincial level? More importantly, what climate and economic policy decisions should the China’s central and local governments make to reduce the CO2 intensity and prevent the environmental pollution given that China has been the largest emitter of CO2? We aim to address these questions in this study by applying a dynamic spatial system-GMM (generalized method of moment) technique. Our analysis suggests that provinces are influenced by their neighbours. In addition, CO2 intensities are relatively higher in the western and middle areas, and that the spatial agglomeration effect of the provincial CO2 intensity is obvious. Our analysis also shows that CO2 intensity is nonlinearly related to GDP (gross domestic product), positively associated with secondary-sector share and FDI (foreign direct investment), and negatively associated with population size. Important policy implications are drawn on reducing carbon intensity

The Effects of Jiang-Zhi-Ning and Its Main Components on Cholesterol Metabolism

To examine how Jiang-Zhi-Ning (JZN) regulates cholesterol metabolism and compare the role of its four main components. We established a beagle model of hyperlipidemia, fed with JZN extract and collected JZN-containing serum 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h later. Human liver cells Bel-7402 were stimulated with 10% JZN-containing serum as well as the four main components of JZN and Atorvastatin. The mRNA expression of LDL receptor (LDL-R), 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoAR), cytochrome P450 7A1 (CYP7A1), and acetyl-Coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) was measured by real-time PCR. LDL-R surface expression and LDL-binding and internalization were examined by flow cytometry. The results showed that JZN-containing serum significantly increased the mRNA expression of LDL-R, HMG-CoAR, and CYP7A1 in Bel-7402 cells. All the four components significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression of LDL-R and HMG-CoAR and decreased the mRNA and protein expression of ACAT2 in Bel-7402 cells. Hyperinand chrysophanol also markedly increased the mRNA expression of CYP7A1. Stimulation with stilbene glycosidesignificantly increased the surface expression of LDL-R and the binding and internalization of LDL. In conclusion, JZN and its four components have close relationship with the process of cholesterol metabolism, emphasizing their promising application as new drug candidates in the treatment of hyperlipidemia

Bactericidal synergism between phage endolysin Ply2660 and cathelicidin LL-37 against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis biofilms

Antibiotic resistance and the ability to form biofilms of Enterococcus faecalis have compromised the choice of therapeutic options, which triggered the search for new therapeutic strategies, such as the use of phage endolysins and antimicrobial peptides. However, few studies have addressed the synergistic relationship between these two promising options. Here, we investigated the combination of the phage endolysin Ply2660 and the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 to target drug-resistant biofilm-producing E. faecalis. In vitro bactericidal assays were used to demonstrate the efficacy of the Ply2660–LL-37 combination against E. faecalis. Larger reductions in viable cell counts were observed when Ply2660 and LL-37 were applied together than after individual treatment with either substance. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Ply2660–LL-37 combination could lead to severe cell lysis of E. faecalis. The mode of action of the Ply2660–LL-37 combination against E. faecalis was that Ply2660 degrades cell wall peptidoglycan, and subsequently, LL-37 destroys the cytoplasmic membrane. Furthermore, Ply2660 and LL-37 act synergistically to inhibit the biofilm formation of E. faecalis. The Ply2660–LL-37 combination also showed a synergistic effect for the treatment of established biofilm, as biofilm killing with this combination was superior to each substance alone. In a murine peritoneal septicemia model, the Ply2660–LL-37 combination distinctly suppressed the dissemination of E. faecalis isolates and attenuated organ injury, being more effective than each treatment alone. Altogether, our findings indicate that the combination of a phage endolysin and an antimicrobial peptide may be a potential antimicrobial strategy for combating E. faecalis

Three-Dimensional Short-Term Prediction Model of Dissolved Oxygen Content Based on PSO-BPANN Algorithm Coupled with Kriging Interpolation

Dissolved oxygen (DO) content is a significant aspect of water quality in aquaculture. Prediction of dissolved oxygen may timely avoid the financial loss caused by inappropriate dissolved oxygen content and three-dimensional prediction can achieve more accurate and overall guidance. Therefore, this study presents a three-dimensional short-term prediction model of dissolved oxygen in crab aquaculture ponds based on back propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO), which coupled with Kriging method. In this model, wavelet analysis is adopted for denoising, BPANN optimized by PSO is utilized for data analysis and one-dimensional prediction, and Kriging method is used for three-dimensional prediction. Compared with traditional one-dimensional prediction model, three-dimensional model has more real reaction of dissolved oxygen content in crab growth environment. In particular, the merits of PSO are evaluated against genetic algorithm (GA). The root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for PSO model are 0.136445, 0.90534, and 0.15384, respectively, while for the GA model the values are 2.04184, 1.18316, and 0.21014, respectively. Furthermore, results of cross validation experiment show that the average error of this model is 0.0705 (mg/L). Consequently, this study suggests that the prediction model operates in a satisfactory manner

Metabolomics-Based Study of Clinical and Animal Plasma Samples in Coronary Heart Disease with Blood Stasis Syndrome

The aim of this study is to explore a bridge connecting the mechanism basis and macro syndromes of coronary heart disease with experimental animal models. GC-MS technique was used to detect the metabolites of plasma samples in mini swine models with myocardial infarction (MI) and patients with unstable angina (UA). 30 metabolites were detected in the plasma samples of more than 50 percent of model group and control group in swine, while 37 metabolites were found in the plasma samples of UA patients and healthy control group. 21 metabolites in the plasma samples of swine model and 20 metabolites in patients with UA were found of significant value. Among which, 8 shared metabolites were found of low level expression in both swine model and UA patients. Independent Student's t-test, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchicalcluster analysis (HCA) were orderly applied to comprehend inner rules of variables in the data. The 8 shared metabolites could take place of the 21 or 20 metabolites in classification of swine model with MI and UA patients, which could be considered as a bridge connecting the mechanism basis and macrosyndromes of swine model with MI and UA patients