A general framework to study the price‐color relationship in paintings with an application to Mark Rothko rectangular series

We propose a general framework to study the relationship between the price of a painting and its color‐related attributes. To this end we focus on four key aspects: dominant colors, features of the color palette, color harmony, and color emotions. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach with an example based on Mark Rothko's post‐1950 paintings (the “rectangular” series), and auction data from the 1994 to 2018 period. We identify two distinct price‐color regimes in Rothko's market: (a) [1994‐2005], a period in which prices are explained mainly by the growing popularity of the artist regardless of the color attributes of the paintings sold; and (b) [2006‐2018], a period in which color‐related attributes explain most of the prices. Furthermore, we find that in this second period, the dominant colors and the diversity of the color palette, are by far the most relevant attributes that influence the price; color harmony and color emotions hold almost no explanatory power during this period. Finally, we propose a new metric based on the Herfindahl Index to describe color diversity; this metric seems to be promising at characterizing the effect of the color palette on the price of a painting.     

浓香型白酒窖泥放线菌的原位分离及代谢特性研究

以川南某浓香型白酒生产企业50年窖龄且发酵正常的窖泥为研究对象。通过高通量测序技术分析细菌群落结构以及放线菌群落结构,利用原位分离法从中分离得到2株放线菌,结合形态鉴定、生理生化和16S rRNA基因序列比对分析确定菌种属,并对其进行耐酸、耐乙醇特性研究,基于风味导向思路,分别对2株菌进行液态培养和固态培养,采用顶空固相微萃取法和气相色谱质谱联用对发酵挥发性产物进行分析,为放线菌的相关研究和应用提供理论参考。结果显示,放线菌在该窖泥样品含有较高操作分类单元(operational taxonomic unit,OTU),相对丰度达(10.7±3.4)%,且主要分布于链霉菌亚目(Streptomycineae)和科里氏杆菌亚目(Coriobacterineae)。采用原位分离法分离放线菌,将分离得到的2株菌编号为A1、A2,菌株A1鉴定为桑氏链霉菌(Streptomyces sampsonii),菌株A2鉴定为鲁地链霉菌(Streptomyces rutgersensis)。菌株A1、A2均可在pH>4.3或乙醇体积分数<6%的环境中生长。菌株A1在液态和固态发酵条件下都会产生大量土臭素以及萜烯类物质,菌株A2在液态条件下能产生多种酯类,其中己酸乙酯相对含量(5.384%)较高,而固态条件下能够检测出大量的3-羟基-2丁酮、2,3-丁二醇和吡嗪类物质。     

Multiple Chemical Features Impact Biological Performance Diversity of a Highly Active Natural Product-Inspired Library

A systematic, diversity-oriented synthesis approach was employed to access a natural product-inspired flavonoid library with diverse chemical features, including chemical properties, scaffold, stereochemistry, and appendages. Using Cell Painting, the effects of these diversity elements were evaluated, and multiple chemical features that predict biological performance diversity were identified. Scaffold identity appears to be the dominant predictor of performance diversity, but stereochemistry and appendages also contribute to a lesser degree. In addition, the diversity of chemical properties contributed to performance diversity, and the driving chemical property was dependent on the scaffold. These results highlight the importance of key chemical features that may inform the creation of small-molecule, performance-diverse libraries to improve the efficiency and success of high-throughput screening campaigns.     

Airborne bacterial assemblage in a zero carbon building: A case study

Currently, there is little information pertaining to the airborne bacterial communities of green buildings. In this case study, the air bacterial community of a zero carbon building (ZCB) in Hong Kong was characterized by targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Bacteria associated with the outdoor environment dominated the indoor airborne bacterial assemblage, with a modest contribution from bacteria associated with human skin. Differences in overall community diversity, membership, and composition associated with short (day‐to‐day) and long‐term temporal properties were detected, which may have been driven by specific environmental genera and taxa. Furthermore, time‐decay relationships in community membership (based on unweighted UniFrac distances) and composition (based on weighted UniFrac distances) differed depending on the season and sampling location. A Bayesian source‐tracking approach further supported the importance of adjacent outdoor air bacterial assemblage in sourcing the ZCB indoor bioaerosol. Despite the unique building attributes, the ZCB microbial assemblage detected and its temporal characteristics were not dissimilar to that of conventional built environments investigated previously. Future controlled experiments and microbial assemblage investigations of other ZCBs will undoubtedly uncover additional knowledge related to how airborne bacteria in green buildings may be influenced by their distinctive architectural attributes.     

烟草种子附生真菌群落结构与多样性

为了解烟草种子附生真菌的群落结构和多样性。采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术测定K326、云烟85、L8、301种子的附生真菌。结果表明K326种子的优势属为链格孢属（Alternaria）、赤霉菌属（Gibberella）、隐球菌属（Cryptococcus）、镰刀菌属（Fusarium）及红酵母属（Rhodotorula）等；云烟85的优势属为赤霉菌属、小画线壳属（Monographella）、链格孢属、红酵母属及镰刀菌属；301的优势属为链格孢属；L8的优势属为链格孢属、曲霉菌属、镰刀菌属、赤霉菌属及隐球菌属等。      

Significant population genetic structuring in Rhyzopertha dominica across Turkey: Biogeographic and practical implications

Rhyzopertha dominica is a key pest of stored grain. Understanding the movement of this beetle on broad geographic scales is crucial, particularly when developing strategies to prevent the spread of phosphine resistance. We assessed population genetic structuring in this pest across Turkey, using a combination of mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) and microsatellite markers. In addition, we screened samples for Wolbachia, as this endosymbiont has previously been suggested to be associated with low mitochondrial genetic diversity in this beetle. Mitochondrial genetic diversity was low, with only six haplotypes identified. The genetic diversity was, however, substantially higher than that previously found in Australia or India, suggesting that R. dominica may have originated in the Middle East. Wolbachia were detected only at a single site, indicating they are not impacting the mitochondrial genetic diversity of R. dominica across Turkey. Microsatellite markers indicated there is significant geographic genetic structuring across Turkey, even among sites less than 100 km apart, suggesting there is little movement of beetles across regions within the country. This contrasts with the significantly higher levels of gene-flow found in Australia and the United States. We suggest that the limited movement of beetles across Turkey may be due to a combination of the historically localised agricultural practices (which limits anthropogenic movement among regions), and the mountainous landscape (which limits active flight among regions). Our results demonstrate that the movement of stored product pests may differ significantly across studies conducted in different countries. As a consequence, phosphine resistance management strategies must incorporate region specific information on the extent of beetle movement.     

婴幼儿羊奶粉及米粉中的细菌多样性分析

为探究婴幼儿奶粉和米粉辅食中细菌群落结构,对婴幼儿食品生产质量控制和监管提供理论依据,本研究采用Ion torrent PGM二代高通量测序平台对14个婴幼儿食品样本中细菌16Sr RNA的V4~V5可变区进行了测序分析。测序共获得13805个不同的OTU,隶属于2界、10门、20纲、50目、84科、144属。分析结果表明,婴幼儿羊奶粉样品比米粉样品具有更高的群落多样性,奶粉样品组内差异较米粉样品小。羊奶粉样品中占绝对优势菌群隶属于厚壁菌门(65.58%)和变形菌门(16.01%),在属水平上以链球菌属(24.86%)和乳球菌属(21.44%)为主;而米粉样品中蓝藻菌门(41.79%)占有绝对优势,厚壁菌门(30.99%)和变形菌门(24.48%)次之,推测主要与两种产品的原料不同有关。另外,沙门氏菌(8.75%)、李斯特氏菌(3.61%)等与食源性疾病相关的细菌种类在米粉样品组中普遍存在,经组间差异性分析表明与奶粉样品中相应丰度有统计学差异(p<0.05),提示婴幼儿米粉产品存在潜在的食品安全隐患,其原料和生产加工环节的质量控制亟需引起生产企业和食品监管部门的重视。     

软腐猕猴桃果实真菌类病原菌的生物多样性分析

本文对湖南地区主要猕猴桃产区猕猴桃软腐果实真菌类病害的多样性分布规律进行系统分析,为猕猴桃软腐病原真菌多样性的深入研究提供基础数据和理论依据。采用IlluminaHi Seq高通量测序技术对5处软腐猕猴桃(A、B、C、D、E),15组果实样品中微生物ITS扩增子二代测序数据采集,进行生物信息学分析。5处软腐猕猴桃果实中真菌种类较为丰富,真菌丰富度指数和多样性指数较高,尤其是A、B、C处,相对于D、E处存在极显著差异(p<0.01)。在不同猕猴桃果实中得到了2个门的优势微生物。子囊菌门(Ascomycota)为最优势菌门,主要分布在D和E处,群类相对丰度为19.20%,且远远大于次优势菌门-担子菌门(Basidiomycota,6.80%,主要分布在A、B、C处),表现出非常明显的优势;间座壳属Diaporthe相对丰度最高,达到了14.00%,相对于其它属病原菌均具有极显著性差异(p<0.01),此菌在D、E组含量相对较高,在本组内达到了30%以上,其余3组几乎没有。布勒弹孢酵母属Bullera相对丰度为4.90%,此菌为各组共有的优势菌属,A、B、C组略高,在本组内达到了5.50%左右,D、E组则为3.50%左右。葡萄座腔菌属Neofusicoccum相对丰度为3.20%,此菌在E组含量相对较高,在本组内达到了15.00%以上,其余4组几乎没有。红菇属Russula相对丰度为0.60%,及其它较少的担子菌门菌属Tomentella、Phialocephala、oidiodendron、cenococcum等,此外,具有软腐猕猴桃果实潜力的菌属有茎点酶菌属(homa)、青霉属(penicillium)及拟青霉属(simplicillium)等。实验为猕猴桃软腐病的防治提供了一定理论基础,今后对猕猴桃果实软腐病防治时可针对性的杀灭间座壳属和葡萄座腔菌属微生物,以提高果实的耐贮性。     

Molecular Epidemiology of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) Isolates of Hospitalized Children from Bolivia Reveal High Heterogeneity and Multidrug-Resistance

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emerging pathogen frequently associated with acute diarrhea in children and travelers to endemic regions. EAEC was found the most prevalent bacterial diarrheal pathogen from hospitalized Bolivian children less than five years of age with acute diarrhea from 2007 to 2010. Here, we further characterized the epidemiology of EAEC infection, virulence genes, and antimicrobial susceptibility of EAEC isolated from 414 diarrheal and 74 non-diarrheal cases. EAEC isolates were collected and subjected to a PCR-based virulence gene screening of seven virulence genes and a phenotypic resistance test to nine different antimicrobials. Our results showed that atypical EAEC (a-EAEC, AggR-negative) was significantly associated with diarrhea (OR, 1.62, 95% CI, 1.25 to 2.09, p < 0.001) in contrast to typical EAEC (t-EAEC, AggR-positive). EAEC infection was most prevalent among children between 7–12 months of age. The number of cases exhibited a biannual cycle with a major peak during the transition from warm to cold (April–June). Both typical and a-EAEC infections were graded as equally severe; however, t-EAEC harbored more virulence genes. aap, irp2 and pic were the most prevalent genes. Surprisingly, we detected 60% and 52.6% of multidrug resistance (MDR) EAEC among diarrheal and non-diarrheal cases. Resistance to ampicillin, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines was most common, being the corresponding antibiotics, the ones that are frequently used in Bolivia. Our work is the first study that provides comprehensive information on the high heterogenicity of virulence genes in t-EAEC and a- EAEC and the large prevalence of MDR EAEC in Bolivia.