Product Changes Research Articles

The Third Plenum of the CCP Central Committee: Factors of Instability and Development Prospects

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee (June 15–18) was one of the central events in China's political life in 2024. The delay for more than six months in holding the plenum increased the sense of growing instability in China's development, caused by the slow economic recovery after the pandemic, as well as the high-profile resignations of Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Defense Minister Liu Shangfu. The technical postponement of the plenum disrupted the procedure for making the most important state decisions typical for the Soviet-type republics. The timing and agenda of the plenum reaffirmed the seriousness of the challenges faced by the Communist Party leadership in the economy and on the international arena. The Communist Party's search for a new model and a new theoretical concept of development is complicated by the need to take into account not only the constantly worsening international situation, the economic difficulties and socio-economic problems, but also the emergence of new productive forces and changes in the mode of production caused by the use of artificial intelligence, digital technologies, etc. The process of searching for new theoretical foundations continued at the plenum, the Decision of which formulated the main provisions for the development of China until 2029. Special attention was paid to the development of innovations, fundamental research, and the development of international cooperation in science and education in order to maintain high economic growth rates. Noticeably less attention was paid to solving social problems and social justice. An important direction of intra-party life was the continuing weakening of the role of the military in the leadership of the party and the political system of the PRC.

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) in ovarian granulosa cells modulates Ca2+ mobilization and gonadotrophin signaling for estrogen homeostasis and female fertility

Ovarian granulosa cells are essential to gonadotrophin-regulated estrogen production, female cycle maintenance and fertility. The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is associated with female fertility; however, whether and how it plays a role in ovarian cell function(s) remained unexplored. Here, we report patch-clamp and Na+ imaging detection of ENaC expression and channel activity in both human and mouse ovarian granulosa cells, which are promoted by pituitary gonadotrophins, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or luteinizing hormone (LH). Cre-recombinase- and CRISPR-Cas9-based granulosa-specific knockout of ENaC α subunit (Scnn1a) in mice resulted in failed estrogen elevation at early estrus, reduced number of corpus luteum, abnormally extended estrus phase, reduced litter size and subfertility in adult female mice. Further analysis using technologies including RNA sequencing and Ca2+ imaging revealed that pharmacological inhibition, shRNA-based knockdown or the knockout of ENaC diminished spontaneous or stimulated Ca2+ oscillations, lowered the capacity of intracellular Ca2+ stores and impaired FSH/LH-stimulated transcriptome changes for estrogen production in mouse and/or human granulosa cells. Together, these results have revealed a previously undefined role of ENaC in modulating gonadotrophin signaling in granulosa cells for estrogen homeostasis and thus female fertility.

(Invited) Chemical Mechanical Planarization Integrated Data Collaboration: Uncover Hidden Interactions for Predictive Maintenance and PCN

This article introduces an innovative analytical methodology that employs machine learning to optimize and predict consumable impacts for Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP). By harnessing fleet CMP equipment performance and individual equipment characteristics, our proposed approach aims to elevate wafer-level quality, maximize equipment utilization rates, and minimize unnecessary downtime. CMP, a multifaceted process, its performance is often influenced by strong interactions from its critical components including slurry, pad, machine recipe, and dresser usage. This requires control beyond hardware advancements, especially when equipment is pushed to its limits. Therefore, the demand for higher precision on-wafer performance mandates a data collaboration with sophisticated analytical strategy. In addition, a digitalized product change notification (PCN) concept is also introduced to demonstrate effectiveness of applying integrated data analytics collaboratively across semiconductor chain to accelerate material manufacturing process changes, minimizing impacts on wafer results and shortening the learning cycle and ramp time to full production.Our study leverages data analytics to explore differences between equipment within the same fleet of similar processing. Engineers can deploy a process based on the historical performance of specific equipment, supported by a model trained on data from the same fleet. Furthermore, our approach enables each equipment to predict its own fingerprinted consumable maintenance, accurately forecasting the maintenance time for consumable changes. This concept is equally applicable for consumable PCN migrations.The first use case is to demonstrate the use of integrated data for fleet matching of CMP equipment and/or consumable batches running similar processes. This is particularly crucial as the demand for process precision increases and the need to reduce post-CMP result variability in removal rates and wafer-level uniformity intensifies. This approach could add proactive data driven strategy for process engineers who traditionally concentrate on the removal rate, a highly influential factor, with the standard deviation of platen and machine data identified as a key parameter.The second use case employs heatmaps analysis and proposes scatter plots as an intuitive method to comprehend intricate connections between average removal rates and various parameters. Machine learning is particularly advantageous in this context, as no single parameter plays a dominant role. Preliminary observations suggested, for example that dresser and pad characteristics may have compounding impacts to the wafer level performance.In summary, this article provides a roadmap for in-depth CMP data analysis fed into machine learning, aiming to unravel trends and influential factors that can enhance process optimization and shorten the PCN qualification timeline to meet the increasing demands for CMP process precision and efficiency in High Volume Manufacturing (HVM).

Changes in gross ecosystem product and its response to land use changes in forest resource dominant regions: A case study of Zixi County, Jiangxi Province, China.

Forests are one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems and play a crucial role in the construction of ecological civilization. Understanding the changes in gross ecosystem product (GEP) and its response to land use change in areas with unique advantages in forest resources is of great significance for promoting sustainable development. We examined the GEP of Zixi County of Jiangxi Province. Based on the theory and method of ecosystem value accounting, and on the basis of the general indicator system for regulating services (water source conservation, soil conservation, oxygen supply, carbon fixation, climate control, flood regulation, water purification, air cleaning, species conservation) and the general indicator system for cultural services (landscape recreation, education), we added negative oxygen ions and health care indicators and introduced forest ecosystem service correction coefficients to construct a GEP indicator system and method with unique advantages in forest resources. We evaluated the spatio-temporal variations of GEP in 2010, 2017 and 2020, and quantified the impact of land use/land cover change on GEP by means of elasticity index and value profit and loss analysis. The results showed that the GEP of Zixi County in 2010, 2017 and 2020 was 16.788 billion, 26.817 billion, and 38.407 billion yuan, respectively. Forests contri-buted the largest amount of GEP, followed by wetland, farmland, grassland, and town. During the study period, the added value of GEP mainly came from forest ecosystems. Land use change had an important impact on GEP. From 2010 to 2020, the total land use change area in the study area was 8501.88 hm2. The amplitude of land use change was grassland (-2811.17 hm2)>town (1428.06 hm2)>forest (1357.67 hm2)>wetland (1031.05 hm2)> farmland (-1005.01 hm2). The absolute changes of various land use types were mainly occurred from 2017 to 2020. The elasticity index of each indicator on forest ecosystems was significantly higher than that of other ecosystems, indicating that GEP had the highest sensitivity to changes in forest area. The results of value profit and loss analysis showed that urban development had reduced GEP to some extent, while the protection of forest and wetland had increased GEP. From 2010 to 2020, the conversion of land use types in Zixi County led to an increase of 1.865 billion yuan in GEP, indicating that land use change in Zixi County had a positive ecological impact on the whole. Our results reflect the green development effect of Zixi County after becoming a national ecological civilization construction demonstration county, which could provide decision-making support for high-quality development, high-level protection and sustainable development and utilization of land resources in the future, and provide reference for other similar areas of GEP accounting.

Assessing the digital competence of in-service university educators in China: A systematic literature review

Rapid growth has been witnessed in digital technologies, resulting in significant productive changes in communication and information technology-oriented practices in different fields. Hybrid teaching or blended learning has gained progressively widespread acceptance in the educational process, and concerns about teachers' information and communication technology (ICT) competence or digital competence have become prevalent. This study adopts a systematic review to interpret and analyse the relevant research findings, aiming to systematically investigate the existing models and paradigms of ICT competence or digital capacities and to understand further how these models and paradigms are applied specifically within the context of Chinese universities. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 out of 801 candidate studies were accessed from Web of Science, Scopus and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The findings indicate that the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the National Educational Technology Guides for Teachers in Higher Education (CETG) are frequently used to evaluate college educators' digital proficiency or ICT capability in China. Educators’ demographic characteristics, self-efficacy, external factors such as institutional policies and the availability of infrastructure and training collectively influence how digital teaching is integrated within Chinese higher education institutions. By conducting a systematic review of research trends and the critical factors affecting the digital competence of faculty in Chinese universities, this study aims to equip policymakers and educators with a deeper understanding of how to prepare for educational shifts in the digital era and thereby ensure the sustainability of professional development.

Technologies of Knowledge in the Service of Education: Disaster or Solution?

ABSTRACT This paper explores the relationship between educational technologies and public education, discussing issues of technology becoming an end in itself, the impact of learner access to knowledge, technology’s role in assessment, requisite skills for a technological society, and the technology’s capacity to inform policy and practice. While educational technologies hold promise, they often reinforce the status quo instead of enabling transformation. For productive change, we must update teacher training, recognize outdated assumptions, and evaluate which problems technology might help solve. With thoughtful implementation, technology facilitates the development of effective, humanistic education systems through personalization, cultural pluralism, effective teaching, and policy.

Analysis of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as an Effort to Increase The Productivity Filling Line of Lithos Packaging Lubricant

This research was conducted at a company engaged in the lubricants business. This study examines the filling station lithos packaging. The lithos packaging filling station consists of 6 filling lines (FL), namely FL-1, FL-2, FL-3, FL-4, FL-5, and FL-6. From each filling, the line will be observed and analyzed in the format of the automation machine program. Based on the observations and analysis, it was found that FL-4 has an availability rate, performance rate, and quality rate below standard, so it is necessary to identify the cause of the low Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) value of FL-4. This study analyzes the factors causing the low Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) score on FL-4 using Six Big Losses and Fishbone diagrams. From the research results, it was found that several factors caused the less productive FL-4, namely breakdown losses with a value of 48%, setup and adjustment losses with a value of 3%, idling and minor stoppages with a value of 7%, reduced speed losses with a value of 41%, and defect losses with a value of 1%. An analysis was carried out using a fishbone diagram to determine the root cause of the high value of breakdown losses, reduced speed losses followed by idle and minor stoppage losses, and setup and adjustment losses. Based on the fishbone diagram, it was found that the factors causing the FL-4's unproductivity in terms of machine factors, method factors, human factors, material factors, and environmental factors. The causes of unproductive FL-4 are damage to the machine, downtime, the operator's less responsiveness to machine problems, operator expertise, decreased work ethic, defective materials, late material stocks, and hot room temperatures. Based on this, the proposed improvements given are to schedule machine maintenance at a specified time (preventive maintenance), not by the factor of damage (breakdown maintenance), make data guide for product change for each machine and attach it to each machine in full so that This downtime can be reduced, placing technical operators who focus on each filling line at least one technical operator, to speed up downtime and not disrupt the production process, add fans to speed up air circulation to reduce heat in the area and change material suppliers to get better quality.

Impacts of deforestation and land use/land cover change on carbon stock dynamics in Jomoro District, Ghana

Tropical deforestation in the African continent plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and bears significant implications in terms of climate change and sustainable development. Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than two-thirds of the population rely on forest and woodland resources for their livelihoods, deforestation and land use changes for crop production lead to a substantial loss of ecosystem-level carbon stock. Unfortunately, the impacts of deforestation and land use change can be more critical than in any other region, but these are poorly quantified. We analyse changes in the main carbon pools (above- and below-ground, soil and litter, respectively) after deforestation and land use/land cover change, for the Jomoro District (Ghana), by assessing the initial reference level of carbon stock for primary forest and the subsequent stock changes and dynamics as a consequence of conversion to the secondary forest and to five different tree plantations (rubber, coconut, cocoa, oil palm, and mixed plantations) on a total of 72 plots. Results indicate overall a statistically significant carbon loss across all the land uses/covers and for all the carbon pools compared to the primary forest with the total carbon stock loss ranging between 35% and 85% but with no statistically significant differences observed in the comparison between primary forest and mixed plantations and secondary forest. Results also suggest that above-ground carbon and soil organic carbon are the primary pools contributing to the total carbon stocks but with opposite trends of carbon loss and accumulation. Strategies for sustainable development, policies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, carbon stock enhancement (REDD+), and planning for sustainable land use management should carefully consider the type of conversion and carbon stock dynamics behind land use change for a win-win strategy while preserving carbon stocks potential in tropical ecosystems.

Lifelong Learning: Factor of Productive Change in Human Resource Management at a Local Hospital of Greece

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the need of human resources in Greek hospitals to acquire new knowledge, with the aim of continuously improving their skills for effective management and productivity. Theoretical Framework: Lifelong education not only increases productivity but also equips healthcare professionals to address societal shifts, profession-specific challenges, and stress-related errors. It underscores the connection between superior healthcare services and continuous learning, highlighting the benefits for teamwork, personal growth, and knowledge enhancement. Method: The methodology adopted for this research includes literature review and research methodology. Data collection was carried out through questionnaires to 170 participants employed in the health care sector. Results and Discussion: The obtained results revealed the need for continuous improvement of health professionals' skills for better management and productivity enhancement. Lifelong learning of health professionals will improve the quality of health services, responding to changing needs. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the field of helath care. These implications could encompass the development of a competent, adaptable and responsive healthcare workforce in Greece and optimizing healthcare delivery to patients through the acquisition of expertise. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by relating lifelong learning to the field of health promotion. The relevance and value of this research is demonstrated by the fact that continuous learning will improve health care provision and human resource management, with the aim of better responding to patient needs.

Implementation Of Dot Matrix Max7219 For Product Price Display

The advancement of technology has strengthened the role of retail businesses as providers of products and services that are not only efficient but also responsive to market changes. In this context, the implementation of technological solutions such as the Dot Matrix MAX7219 for product price display has become increasingly important in improving operational efficiency and customer experience. This research investigates the development and implementation of such a system using the Wemos D1 Mini microcontroller as the central control unit. Experimental methods were used to design, test, and update the system, focusing on the system's response to changes in product prices and WiFi connection stability. The test results show that the system is able to display prices quickly, accurately, and responsively, while also having an adequate WiFi connection range. The practical implications of this research include the potential adoption of this solution by retail businesses to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. However, continuity in system development and maintenance remains necessary to ensure the sustainability and success of the implementation in the long term.

Experimental and simulation study on the thermal decomposition of Xishan coal and the pyrolysis of coal with Na2SO4

ABSTRACT Based on the Thermal Decomposition of Xishan coal Experiments and ReaxFF MD Simulations, the study investigated the processes and product changes in the thermal decomposition of coal and the pyrolysis of coal with Na2SO4. The results indicate that the initial temperature of thermal decomposition of Xishan coal is around 300 °C in experiments and approximately 1600 K in molecular simulations. The addition of Na2SO4 advances the initial pyrolysis temperature and promotes the generation of total number and types of products. Xishan coal pyrolysis generates a large number of small molecular gases and free radicals, and the addition of Na2SO4 promotes the generation of CO, CH4, and H2S, as well as the accumulation of a significant number of free radicals. Free Na mainly affects the evolution of N elements, promoting the formation of N into amino groups, and Na easily combines with sulfur-containing intermediates. Through the extraction of sulfur-containing intermediates and the analysis of the influence of free radicals, it was found that S elements Xishan coal ultimately forms H2S. This study microscopically confirms that in the coal with Na2SO4 system, H2S originates from the hybridised sulfur atoms in the carbon chain and free SO 4 2 − .

Genomic Insights into and In Vitro Evaluation of Antimicrobial Combination Therapies for Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Background and Objectives: Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), particularly carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB), represents a grave concern in healthcare settings and is associated with high mortality. This study aimed to conduct molecular, mutational, and phylogenetic analyses of specific genes in CRAB and evaluate the synergistic effects of selected antimicrobial combinations. Materials and Methods: Phenotypic characterization was performed on six CRAB strains by using the Modified Hodge Test (MHT) and IMP-EDTA Double-Disc Synergy Test (IMP-EDTA DDST). Carbapenemase- and metallo-beta-lactamase-encoding genes were amplified by using Polymerase Chain Reaction. Phylogenetic analysis using the MEGA 11 tool was used to determine the evolutionary relatedness of these genes. Mutational analysis was performed by using I-Mutant, MUPro, and PHD-SNP bioinformatics tools to predict mutations in the carbapenemase-encoding genes. Microdilution checkerboard titration assessed the synergistic effects of antimicrobial combinations (azithromycin-meropenem, rifampicin-meropenem, meropenem-colistin, and azithromycin-colistin) on these CRAB isolates. Results: The phenotypic characterization of six CRAB isolates revealed positive results for MHT and IMP-EDTA DDST. The molecular characterization revealed that carbapenemase- and MBL-encoding genes were present in all isolates with varying frequencies, including blaOXA-51 (100%) and blaIMP (0%). The sequence analysis revealed high evolutionary relatedness to sequences in the NCBI database. The mutational analysis identified 16 mutations, of which 1 mutation (P116L) in the blaOXA-58 gene predicted a change in the protein product, potentially contributing to carbapenem resistance. The checkerboard titration method did not reveal any synergism among the tested antimicrobial combinations against CRAB. Conclusion: This study's findings underscore the significant challenges posed by CRAB isolates harboring multiple resistant genes in treatment. This highlights the urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents, a crucial step towards reducing mortality rates not only in Pakistan but also globally.

The Anchor of Traditional Culture and Medical Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Willingness Towards Organ Donation during Internships: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of medical students in their clinical internships towards organ donation and to assess how traditional oriental culture plays a role. MethodsThis study conducted an online cross-sectional survey using a cell phone application with a self-designed questionnaire based on the Delphi method. This study was conducted among medical students in their internships in hospitals in nearly 20 provinces of China. The questionnaire consisted of 17 main questions and a knowledge quiz. The results were analyzed with descriptive statistics using the softwares Microsoft Excel 2021 and SPSS 26. ResultsA total of 225 medical students participated in this study, distributed among college, undergraduate, and postgraduate clinical internships.96% of the medical students agreed with the value of organ donation, but the highest willingness to donate the whole body was only 38.22%. Among them, traditional culture, family values, and religious factors played important both positive and negative roles. ConclusionMedical students have better knowledge about organ donation, but it rarely comes from professional education. Traditional concepts, family values, and religious factors play both a facilitating and hindering role, which can easily lead to moral dilemmas. Although it is not possible to make productive changes in the short term, we could still make improvements through educational changes, research breakthroughs, and institutional improvements.

Challenges regarding TVET training programs in the SA automotive industry

ABSTRACT This paper reports on research undertaken to understand the contribution of formal Technical Vocational Education and Training (hereafter TVET) to company-level growth and transformation in the automotive sector in South Africa. The findings of this article are part of a larger research project conducted in South Africa and five other developing countries, namely, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Laos, and Vietnam, to explore the contribution of TVET programs to inclusive industrial transformation and growth in the manufacturing sectors. It argues that formal TVET training does not drive workplace changes in technology, work organisation, and product change in the automotive sector. This paper challenges the current formal TVET provision policy in South Africa to recognise other forms of training provision, such as non-formal, and informal on-the-job training, in addition to company-level factors critical in shaping the skills system if we are to understand the extent to which skills enhance growth and transformation.

An Empirical Analysis of Money Demand and Its Stability in Zambia 1984-2021

The paper was an empirical analysis of the stability of money demand in Zambia between 1984 and 2021. The money demand function tries to explain the factors that influence people’s demand for money in an economy. The determinants included real income, exchange rate, inflation rate and interest rate. Using E-views 9.0, an appropriate model was estimated for statistical analysis. In the analysis of data, unit root tests were done to check the order of integration of the variables. Furthermore, to test for long term equilibrium relationships among variables the Augmented-Dickey Fuller (ADF) was used to test procedure on the residuals. Out of the many ways of testing for normality, this paper chose the Jarque-Bera test to conduct the normality test on the variables. From this study’s results, the bound test showed that there is a long run cointegration relationship among demand for real money balances, real GDP, interest rates, exchange rate and inflation in case of broad money aggregates. In the long run, all the independent variables are significant determinants of money demand which will be positively affected by percentage changes in exchange rates and negatively by percentage changes in gross domestic product, inflation, and interest rate. The study found that for the implementation of monetary policy in any economy to be successful, it relies heavily on the instruments of monetary policy used as well as the structure of the economy. However, for emerging economies such as Zambia, there are special hurdles that may make the implementation of monetary policy less effective in the achievement of the monetary policy goals. From the findings, it is recommended that as the process of modernizing monetary policy frameworks are implemented in addressing emerging economic challenges, there is need to continue with monetary aggregates in monetary policy conduct.

Econometric Analysis of the Influence of Factors on the Share of Energy From Renewable Sources in the EU

The use of renewable energy is at the core of EU energy policy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels imported from non-EU countries, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decoupling energy costs from oil prices. Currently, 22.5% of energy consumed in the EU comes from renewable sources. This increase over 2021 is due to strong growth in solar energy. This share is also increasing due to the consumption of non-renewable energy sources in 2022. According to expert forecasts, the share of renewable energy sources in Europe will continue to grow. Achieving the 42.5% target by 2030 will require a deep transformation of the European energy system. The very strong climate and energy policies pursued in the EU for about a dozen years and aimed at limiting emissions of harmful substances into the environment have led to a gradual abandonment of traditional energy sources. Increasing demand for energy while reducing its supply from traditional sources means that in order not to make the economy too dependent on energy imports, the dynamic development of renewable energy is necessary. The EU is therefore taking very extensive operational and strategic actions to use other sources for production, such as wind, solar energy, mechanical water energy, biomass and geothermal energy, as well as tidal waves, ocean heat, wave energy and sea currents. In this study, we assess the impact of energy, economic and environmental factors on the share of renewable energy in the EU. The aim of these studies was to identify the energy, economic and environmental indicators that have the greatest impact on the share of energy from renewable sources in the European Union. The study was conducted using the Statgraphics Centurion software package. The source data for the study was data from the official Eurostat website for the period from 2012 to 2022. The results of this study show that changes in gross domestic product in market prices per capita have a positive impact, as do changes in greenhouse gas emissions per capita negatively affect the share of energy from renewable sources in the EU in the period 2012-2022. This may most likely be due to the fact that EU countries are more likely to invest in renewable energy as they can afford to invest in the development of expensive renewable energy technologies and support subsidies for the promotion and regulation of renewable energy. The negative impact of per capita greenhouse gas emissions on renewable energy development is due to the high share of coal in the EU energy mix, meaning that coal not only has negative environmental impacts, but also negative environmental impacts. development of renewable energy.

Tracing China’s agrochemical complex

Chinese firms, both private and state-owned, have transformed the global agrochemical complex. China dominates exports of pesticides (particularly herbicides) and various kinds of nitrogen- and phosphorous-based fertilisers. And yet the precise nature of this transformation is poorly understood: where are Chinese agrochemicals made and by whom; in what ways is domestic production changing; which actors are active in the export market; and what is flowing where? In this article we begin to flesh out some of the detail of China’s massive agrochemical complex and its internal dynamics by examining key actors and flows in China’s agrochemical export industry. Our analysis is framed by insights drawn from the Global China literature and from pesticide studies. We find two distinct industries, both of which are in flux. Domestic environmental regulations and industry upgrading are reconfiguring the landscape for mining and chemical production, resulting in a scaling back of pesticide and fertiliser production, while mergers and acquisitions are concentrating production and export capacity in particular firms. Export flows are nonetheless growing in a generally favourable export environment. Concealed in the generic categories ‘pesticide’ and ‘fertiliser’ is the fact that different products go to different destinations and do so in patterns that complicate North-South categories. Our analysis highlights the need for new commodity geographies of Chinese-made agrochemicals that can account for production, circulation, and use.

Modeling Dynamic Consumer Preferences in Product Attributes for Social Media-Based Product Improvement Planning

Consumer preferences for products change over time. The changes in consumer preferences are not just related to the level of importance of the attribute but also dynamics in the attribute itself. Previous studies generally employed the pre-determine attribute to measure the level of importance of the attribute. However, the pre-defined attributes approach has a problem in that new consumer attributes are not captured, resulting in misleading product development. Therefore, this study proposes a method to identify dynamic attributes and the level of importance of the attribute for product development without pre-determined attributes and unsupervised. A case study on the airline industry demonstrates the proposed method. Attribute changes are assessed using latent Dirichlet allocation to identify topics related to product attributes and sentiment analysis to evaluate satisfaction levels. Furthermore, the association rule approach is used to label unsupervised product topics. A total of 222,959 tweets related to the airline industry from 2015 to 2018 were collected and analyzed to demonstrate changes in consumer preferences over time. The results indicate that the proposed method effectively explores the dynamic of product attributes and critical attributes and provides valuable strategies for developing product or service improvement. The proposed method has also been validated and is in line with the successful innovation strategies of an Indonesian airline.

Pengaruh Pendapatan Asli Daerah, Belanja Modal dan Dana Bagi Hasil Migas terhadap Pertumbuhan Ekonomi di Aceh

Economic growth is an indicator of the success of development implementation which can be used as a macro benchmark and changes in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in a region. GRDP is the amount of added value produced by all business units in a region. The higher the economic growth of an area indicates the better the economic activity in that area. This research aims to determine the influence of PAD, Capital Expenditures, Oil and Gas Profit Sharing Funds on economic growth in Aceh, with the selected year starting from 2011-2020. This research uses quantitative methods and the data used is secondary data in the form of the Aceh Government Financial Report and the General Ministry of Finance. The data analysis method uses multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the research show that local revenue has a positive and significant effect on economic growth in Aceh with a significance value of 0.009 < 0.05 and a value of tcount of 3.778 > ttable l value of 1.8945. Capital expenditure has no significant effect on economic growth in Aceh with a significance value of 0.464 > 0.05 and a t value of -0.783 < t table value of 1.8945. Oil and gas profit sharing has no significant effect on economic growth in Aceh with a significance value of 0.521 > 0.05 and a tcount value of -0.682 < ttable value of 1.8945. The results of the F test (simultaneous) show that the significance value of F is 0.001 < 0.05 and the F value is 24.832 > 19.35 indicating that there is a positive and significant influence of PAD, Capital Expenditures, Oil and Gas Profit Sharing on economic growth in Aceh.

Exploring Identity Perception and Bilingual Education Dynamics in Taiwanese University Settings

In an increasingly interconnected world, proficiency in English is becoming indispensable, prompting Taiwanese universities to implement English language requirements ranging from one to four years. This initiative aligns with a national bilingual education program aimed at bolstering the English proficiency of college students to enhance their international competitiveness. Consequently, English-medium instruction has become prevalent in various university courses, facilitated by the Freshman English course serving as a transition to English-mediated teaching. While linguistic development is emphasized, the dynamics of identity perception among students cannot be overlooked, as language identity profoundly impacts their learning experiences and growth. This study delves into the identity perception of college freshmen in Taiwan, where bilingual education is heavily emphasized by the government. The purpose of the study is to investigate how Taiwanese college freshmen perceive their identity as they participate in English language learning. In addition, this study aims to examine the influence of gender and college major on the individual differences in identity perception among college freshmen engaged in English language learning. Employing Gao et al.’s (2005) Likert-scale questionnaire on self-identity change, the research surveyed 360 freshmen from a university in northern Taiwan. Data analysis performed with SPSS includes two stages. At the first stage, descriptive statistics revealed that participants exhibited agreement on self-identity changes in four categories: self-confidence, zero, productive and additive. At the second stage, a multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated significant main effects of gender and major on identity changes. Female students exhibited higher self-confidence, additive and productive changes compared to male students. Furthermore, liberal arts majors experienced more pronounced self-confidence, additive and productive changes than their counterparts in business, science, and engineering majors. A Post Hoc test unveiled significant differences, with business majors scoring higher than science majors in subtractive and split changes, while science majors differed significantly from liberal arts majors in zero change. The study’s implications extend beyond theoretical understanding, informing pedagogical practices to enhance language learning experiences.