Guanxi in China is a very ancient concept embedded in the Confucian concept of life and one that is a ‚hot' topic in that it is currently attracting increasing attention from both Western and Chinese scholars. One aspect of Guanxi which has been the subject of most of the research of late is the influence of Guanxi on firm performance. However, relatively few studies have examined how Guanxi at the individual level is transferred into a firm to influence its financial performance. This study first reclassifies Guanxi into obligatory, reciprocal, and utilitarian types at the individual level as a means to clarifying the confusion brought above from previous studies. It then provides a conceptual framework in which to systematically characterize the link between Guanxi at the individual level and organizational dynamics: that is, how is Guanxi at the individual level shifted to a firm and how does it affect organizational dynamics of that firm at the organizational level. Finally, it provides a deeper understanding of the financial implications of Guanxi to business firms in China. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006China, Guanxi, Individual level, Link, Organizational dynamics, Organizational level,

Recent studies have indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) could act as non-invasive tumor markers in both diagnosis and predicting the prognosis. In this study, we focused to determine the expression of circulating lncRNAs in patients suffering from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), aiming to found the potential lncRNA as predictor. Twenty-one lncRNAs which previously identified were selected as candidate targets for subsequent circulating lncRNA assay. The candidate lncRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR arranged in the training and validation sets. Circulating SPRY4-IT1, ANRIL, and NEAT1 were significantly increased in plasma samples of NSCLC patients during training set and validation set. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis revealed that plasma ANRIL provided the highest diagnostic performance with an area under ROC curve value (AUC) of 0.798. Further combination with the three factors indicated a higher power (AUC, 0.876; sensitivity, 82.8 %; specificity, 92.3 %). The stableness detection of the three factors indicated that circulating SPRY4-IT1, ANRIL, and NEAT might serve as a predictor for the early warning of non-small-cell lung cancer.

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This paper seeks to challenge the traditional wisdom that sheds light upon sequential entry modes in developed countries by exploring the dynamic entry mode choice in sequential foreign direct investment (FDI) in emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach -A review of the literature on the entry mode choice is undertaken. Based on analysing two related theories consisting of the knowledge-based theory of the firm and organizational learning theory, entry mode choices in sequential FDI in emerging economies are investigated using both an internationalisation process model and the capability-developing perspective, and exclusive propositions are put forward accordingly. Then, these propositions are tested on the context of China with the methodology of paired-samples t-tests. Findings -Based on macro-level longitudinal data in China from 1979 to 2005, the choice of entry mode in sequential FDI in emerging economies is inconsistent with the capability-developing theory of the firm, but is consistent with the international process model. Practical implications -This study provides four practical implications. First, managers intending to invest abroad need to consider the cost and return of a specific entry mode. Second, knowledge about host markets has a more important effect on entry mode choice in emerging markets than MNCs' internal organizational capabilities. Third, MNCs adopt sequential investment in emerging economies, in which they adopt joint ventures in earlier entries and then shift to green-field investment in later entries. Fourth, experiential learning, which consists of learning about host markets and local partners' skills, is emphasized in sequentially entering emerging markets. Originality/value -This paper expands the research scope of previous studies that either explore a static choice of entry mode in foreign markets or only examine the entry mode choice in sequential FDI in developed countries. Taking into consideration the dynamic choice of entry modes, the paper studies sequential FDI in emerging economies, which throws light upon theoretical analysis of sequential FDI in China, and which has practical implications for foreign firms that are ...