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Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is of great economic significance in South China for its unique taste and nutritional properties. However, longan breeding is mainly based on seedling selection, which generally results in small fruits, low flesh recovery, and few seedless germplasm. Triploid breeding is a central way to improve these problems. In this study, microspore chromosomes were doubled by colchicine and high-temperature treatment to create triploids in longans. The relationship between the development process of male gametophyte of longans and the morphological changes of male flower buds was established. Cytological observation showed that when the male flower buds were in stage I (when the diameter of the flower bud is 1.4–2.0 mm), most of the microspores were at the pachytene to diakinesis stage of meiosis, and the chromosome doubling induction effect was the best at this stage. The results showed that the 2n pollen rate induced by a high temperature of about 38 °C was higher than that induced by colchicine treatment. The highest 2n pollen rate was 5.7% and 5.5% based on the microscopic measurement method and the abnormal separation in tetrad stage estimation method, respectively. Four triploids were successfully obtained from artificial pollination with 2n pollen, with a triploid induction rate of 0.6%. This study will promote ploidy breeding in longan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Little is known about the performance of extended high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotyping triage of cytology showing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of triage with different HR-HPV genotype models among women with ASC-US. Materials and Methods: In this study, all women who underwent cervical cytology and HR-HPV genotyping were enrolled from 2014 to 2017 in China, and those with cytology showing ASC-US were referred for colposcopy and/or biopsy. The endpoint was histological detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+). The outcome indicators were the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPVs), negative predictive values (NPVs) and colposcopy referral rates. Results: In all, 56,788 women were enrolled in this study, and 2658 (4.97%) women were reported to have ASC-US; 10.1% (242/2393) of women with ASC-US were identified as having CIN2+. The HR-HPV infection rate was 95.0% among all women with ASC-US who were identified as CIN2+, and the top five genotypes with prevalence and risk of CIN2+ were HPV16 (OR=26.38), HPV58 (OR=7.04), HPV18 (OR=4.44), HPV33 (OR=3.38), HPV31 (OR=2.97) and HPV52 (OR=2.96). The HPV16/18/31/33/52/58 model achieved higher sensitivity [91.3 (87.8– 94.9)], specificity [70.0 (68.1– 72.0)], PPV [25.5 (22.4– 28.2)] and NPV [98.6 (97.3– 98.7)] for the triage of ASC-US patients than the other HR-HPV-type combination models, but the colposcopy referral rate (36.2%) was significantly lower than that of the recommended HR-HPV nongenotyping model (47.6%). Conclusion: This study confirms that the specific HR-HPV genotype HPV16/18/31/33/52/58 is an alternative strategy for ASC-US triage and can effectively reduce the high burden of colposcopy referrals in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a large proprietary database of intraday high‐frequency trading, we investigate the trading strategies of institutional investors in dealing with the negative environmental event disclosure of listed companies and their impact on markets, aiming to reveal the mechanism of the lack of "green efficiency" in China's capital market from the perspective of institutional investors. The results show that institutional investors react to negative environmental events prior to the announcements, indicating premature information leakage in the market; in addition, their trading behaviors mitigate the immediate effect of negative environmental event announcements on stock price. After the event is disclosed, institutional investors engage in short‐term selling and long‐term buy and hold. This trading strategy undermines the irrational selling of individual investors in the event of disclosure, short‐term decline in stock price, and long‐term reversal of market overreaction. In a China context, institutional investors generally take environmental information into consideration. However, they fail to recognize the long‐term value effect of negative environmental events and instead cater to trading strategies towards market volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To estimate the high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) prevalence in a hospital-based population using the Cervista® and to determine the clinical value and significance of Cervista for cervical cancer screening in Fujian Province, China.Patients and Methods: In a hospital-based population, a total of 10,771 women from the Fujian Province were screened for cervical cancer and precancerous lesions using the thinprep cytologic test (TCT) and/or the Cervista. Women with HR-HPV infection and/or abnormal TCT were referred for colposcopy and biopsy. Pathological diagnosis was used as the gold standard.Results: The overall HR-HPV prevalence was 16.57%. Among 10,229 cases, 976 had abnormal cytology results, of which, the HR-HPV positivity rate was 60.35% in this opportunistic screening population. The most common HR-HPV infection style was a simple infection. The most common species was A9 which was also the most prevalent species in all age. The women with CIN2+ (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion [HSIL]), especially cancer, were mostly concentrated in the age from 51 to 60 years old. The peak of CIN1 (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, LSIL) prevalence was in the women aged 31-40. When using CIN1+, CIN2+ and CIN3+ as observed endpoints, the sensitivities were 86.07%, 92.73%, and 93.30% and negative likelihood ratio (NPV) were 99.15%, 99.75% and 99.83%, respectively. Cervista and TCT co-testing achieved the highest sensitivity and the lowest NLR.Conclusion: The Cervista could be easily introduced in clinical practice in combination with TCT for cervical cancer screening in China. Patients with species A9 infection require a more actively clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mao, X.; Kuang, C.; Gu, J.; Kolditz, O.; Chen, K.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, W., and Zhang, Y., 2017. Analysis of chlorophyll- a correlation to determine nutrient limitations in the coastal waters of the Bohai Sea, China. The coastal water of Qinhuangdao, a famous resort located in the NW of the Bohai Sea, China, suffered algal bloom for a consecutive 3 years by 2011, causing great economic loss. Based on measurements at 46 sampling points in the study's coastal area in May, August, and October 2011, the seasonal and spatial characteristics of the chemical indicators and chlorophyll -a (Chl- a) were analyzed. The chemical indicators for pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and reactive silicate (SiO3-Si) showed higher concentrations in the summer than in the spring and fall, whereas the nutrients of reactive phosphate (PO4-P) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) presented complex seasonal characteristics under the combined influence of abundant nutrients from rivers and nutrient consumption by large algal bloom in August. Subsequently, two methods-a fuzzy, integrated assessment and an organic pollution index-were used to characterize the organic pollution. The trophic status of most coastal waters were oligotrophic and mesotrophic, and most coastal waters were clean in spring and summer, except in the vicinity of the harbor and estuaries, where the organic pollution index was generally high. Finally, Pearson correlation coefficients of various variables were analyzed, which demonstrated that, commonly, there was a significant positive correlation between COD and Chl- a. Because algal blooms in August changed the nutrients structure of the coastal waters, Chl- a, in a remarkably high concentration, had significant correlation with NO2-N, the atomic N/P ratio, and the atomic N/Si ratio. The algal bloom aggravated the current P limitation, and the atomic N/P ratio, the PO4-P concentration, and the COD can be selected as the three most-sensitive indicators of algal bloom in Qinhuangdao coastal water. These findings have provided scientific supports for local authorities who are taking measures to control pollution emissions and to prevent the recurrence of algal blooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New screening techniques may affect the optimal approaches for the prevention of cervical cancer. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness and accuracy of alternative screening strategies to provide evidence for cervical cancer screening guidelines in China. Methods: In total, 32,306 women were enrolled. The current screening with Cervista® high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) nongenotyping and cytology cotesting (Cervista® cotesting) was compared with PCR-reverse dot blot HR-HPV genotyping and cytology cotesting (PCR-RDB cotesting). All eligible participants were divided into Arm 1, in which both HR-HPV assays were performed, and Arms 2 and 3, in which the PCR-RDB HPV or Cervista® HR-HPV assay, respectively, was performed. Outcome indicators included the cases, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), colposcopy referral rate and cost of identifying cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2/3 or worse (CIN2+/CIN3+). Results: Among the eligible participants, 18.4% were PCR-RDB HR-HPV-positive, while 16.9% were Cervista® HR-HPV-positive, which reflects good agreement (k = 0.73). PCR-RDB cotesting identified more CIN3+ cases than Cervista® cotesting in the first round of screening in Arm 1 (37 vs 32) and Arms 2/3 (252 vs 165). The sensitivity and NPV of PCR-RDB cotesting for identifying CIN3+ in Arm 1 (sensitivity: 94.9% vs 86.5%; NPV: 99.9% vs 99.7%) and Arms 2/3 (sensitivity: 95.1% vs 80.9%; NPV: 99.9% vs 99.6%) were higher than those of Cervista® cotesting, but the cost was similar. Conclusions: The PCR-RDB HR-HPV genotyping and Cervista® HR-HPV assay results were consistent. PCR-RDB cotesting possesses optimal cost-effectiveness for cervical cancer screening in China, which has the highest number of cases globally but low screening coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a significant health issue closely associated with multiple extrahepatic cancers. The association between MAFLD and clinical outcomes of endometrial cancer (EC) remains unknown., Methods: We retrospectively included 725 EC patients between January 2012 and December 2020. The odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used for survival analysis., Results: Among EC patients, the prevalence of MAFLD was 27.7% (201/725, 95% confidence interval (Cl) = 0.245-0.311). MAFLD was significantly associated with cervical stromal involvement (CSI) (OR = 1.974, 95% confidence interval (Cl) = 1.065-3.659, p = 0.031). There was a significant correlation between overall survival (OS) and CSI (HR = 0.31; 95%CI: 0.12-0.83; p = 0.020), while patients with MAFLD had a similar OS to those without MAFLD ( p = 0.952). Moreover, MAFLD was significantly associated with CSI in the type I EC subgroup (OR = 2.092, 95% confidence interval (Cl) = 1.060-4.129, p = 0.033), but not in the type II EC subgroup ( p = 0.838). Further logistic regression analysis suggested that the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) was significantly associated with CSI among type I EC patients without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (OR = 1.079, 95% confidence interval (Cl) = 1.020-1.139, p = 0.012)., Conclusions: About one-quarter of our cohort had MAFLD. MAFLD was associated with the risk of CSI in EC patients, and this association existed in type I EC patients but not in type II EC patients. Furthermore, the HSI can help predict CSI in type I EC patients without T2DM.

Background: To establish age-standardized charts of weight gain for term twin pregnancies in Southeast China., Methods: We designed a retrospective study on data from women pregnant with twins, a gestational age beyond 36 weeks and an average weight ≥ 2500 g. We established hierarchical linear regression models to express gestational weight gain patterns., Results: We analyzed data from 884 women pregnant with twins (151 underweight, 597 normal weight, and 136 overweight). Our final models fit the crude weight measurement data well. The means of weight gain generally decreased as the pre-pregnancy BMI increased. For each BMI category, the mean weight gains increased with the gestational age and the standard deviation increased slightly. The mean weight gains were 18.82 ± 6.73, 18.53 ± 6.74, and 16.97 ± 6.95 kg at 37 weeks in underweight, normal weight, and overweight women, respectively., Conclusion: The weight gain chart can be used to estimate maternal weight gain to be gestational age-standardized z scores by pre-pregnancy BMI and may serve as an innovative tool for perinatal care providers to guide the weight gain of women pregnant with twins.

Objective: To determine the clinical significance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-reverse dot blot (RDB) human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping assay in cervical cancer screening., Methods: A total of 10,442 women attending the Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Health Hospital were evaluated using the liquid-based cytology (thinprep cytologic test [TCT]) and the PCR-RDB HPV test. Women with HPV infection and/or abnormal cytology were referred for colposcopy and biopsy. For HPV DNA sequencing, 120 specimens were randomly selected. Pathological diagnosis was used as the gold standard., Results: Using the PCR-RDB HPV test, overall HPV prevalence was 20.57% (2,148/10,442) and that of high-risk (HR)-HPV infection was 18.68% (1,951/10,442). There was 99.2% concordance between HPV PCR-RDB testing and sequencing. In this studied population, the most common HR-HPV types were HPV-16, -52, -58, -18, -53, -33, and -51, rank from high to low. HPV-16, -18, -58, -59, and -33 were the top 5 prevalent genotypes in cervical cancer but HPV-16, -18, -59, -45, and -33 were the top 5 highest risk factors for cancer (odds ratio [OR]=34.964, 7.278, 6.728, 6.101, and 3.658; all p<0.05, respectively). Among 10,442 cases, 1,278 had abnormal cytology results, of which, the HR-HPV positivity rate was 83.02% (1,061/1,278). To screen for cervical cancer by PCR-RDB HPV testing, when using CIN2+, CIN3+, and cancer as observed endpoints, the sensitivity was 90.43%, 92.61%, and 94.78% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 99.06%, 99.42%, and 99.78%, respectively. PCR-RDB HPV and TCT co-testing achieved the highest sensitivity and NPV., Conclusion: For cervical cancer screening, the PCR-RDB HPV test can provide a reliable and sensitive clinical reference., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2017. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology)