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A number of commercial neem pest control products and a laboratory prepared seed water extract were screened for antibacterial activity against bacteria with different Gram staining reactions, morphologies and pathogenicity using the agar diffusion technique. The neem component of the Trifolio-M GmbH commercial products, termed "active ingredient", and the unformulated product, MIDECOL-CF, exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria including phytopathogens. The formulations of the Trifolio-M GmbH products were themselves shown to possess considerable antimicrobial activity. A Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC0 bioassay was developed using Bacillus mycoides to detect antibacterial metabolites in separated neem extracts. Three discrete zones of growth inhibition were obtained with the active ingredient indicating the presence of at least three antibacterial metabolites. TLC bioassay of laboratory prepared seed and leaf extracts resulted in considerable inhibition of B. mycoides which could not be attributed to one metabolite. No antibacterial activity was detected in pure samples of azadirachtin, nimbin or salannin. Neem callus of Ghanaian and Nigerian origin was fractionated using solid phase extraction and analysed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and TLC. Both calli exhibited antibacterial activity against B. mycoides in more than one fraction although activity differed between fractions and the calli of different origins. The effect of the active ingredient on the growth of four fungal phytopathogens was investigated. Mycelial growth of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritic was completely inhibited in vitro although control could not be achieved in planta. Mycelial growth of Microdochium nivale was significantly reduced in vitro in the presence of the active ingredient. This extract had little effect on mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea although MIDECOL-CF was shown to inhibit conidial germination. Activity was however lost when MIDECOL-CF was separated using TLC suggesting the presence of metabolites which act synergistically. The active ingredient inhibited conidial germination of Sphaerotheca fuliginea in vitro although no control was achieved in planta.

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Penetration business strategy for financial industry after cross-strait MOU ¡Ð A case study of F bank, Taiwan. Abstract The cross-strait financial industry will change significantly after the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Taiwan and China on both cooperation and competition end of the spectrum, and the entire financial industry including individual financial institution will need to adjust its business strategy to survive in the post-ECFA Era. One individual financial institution requires an all-rounded strategy regarding every aspect to penetrate into China market surrounded by many Chinese banking competitors. In this regard, this study, the business penetration strategy into China financial market for Taiwanese financial institution in case of the F bank, Taiwan, analyzed and discussed the best suited business strategy, and how such strategy should be implanted and executed. In order to do so, this study analyzed different circumstances under not only the macroeconomic environment and the regulation, but also by various business strategy models form PEST, business competition, SWOT, RBV, to statistical analysis with different projected future scenario given, to understand which will be the optimal solution for the F bank to penetrate into the China market. Nonetheless, the study further analyzed the details of the optimal solution from where the first business unit should be setup, to what regard the service should include, and also who the target customers are with CEPA¡¦s historical experience as reference. The study showed that the F bank should remain focus on Taiwanese corporations in China and setup the first several branches and subsidiaries accordingly; nonetheless, the Strait-West district (®ü¦è¯S°Ï) could be a suitable fit if it provides a better options to Taiwanese banks. As for the range of the service and products mix, the F bank should first focus on corporate banking, especially to satisfy the capital needs from Taiwanese corporations, and then gradually move forward towards securities service utilizing its subsidiaries¡¦ resources. Furthermore, because product development will be the key to F bank¡¦s expansion, it is crucial to demonstrate the product innovation ability to impress F-bank¡¦s local customers. On the other hand, lack of financial service in the Big West region¡]¤j¦è³¡¡^ provides another great opportunity for Taiwanese banks to establish their business in China. The Big West region is blooming; however, there are still very few financial services and relatively less competition in the region, therefore, the first mover¡¦s advantage we often discovered in the coastal region is not yet existed. This provides Taiwanese banks a great window to penetrate and a profitable potential return. Strategic allying with or investing in the local banks to participate only in establishing branches and subsidiaries will be a highly growth strategy as well. Ningbo and Nanjing bank will be our first choices for the F bank to ally with within all first-tier banks. As for the second-tier banks, we believe relevant banks in Zhejiang Province, Montaibank, Chouzou commercial bank, and Tyrone commercial bank will be good targets if the F bank select to start up from the Yanze river delta region; Fujian Haizia bank will be our priority choice in Strait-West district. In conclusion, the competition will become more intense in the future fighting for business of Taiwanese corporations in China; hence, the competition from Chinese local banks will become more furious as well. As the result, we believe the best strategy for Taiwanese banks to survive and penetrate in China will be to maintain the existing customers and to satisfy their needs before there is a clear progress of the ECFA negotiation. We suggest banks reconstruct their own resources integration and improve their efficiency and communication within the institution to customize their service to meet customers¡¦ needs to achieve the goal.

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The activity of <i>Bacillus brevis</i> Nagano and the antibiotic it produces, gramicidin S, against the polyphagous plant pathogen, <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> was studied <i>in vitro</i>. Both germination and growth of <i>B. cinerea</i> were sensitive to the antibiotic although germination was the more sensitive. Sensitivity towards the antibiotic varied with cultural conditions. Treatment of <i>B. cinerea</i> conidia with high levels of gramicidin S caused massive release of cellular ATP indicating membrane disrupton as a primary mode of action. Activity of gramicidin S against conidia of <i>B. cinerea</i> was much lower when applied to leaves of Chinese cabbage compared to <i>in vitro</i>. This reduced activity was thought to be due to the binding of gramicidin S to ethanol soluble component(s) of the leaf surface. Gramicidin S also bound strongly to soil, especially the organic moiety. This gave the antibiotic low mobility and low bioavailability within soil. Methods were developed for the selective retrieval and enumeration of both <i>B.brevis</i> and <i>B. cinerea</i> from plant and soil material. Field trials showed that treatment of Chinese cabbage with <i>B.brevis</i> Nagano was as effective as standard fungicide treatment with iprodione in controlling grey mould infection in two successive field trials. This observation was not expected from the <i>in planta</i> studies concerned with antibiosis since it was indicated that gramicidin S had low activity on leaf surfaces. Observations of leaf wetness duration (LWD) indicated that <i>B.brevis</i> Nagano preparations contained a biosurfactant within the supernatant which altered the wettability of leaves. In greenhouse trials leaves dried 80 percent quicker after irrigation when treated with <i>B. brevis</i> Nagano culture compared to untreated control leaves.

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