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Author: search.filters.author.Zhou HSubject: search.filters.subject.China

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    Whole-genome resequencing of the native sheep provides insights into the microevolution and identifies genes associated with reproduction traits
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-07-11) Zhu M; Yang Y; Yang H; Zhao Z; Zhang H; Blair HT; Zheng W; Wang M; Fang C; Yu Q; Zhou H; Qi H
    BACKGROUND: Sheep genomes undergo numerous genes losses, gains and mutation that generates genome variability among breeds of the same species after long time natural and artificial selection. However, the microevolution of native sheep in northwest China remains elusive. Our aim was to compare the genomes and relevant reproductive traits of four sheep breeds from different climatic environments, to unveil the selection challenges that this species cope with, and the microevolutionary differences in sheep genomes. Here, we resequenced the genomes of 4 representative sheep breeds in northwest China, including Kazakh sheep and Duolang sheep of native breeds, and Hu sheep and Suffolk sheep of exotic breeds with different reproductive characteristics. RESULTS: We found that these four breeds had a similar expansion experience from ~ 10,000 to 1,000,000 years ago. In the past 10,000 years, the selection intensity of the four breeds was inconsistent, resulting in differences in reproductive traits. We explored the sheep variome and selection signatures by FST and θπ. The genomic regions containing genes associated with different reproductive traits that may be potential targets for breeding and selection were detected. Furthermore, non-synonymous mutations in a set of plausible candidate genes and significant differences in their allele frequency distributions across breeds with different reproductive characteristics were found. We identified PAK1, CYP19A1 and PER1 as a likely causal gene for seasonal reproduction in native sheep through qPCR, Western blot and ELISA analyses. Also, the haplotype frequencies of 3 tested gene regions related to reproduction were significantly different among four sheep breeds. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide insights into the microevolution of native sheep and valuable genomic information for identifying genes associated with important reproductive traits in sheep.
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    The COVID-19 outbreak and corporate cash-holding levels: Evidence from China
    (Frontiers Media S.A., 2022-10-17) Zhou D; Zhou H; Bai M; Qin Y; Husin MM
    By employing data from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share markets for the period of 2019-2020, this paper examines the relationship between the degree of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on firms' cash-holdings levels in China. We find that firms that are severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have higher current cash holdings levels, suggesting that the more positive (negative) the management tone in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic impact, the lower (higher) the firm's current cash holdings. However, future corporate cash holdings decrease considerably irrespective of the corporate sentiment towards COVID-19. The positive sentiment of each firm's management team towards the supply chain and the government policies results in a relative reduction of current cash holdings, whereas the severe impact on operating performance, especially the impact of the outbreak on the supply chain, demand, production and operations, and government policies, reduces the firm' s future cash holdings. In addition, the impact of the pandemic has increased the current cash holdings of state-owned enterprises and reduced the future cash holdings of non-state-owned enterprises. Meanwhile, companies located in a city with a higher density of population or companies that experience relatively higher competition in the industry tend to undergo a severer impact on their current and future cash holdings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, this study sheds the light on stimulating the vitality of enterprise investment and promoting the domestic economic cycle.
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    Earnings quality and crash risk in China: an integrated analysis
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 16/03/2021) Wongchoti U; Tian G; Hao W; Ding Y; Zhou H; thanh, SD
    Purpose – The authors provide a comprehensive empirical examination on the impact of earnings quality on stock price crash risk in China. Design/methodology/approach – The authors acknowledge and distinguish two-dimensional proxies for earnings quality – accounting-based (earnings management degree) and market-based (earnings transparency) known in accounting and finance literature. Findings – The authors find that both generally indicate that better earnings quality is associated with less crashes. However, extremely high earnings transparency interacted with insider trading profit can also actually exacerbate stock price crashes. Originality/value – This study is the first to highlight the pertinence of accounting-based measures to proxy for earnings quality in a fast-growing emerging market environment such as China.