The main objective of this research is to investigate the impact of board size and board composition on financial performance of banks. The sample of this study consists on two countries listed bank sector Pakistan and China. The annul data is used from 2009-2018 to find the objective of this study. The Panel regression model is used to check the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Return on Asset and Return on Equity is used as performance checker dependent variables. The results of this study confirm board size coefficient value positive for ROA and negative for ROE but shows insignificant behavior for Pakistani banking sector while in Chinese banking sector the coefficient value of board size positively for ROA and ROE at 10% level. The board composition coefficient shows the negatively significant with ROA but insignificantly related to ROE for Pakistani banking sector. However, in Chinese banking sector the coefficient value of board composition is insignificant for both ROA and ROE. This study is helpful for banks, management of banks, policy makers, researcher as well as Government.

The combined effect of carbonation and chloride ingress in concrete is studied in this paper. A coupled simulation of the transports of carbon dioxide, chloride ions, heat and moisture is carried out. Several sets of experimental data were compared with the prediction by the numerical model developed in this paper, for its verification.

Humankind has been searching for medicinal materials from various plant sources in an attempt to treat disease. Mistletoe is one indubitable plant source for these materials due to its effectiveness in treating various diseases, but it has almost disappeared from the mountainous areas of Korea due to excessive harvesting. In this study, in order to select host tree species for Korean mistletoe [Viscum album var. coloratum (Kom.) Ohwi] by seed inoculation and to clarify the effect of host specificity among various tree species were conducted for the purpose of gaining basic information for the artificial cultivation of Korean mistletoe. Almost all the seeds of Korean mistletoe germinated in vitro at the temperature of 15℃. Among host trees used in this study, Prunus mume showed the highest parasitic affinity with inoculated Korean mistletoe, compared with any other host plants. However, treatment of hormones could not increase the low survival rate of Korean mistletoe on the host trees.

In this review paper we explain the following gamma-ray emission features from the millisecond pulsars. (1) Why is the dipolar field of millisecond pulsars so weak but the magnetic pair creation process may still be able to control the size of the outergap? (2) A sub-GeV pulse component could occur in the vicinity of the radio pulse of millisecond pulsars. (3) Orbital modulated gamma-rays should exist in the black widow systems for large viewing angle.

PPD ginsenosides in ginseng leaf were analyzed to determine effects of either FIR heat or steaming heat treatment. Among the PPD ginsenosides, Rb1, Rc and Rb3 forming four glycoside-attached aglycons were increased as FIR heat temperatures were increased from 60 to 120℃, while Rb3 was decreased. In addition, FIR heat treatment was effective to increase Rd forming a three glycoside-attached aglycon. Rg3 and Rh2 were not increased by the FIR heat treatment. In steaming heat treatment, Rb1 was significantly decreased, while Rb2 was increased. Rd was also increased by increased steaming temperature, yet its content was lower than in the FIR heat treatment. However, the steaming heat treatment increased yields of Rg3 and Rh2, which were not observed in the FIR heat treatment. Thus, FIR heat treatment was beneficial to efficient products of Rb1, Rc, Rb3 and Rd. Steaming heat treatment was effective to higher collection of Rb2, Rg3 and Rh2.

Introduction The ginseng saponin (ginsenoside) is one of the most important secondary metabolites in ginseng and hasvarious pharmacological activities. To date about 38 kinds of ginsenosides have been isolated and identified from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Among these ginsenosides, Rg3 is a precursor for ginsenoside Rh2, which has a very strong antitumor effect. and has many pharmaceutical activities. However, Rg3 is extremely low in normal ginseng. Thus production of ginsenoside Rg3 would be very important and many studies have aimed to convert major ginsenosides to the more active minor ginsenoside Rg3. The enzymatic conversion through sugar hydrolysis at a specific position is desirable for the production of active minor ginsenoside Rg3. Material and Method The isolation of β-glucosidase-producing microorganisms was performed according to a previously published method. Each microbialsuspension cultured in nutrient broth was added to the same volume of 1 mM ginsenoside Rb1 solution and then incubated on a rotary shaker at 30°C for 48 h. The reaction mixture was extracted with butanol saturated with H2O and then analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). 8 μl of the ginseng extract solution was spotted on a TLC plate and developed to 5.5 cm distance in a chamber with chloroform/methanol/water as the mobile phase. Bands on the TLC plates were detected by spraying 10% H2SO4, followed by heating. Result and Discussion Ginseng(the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, Araliaceae) is frequently used as a crude substance taken orally in Korea, China and Japan, as well as other Asian countries, as a traditional medicine. Ginsenosides are the principal components having pharmacological and biological activities. More than 38 different ginsenosides so far have been isolated and identified from ginseng saponins. Among them, deglycosylated ginsenosides are known to be more effective in vivo physiological action and to act as active compounds. A lactic acid bacteria, which have β-glucosidase activity, were isolated from soil and kimchi using a MRS-Esculin agar. These strains were identified on the basis of phylogenetic inference based on 16S rDNA sequences. TLC and HPLC were used to analysis transformed ginsenosides. Ginsenosides are main pharmacoactive component in ginseng. When ginseng was orally administered, the absorption of ginsenosides from the gastrointestinal tract are extremely low. In order to improve oral bioavailability, transforming major ginsenosides into more active minor ginsenoside is very important. Caulobacter leidyia GP45 and Micro- bacterium esteraromaticum GS514 were isolated from ginseng field for converting major ginsenosides into minor ginsenosides. In the co-culture of strain GP45 and GS514 with ginsenoside Rb1, produced compound K and ginsenoside Rg3 individually. The transformation pathway of ginsenoside Rb1 were confirmed Rb1⟶Rd⟶F2⟶compound K and Rb1⟶Rd⟶Rg3.

An efficient somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration protocol was developed for Schisandra chinensis Baill, using embryogenic cell suspensions and optimized media conditions. Friable embryogenic callus was induced from cotyledonary leaf and hypocotyl explants of 7 days old seedlings on MS agar medium supplemented with 1.0 to 4.0 mg l-1 of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Fast growing and well dispersed embryogenic cell suspensions were developed within two months when embryogenic calli were transferred to MS liquid medium containing 1.0 mg l-1 2,4-D. One third strength of MS medium was the best for both overall growth and development of somatic embryos in liquid culture. Over 3400 viable somatic embryos were produced from each 150 ml flask with an initial cell density of 30 mg in 30 ml medium. Germinated somatic embryos developed in liquid medium converted into plantlets after transferred to half-strength MS semi-solid medium. Approximately 90% of the converted plantlets were successfully transplanted to soil and grew into fertile plants.

Field performance and morphological characterization was conducted on seven transgenic lines of Codonopsis lanceolata expressing γ-TMT gene. The shoots were obtained from leaf explants after co-cultivation with Agrobacterium tume-faciens strain LBA 4404 harboring a binary vector pYBI 121 that carried genes encoding γ-Tocopherol methyltransferase gene (γ-TMT) and a neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (npt II) for kanamycin resistance. The transgenic plants were transferred to a green house for acclimation. Integration of T-DNA into the T0 and T1 generation of transgenic Codonopsis lanceolata genome was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction and southern blot analysis. The progenies of transgenic plants showed phenotypic differences within the different lines and with relative to control plants. When grown in field, the transgenic plants in general exhibited increased fertility, significant improvement in the shoot weight, root weight, shoot height and rachis length with relation to the control plants. However, all seven independently derived transgenic lines produced normal flower with respect to its shape, size, color and seeds number at its maturity. Indicating that the addition of a selectable marker gene in the plant genome does not effect on seed germination and agronomic performance of transgenic Codonopsis lanceolata. T1 progenies of these plants were obtained and evaluated together with control plant in a field experiment. Overall, the agronomic performance of T1 progenies of transgenic Codonopsis lanceolata showed superior to that of the seed derived non-transgenic plant. In this study, we report on the morphological variation and agronomic performance of transgenic Codonopsis lanceolata developed by Agrobacterium transformation.

An efficient regeneration system was developed using leaf, petiole, and internode explants. Highly embryogenic callus was obtained following cultivation on MS basal nutrient supplemented with 2 mg/l 2,4-D. Globular, heart, torpedo and cotyledon shaped somatic embryo were produced from the surface of embryogenic callus. Direct shoot regeneration without intermediate callus formation has been achieved on MS medium supplemented NAA and BAP. The percentage of response varies with different concentration of auxin and cytokinin treated individually or in combination. The best shoot regeneration response (54.28%) and number of shoot per explant (12.67) were achieved on the medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l NAA and 1 mg/l BAP. The regenerated shoot transformed into young plant when cultured into elongation and root induction medium. More than 90% of in vitro propagated plants could survive when transferred to the greenhouse for acclimation. This optimized regeneration system can be used for rapid shoot proliferation and genetic transformation.

Acifluorfen tolerance charateristics determined the involvement of absorption, translocation, and metabolism in acifluorfen tolerance. Less than 6% of the applied 14C-acifluorfen was absorbed. There were no differences in acifluorfen absorption between susceptible and tolerant somaclones. More 14C-acifluorfen was translocated in the susceptible than the tolerant somaclones. The susceptible somaclone did not metabolize acifluorfen while some somaclones (i.e.,EBN-3A) metabolized 14C-acifluorfen. Nomenclature: Acifluorfen, 5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid; eastern black night shade, Solanum ptycanthum Dun.,#3 SOLPT.