Simultaneous changes in seed size,oil content and protein content driven by selection of SWEET homologues during soybean domestication

Soybean accounts for more than half of the global production of oilseed and more than a quarter of the protein used globally for human food and animal feed. Soybean domestication involved parallel increases in seed size and oil content, and a concomitant decrease in protein content. However, science has not yet discovered whether these effects were due to selective pressure on a single gene or multiple genes. Here, re-sequencing data from >800 genotypes revealed a strong selection during soybean domestication on GmSWEET10a. The selection of GmSWEET10a conferred simultaneous increases in soybean-seed size and oil content as well as a reduction in the protein content. The result was validated using both near-isogenic lines carrying substitution of haplotype chromosomal segments and transgenic soybeans. Moreover, GmSWEET10b was found to be functionally redundant with its homologue GmSWEET10a and to be undergoing selection in current breeding, leading the the elite allele GmSWEET10b, a potential target for present-day soybean breeding. Both GmSWEET10a and GmSWEET10b were shown to transport sucrose and hexose, contributing to sugar allocation from seed coat to embryo, which consequently determines oil and protein contents and seed size in soybean. We conclude that past selection of optimal GmSWEET10a alleles drove the initial domestication of multiple soybean-seed traits and that targeted selection of the elite allele GmSWEET10b may further improve the yield and seed quality of modern soybean cultivars.     

Wearable skin-like optoelectronic systems with suppression of motion artifacts for cuff-less continuous blood pressure monitor

According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, an estimated 17.9 million people die from cardiovascular diseases each year, representing 31% of all global deaths. Continuous non-invasive arterial pressure (CNAP) is essential for the management of cardiovascular diseases. However, it is difficult to achieve long-term CNAP monitoring with the daily use of current devices due to irritation of the skin as well as the lack of motion artifacts suppression. Here, we report a high-performance skin-like optoelectronic system integrated with ultra-thin flexible circuits to monitor CNAP. We introduce a theoretical model via the virtual work principle for predicting the precise blood pressure and suppressing motion artifacts, and propose optical difference in the frequency domain for stable optical measurements in terms of skin-like devices. We compare the results with the blood pressure acquired by invasive (intra-arterial) blood pressure monitoring for >1500 min in total on 44 subjects in an intensive care unit. The maximum absolute errors of diastolic and systolic blood pressure were ±7/±10 mm Hg, respectively, in immobilized, and ±10/±14 mm Hg, respectively, in walking scenarios. These strategies provide advanced blood pressure monitoring techniques, which would directly address an unmet clinical need or daily use for a highly vulnerable population.     

“中国昆曲美醉了!”

2015年2月14日是又一个浪漫的情人节。中国北方昆曲剧院应美国罗格斯大学孔子学院的特别邀请,来到美国新泽西州罗格斯大学尼格拉斯音乐中心作专场文化交流演出,受到当地观众的热烈追捧。演出之前,节目主持人用英文和中文向观众朋友们介绍了昆曲的起源、发展过程和表演形式,还专门介绍了昆曲的华丽服装及服饰,并介绍了为昆曲伴奏的主要中国传统乐器如     

试谈盈亏分析法在管理审计中的应用

在管理审计中，可以应用盈亏分析法对被审计单位的生产经营计划或工程项目进行考核、评价，据以改善管理，提高经济效益。本文除对盈亏分析法作了一般阐述外，着重通过例示介绍了在生产一种产品情况下盈亏平衡点的图示法、公式计算法，以及在生产多种产品情况下盈亏平衡点的公式计算法的应用。     

谈钢琴演奏中的音乐想象力

在钢琴演奏中具有丰富的音乐想象力才能体验音乐作品的情感内涵，正确塑造艺术形象，使音乐充满活力。本文就钢琴作品演奏中，如何对作品进行分析理解、发挥音乐想象提出几点看法。     

构筑一流的共享平台

通过国内著名高校利用“211”、“985”工程专项资金重点建设学校基础研究共享平台,从而迅速提高学校基础研究综合实力的事实,说明共享平台建设的重要性和必要性。该校共享平台有高水平的技术队伍和科学有效的管理机制,有学校的支持,必将构筑出国内一流的共享平台。     

论网络环境下的高校思想政治工作创新

网络条件下思想政治工作与传统思想政治工作相比，具有民主化、信息化、社会化等时代特征。现代网络技术为当代高校思想政治工作带来发展机遇的同时，也带来了严重的负面影响。因此，必须从如下几个方面创新高校思想政治工作机制：理顺管理体制；加强网络研究，探索传播规律；强化法制意识，规范网上行为；采用新的工作内容、方法和技术。     

积极践行“三个代表”重要思想 公道正派搞好组织人事工作

本文结合自己的工作实际,畅谈学习“三个代表”重要思想,开展“树组工干部形象”活动的重要意义及落实其要求的五项具体措施。     

生命视野中的道德与道德教育

教育要关注人的生命.就道德教育而言.必须转变规范式道德的观念.认识生命在道德中的本体价值.确立道德的生命性.并以此为基础.使道德教育成为生命化道德教育.生命化道德教育以尊重生命为前提.以追求生命的完善为目的.在实施过程中遵循生命化原则、叙事性原则、体验性原则、生活化原则和主体间的交往原则.     

How to respond to journalists’ questions? A new perspective on Chinese premiers’ aggressiveness at press conferences (1993–2015)

This study extends the framework describing journalists’ aggressiveness at politicians’ press conference and develops five dimensions to measure politicians’ aggressiveness in response to journalists’ questions (initiative, directness, assertiveness, adversarialness, and accountability). Using the records from Chinese premiers’ press conferences (1993–2015), this research investigates five factors which might affect premiers’ aggressiveness: the administrative life cycle, economic conditions, journalists’ country of origin, the topic of questions, and number of questions. The results show that premiers exhibit less assertiveness during honeymoon periods and more assertiveness in other years. Premiers are more adversarial amid good economic growth but less adversarial during poor economic growth. They are more assertive and adversarial in response to questions related to politics and the military and less so in response to questions related to other areas. Premiers display more initiative and accountability toward journalists who ask more questions and less toward those who ask fewer questions. Premiers are more assertive and adversarial toward journalists from developed countries but less so toward those from developing countries. Over the past 23 years, premiers’ initiative, directness, and adversarialness have decreased while their accountability has gradually increased. The theoretical contributions of this research are discussed.