Motives, choice of entry mode, and challenges of bank internationalization: evidence from China

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.This study examines the motives, entry mode choice and challenges of the international expansion in an emerging country context. Data was collected via interviews from 30 senior managers based on a sample of 10 Chinese commercial banks (CCBs) involved in international expansion over the period of 2001-2013. This study finds that greenfield and mergers and acquisitions are the most popular foreign entry mode used by CCBs. The motives of emerging market banks’ internationalisation appear to be intrinsically linked to market development to serve customers operating in overseas market, government policies and strategic knowledge sourcing. In terms of challenges, the study finds lack of management resources/technical capacity, culture, adapting to the host country regulatory environment, and lack of experience to be the main challenges to bank internationalisation

A missing link in the estuarine nitrogen cycle?: coupled nitrification-denitrification mediated by suspended particulate matter

In estuarine and coastal ecosystems, the majority of previous studies have considered coupled nitrification-denitrification (CND) processes to be exclusively sediment based, with little focus onsuspended particulate matter (SPM) in the water column. Here, we present evidence of CND processes in the water column of Hangzhou Bay, one of the largest macrotidal embayments in the world

Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines Mediates trans-Infection of HIV-1 from Red Blood Cells to Target Cells and Affects HIV-AIDS Susceptibility

Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) expressed on red blood cells (RBCs) influences plasma levels of HIV-1-suppressive and proinflammatory chemokines such as CCL5/RANTES. DARC is also the RBC receptor for Plasmodium vivax. Africans with DARC -46C/C genotype, which confers a DARC negative phenotype, are resistant to vivax malaria. Here, we show that HIV-1 attaches to RBCs via DARC, effecting trans-infection of target cells. In African Americans, DARC -46C/C is associated with 40% increase in the odds of acquiring HIV-1. If extrapolated to Africans, ~11% of the HIV-1 burden in Africa may be linked to this genotype. After infection occurs, however, DARC-negative RBC status is associated with slower disease progression. Furthermore, the disease-accelerating effect of a previously described CCL5 polymorphism is evident only in DARC-expressing and not in DARC-negative HIV-infected individuals. Thus, DARC influences HIV/AIDS susceptibility by mediating trans-infection of HIV-1 and by affecting both chemokine-HIV interactions and chemokine-driven inflammation

A missing link in the estuarine nitrogen cycle?: coupled nitrification-denitrification mediated by suspended particulate matter

In estuarine and coastal ecosystems, the majority of previous studies have considered coupled nitrification-denitrification (CND) processes to be exclusively sediment based, with little focus onsuspended particulate matter (SPM) in the water column. Here, we present evidence of CND processes in the water column of Hangzhou Bay, one of the largest macrotidal embayments in the world

A novel trifunctional IgG-like bispecific antibody to inhibit HIV-1 infection and enhance lysis of HIV by targeting activation of complement

BACKGROUND: The complement system is not only a key component of innate immunity but also provides a first line of defense against invading pathogens, especially for viral pathogens. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), however, possesses several mechanisms to evade complement-mediated lysis (CoML) and exploit the complement system to enhance viral infectivity. Responsible for this intrinsic resistance against complement-mediated virolysis are complement regulatory membrane proteins derived from the host cell that inherently downregulates complement activation at several stages of the cascade. In addition, HIV is protected from complement-mediated lysis by binding soluble factor H (fH) through the viral envelope proteins, gp120 and gp41. Whereas inhibition of complement activity is the desired outcome in the vast majority of therapeutic approaches, there is a broader potential for complement-mediated inhibition of HIV by complement local stimulation. PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS: Our previous studies have proven that the complement-mediated antibody-dependent enhancement of HIV infection is mediated by the association of complement receptor type 2 bound to the C3 fragment and deposited on the surface of HIV virions. Thus, we hypothesize that another new activator of complement, consisting of two dsFv (against gp120 and against C3d respectively) linked to a complement-activating human IgG1 Fc domain ((anti-gp120 × anti-C3d)-Fc), can not only target and amplify complement activation on HIV virions for enhancing the efficiency of HIV lysis, but also reduce the infectivity of HIV through blocking the gp120 and C3d on the surface of HIV. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: Our hypothesis was tested using cell-free HIV-1 virions cultivated in vitro and assessment of virus opsonization was performed by incubating appropriate dilutions of virus with medium containing normal human serum and purified (anti-gp120 × anti-C3d)-Fc proteins. As a control group, viruses were incubated with normal human serum under the same conditions. Virus neutralization assays were used to estimate the degree of (anti-gp120 × anti-C3d)-Fc lysis of HIV compared to untreated virus. IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS: The targeted complement activator, (anti-gp120 × anti-C3d)-Fc, can be used as a novel approach to HIV therapy by abrogating the complement-enhanced HIV infection of cells

Strand antagonism in RNAi: an explanation of differences in potency between intracellularly expressed siRNA and shRNA

Strategies to regulate gene function frequently use small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that can be made from their shRNA precursors via Dicer. However, when the duplex components of these siRNA effectors are expressed from their respective coding genes, the RNA interference (RNAi) activity is much reduced. Here, we explored the mechanisms of action of shRNA and siRNA and found the expressed siRNA, in contrast to short hairpin RNA (shRNA), exhibits strong strand antagonism, with the sense RNA negatively and unexpectedly regulating RNAi. Therefore, we altered the relative levels of strands of siRNA duplexes during their expression, increasing the level of the antisense component, reducing the level of the sense component, or both and, in this way we were able to enhance the potency of the siRNA. Such vector-delivered siRNA attacked its target effectively. These findings provide new insight into RNAi and, in particular, they demonstrate that strand antagonism is responsible for making siRNA far less potent than shRNA

Effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics on nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of elementary students in two provinces in China

Abstract Background National and international child health surveys have indicated an increase in childhood obesity in China. The increase has been attributed to a rising standard of living, increasing availability of unhealthy foods, and a lack of knowledge about healthy diet. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of selected socio-demographic characteristics on the BMI, nutrition knowledge, and eating behavior of elementary school children. Methods Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used. Information on demographics, nutrition knowledge, and eating behavior was gathered by means of questionnaires. The schools’ doctors provided the height and weight data. The study was set in one economically advantaged and one economically disadvantaged province in China. The participants were Grade 3 students, ages 8–10 years (N = 3922). Results A cluster analysis identified four socio-demographic variables distinguished by parental education and family living arrangement. A one-way ANOVA compared differences among the clusters in BMI, child nutrition knowledge, and child eating behavior. Students in the cluster with lowest parent education level had the lowest nutrition knowledge scores and eating behavior scores. There was no significant benefit from college education versus high school education of parents in the other three clusters. BMI was not affected by parent education level. Conclusion The nutrition status of elementary school age children will benefit most by increasing the general level of education for those adults who are presently least educated