Cash dividends, return on equity and earnings persistence

With reference to Ohlson’ model, we optimise earnings persistence model and express earnings persistence measure as a function of return on equity (R.O.E.), dividends payout ratio and other factors. Our theoretical model reveals that dividends payout ratio has little effect on the earnings persistence, while R.O.E. has a decisive effect on earnings persistence. Using quarterly earnings data of 872 listed firms in China over 2011–2020, we calculate the Revised Persistence value of earnings (RPer value) of our earnings persistence model, and find that the Rper value of our model have more explanatory power than that of Kormendi and Lipe’ model. Our study also suggest that quarterly earnings are useful and have information content. Both the theoretical model and empirical results of our research are of great significance to understand and support the implementation of semi-compulsory cash dividends rules in China

Nanocrystals in ligand boxes exhibiting enhanced chemical, photochemical, and thermal stability, and methods of making the same

Dendron ligands or other branched ligands with cross-linkable groups were coordinated to colloidal inorganic nanoparticles, including nanocrystals, and substantially globally cross-linked through different strategies, such as ring-closing metathesis (RCM), dendrimer-bridging methods, and the like. This global cross-linking reaction sealed each nanocrystal within a dendron box to yield box-nanocrystals which showed dramatically enhanced stability against chemical, photochemical and thermal treatments in comparison to the non-cross-linked dendron-nanocrystals. Empty dendron boxes possessing a very narrow size distribution were formed by the dissolution of the inorganic nanocrystals contained therein upon acid or other etching treatments

Evaluating cardiac disorders associated with triazole antifungal agents based on the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event reporting system database

IntroductionTriazole antifungal agents are widely used to treat and prevent systemic mycoses. With wide clinical use, the number of reported adverse events has gradually increased. The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiac disorders associated with TAAs (fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole and isavuconazole) based on data from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.MethodsData were extracted from the FAERS database between the first quarter of 2004 and third quarter of 2022. The clinical characteristics in TAA-associated cardiac AE reports were analyzed. Disproportionality analysis was performed to evaluate the potential association between AEs and TAAs using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and proportional reporting ratio (PRR).ResultsAmong 10,178,522 AE reports, 1719 reports were TAA-associated cardiac AEs as primary suspect drug. Most reports were related to fluconazole (38.34%), voriconazole (28.56%) and itraconazole (26.76%). Itraconazole (N = 195, 42.39%) and isavuconazole (N = 2, 14.29%) had fewer serious outcome events than three other drugs including fluconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole. 13, 11, 26, 5 and 1 signals were detected for fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole and isavuconazole, respectively. The number of new signals unrecorded in the drug label was 9, 2, 13, 2 and 0 for fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole and isavuconazole, respectively.ConclusionIsavuconazole might be the safest of the five TAAs for cardiac AEs. TAA-associated cardiac disorders may result in serious adverse outcomes. Therefore, in addition to AEs on the drug label, we should pay attention to new AEs unrecorded on the drug label during the clinical use of TAAs

Effect of salinity on the biochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of exopolysaccharide of Porphyridium purpureum FACHB 806

Porphyridium exopolysaccharide (EPS) is a kind of high-value biopolymer with various biological activities secreted by microalgae belonging to Porphyridium genus. Salinity is one of the important environmental factors affecting the growth of microalgae. In order to study the effect of salinity, the yield, biochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of EPS in Porphyridium purpureum FACHB 806 cultured at four salinity levels (5‰, 20‰, 35‰ and 50‰) were investigated in this study. The results demonstrated that P. purpureum FACHB 806 could grow at all salinity levels. The highest cell density and EPS yield per cell were 6.6 × 107 cells·mL-1 and 29.1 pg·cell-1, which were obtained in the 20‰ and 50‰ salinity, respectively. With the increase of salinity, the percentage of xylose and galactose decreased while the percentage of glucose increased. Among all salinity levels, the 5‰ salinity group achieved the maximum contents of total carbohydrate and uronic acid of EPS, and the 50‰ salinity obtained the highest protein content of EPS. Compared to the 20‰ and 35‰ salinity groups, EPS of the 5‰ and 50‰ salinity showed stronger hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. These results indicated that salinity could influence the yield, biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of EPS, which will provide a new strategy to improve the yield and antioxidant activity of EPS

Establishing the feasibility of the dosimetric compliance criteria of RTOG 1308: phase III randomized trial comparing overall survival after photon versus proton radiochemotherapy for inoperable stage II-IIIB NSCLC.

BACKGROUND: To establish the feasibility of the dosimetric compliance criteria of the RTOG 1308 trial through testing against Intensity Modulation Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Passive Scattering Proton Therapy (PSPT) plans. METHODS: Twenty-six lung IMRT and 26 proton PSPT plans were included in the study. Dose Volume Histograms (DVHs) for targets and normal structures were analyzed. The quality of IMRT plans was assessed using a knowledge-based engineering tool. RESULTS: Most of the RTOG 1308 dosimetric criteria were achieved. The deviation unacceptable rates were less than 10 % for most criteria; however, a deviation unacceptable rate of more than 20 % was computed for the planning target volume minimum dose compliance criterion. Dose parameters for the target volume were very close for the IMRT and PSPT plans. However, the PSPT plans led to lower dose values for normal structures. The dose parameters in which PSPT plans resulted in lower values than IMRT plans were: lung V5Gy (%) (34.4 in PSPT and 47.2 in IMRT); maximum spinal cord dose (31.7 Gy in PSPT and 43.5 Gy in IMRT); heart V5Gy (%) (19 in PSPT and 47 in IMRT); heart V30Gy (%) (11 in PSPT and 19 in IMRT); heart V45Gy (%) (7.8 in PSPT and 12.1 in IMRT); heart V50% (Gy) (7.1 in PSPT and 9.8 in IMRT) and mean heart dose (7.7 Gy in PSPT and 14.9 Gy in IMRT). CONCLUSIONS: The revised RTOG 1308 dosimetric compliance criteria are feasible and achievable