The influence mechanism of industrial policies on Chinese companies' cross-border M&A decision-making.

This study explored the potential links between Chinese industrial policy and cross-border mergers and acquisitions by Chinese firms from 2009 to 2019. Based on describing China's industrial strategy and evaluating the then-current situation of Chinese enterprises' cross-border mergers and acquisitions, this empirical study constructed a two-way fixed-effect panel model and an intermediate effect model to assess the mechanism of industrial policy's influence on Chinese enterprises' cross-border mergers and acquisitions decisions. The findings were as follows: (1) Industrial policy could promote the implementation of cross-border mergers and acquisitions of Chinese enterprises; (2) By easing financial restrictions, industrial policy could improve firms' access to capital and encourage cross-border mergers and acquisitions. (3) Industrial policies could promote the high political relevance of state-owned enterprises, thus promoting the success of transnational mergers and acquisitions of enterprises. Therefore, it was significant to promote the transformation of industrial policy from subsidy-oriented to performance-oriented and rationally evaluate the risks and benefits of M&A for enterprises to complete cross-border M&A.

The role of the allantoin in promoting fracture healing in osteoclast-deficient zebrafish.

Fracture healing is a rigorous and orderly process with multiple steps that are mediated by multiple cells. During this process, osteoclast-mediated bone remodeling plays a critical role, and its abnormal activity leads not only to fracture susceptibility but also to impaired fracture healing. However, few studies have focused on impaired healing caused by osteoclast defects, and clinical drugs for this type of impaired fracture healing are still lacking. The cell types and regulatory pathways in the zebrafish skeletal system are highly similar to those of mammals, making the zebrafish skeletal system being widely used for skeletal-related studies. To study the process of fracture healing disorders caused by osteoclast defects and discover potential therapeutic drugs, we established an in vivo osteoclast-deficient fracture model using a previously generated fms gene mutant zebrafish (fmsj4e1). The results showed that reduced functional osteoclasts could affect fracture repair in the early stages of fracture. Then we applied an in vitro scale culture system to screen for osteoclast-activating drugs. We found the small molecule compound allantoin (ALL) being able to activate osteoclasts. Subsequently, we verified the activation role of ALL on osteoclasts and the promotion of fracture repair in an in vivo fmsj4e1 fracture defect model. Finally, by examining the osteoclastogenesis and maturation process, we found that ALL may promote osteoclast maturation by regulating RANKL/OPG, thus promoting fmsj4e1 fracture healing. Our study provides a potential new approach for the future improvement of fracture healing disorders caused by osteoclast defects.

The synergistic role of Pu.1 and Fms in zebrafish osteoclast-reducing osteopetrosis and possible therapeutic strategies.

Osteoclasts are bone resorption cells of myeloid origin. Osteoclast defects can lead to osteopetrosis, a genetic disorder characterized by bone sclerosis for which there is no effective drug treatment. It is known that Pu.1 and Fms are key regulators in myelopoiesis, and their defects in mice can lead to reduced osteoclast numbers and consequent osteopetrosis. Yet how Pu.1 and Fms genetically interact in the development of osteoclasts and the pathogenesis of osteopetrosis is still unclear. Here, we characterized pu.1G242D;fmsj4e1 double-deficient zebrafish, which exhibited a greater deficiency of functional osteoclasts and displayed more severe osteopetrotic symptoms than the pu.1G242D or fmsj4e1 single mutants, suggesting a synergistic function of Pu.1 and Fms in the regulation of osteoclast development. We further demonstrated that Pu.1 plays a dominant role in osteoclastogenesis, whereas Fms plays a dominant role in osteoclast maturation. Importantly, treatment with the drug retinoic acid significantly relieved the different degrees of osteopetrosis symptoms in these models by increasing the number of functional osteoclasts. Thus, we report the development of valuable animal models of osteopetrosis, and our results shed light on drug development for antiosteopetrosis therapy.

An Effective Screening Method and a Reliable Screening Trait for Salt Tolerance of Brassica napus at the Germination Stage.

Salinity is a major and complex abiotic stress that inhibits plant growth and reduces crop yield. Given the global increase in soil salinity, there is a need to develop salt-tolerant species. Brassica napus L. is an important oilseed crop with some level of salt tolerance. However, few studies have evaluated its salt tolerance thoroughly or screened for traits that can be reliably evaluated for salt tolerance. Here, we evaluated salt tolerance in 549 B. napus inbred lines with different genetic backgrounds using the membership function value (MFV) of certain traits, including the germination rate, root and shoot length, root and shoot fresh weight, and total fresh weight. According to the evaluation criteria-mean MFV, 50 highly salt-tolerant, 115 salt-tolerant, 71 moderately salt-tolerant, 202 salt-sensitive, and 111 highly salt-sensitive inbred lines were screened at the germination stage. We also developed a mathematical evaluation model and identified that the salt tolerance index of shoot fresh weight is a single trait that reliably represents the salt tolerance of B. napus germplasm at the germination stage. These results are useful for evaluating and breeding salt-tolerant B. napus germplasm.