The Outward FDI Strategies of Chinese MNEs: an empirical study of the Role of Business Group Affiliation and State Ownership Types

Chinese (C) Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) have been emerging as important competitors on the global scene. This doctoral thesis aims to investigate the role of business group affiliation and state ownership types on CMNEs’ specific foreign direct investment (FDI) strategies. The thesis is broken down into five chapters. Chapter one provides a broad literature review on Emerging-market (E) MNEs and outlines mainstream International Business (IB) theoretical approaches to understanding EMNEs with specific reference to CMNEs. The important features of CMNEs’ outward FDI strategies via cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are highlighted. The second chapter conceptually and empirically explores whether business group affiliation influences CMNEs’ strategic asset seeking (SAS) FDI by type and property. It is argued that Chinese business group-affiliated firms have a greater likelihood of seeking patents, which have non-location-bounded (NLB) properties (i.e. can be exploited back in their domestic market, China), rather than trademarks, which have location bounded (LB) properties. Chapter three focuses on the impacts of state ownership types (i.e. incorporating central-government, provincial-government, municipal- or county-government and private ownership) on CMNEs’ technology and brand-seeking FDI. My findings reveal that Chinese privately owned enterprises (POEs) are more likely to seek both advanced technologies and foreign brands. In comparison, CMNEs owned by higher-levels of government have a lower likelihood of seeking both technologies and brands, but they tend to acquire target firms that involved in natural resources. In Chapter four it is demonstrated firstly, that Chinese POEs are less likely to undertake international product diversification. Those affiliated to a business group, however, have a greater probability of doing so; and secondly that CMNEs owned by higher government affiliation levels tend to seek more unrelated international acquisitions. From Chapters two to four, this thesis progressively contributes to providing a specific picture of how home country effects in China determine MNEs’ specific FDI strategies using firm-level data. Chapter five summarises the key findings and contributions of the thesis

Algorithms for meshing smooth surfaces and their volumes

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Chinese MNE Acquisition of Unrelated Foreign Businesses: The Role of Diversified Business Group Affiliation, Private Ownership and Strategic Asset Seeking

While the acquisition by Chinese firms of unrelated foreign businesses has become quite common, it is a highly risky undertaking not fully explained by international business scholars. Using resource-based and institutional theory, we hypothesize that affiliation with a domestically diversified business group confers pre- and post-acquisition advantages and legitimacy, fostering unrelated foreign acquisitions. In addition, we argue that private ownership as well as a motive to seek strategic assets amplify this tendency among Chinese firms affiliated to diversified groups. Ordered logit modelling for 662 Chinese cross-border M&As over a 10-year period provides support for our hypotheses. Our findings shed new light on: the distinctive characteristics of Chinese MNEs; broader conceptual arguments regarding the strategy of emerging market MNEs; the apparent paradox of why Chinese MNEs have used international acquisitions to diversify at a time when many Western diversified conglomerates are divesting non-core businesses

Automated turnkey microcomb for low-noise microwave synthesis

Microresonator-based optical frequency comb (microcomb) has the potential to revolutionize the accuracy of frequency synthesizer in radar and communication applications. However, fundamental limit exists for low noise microcomb generation, especially in low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) package. Here we resolve this limit, by the demonstration of an automated turnkey microcomb, operating close to its low quantum-limited phase noise, within a compact setup size of 85 mm * 90 mm * 25 mm. High quality factor fiber Fabry-Perot resonator (FFPR), with Q up to 4.0 * 10^9, is the key for both low quantum noise and pump noise limit, in the diode-pump case in a self-injection locking scheme. Low phase noise of -80 and -105 dBc/Hz at 100 Hz, -106 and -125 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz, -133 and -148 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz is achieved at 10.1 GHz and 1.7 GHz repetition frequencies, respectively. With the simultaneous automated turnkey, low-noise and direct-diode-pump capability, our microcomb is ready to be used as a low-noise frequency synthesizer with low SWaP-C and thus field deployability

Facile sand enhanced electro-flocculation for cost-efficient harvesting of Dunaliella salina

通讯作者地址: Jia, LSEnergy consumption and water resource in the cultivation and harvesting steps still need to be minimized for the popularization of the microalgae-based products. An efficient electro-flocculation method for harvesting Dunaliella Salina integrated with local sand has been successfully applied. Sand was effective for speeding up the processes of flocculation and sedimentation of algal flocs and the electrolytic hydroxides was essential to bridge the sand and small flocs into large dense flocs. The maximal recovery effective improved from 95.13% in 6 min to 98.09% in 4.5 min and the optimal electrical energy consumption decreased 51.03% compared to conventional electro-flocculation in a laboratory ambient condition. Furthermore, reusing the flocculated medium in cultivation of the D. Salina with nitrogen supplemented performed no worse than using fresh medium. This sand enhanced electro-flocculation (SEF) technology provides a great potential for saving time and energy associated with improving microalgae harvesting.Xiamen Southern Oceanographic Center of Fujian Province of China 14CZP046HJ20 talents introduction project of Shenzhen City Science and Technology R&D funds recruit research of China ZYD201111080010

Noval advance of histone modification in inflammatory skin diseases and related treatment methods

Inflammatory skin diseases are a group of diseases caused by the disruption of skin tissue due to immune system disorders. Histone modification plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and treatment of chronic inflammatory skin diseases, encompassing a wide range of conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, lupus, systemic sclerosis, contact dermatitis, lichen planus, and alopecia areata. Analyzing histone modification as a significant epigenetic regulatory approach holds great promise for advancing our understanding and managing these complex disorders. Additionally, therapeutic interventions targeting histone modifications have emerged as promising strategies for effectively managing inflammatory skin disorders. This comprehensive review provides an overview of the diverse types of histone modification. We discuss the intricate association between histone modification and prevalent chronic inflammatory skin diseases. We also review current and potential therapeutic approaches that revolve around modulating histone modifications. Finally, we investigated the prospects of research on histone modifications in the context of chronic inflammatory skin diseases, paving the way for innovative therapeutic interventions and improved patient outcomes