In Situ Absorption in Rat Intestinal Tract of Solid Dispersion of Annonaceous Acetogenins

Isolated from Annona squamosa L, Annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) exhibit a broad range of biological properties yet absorbed badly due to the low solubility. Solid dispersion in polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG 4000) has been developed to increase the solubility and oral absorption of ACGs. The formulation of ACGS-solid dispersion was optimized by a simplex lattice experiment design and carried out by a solvent-fusion method. We studied the absorption property of ACGs in rat's intestine, which showed there was a good absorption and uptake percentages with solid dispersion. The study on uptake percentage in different regions of rat's intestine attested that the duodenum had the best permeability, followed by jejunum, ileum, and colon in order with no significant differences. So the paper drew the conclusion that solid dispersion could improve the solubility and oral absorption of annonaceous acetogenins

Discretionary Loan Loss Provisions And Earnings Management For The Banking Industry

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relation between discretionary loan loss provisions and 6 indicators of bank operating performance for the period 1999-2004 under controlling the type of bank, ownership status and asset size. Besides, we investigate whether bank managers intend to use discretionary loan loss provisions as a means for earnings management. Based on the empirical results from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ) database, the study finds: (1) the two earnings-related variables, namely earnings before loan loss provisions and one-year-ahead earnings, are significantly related to discretionary loan loss provision; (2) non-performing loans is significantly related to discretionary loan loss provisions, but non-performing loans ratio and bad debts coverage ratio are not found to be significantly linked to discretionary loan loss provisions; (3) capital adequacy ratio is not significantly related to discretionary loan loss provisions. Finally, our findings indicate that bank managers may use discretionary loan loss provisions to engage in earnings management when the earnings before loan loss provisions or non-performing loans are at a high level

Combining tower mixing ratio and community model data to estimate regional-scale net ecosystem carbon exchange by boundary layer inversion over 4 flux towers in the U.S.A.

We evaluated an idealized boundary layer (BL) model with simple parameterizations using vertical transport information from community model outputs (NCAR/NCEP Reanalysis and ECMWF Interim Analysis) to estimate regional-scale net CO2 fluxes from 2002 to 2007 at three forest and one grassland flux sites in the United States. The BL modeling approach builds on a mixed-layer model to infer monthly average net CO2 fluxes using high-precision mixing ratio measurements taken on flux towers. We compared BL model net ecosystem exchange (NEE) with estimates from two independent approaches. First, we compared modeled NEE with tower eddy covariance measurements. The second approach (EC-MOD) was a data-driven method that upscaled EC fluxes from towers to regions using MODIS data streams. Comparisons between modeled CO2 and tower NEE fluxes showed that modeled regional CO2 fluxes displayed interannual and intra-annual variations similar to the tower NEE fluxes at the Rannells Prairie and Wind River Forest sites, but model predictions were frequently different from NEE observations at the Harvard Forest and Howland Forest sites. At the Howland Forest site, modeled CO2 fluxes showed a lag in the onset of growing season uptake by 2 months behind that of tower measurements. At the Harvard Forest site, modeled CO2 fluxes agreed with the timing of growing season uptake but underestimated the magnitude of observed NEE seasonal fluctuation. This modeling inconsistency among sites can be partially attributed to the likely misrepresentation of atmospheric transport and/or CO2gradients between ABL and the free troposphere in the idealized BL model. EC-MOD fluxes showed that spatial heterogeneity in land use and cover very likely explained the majority of the data-model inconsistency. We show a site-dependent atmospheric rectifier effect that appears to have had the largest impact on ABL CO2 inversion in the North American Great Plains. We conclude that a systematic BL modeling approach provided new insights when employed in multiyear, cross-site synthesis studies. These results can be used to develop diagnostic upscaling tools, improving our understanding of the seasonal and interannual variability of surface CO2 fluxes

Effect of C-type natriuretic peptide and amiodarone in Chinese patients with arrhythmia

Purpose: To compare the effect of C-type natriuretic peptide and amiodarone in Chinese patients with arrhythmia. Method: Chinese men and women aged 18 to 65 years with premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), were administered C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) - test group or amiodarone (study group) in ratio of 1:1 for 96 h. Patients in CNP group received infusion of synthetic human CNP (10 pmol/kg/min) for an initial 2 h, and then for 30 min every day until discharge. Patients in amiodarone group received initial dose of 1000 mg over the first 24 h. Change in PVCs from baseline was the primary efficacy endpoint. Secondary efficacy endpoint includes: change in PVCs-related symptom scores from baseline, change in ejection fraction of left ventricle (LV), end‑diastolic diameter of LV, and cardiac events as composite outcome (CCE). The effect of both treatments on hemodynamic and electrocardiography parameters, and safety were evaluated. Data from 200 patients were analyzed. Results: The CNP showed significantly greater decrease in the number of PVCs when compared to amiodarone (p < 0.005). Moreover, CNP was superior in alleviating PVCs- related symptoms when compared to amiodarone (p < 0.005). A similar trend of favorable effect of CNP was observed for other endpoints. Conclusion: The C-type natriuretic peptide offers significantly greater benefits of suppressing PVCs and related symptoms, and demonstrates significantly greater improvement of cardiac function and clinical outcome. Thus, CNP can be considered for further investigation as a suitable alternative in the management of ventricular arrhythmia with PVC among Chinese patients

Critical Ignition Temperature of Fuel-air Explosive

The charge of fuel-air explosive (FAE) warhead usually is solid-liquid mixed fuel. The solid component is aluminium powder. To meet the demand of FAE weapon usage and storage safety, in the mixed-fuel medium, there must be gaps where adiabatic compression occurs during launchin-e overloading- of warhead. Adiabatic compression makes the temperature of the mediumin the gaps to rise. High temperature can cause dxplosion of the mixed fuel during launching acceleration of the warhead, which is very dangerous. Because the fuel is a multicomponentmixture, the critical ignitioh temperature can't be determined only by one component. Through experiment, the critical ignition temperature of the mixed fuel is attained, and the changingregularity of the pressure following the temperature is shown in this paper

Bis[N′-(3-cyano­benzyl­idene)isonicotino­hydrazide]silver(I) trifluoro­acetate

In the title compound, [Ag(C14H10N4O)2]CF3CO2, the AgI ion is coordinated by two N atoms of the pyridine rings of two N′-(3-cyano­benzyl­idene)isonicotinohydrazide ligands in a nearly linear geometry. In the crystal structure, a combination of close contacts formed via Ag⋯N inter­actions [Ag⋯N = 3.098 (2) and 3.261 (2) Å] from symmetry-related mol­ecules and inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between CF3CO2 − anions and the hydrazone groups of two ligands give rise to chains. Furthermore, there are Ag⋯O inter­actions with a separation of 2.765 (2) Å between chains. The F atoms of the CF3CO2 − anion are disordered over two sites with refined occupancies of 0.593 (5) and 0.407 (5)

Anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects of Tetramethylpyrazine following spinal cord ischemia in rabbits

BACKGROUND: Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is one of the most important active ingredients of a Chinese herb Ligusticum wallichii Franchat, which is widely used in many ischemia disorders treatments. However, the exact mechanism by which TMP protects the spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is still unknown. For this purpose, rabbits were randomly divided into sham group, control group and TMP group. After the evaluation of neurologic function, the spinal cords were immediately removed for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Apoptosis was measured quantitatively by the terminal transferase UTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and confirmed by electron microscopic examination, the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was immunohistochemically evaluated and quantified by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Neurologic outcomes in the TMP-group were significantly better than those in the control group (P < 0.05). TMP decreased spinal cord malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and ameliorated the down regulation of spinal cord superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. TMP significantly reduced the loss of motoneurons and TUNEL-positive rate. Greater Bcl-2 and attenuated Bax expression was found in the TMP treating rabbits. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that TMP has protective effects against spinal cord I/R injury by reducing apoptosis through regulating Bcl-2 and Bax expression

Parallel session 4 :Teaching and learning innovations

Presented Titles: Higher Education and COVID-19: Is Hybrid Teaching/Learning the Solution? [Author: Francis Arthur-Holmes] Technology-enabled Teaching and Learning in COVID-19: Implication for Professional Development in Hong Kong’s Post-secondary Colleges [Authors: Beatrice Yan-yan Dang; Hayes Hei-hang Tang; Joanna WY Yeung] Hybrid Learning: Online Learning in a Residential Environment [Authors: Ying Xiong; Jingduo Bi] Hybrid Education and Collaborative Learning: A Natural Experiment During COVID-19 [Authors: Luyao Zhang; Ying Xiong; Jiaxin Wu] Catching Teachers Off Guard from Remote Learning: An Implication of Innovative Teaching Training in Hong Kong [Authors: Derek Wai-sun Chun; Siu-ho Yau; Wai-man Chan