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China's youth in the age group of 5 and 24 controlled $75.3 billion consumer market for 2002. The group's influence on the international market has been attributed to the China's open-door policy, choice for products and services, transformation of market economy and the society. The significance of the Chinese youth market and their cultural transformation are discussed. Marketing strategies for Western marketers in the global youth market from the perspective of Chinese youth segment are presented.

The growing market size of PC industry in China and the challenges faced by the industry marketers are explored. Methods to overcome the challenges and succeed in the business are suggested as well.

The Chinese agricultural market represents a very attractive long-term opportunity for Western agribusiness firms able to handle the challenges. Since the implementation of its open-door policy in the mid-1970s, China [...]

In this go-go era of e-commerce, one must wonder: Just what will and will not sell online, and why? E-commerce is exploding! New Web sites are launched every week, the [...]

Internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation in Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 gene (FLT3/ITD) represents an unfavorable genetic change in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is associated with poor prognosis. Metabolic alterations have been involved in tumor progression and attracted interest as a target for therapeutic intervention. However, few studies analyzed the adaptations of cellular metabolism in the context of FLT3/ITD mutation. Here, we report that FLT3/ITD causes a significant increase in aerobic glycolysis through AKT-mediated upregulation of mitochondrial hexokinase (HK2), and renders the leukemia cells highly dependent on glycolysis and sensitive to pharmacological inhibition of glycolytic activity. Inhibition of glycolysis preferentially causes severe ATP depletion and massive cell death in FLT3/ITD leukemia cells. Glycolytic inhibitors significantly enhances the cytotoxicity induced by FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib. Importantly, such combination provides substantial therapeutic benefit in a murine model bearing FLT3/ITD leukemia. Our study suggests that FLT3/ITD mutation promotes Warburg effect, and such metabolic alteration can be exploited to develop effective therapeutic strategy for treatment of AML with FLT3/ITD mutation via metabolic intervention.

In this area of relationship marketing, more and more corporations are entering into nonmarket interfirm partnerships to avail themselves of competitive advantages in the marketplace. Consequently, the question of how certain organizational strategies enhance or impede the success of these partnerships becomes an increasingly important phenomenon to examine. Previous studies have investigated the effects of firm strategies on intraorganizational characteristics and outcomes such as organizational structure, processes, and performance. However, the potential impact of these strategies on interorganizational relationships has not been examined. We study this issue using empirical data obtained from the distribution channels of the photocopier industry. Results indicate that manufacturers' strategies, indeed, exert a differential impact on the nature of emergent channel relationships. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The technological components of a multisensory-based rock stability diagnosis method are described for applications in tunnels or other subsurface openings. The test bed containing four sensors is mounted on the end effector of a robot manipulator. Articulated robotic movement of the test bed along the roof and wall periphery provides a virtually simultaneous acquisition of four pertinent, complementary signals, namely sonic/ultrasonic, thermal, visual, and fracture images, relating to rock stability. The synergistic combination of information from these signals is used to evaluate the stability conditions of the rock formation. On the technological basis further developments will be possible applying multisensory integration techniques, neural networks, clustering of fuzzy sets, or fuzzy networks.

Several mechanisms may contribute to the degradation of GaN transistors; in this paper we discuss the main processes that limit the lifetime of GaN power devices, with focus on the following relevant aspects: (i) the degradation/breakdown induced by off-state bias; (ii) the origin of vertical leakage and breakdown; (iii) the failure of the gate stack in MIS-HEMTs and in transistors with p-type gate. The data reviewed in this paper help the reader understanding the main issues related to the development of GaN-based transistors, and give hints on possible strategies to improve device reliability. The signatures of the main deep levels in gallium nitride, which can influence the reliability of the devices, are critically reviewed and summarized.

The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), was probably introduced into the United States from China with solid wood packing and dunnage during the 1980s, and it has recently become established in limited infestations near several major cities in the United States. Regulated wood packing material (RWPM) arriving in the United States from China is required to undergo fumigation with methyl bromide (MeBr), to be heat treated, or kiln dried. Sulfuryl fluoride (SF) is a candidate fumigant to replace MeBr under certain conditions. SF fumigations were conducted in 432-liter Lexan chambers held in a 6.1-m (20-foot) refrigerated container for temperature control. Each fumigation consisted of 12 Populus spp. 10- by 10- by 115-cm timbers, of high moisture content, naturally infested with Asian longhorned beetle. During 2001, we fumigated wood for 24 h at a range of doses (20–112 g/m3) and temperatures (4.4, 10.0, 15.6, and 21.1°C) and subjected the data to probit analysis. Confirmatory fumigations were conducted at doses of 120 and 104 g/m3 at temperatures of 10.0 and 15.6 or 21.1°C, respectively, which resulted in complete kill of all larvae. Pupae that became available later in the year as temperatures warmed were fumigated at 15.6 and 21.1°C with 104 g/m3, which resulted in complete pupal mortality. The next year (2002), we conducted 24-h fumigations with doses of 116 g/m3 at 4.4 and 10.0°C with cold-harvested wood infested with cold-acclimated larvae. Cold-acclimated larvae required much higher concentration times time (CxT) product for control at 4.4 and 10.0°C compared with nonacclimated larvae. Sulfuryl fluoride treatments at a dose of 104 g/m3 and temperature of 15.6°C and above and that achieved a CxT product of 1,095 g-h/m3 or above are recommended for RWPM infested with Asian longhorned beetle larvae and pupae.

Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), has recently (since 1996) established in limited infestations near several cities in the United States. A. glabripennis was probably introduced into the United States with solid wood packing or dunnage. During 2001, we evaluated the current APHIS Schedule T404-b-1-1 for methyl bromide (MeBr) fumigation. Fumigations were conducted in 432-liter Lexan chambers inside a 6.1-m refrigerated container. Each fumigation consisted of 12 high-moisture, naturally infested Populus spp. timbers. We fumigated wood for 24 h at 4.4°C (80 g/m3), 10.0°C (64 g/m3), 15.6°C (56 g/m3), and 21.1°C (48 g/m3). All schedule doses resulted in 100% kill of A. glabripennis larvae. During 2002, we conducted additional fumigations to determine the basic toxicity of MeBr to A. glabripennis larvae in solid wood timbers of 10 by 10 by 115-cm size. Probit analysis estimated the CxT product at 99.0, 99.9, 99.99, and 99.99683% kill (probit-9). The probit-9 values for CxT were 1,196.1, 918.7, 642.4, and 362.4 g-h/m3 at 4.4, 10.0, 15.6, and 21.1°C, respectively. Applied doses to achieve this level of control were estimated to be 119.6, 82.7, 56.0, and 32.2 g/m3, respectively. These applied doses are satisfactory for wood as a commodity with wood load factorsof ≈25% and may be higher than necessary for container fumigation where sorptive wood load as crating or pallets may only be 5% or less. The APHIS Schedule T404-b-1-1 is adequate if extended for 24 h and should be amended to include intermediate doses at 10.0 and 15.6°C, thus reducing the use of MeBr at these temperatures.