Antecedents of Return on Venture Capital Investment – Evidence From Chinese Growth Enterprise Market

This study examined how enterprise growth factors affect the return on venture capital investment for enterprises listed on Chinese Growth Enterprise Market (GEM). Using a sample of 235 venture capital backed enterprises listed on Chinese GEM over three years, we collected data from each company’s prospectus and listing documents. We also collected data from Chinese QINGKE Research Center Database. We found that (1) three growth factors (profitability, operational capability and innovation capability) were positively associated with venture capital return. (2) Both the composite growth indicator and the optimized composite growth indicator are positively related to venture capital return. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Effect of rs1344706 in the ZNF804A gene on the brain network.

ZNF804A rs1344706 (A/C) was the first SNP that reached genome-wide significance for schizophrenia. Recent studies have linked rs1344706 to functional connectivity among specific brain regions. However, no study thus far has examined the role of this SNP in the entire functional connectome. In this study, we used degree centrality to test the role of rs1344706 in the whole-brain voxel-wise functional connectome during the resting state. 52 schizophrenia patients and 128 healthy controls were included in the final analysis. In our whole-brain analysis, we found a significant interaction effect of genotype × diagnosis at the precuneus (PCU) (cluster size = 52 voxels, peak voxel MNI coordinates: x = 9, y = - 69, z = 63, F = 32.57, FWE corrected P < 0.001). When we subdivided the degree centrality network according to anatomical distance, the whole-brain analysis also found a significant interaction effect of genotype × diagnosis at the PCU with the same peak in the short-range degree centrality network (cluster size = 72 voxels, F = 37.29, FWE corrected P < 0.001). No significant result was found in the long-range degree centrality network. Our results elucidated the contribution of rs1344706 to functional connectivity within the brain network, and may have important implications for our understanding of this risk gene's role in functional dysconnectivity in schizophrenia

Evidence for the contribution of COMT gene Val158/108Met polymorphism (rs4680) to working memory training-related prefrontal plasticity.

BackgroundGenetic factors have been suggested to affect the efficacy of working memory training. However, few studies have attempted to identify the relevant genes.MethodsIn this study, we first performed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to identify brain regions that were specifically affected by working memory training. Sixty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either the adaptive training group (N = 30) or the active control group (N = 30). Both groups were trained for 20 sessions during 4 weeks and received fMRI scans before and after the training. Afterward, we combined the data from the 30 participants in the RCT study who received adaptive training with data from 71 additional participants who also received the same adaptive training but were not part of the RCT study (total N = 101) to test the contribution of the COMT Val158/108Met polymorphism to the interindividual difference in the training effect within the identified brain regions.ResultsIn the RCT study, we found that the adaptive training significantly decreased brain activation in the left prefrontal cortex (TFCE-FWE corrected p = .030). In the genetic study, we found that compared with the Val allele homozygotes, the Met allele carriers' brain activation decreased more after the training at the left prefrontal cortex (TFCE-FWE corrected p = .025).ConclusionsThis study provided evidence for the neural effect of a visual-spatial span training and suggested that genetic factors such as the COMT Val158/108Met polymorphism may have to be considered in future studies of such training

Experimental and Numerical Research on Seismic Performance of Earthquake-Damaged RC Frame Strengthened with CFRP Sheets

In order to assess the seismic performance of damaged reinforced concrete (RC) frame strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) sheets, two experimental specimens with identical reinforcement ratio and geometric dimensions were designed following Chinese code for seismic design of buildings. Experimental specimens consist of a reference (undamaged) RC frame, namely, KJ-1, and an earthquake-damaged RC frame strengthened with CFRP sheets, namely, KJ-2. A pseudostatic test was conducted on the two specimens to simulate moderate earthquake damage. The strengthening effects of CFRP sheets on damaged RC frame were discussed in terms of hysteretic curve, skeleton curve, stiffness degradation, and ductility. In addition, numerical method based on fiber model method was utilized to analyze the seismic performance of KJ-1 and KJ-2 and it is compared with the experimental result. Both the results confirm that the method of exterior bonding CFRP sheets on the damaged RC frame has restored the seismic performance such as bearing capacity, stiffness, and ductility to its original undamaged level, and some of the seismic performance of the damaged RC frame strengthened with CFRP sheets is even better than the undamaged one, which proves that the method has significant effect in strengthening postearthquake-damaged RC frames

milR4 and milR16 Mediated Fruiting Body Development in the Medicinal Fungus Cordyceps militaris

Cordyceps militaris readily performs sexual reproduction, thus providing a remarkably rich model for understanding the processes involved in sexual development. It could regulate expression of human genes by diet-derived miRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs). However, the study of miRNAs in C. militaris has been limited. In the present study, genes encoding Dicers, Argonautes, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases were identified. Illumina deep sequencing was performed to characterize the milRNAs in C. militaris at asexual and sexual development stages. Total 38 milRNAs were identified and five milRNAs were validated by northern blot and qRT-PCR, out of which, 19 were specific for sexual development. Importantly, the fungi could not form fruiting bodies after disruption of milR4, while the perithecium was formed in advance after over-expression of milR4. Abnormal pale yellow fruiting body primordium, covered with abnormal primordium, was formed in the strain with miR16 disruption. Although no milR4 or milR16 target genes were identified, differential expression of many different genes involved in mycelium growth and sexual development (mating process, mating signaling, and fruiting body development) among these mutants were found. Overall, milRNAs play vital roles in sexual development in C. militaris

Epigenetic modification and inheritance in sexual reversal of fish

Environmental sex determination (ESD) occurs in divergent, phylogenetically unrelated taxa, and in some species, co-occurs with genetic sex determination (GSD) mechanisms. Although epigenetic regulation in response to environmental effects has long been proposed to be associated with ESD, a systemic analysis on epigenetic regulation of ESD is still lacking. Using half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) as a model—a marine fish that has both ZW chromosomal GSD and temperature-dependent ESD—we investigated the role of DNA methylation in transition from GSD to ESD. Comparative analysis of the gonadal DNA methylomes of pseudomale, female, and normal male fish revealed that genes in the sex determination pathways are the major targets of substantial methylation modification during sexual reversal. Methylation modification in pseudomales is globally inherited in their ZW offspring, which can naturally develop into pseudomales without temperature incubation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that dosage compensation occurs in a restricted, methylated cytosine enriched Z chromosomal region in pseudomale testes, achieving equal expression level in normal male testes. In contrast, female-specific W chromosomal genes are suppressed in pseudomales by methylation regulation. We conclude that epigenetic regulation plays multiple crucial roles in sexual reversal of tongue sole fish. We also offer the first clues on the mechanisms behind gene dosage balancing in an organism that undergoes sexual reversal. Finally, we suggest a causal link between the bias sex chromosome assortment in the offspring of a pseudomale family and the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of sexual reversal in tongue sole fish

Characterization of ultrasound and postnatal pathology in fetuses with heterotaxy syndrome

BackgroundTo explore the diagnostic clues and abnormality spectrum of heterotaxy syndrome by prenatal ultrasonography and postnatal verification.MethodsThe prenatal ultrasonic data of 88 heterotaxy syndrome fetuses were analyzed retrospectively as left isomerism (LI) and right isomerism (RI). Prenatal ultrasound compared with the anatomical casting of the fetal body after labor induction, and the confirmatory postnatal diagnosis after delivery.ResultsFetal LI showed typical malformations of gastric vesicles on different sides from the heart, absence of hepatic segment of the inferior vena cava (IVC), abdominal aorta (AO) parallel with the azygos vein (AV), bilateral left bronchus, bilateral left atrial appendages, and polysplenia; intracardiac malformations of AV septal defects (AVSD), single atrium (SA), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), and double-outlet right ventricle (DORV); and cardiac conduction abnormalities of sinus bradycardia and AV blockage. Fetal RI reported typical malformations of gastric vesicles on different sides from the heart, juxtaposition of the IVC with AO, anomalous pulmonary venous connection (APVC), asplenia, and bilateral right atrial appendages; intracardiac malformations of AVSD, SA, single ventricle, pulmonary atresia and stenosis, and DORV. The postnatal verification revealed 3 malformations misdiagnoses and 4 malformations missed diagnoses in LI fetuses and 10 misdiagnoses and 8 missed diagnoses in RI fetuses.ConclusionsThe proposed five-step prenatal ultrasonography has an important diagnostic value for the identification and classification of heterotaxy syndrome. The different sides of gastric vesicles and cardiac apex are important diagnostic clues for heterotaxy syndrome, featuring disconnected or hypoplastic IVC, typical complex cardiac malformation, and atrioventricular block in fetal LI, and shown APVC, juxtaposition of IVC and AO, and intracardiac malformations such as AVSD, DORV, and LVOTO in fetal RI

The Photoperiod-Insensitive Allele Ppd-D1a Promotes Earlier Flowering in Rht12 Dwarf Plants of Bread Wheat

The gibberellin-responsive dwarfing gene Rht12 can significantly reduce plant height without changing seedling vigor and substantially increase ear fertility in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum. L). However, Rht12 delays heading date and anthesis date, hindering the use of Rht12 in wheat improvement. To promote early flowering of the Rht12 dwarf plants, the photoperiod-insensitive allele Ppd-D1a was introduced through a cross between Jinmai47 (Ppd-D1a) and Karcagi (Rht12). The results showed that Ppd-D1a can rescue the delaying effect of Rht12 on flowering time and promote earlier flowering by 9.0 days (163.2°Cd) in the Rht12 dwarf plants by shortening the late reproduction phase. Plant height was reduced by Rht12 (43.2%) and Ppd-D1a (10.9%), achieving dwarf plants with higher lodging resistance. Ear fertility, like the grain number per spike, was significantly increased by Rht12 (21.3%), while it was reduced by Ppd-D1a (6.5%). However, thousand kernel weight was significantly reduced by Rht12 (12.9%) but significantly increased by Ppd-D1a (16.9%). Finally, plant yield was increased by 16.4 and 8.2%, and harvest index was increased by 24.9 and 15.4% in the Rht12 dwarf lines and tall lines with Ppd-D1a, respectively. Clearly, there was an additive interaction between Rht12 and Ppd-D1 and the introduction of Ppd-D1a advanced the flowering time and improved the yield traits of Rht12 dwarf plants, suggesting that the combination of Rht12 and Ppd-D1a would be conducive to the successful use of Rht12 in wheat breeding programs

The oyster genome reveals stress adaptation and complexity of shell formation

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas belongs to one of the most species-rich but genomically poorly explored phyla, the Mollusca. Here we report the sequencing and assembly of the oyster genome using short reads and a fosmid-pooling strategy, along with transcriptomes of development and stress response and the proteome of the shell. The oyster genome is highly polymorphic and rich in repetitive sequences, with some transposable elements still actively shaping variation. Transcriptome studies reveal an extensive set of genes responding to environmental stress. The expansion of genes coding for heat shock protein 70 and inhibitors of apoptosis is probably central to the oyster's adaptation to sessile life in the highly stressful intertidal zone. Our analyses also show that shell formation in molluscs is more complex than currently understood and involves extensive participation of cells and their exosomes. The oyster genome sequence fills a void in our understanding of the Lophotrochozoa. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved