Charting intellectual capital performance of the gateway to China

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate whether intellectual capital (IC) has an impact on the financial aspects of organizational performance as well as attempting to identify the IC components that are associated with corporate financial performance indicators that signal organizational growth. Design/methodology/approach: This study drew on financial data from publicly available annual reports of all the constituent companies of the Hang Seng Index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for the years 2001-2009. Following the value added intellectual coefficient™ (VAIC) methodology, regression models were constructed to examine the relationships between IC and the corporate financial performance indicators. Findings: Evidence was found to suggest that IC, as measured by VAIC, was positively associated with profitability of businesses. In particular, structural capital, as a key component of IC, played a notable part in enhancing corporate profitability, and showed a growing trend in its significance. Empirical findings, based on correlation and linear multiple regression analysis, indicated that the components of VAIC were strong predictors of corporate financial performance such as return on equity and profitability. In particular, capital employed efficiency (CEE) was a significant predictor of all four corporate financial performance indicators. Practical implications: The results may extend the understanding of the role of IC in business operations in Hong Kong, and may help to identify the specific IC drivers that may have a direct impact on the financial performance of these companies. In particular, although CEE was a significant predictor of all four corporate finance performance indicators, the increasing contribution of structural capital efficiency (SCE) in predicting ROA and ROE was observed. The role that structural capital plays in strengthening business performance warrants further investigation. Originality/value: There has only been one previous empirical study on the intellectual capital of constituent companies on the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index. This study adds to the literature as the second study in the field. It is the first comparative study across two time periods of the above-mentioned data. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.published_or_final_versio

Acute ischaemic stroke during short-term travel to high altitude

This is a case report of a young healthy adult who had acute cerebral infarcts after a short-term visit to high-altitude area. He developed acute onset of right-sided limb weakness and right hemianopia a few hours after arrival at an altitude of 3600 m by train. He was initially treated for high-altitude cerebral oedema but later computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed ischaemic infarcts in the medial left occipital lobe and left thalamus. Subsequent investigations, including laboratory tests and imaging including an echocardiogram, revealed no culpable predisposing factors.published_or_final_versio

The relationship between Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital in listed companies of mainland China

Open URL for the 8th ICICKM 2011 Proceedings - http://academic-conferences.org/pdfs/ICICKM_2011-Booklet.pdfAs the global economic power reshuffles, mainland China stood as the world’s biggest exporter in 2010, and has emerged as the second-largest economy in the world (CIA, 2010). In its transformation from a manufacturing-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, how well a business manages its knowledge or utilizes its intellectual capital may be an important factor in determining a …postprintThe 8th International Conference on Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management & Organisational Learning (ICICKM 2011), Bangkok, Thailand, 27-28 October 2011. In Proceedings of the 8th ICICKM, 2011, p. 14-1

Testicular translocator protein expression is differentially altered by synthetic cannabinoid HU210 in adult and adolescent Rats

Objective: The translocator protein (TSPO) has been implicated in numerous functions including steroid production and regulation of stress and anxiety. Cannabinoids have been shown to reduce plasma testosterone levels and alter anxiety levels. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the synthetic cannabinoid HU210 is able to regulate TSPO expression in several peripheral organs. Methods: HU210 (100 μg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to both adult and adolescent male ratsfor 14 days. TSPO receptor expression in several organs, including the liver, spleen, kidneys and testes, was quantified by membrane receptor binding using the selective radiolig and, PK11195. In cases where receptor binding data indicated significant cannabinoid-induced differences, further RT-qPCR was carried out to determine the transcriptional regulation of the TSPO gene. Additionally, film-autography was used to identify potential changes in the spatial distribution of the TSPO tissue binding sites. Results: Results indicate that HU210 induces significant reductions in testicular TSPO expression in adult but not adolescent rats. No changes were found in other organs examined. These results are consistent with the previously observed effects of cannabinoids on testosterone production and a presumed role for TSPO in steroidogenesis. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that cannabinoids may alter testosterone production by altering the expression of testicular TSPO and that the alteration of TSPO occurs in an age-dependent manner.© 2014 Chan RHY, et al

Aberrant activation of ERK/FOXM1 signaling cascade triggers the cell migration/invasion in ovarian cancer cells

Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is a proliferation-associated transcription factor essential for cell cycle progression. Numerous studies have documented that FOXM1 has multiple functions in tumorigenesis and its elevated levels are frequently associated with cancer progression. Here, we characterized the role of ERK/FOXM1 signaling in mediating the metastatic potential of ovarian cancer cells. Immunohistochemical (IHC), immunoblotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses found that both phospho-ERK and FOXM1 were frequently upregulated in ovarian cancers. Intriguingly, the overexpressed phospho-ERK (p<0.001) and FOXM1 (p<0.001) were significantly correlated to high-grade ovarian tumors with aggressive behavior such as metastasized lymph node (5 out of 6). Moreover, the expressions of phospho-ERK and FOXM1 had significantly positive correlation (p<0.001). Functionally, ectopic expression of FOXM1B remarkably enhanced cell migration/invasion, while FOXM1C not only increased cell proliferation but also promoted cell migration/invasion. Conversely, inhibition of FOXM1 expression by either thiostrepton or U0126 could significantly impair FOXM1 mediated oncogenic capacities. However, the down-regulation of FOXM1 by either thiostrepton or U0126 required the presence of p53 in ovarian cancer cells. Collectively, our data suggest that over-expression of FOXM1 might stem from the constitutively active ERK which confers the metastatic capabilities to ovarian cancer cells. The impairment of metastatic potential of cancer cells by FOXM1 inhibitors underscores its therapeutic value in advanced ovarian tumors. © 2011 Lok et al.published_or_final_versio

Strengthening students’ reading comprehension ability (both Chinese and English) through developing children’s literature equiz bank on the cloud

Part I of Social Media 2014 will be held in China and Part II will be held in Las VegasReading proficiency is closely related to students’ academic performance. The online e-quiz bank “Reading Battle” aims at enhancing students’ reading interest and developing their reading habits. After reading children’s literature borrowed from school libraries, students may take quizzes on the e-quiz bank to evaluate their reading comprehension ablility. First launched in Hong Kong, the e-quiz bank assists students in enhancing their reading interest and abilities by motivating, scaffolding, and monitoring strategies. This article discusses the project’s features and evaluates their effectiveness in achieving the project goals. Preliminary findings of the project shows that the e-quiz bank offer participants a fun, interactive, and personalized experience in improving their reading comprehension abilities and is effective in fostering a habit of reading.postprin

Early-life activities mediate the association between family socioeconomic status in early childhood and physical fitness in early adolescence

The graded association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and physical fitness is evident, but little is known about the mechanism underlying this association. This study investigated the role of early-life activities as mediators of the longitudinal relationship between early-life SES and health-related physical fitness in 168 adolescents (51.2% boys; final mean age: 12.4 years old). In Wave 1 (2011–12), their parents completed questionnaires about family socioeconomic status (SES), parent–child activities, and child screen time. In Wave 2 (2014–15), participants’ physical activity levels were assessed through parent proxy-reports. In Wave 3 (2018–19), a direct assessment of handgrip strength, standing long-jump, and 6-min walk test (6MWT) performance was conducted. After controlling for demographic factors, results of mediation analyses revealed that (a) Wave 1 SES predicted Wave 3 long-jump and 6MWT performance; (b) child physical activity level in Wave 2 mediated the relation between Wave 1 SES and standing long-jump performance in Wave 3; and (c) recreational parent–child activities and child screen time in wave 1 mediated the relation between Wave 1 SES and 6MWT performance in Wave 3. Our findings suggest that the type and frequency of early-life activities play a role in the graded association between childhood SES and physical fitness in adolescence

Family Financial Pressure in Childhood and Telomere Length in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Study

Much research on children in high-risk environments has focused on the biological consequences of maltreatment, adversity, and trauma. Whether other early-life stress sources such as family financial hardship are implicated in the cellular mechanism of disease development remains unclear. This study investigated the long-term effect of childhood exposure to family financial pressure on telomere length. It involved two waves of data collection occurring when participants reached Grade 3 (W1) and 7 (W2), respectively. In W1, parents reported family demographics and perceived financial stressors and pressure. In W2, participants provided buccal swab samples for measurement of their telomere length. Data from 92 participants (Mage in W2 = 13.2 years; 56.5% male) were analyzed. The main type of stressors reported by parents who perceived high family financial pressure in W1 were child-level stressors including affordability of their medical and educational expenses. Participants exposed to high parent-perceived family financial pressure in W1 had shorter telomeres in W2 when compared to those exposed to low parent-perceived family financial pressure (β = −0.61, p = 0.042). Subgroup analyses revealed stronger associations in girls than boys. These findings reveal an important spillover effect between parental financial perceptions and stress and children’s health at the cellular level

The 18 kDa translocator protein, microglia and neuroinflammation

The 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is expressed in the injured brain. It has become known as an imaging marker of “neuroinflammation” indicating active disease, and is best interpreted as a nondiagnostic biomarker and disease staging tool that refers to histopathology rather than disease etiology. The therapeutic potential of TSPO as a drug target is mostly based on the understanding that it is an outer mitochondrial membrane protein required for the translocation of cholesterol, which thus regulates the rate of steroid synthesis. This pivotal role together with the evolutionary conservation of TSPO has underpinned the belief that any loss or mutation of TSPO should be associated with significant physiological deficits or be outright incompatible with life. However, against prediction, full Tspo knockout mice are viable and across their lifespan do not show the phenotype expected if cholesterol transport and steroid synthesis were significantly impaired. Thus, the “translocation” function of TSPO remains to be better substantiated. Here, we discuss the literature before and after the introduction of the new nomenclature for TSPO and review some of the newer findings. In light of the controversy surrounding the function of TSPO, we emphasize the continued importance of identifying compounds with confirmed selectivity and suggest that TSPO expression is analyzed within specific disease contexts rather than merely equated with the reified concept of “neuroinflammation.” © 2014 The Authors© 2014 The Authors. Brain Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Neuropathology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Machine Learning of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Engineered Cardiac Tissue Contractility for Automated Drug Classification

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