Attention allocation on mobile app interfaces when human interacts with them

With the popularity of smartphones and the pervasion of mobile apps, people spend more and more time to interact with a diversity of apps on their smartphones, especially for young population. This raises a question: how people allocate attention to interfaces of apps during using them. To address this question, we, in this study, designed an experiment with two sessions (i.e., Session1: browsing original interfaces; Session 2: browsing interfaces after removal of colors and background) integrating with an eyetracking system. Attention fixation durations were recorded by an eye-tracker while participants browsed app interfaces. The whole screen of smartphone was divided into four even regions to explore fixation durations. The results revealed that participants gave significantly longer total fixation duration on the bottom left region compared to other regions in the session (1) Longer total fixation duration on the bottom was preserved, but there is no significant difference between left side and right side in the session2. Similar to the finding of total fixation duration, first fixation duration is also predominantly paid on the bottom area of the interface. Moreover, the skill in the use of mobile phone was quantified by assessing familiarity and accuracy of phone operation and was investigated in the association with the fixation durations. We found that first fixation duration of the bottom left region is significantly negatively correlated with the smartphone operation level in the session 1, but there is no significant correlation between them in the session (2) According to the results of ratio exploration, the ratio of the first fixation duration to the total fixation duration is not significantly different between areas of interest for both sessions. The findings of this study provide insights into the attention allocation during browsing app interfaces and are of implications on the design of app interfaces and advertisements as layout can be optimized according to the attention allocation to maximally deliver information.     

A secreted ribonuclease effector from Verticillium dahliae localizes in the plant nucleus to modulate host immunity

The arms race between fungal pathogens and plant hosts involves recognition of fungal effectors to induce host immunity. Although various fungal effectors have been identified, the effector functions of ribonucleases are largely unknown. Herein, we identified a ribonuclease secreted by Verticillium dahliae (VdRTX1) that translocates into the plant nucleus to modulate immunity. The activity of VdRTX1 causes hypersensitive response (HR)‐related cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana and cotton. VdRTX1 possesses a signal peptide but is unlikely to be an apoplastic effector because its nuclear localization in the plant is necessary for cell death induction. Knockout of VdRTX1 significantly enhanced V. dahliae virulence on tobacco while V. dahliae employs the known suppressor VdCBM1 to escape the immunity induced by VdRTX1. VdRTX1 homologs are widely distributed in fungi but transient expression of 24 homologs from other fungi did not yield cell death induction, suggesting that this function is specific to the VdRTX1 in V. dahliae. Expression of site‐directed mutants of VdRTX1 in N. benthamiana leaves revealed conserved ligand‐binding sites that are important for VdRTX1 function in inducing cell death. Thus, VdRTX1 functions as a unique HR‐inducing effector in V. dahliae that contributes to the activation of plant immunity.     

中国近海细鳞鯻线粒体控制区的遗传多样性

通过线粒体控制区序列的分析,研究采自中国南海及东海5个群体102尾细鳞鯻的遗传多样性。发现在962 bp序列中有205个变异位点,其中135个为简约信息位点,共定义102个单倍型。中国近海细鳞鯻总体呈现出较高的遗传多样性特征(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.022),其中博鳌最高(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.028),平潭最低(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.014)。不同地理群体间无明显分化,基因交流频繁(Fst=-0.014—0.041,P0.05);中性检验均为显著负值,推测在16.9万年—5.06万年前,即中-晚更新世出现种群扩张。系统邻接树和单倍型网络图均出现3个显著分化的谱系(谱系间Fst=0.508—0.698,P0.001;净遗传距离Da=0.024—0.031),且各谱系中均有不同地理来源的群体。3个谱系间分歧时间大约在1.07百万年—0.24百万年前,推测可能是更新世冰期边缘海的出现导致群体隔离而产生分化。谱系A(Lineage A)包含85.3%的个体,其总体遗传多样性较高(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.012),其中平潭最高(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.014),合浦最低(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.010);群体间Fst在-0.021—0.068之间,P0.005;AMOVA分析显示只有1.97%的变异来自于种群间,表明群体间也无明显分化;中性检验均为显著负值,推测在25.4万年—7.6万年前出现种群扩张。中国近海细鳞鯻主要受到中-晚更新世海侵和海退的影响而出现种群扩张使得谱系间发生二次接触,最终形成具有显著谱系结构但无地理分化的情况。     

内陆盐沼芦苇根系形态及生物量分配对土壤盐分因子的响应

根系形态和生物量分配是决定根系吸收能力发挥的重要特征,其对环境限制因子的响应与适应策略一直是研究的热点。然而,有关土壤盐分对植物根系性状的影响还存在许多不确定性。选择兰州秦王川国家湿地公园芦苇群落为研究对象,垂直于沙河河岸从湿地边缘至湿地中心,依次设置3个不同土壤盐分梯度样地(样地I、样地II和样地III),采用全根挖掘法和WinRHIZO根系分析仪相结合的方法,研究了芦苇(Phragmites australis)根冠比、根总长度、比根长、根分叉数、根平均直径等形态参数的变化特征。结果表明:随着样地土壤盐分含量的增加,湿地群落的高度、盖度、密度、地上生物量逐渐下降,芦苇的根冠比、根分叉数呈逐渐减小的趋势,比根长、根总长度呈先下降后上升的趋势,而根平均直径呈相反的变化趋势;研究区土壤含盐量总体以中度盐渍化为主,表层土壤盐分呈现强变异性,随土层深度的增加含盐量呈下降趋势,而变异程度有所差异;芦苇根系性状与土壤含盐量的相关性分析可知,土壤含盐量与根总长度和比根长呈极显著相关关系(P0.01),与根冠比、根分叉数呈显著相关(P0.05),而与根平均直径相关性不显著。内陆盐沼的芦苇表现出敏感植物的特性,通过根系形态的调整和生物量分配策略的改变来适应盐分强变异的土壤环境,体现了逆境胁迫下湿地植物应对多重环境选择压力的生态适应机制。     

海绵共生萎缩芽孢杆菌C89 PPTase bap基因的异源表达

【背景】磷酸泛酰巯基乙胺基转移酶(PPTase)催化非核糖体肽合成酶(NRPS)中肽酰载体蛋白(PCP)从无活性的脱辅基形态转化为有活性的全辅基形态,从而启动非核糖体肽类化合物的生物合成。【目的】鉴定贪婪倔海绵共生萎缩芽孢杆菌C89中Sfp型PPTase Bap,验证Bap激活NRPS中PCP的能力。【方法】通过BLAST和氨基酸多序列比对鉴定萎缩芽孢杆菌C89中Sfp型PPTase Bap。将bap基因在sfp基因突变株枯草芽孢杆菌168中异源表达,通过重组菌枯草芽孢杆菌168-bap的代谢物检测非核糖体肽类化合物Surfactin。【结果】Bap为Sfp型PPTase,检测到重组菌枯草芽孢杆菌168-bap中Surfactin的产生。【结论】本研究为海洋萎缩芽孢杆菌中NRPS基因簇的异源表达奠定了基础。     

柴油降解基因工程菌的构建及降解特性

【目的】构建柴油降解基因工程菌,提高柴油降解速率,研究p450基因在柴油降解过程中的作用。【方法】将Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2的p450基因合成后,连接至烷烃响应表达载体p Com8中,构建该基因的表达载体p450-SK2/p Com8,并将其转入大肠杆菌DH5α中,通过SDS-PAGE检测该基因在大肠杆菌DH5α中的表达,并将重组质粒p450-SK2/p Com8转入柴油降解菌Acinetobacter sp.Y9中,构建基因工程菌p450-SK2/Y9,研究工程菌p450-SK2/Y9对柴油的降解特性及p450基因在构建的工程菌p450-SK2/Y9中的表达。【结果】PCR、酶切及测序结果表明重组质粒p450-SK2/p Com8构建正确。当柴油诱导浓度大于1%时,目的基因在大肠杆菌DH5α中的蛋白表达量较大,且随着诱导时间的延长而呈增加趋势。通过PCR检测构建的基因工程菌p450-SK2/Y9中的p450基因表明,工程菌构建正确,利用单菌株降解柴油时,宿主菌Y9与工程菌p450-SK2/Y9的柴油降解效率未见明显差异,但工程菌p450-SK2/Y9在构建的菌群中对柴油降解的促进效果明显。SDS-PAGE结果表明,p450基因在构建的工程菌p450-SK2/Y9中能得到准确表达,在混合菌中的表达量高于单菌株。【结论】柴油降解基因工程菌在混合菌群中对柴油降解具有促进作用,而在单菌株情况下未见促进作用,且p450基因的蛋白表达在混合菌中也高于单菌株,这对于提高柴油的降解速率及研究p450基因在柴油降解过程中的作用机理具有一定意义。     

培养和非培养法分析冷藏鸡肉胴体中的细菌多样性

运用纯培养和非培养法对冷藏鸡肉胴体上细菌多样性进行了对比研究。采用培养法从鸡肉胴体中初步分离到45株细菌菌株,16S rDNA-ARDRA分析得到9株代表性细菌,其16S rDNA序列系统发育分析表明,这些菌株隶属于Bacillus sp.、Shigella sp.、Pseudomonas sp.、Citrobacter sp.、Klebsiella sp.和Escherichia sp.6个属。16S rDNA-ARDRA联合PAGE和16S rDNA全序列分析的非培养法结果表明,冷藏鸡肉中细菌主要属于Acinetobacter sp.、Bacillus sp.、Acidovorax sp.、Brochothrix thermosphacta、Lactococcus garvieae和Leuconostoc lactis等16个属。非培养法揭示的细菌多样性比培养法丰富,但二者结合使用能让肉品中微生物多样性得到更全面的展示。     

Design,synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel carbazole derivatives as potent DNMT1 inhibitors with reasonable PK properties

The DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) were found in mammals to maintain DNA methylation. Among them, DNMT1 was the first identified, and it is an attractive target for tumour chemotherapy. DC_05 and DC_517 have been reported in our previous work, which is non-nucleoside DNMT1 inhibitor with low micromolar IC₅₀ values and significant selectivity towards other S-adenosyl-_L-methionine (SAM)-dependent protein methyltransferases. In this study, through a process of similarity-based analog searching, a series of DNMT1 inhibitors were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as anticancer agents. SAR studies were conducted based on enzymatic assays. And most of the compounds showed strong inhibitory activity on human DNMT1, especially WK-23 displayed a good inhibitory effect on human DNMT1 with an IC₅₀ value of 5.0 µM. Importantly, the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of WK-23 was obtained with quite satisfying oral bioavailability and elimination half-life. Taken together, WK-23 is worth developing as DNMT1-selective therapy for the treatment of malignant tumour.     

Association between the gene encoding 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein and stroke replicated in a Scottish population

Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, most often occur on the background of atherosclerosis, a condition attributed to the interactions between multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. We recently reported a linkage and association study of MI and stroke that yielded a genetic variant, HapA, in the gene encoding 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (ALOX5AP), that associates with both diseases in Iceland. We also described another ALOX5AP variant, HapB, that associates with MI in England. To further assess the contribution of the ALOX5AP variants to cardiovascular diseases in a population outside Iceland, we genotyped seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms that define both HapA and HapB from 450 patients with ischemic stroke and 710 controls from Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Icelandic at-risk haplotype, HapA, had significantly greater frequency in Scottish patients than in controls. The carrier frequency in patients and controls was 33.4% and 26.4%, respectively, which resulted in a relative risk of 1.36, under the assumption of a multiplicative model (P=.007). We did not detect association between HapB and ischemic stroke in the Scottish cohort. However, we observed that HapB was overrepresented in male patients. This replication of haplotype association with stroke in a population outside Iceland further supports a role for ALOX5AP in cardiovascular diseases.