No abstract

Purpose-This paper reviews scientific publications in the field of logistics underlying Cross Border E-Commerce (CBEC) to China. A focus on the role played in this complex process by other Countries of the Greater China is carried out. The major aim of the paper is to outline directions for future research to encourage CBEC development. Methodology/Approach-The review is based on 32 papers published from 2002 to 2016 in international peer-reviewed journals and/or proceedings of international conferences, retrieved from bibliographic databases and science search engines. Findings-CBEC to China is gaining increasing interest, as shown by the rising amount of publications from 2013 onwards. Within these contributions however, studies specifically investigating the relation between logistics and e-commerce, commonly acknowledged as critical, seem to lack. Many contributions are descriptive and do not provide specific insights on how to manage the complexities of CBEC logistics in this region. Stemming from the review, a set of possible development areas are identified, including distribution network design, i.e. deciding how to shape the CBEC distribution structure, and logistics outsourcing, i.e. determining whether to manage logistics activities in-house or through third parties. Originality/Value-To the extent of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first one to classify the existing body of knowledge on logistics supporting CBEC. Its main contribution is the critical identification of current research gaps and the proposal of key themes for future research. From a managerial perspective, it helps export and logistics managers identify the key challenges of managing CBEC logistics to Greater China.

Characterization of tissue surrounding glioblastoma (GBM) is a focus for translational research because tumor recurrence invariably occurs in this area. We investigated the expression of the progenitor/stem cell markers GD3 ganglioside and NG2 proteoglycan in GBM, peritumor tissue (brain adjacent to tumor, BAT) and cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) isolated from GBM (GCSCs) and BAT (PCSCs). GD3 and NG2 immunohistochemistry was performed in paired GBM and BAT specimens from 40 patients. Double-immunofluorescence was carried out to characterize NG2-positive cells of vessel walls. GD3 and NG2 expression was investigated in GCSCs and PCSCs whose tumorigenicity was also evaluated in Scid/bg mice. GD3 and NG2 expression was higher in tumor tissue than in BAT. NG2 decreased as the distance from tumor margin increased, regardless of the tumor cell presence, whereas GD3 correlated with neoplastic infiltration. In BAT, NG2 was coexpressed with a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) in pericytes and with nestin in the endothelium. Higher levels of NG2 mRNA and protein were found in GCSCs while GD3 synthase was expressed at similar levels in the 2 CSC populations. PCSCs had lower tumorigenicity than GCSCs. These data suggest the possible involvement of GD3 and NG2 in pre/pro-tumorigenic events occurring in the complex microenvironment of the tissue surrounding GBM.

The 3q29 microdeletion syndrome (del 3q29) is a novel genomic disorder identified after the introduction of microarray-based technology. The phenotype of the reported patients is variable, including mental retardation and subtle facial anomalies. We report on two mother-daughter pairs, heterozygous for 3q29, and review clinical features of all known affected individuals. Del 3q29 syndrome is associated with nonspecific clinical features, including mild-to-moderate developmental delay, microcephaly, and mild facial dysmorphisms such as short philtrum and high nasal bridge. Facial anomalies were nonoverlapping and nondistinct, also within each mother-daughter pair. Parental transmission of del 3q29 could be more frequent than previously considered. Malformations are rare, occurring only in single subjects. The phenotypic diversity of affected patients and the lack of distinct dysmorphisms suggest that this disorder cannot be recognized on clinical ground alone. Del 3q29 should be searched in subjects with unexplained mild/moderate mental retardation, microcephaly, and minor nonspecific facial anomalies.

PurposeDue to its fast growth, cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) is becoming a popular internationalization model, especially in those destination markets with impressive e-commerce development like China. However, CBEC also brings new logistics challenges and uncertainty. This paper aims to understand how companies cope with logistics uncertainty in this field and whether the different types of uncertainty influence the risk management strategies adopted to face them.Design/methodology/approachA survey targeting online exporters to China and third-party forwarding logistics service providers (3PFLs) is conducted. A structural equation model (SEM) analysis is performed to test the possible relationship between the adopted risk management strategies and the types of uncertainty. The type, industry and size of the company, as well as the distance between the company's home country and China, are used as control variables in the study. Survey results are enriched via interviews with some of the respondents.FindingsThe risk management strategies adopted are dependent on the type of logistics uncertainty that the companies face and, to a minor extent, on the industry the company operates in. Conversely, no significant influence is exerted by other types of control factors, i.e. home country, company size or company type.Originality/valueThe paper investigates logistics uncertainty and risk management approaches in the novel context of CBEC. A systematic review of relevant sources of uncertainty is offered to help both scholars and practitioners understand the current complexities of CBEC. From a theoretical perspective, the paper models the investigated concepts in light of the contingency approach. From a practical perspective, results can be of interest since the list of proposed items can support risk identification and evaluation while the interviews with managers can provide insights on risk management practices.

Ebstein anomaly is an uncommon congenital heart defect (CHD), characterized by downward displacement of the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. To uncover the genetic associations with Ebstein anomaly, we have searched chromosomal imbalances using standard cytogenetic and array-CGH analysis, and single gene conditions associated with syndromic Ebstein anomaly (with extracardiac anomalies), and screened GATA4 and NKX2.5 mutations in nonsyndromic patients (without extracardiac anomalies). Between January 1997 and September 2009, 44 consecutive patients with Ebstein anomaly were evaluated in two centers of Pediatric Cardiology. Ebstein anomaly was syndromic in 12 (27%) patients, and nonsyndromic in 32 (73%). A recognizable syndrome or complex was diagnosed by clinical criteria in seven patients. In one syndromic patient an 18q deletion was diagnosed by standard cytogenetic analysis. Array-CGH analysis performed in 10 of the 12 syndromic patients detected an interstitial deletion of about 4 Mb at 8p23.1 in one patient, and a deletion 1pter > 1p36.32/dup Xpter- > Xp22.32 in another patient. In the 28 of 32 nonsyndromic patients who underwent molecular testing, no mutation in GATA4 and NKX2.5 genes were detected. We conclude that Ebstein anomaly is a genetically heterogeneous defect, and that deletion 1p36 and deletion 8p23.1 are the most frequent chromosomal imbalances associated with Ebstein anomaly. Candidate genes include the GATA4 gene (in patients with del 8p23.1), NKX2.5 (based on published patients with isolated Ebstein anomaly) and a hypothetical gene in patients with del 1p36).

No abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to support companies’ risk-informed selection of a logistics solution to operate in China via cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). Design/methodology/approach Decision theory is applied to the recent field of CBEC. This theoretic setup involves a decision maker who must choose among a set of alternatives, whose consequences depend on uncertain factors (Savage, 1954). The study develops an activity-based model to calculate logistics costs in a deterministic setting. Simulations and probabilistic sensitivity analyses are later performed to evaluate the impact of uncertainty. Findings There are four main solutions to enter China, determined by the adopted international transport mean and the presence of a local warehouse. The most important risk factors affecting the choice of the logistics solution are change of CBEC regulation, product value, expected service level and demand level. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, this study improves CBEC literature, so far characterised by descriptive papers, often lacking industry focus or empirical exploration. It also provides new application opportunities for decision theory, whereas previous contributions have proposed different theoretical approaches, such as transaction cost or institutional theory. From a practical viewpoint, the paper is the first to compare the costs of the main logistics solutions to sell online to China, by taking uncertainty into account. The results can be used to better understand the differences among solutions and identify the most critical parameters. Finally, this research provides some observations for policy implementation.