Competition In Product Research Articles

Aspek Hukum Atas Standardisasi Pada Produk Pangan Hasil Rekayasa Genetika

Standardization is a process that can be used as a reference to maintain the qualifications and specifications of a product, so as to improve quality, efficiency in production and facilitate trade transactions and create healthy competition among business actors.
 In the era of globalization, the determination of Standardization needs to be carried out in various fields of life, considering that without a certain standard it can lead to various problems. The laws and regulations regarding Standardization aim to provide legal protection to producers, consumers, and the public from various aspects, for example related to security, safety, health and the preservation of environmental functions, with the hope that this will encourage increased competitiveness for products. circulating in this era of globalization.
 Advances in technology will affect the industrial world, especially the food industry, one of which is the emergence of a variety of food products circulating in the community, both those produced in Indonesia, and imported products. In addition, it does not rule out the possibility of developments in food technology with the aim of improving the quality, quality, and benefits of the use of these food products. The results of food technology being developed today are genetically engineered food products.
 Indonesia is one of the countries that has biodiversity, and through a certain technology the utilization of this biodiversity will produce genetically engineered products. The use of the results of this technology can lead to benefits as well as risks to human health if standardization is not complied with as specified in the applicable laws and regulations.

Reimagining US rare earth production: Domestic failures and the decline of US rare earth production dominance – Lessons learned and recommendations

China has dominated the global production of rare-earth elements (REE) since the 1990s. This market dominance is often described as a Chinese victory over competitors—particularly the US—in a geopolitical contest, since REEs are critical components of numerous advanced technologies, including military systems, that great powers compete to control. However, this geopolitical explanation for recent trends in global REE market fails to account for domestic factors—technical, economic, political, and environmental—that significantly impact the exploitation of geologic resources. This paper assesses the causes of decline in US REE production, which facilitated China's domination of the global market. We show that the failure of the US REE production was primarily caused by domestic factors, including misalignment between the US government and corporate interests. At a time when the China-US competition for REE production is seen not only as an economic contest, but also as a matter of national and international security, we argue that strategic cooperation between China and the US could effectively diversify and improve the resilience of REE supply chains and mitigate economic and national security risks associated with potential future disruptions.

Environmental concentrations of anionic surfactants in lake surface microlayers enhance the toxicity of Microcystis blooms: Insight from photosynthesis, interspecies competition, and MC production

Anionic surfactants represented by linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) exhibit vertical heterogeneity of concentrations in aquatic environments owing to their amphiphilic structure. Field investigations showed that the concentration of anionic surfactants (mainly LAS) in the water surface microlayer (SML) of Lake Taihu reached 580 μg/L, higher than that in the lower layer. Floating Microcystis blooms overlap in space with the high concentration of anionic surfactants in SML. However, few studies have focused on the effects of anionic surfactants (e.g., LAS) on the interspecies competition between toxic and nontoxic Microcystis. In this study, coculture and monoculture experiments were conducted with both toxic and nontoxic Microcystis species to explore how the environmental concentration of LAS regulates the dominance of toxic Microcystis and toxicity from the perspective of photosynthesis, species dominance, and MC production. The results showed that LAS concentrations above 0.267 or 0.431 mg/L (depending on light conditions) selectively promoted the photosynthetic competitive advantage of toxic Microcystis, leading to its higher population proportion in the community. Additionally, LAS concentrations above 0.5 mg/L induced the synthesis and release of microcystins (MCs). The results of chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, electron microscopy and transcriptome sequencing suggested that compared with nontoxic Microcystis, toxic Microcystis can better resist LAS stress by dissipating excess light, maintaining an intact membrane structure and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that the photosynthetic damage of nontoxic Microcystis might be attributed to the impacts of LAS on the absorption and assimilation of nitrogen, which finally resulted in the degradation of phycobilisomes. This study can provide novel insight for establishing standards and safety management of wastewater discharge.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Banking Industry

Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, has altered society and the economy by introducing intelligent robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing enormous data sets, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D printers, among other scientific advances. To maintain competitiveness and keep up with global competition, it is vital to adapt to modern technology. The financial sector is a vibrant market with intense competition for products and services, and advancements in information technology have led to the development of highly valuable new technologies. This essay addresses the possible advantages of artificial intelligence in the banking sector. The study utilized a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to evaluate the current literature on AI in the banking industry. The results of the SLR demonstrate that AI has been utilized in the banking industry in a variety of ways, including credit rating models and bank collapse prediction. In establishing credit card eligibility, logistic regression models were shown to be effective, with an accuracy rate of 80.43 percent. With a precision rate of 75.7% and a recall rate of 75.7%, artificial neural networks (ANNs) were shown to be the most accurate method for predicting bank collapse based on financial characteristics. Overall, the study indicates that AI has the ability to dramatically improve the banking business by enhancing efficiency, precision, and decision-making procedures. The study has limitations and potential biases, including the exclusion of non-English language articles and the possibility of a selection bias. To explore the full potential of AI in the banking business, additional study is required.

Enhancing catalytic activity and pore structure of metal–organic framework-808 via ligand competition for biodiesel production from microalgal lipids at reduced temperatures

Catalysts with hierarchical porous structures and increased active defects play a crucial role in catalyzing the conversion of microalgae lipids. However, the template methods used for pore expansion and the acidification process employed to enhance activity are cumbersome and prone to deactivation. It is necessary to propose a simple and versatile synthetic approach to overcome these challenges. By modulating N,N-dimethylformamide basicity with formic acid, MOF-808 exhibited enhanced coordination of benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid to Zr-clusters, creating three types of functional defects. These defects increased pore size from 1.63 nm to 5.34 nm and enhanced catalyst acidity by 22.8%, while maintaining high porosity. The active catalytic sites were confirmed to be defect sites (exposed Zr4+) through density functional theory. Compared to regular MOF-808, catalyst MOF-808-3/1 shows enhanced hierarchical porosity and increased acidity, enabling efficient conversions at reduced reaction temperature (100 °C) and pressure (352 kPa) compared to 200 °C and 4036 kPa, respectively.

Proposed Business Growth Strategy for an Advertising Production Company That Penetrates the Small and Medium-Sized Business Market in Jakarta: A Business Case, Rentjana

Rentjana, a single-person production house, is facing challenges in the advertising industry, primarily driven by intense competition and declining prices, resulting in reduced profitability and difficulties in acquiring customers. This study aims to analyse the advertising production house ecosystem, trends, and competition, with a focus on identifying challenges, opportunities, and successful business models for Rentjana. The research approach includes qualitative analysis using primary and secondary data sources, employing matrices such as VRIO analysis, value proposition, and the Ansoff matrix. Primary data will be collected through interviews, while secondary data will be obtained from relevant sources. The study proposes offering production packages with a complete concept to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiming to enhance their product quality and differentiation through design, branding, production, and material selection. This approach facilitates the development of long-term partnerships, expands networks, and increases revenue for Rentjana. Flexibility in pricing is suggested to provide competitive yet profitable rates, giving Rentjana a distinctive advantage. Implementing lean production techniques will contribute to waste elimination, improved efficiency, employee engagement, and the effective utilisation of technology. The study also seeks to understand the role of online video advertising and address the challenges prevailing in the advertising industry.

Impact of large-scale Bio-CCS deployment on forest biomass competition and forest industry production

This study investigates the implications of large-scale Bio-CCS deployment on forest-based biofuel, kraft pulp, and district heating production, focusing on the resulting biomass competition. Using the Nordic Forest Sector Model (NFSM) with a Bio-CCS add-on, we integrate negative emission trading into the EU Emissions Trading System across a range of CO2 price levels. The findings reveal that biofuel production increases with higher carbon dioxide prices, with different technologies demonstrating profitability at different price points. As CO2 prices rise, the competition for high-quality biomass intensifies between the biofuel and kraft pulp sectors, while district-heating biomass boilers serve as important buffers. Notably, The deployment of Bio-CCS in kraft pulp mills and biofuel plants significantly raises the demand for pulpwood, while district heating remains unaffected. As a result, district heating systems consume more forest residues and industrial residues. Consequently, increased use of Bio-CCS results in higher pulpwood and sawdust prices. The extreme test with a carbon price of 300€/tCO2 reveals a higher risk of carbon sequestration leakage, while the increased harvest levels in the studied areas remain sustainable. This modeling approach and its main conclusions offer valuable insights for other forest-based economies.

The isolation and characterization of lipid compounds from black soldier fly larvae

AbstractWith the global demand for lipid compounds on the rise, concerns are growing about the environmental and economic impact of traditional lipid sources. This concern is exacerbated by the ever‐increasing demand for plant‐based lipids, which is contributing to unsustainable production practices and competition for land and food. Considering this challenge, this work aimed at exploring the potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as a low‐cost and ecofriendly source of lipid classes. A fractionation scheme consisting of a mixture of polar and nonpolar solvents at different ratios was employed to isolate the lipid classes from BSFL oil using silica gel column chromatography, which is a conventional method of chromatography. The fraction's separation efficiency was validated using thin‐layer chromatography and characterized with Fourier‐transformed infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography flame ionization (GC‐FID). Triglycerides (30%) were found to be the most abundant component while cholesterols (0.6%) were the least abundant lipid fractions in the lipid mixture. GC‐FID in the various lipid fractions analyzed, lauric acid exhibited the highest percentage among the triglycerides (16.64%), diglycerides (19.10%), monoglycerides (22.70%), and free fatty acids (27.65%) fractions. The fractionation scheme proposed achieves high efficiency in separating and recovering different lipid classes extracted from the BSFL.

Power production competition under different regulations: a social welfare perspective

With the prevalence of low-carbon transmission, traditional energy power generation enterprises (TGEs) are facing increasing pressure. By comparison, renewable energy power generation (REPG) holds the advantage of low carbon. To promote the development of REPG, various regulation policies have been implemented. This paper aims at investigating the interplays between renewable energy power generation enterprise (RGE) and TGE’s production decisions under different regulation policies from the social welfare perspective. We consider the feed-in tariff (FIT), renewable portfolio standard (RPS), and carbon tax (CT) policies. Our analyses reveal several major findings. First, the influence of the regulation policy on RGE and TGE’s power generation quantities depends on the gap between REPG cost and traditional energy power generation (TEPG) cost. Second, the regulator’s optimal regulation policy hinges on his emphasis on the economic benefit and the environmental protection. Third, as the REPG cost decreases and the regulator’s emphasis on environmental protection increases, the regulator’s optimal policy from the social welfare perspective exhibits a trend of ‘FIT-CT-RPS.' Fourth, TGE’s preferred policy focuses on FIT or CT, and RGE’s preferred policy is always RPS regardless of how the regulator’s attention on environmental protection changes. On this basis, managerial implications for promoting REPG are provided.

Nexus between poverty gap and macroeconomic performance in the MENA region during the period 1990-2021

The study aims to explore the impact of some macroeconomic performance indicators on the poverty gap in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa during the period 1990-2021. The study used the econometric approach, where a correlation matrix was built between the variables under study, which is the poverty gap as a dependent variable, and several independent variables, which are the rate of inflation, the rate of population growth, the rate of economic growth, and the ratio of reserves to external debt. Applying Unit Root test, then ARDL model to investigate the effect of independent variables on the poverty gap and using E-Views 12. The study found that In the short and long term, the rate of inflation is associated with an inverse relationship with poverty rates in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa during the period 1990-2021, the increasing ratio of reserves to external debt has a negative impact on the poverty rates in the MENA countries, the increasing exports had a positive impact to decreasing poverty in MENA region, while the population growth rate is associated with a direct negative impact on the poverty gap in those countries, it has the highest influence compared to the other macroeconomic variables. And the relationship between them goes in the same direction, The study confirmed that after (1) lag period GDP growth negatively affects the poverty gap, thus with an increase in the GDP the poverty also increases, but after (2) lag periods the study confirmed the positive impact of GDP growth on the poverty gap. So the study recommends applying economic policies that reduce inflation rates by using fiscal policy tools through reducing government spending or raising tax rates. Raising export rates through an industrial policy and agriculture that supports the quality and competition of local products in global markets, as well as raising the reserve ratio to the total external debt, which may occur in the event of an improvement in export rates accordingly. It also requires population policies that reduce population growth rates. And finally, economic growth couldn’t reduce poverty without economic policies raising equality degree between individuals

The multiple phonological activation in Chinese spoken word production: An ERP study supporting cascaded model

A central issue in spoken word production concerns how activation is transmitted from semantic to phonological levels. The current study investigated the issue of seriality and cascadedness in Chinese spoken word production, via the combined semantic blocked paradigm (with homogeneous and heterogeneous blocks) and picture-word interference paradigm (with phonologically related, mediated and unrelated distractors). Naming latencies data showed a mediated effect via comparing mediated and unrelated distractors in homogeneous blocks, a phonological facilitation effect via comparing phonologically related and unrelated distractors in homogeneous and heterogeneous blocks, and a semantic interference effect via comparing homogeneous and heterogeneous blocks. Critically, cluster-based permutation test of ERP data demonstrated a mediated effect around 266-326ms and an overlapped pattern of semantic interference effect around 264-418ms and phonological facilitation effect around 210-310ms in homogeneous or around 236-316ms in heterogeneous blocks. These findings indicated that speakers activate phonological nodes of non-targets, and present a cascadedness pattern of the transmission from semantics to phonology in Chinese spoken production. The present study sheds new insight on the neural correlates of semantic and phonological effects, and provides behavioral and electrophysiological evidences for the cascaded model within a theoretical framework of lexical competition in speech production.

KINERJA BAURAN PEMASARAN PENALAMA COFFEE & TALK DI KOTA BOGOR BERDASARKAN PERSEPSI KONSUMEN

The increasing consumption of coffee in Indonesia is supported by the many coffee drink businesses, one of which is Penalama Coffee & Talk. Penalama Coffee & Talk experienced several problems, such as high competition for coffee products, competitive prices, located in remote places, promotions, late employees, SOP that are run inappropriately, and need improvements to supporting facilities. Therby requires evaluating marketing strategies to increase sales and satisfaction for consumers. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the performance of the marketing mix at Penalama Coffee & Talk. This research was conducted using descriptive analysis methods, Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA). The results showed that consumer characteristics were dominated by consumers aged 17-25 years, men, domiciled in Bogor City, unmarried, working as private employees with income per month reaching >Rp5,000,000, the last education taken, namely academic education (S1/S2/S3), and the frequency of consumer visits 1-4 times / month. Based on CSI analysis obtained satisfaction results of 88.64 and IPA analysis obtained that location attributes became a top priority in performance improvement.

Reaction Kinetics of CN + Toluene and Its Implication on the Production of Aromatic Nitriles in the Taurus Molecular Cloud and Titan’s Atmosphere

Reactions between cyano radicals and aromatic hydrocarbons are believed to be important pathways for the formation of aromatic nitriles in the interstellar medium (ISM) including those identified in the Taurus molecular cloud (TMC-1). Aromatic nitriles might participate in the formation of polycyclic aromatic nitrogen-containing hydrocarbons (PANHs) in Titan's atmosphere. Here, ab initio kinetic simulations reveal a high efficiency of ∼10−10 cm3 s−1 and the competition of the different products of the CN + toluene reaction at 30–1800 K and 10−7–100 atm. In the star-forming region of the TMC-1 environment, the product yields of benzonitrile and tolunitriles for CN reacting with toluene are approximately 17% and 83%, respectively. Detections of the main products, tolunitriles, can serve as proxies for the undetected toluene in the ISM due to their much larger dipole moments. Competition between bimolecular and unimolecular products is extremely intense in the warmer and denser PANH-forming region of Titan's stratosphere. Computational results show that the fractions of tolunitriles, adducts, and benzonitrile are 19%–68%, 15%–64%, and 17%, respectively, at 150–200 K and 0.0001–0.001 atm (Titan's stratosphere). Then, benzonitrile and tolunitriles may contribute to the formation of PANHs by consecutive C2H additions. The kinetic information of aromatic nitriles for the CN + toluene reaction calculated here helps to explain the formation mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PANHs under different interstellar environments and constrains corresponding astrochemical models.

Analysis on Trade Competition and Complementarity of High-Quality Agricultural Products in Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China in 2013 as a response to sluggish global economic growth. With most countries along the Belt and Road being developing countries, it is crucial to strengthen trade cooperation in agricultural products. However, the current literature lacks an analysis of the competitiveness and complementarity of agricultural products in these countries. This study aims to fill this gap by showing that the Belt and Road Initiative has reduced agricultural export competitiveness and increased agricultural trade complementarity. Several factors influence the similarity and complementarity of agricultural exports in participating countries along the Belt and Road, including geographical distance, level of economic development, free trade agreements, degree of country openness, exchange rates, cultural differences, share of agricultural value added, and level of infrastructure. The detailed analysis shows that the Belt and Road Initiative has significantly improved the quality of the agricultural exports of participating countries. The results of this paper provide a theoretical basis for the high-quality development of agricultural products in participating countries along the Belt and Road.

Integration host factor regulates colonization factors in the bee gut symbiont Frischella perrara.

Bacteria colonize specific niches in the animal gut. However, the genetic basis of these associations is often unclear. The proteobacterium Frischella perrara is a widely distributed gut symbiont of honey bees. It colonizes a specific niche in the hindgut and causes a characteristic melanization response. Genetic determinants required for the establishment of this association, or its relevance for the host, are unknown. Here, we independently isolated three point mutations in genes encoding the DNA-binding protein integration host factor (IHF) in F. perrara. These mutants abolished the production of an aryl polyene metabolite causing the yellow colony morphotype of F. perrara. Inoculation of microbiota-free bees with one of the mutants drastically decreased gut colonization of F. perrara. Using RNAseq, we found that IHF affects the expression of potential colonization factors, including genes for adhesion (type 4 pili), interbacterial competition (type 6 secretion systems), and secondary metabolite production (colibactin and aryl polyene biosynthesis). Gene deletions of these components revealed different colonization defects depending on the presence of other bee gut bacteria. Interestingly, one of the T6SS mutants did not induce the scab phenotype anymore despite colonizing at high levels, suggesting an unexpected role in bacteria-host interaction. IHF is conserved across many bacteria and may also regulate host colonization in other animal symbionts.

Guerrilla Marketing in the 21st Century: A Systematic Analysis of the Discipline Through a Literature Review, a Taxonomy, and Identification of the Most Relevant Variables

In recent years, given the enormous competition for new products and services, many companies have begun to behave more creatively in an aim to be the best in the market. “Guerrilla marketing” refers to an advertising technique that uses unconventional and cost-effective approaches, employing a variety of strategies that reduce costs. Since the emergence of this concept in the second half of the last century, substantial research has looked into its application and usefulness. This study presents a systematic survey of the field of marketing and advertising: by analyzing the main scientific publications on guerrilla marketing through content analysis in the Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO databases. One hundred and sixty-four articles were analyzed in depth and divided into two separate lists: one with publications corresponding to Hutter and Hoffmann’s first classification, and another corresponding to the new variables that emerged from the in-depth study that was carried out. As a consequence, a new taxonomy is proposed for the field, based on the identification of some novel variables characterizing the different existing approaches.

A Theoretical Analysis about the Impact of BigTechs’ Entrance on the Competition in the Financial Industry: Focusing on the Competition and Information Production in Credit Markets

A Theoretical Analysis about the Impact of BigTechs’ Entrance on the Competition in the Financial Industry: Focusing on the Competition and Information Production in Credit Markets

THE FEATURES OF MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL MARKET: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ASPECTS

The article examines the peculiarities and specified characteristics of the pharmaceutical market in the concept of monopolistic competition, the design of which allows for the wide use of marketing tools of competition, innovation, research, branding, and others. The specific characteristics that allow identifying the predominant type of competition in the pharmaceutical market as monopolistic competition are summarized. It was noted that certain segments of the pharmaceutical market function within the framework of different market structures: monopoly (manufacturers who own patents for unique medicinal products, individual and collective monopolies in regional markets), oligopoly (manufacturers of certain types of medicinal products, the distribution segment, pharmacy networks of centralized and holding type with a monopoly in the retail sale of medicinal products), monopolistic competition (production and sale of medicinal products). Taking into account the dependence of the national pharmaceutical market on the import of drugs, the state (2018-2022), the competitive situation and generalized forecasts for the growth of the global pharmaceutical market until 2027 were studied. The analysis proved the presence of different factors of market development in each of the studied periods. The high activity of Indian and Chinese companies in developing the global pharmaceutical market was noted. Attention is drawn to the fact that activity in the market of monopolistic competition, especially such an institutionalized one as the pharmaceutical market, requires from participants the competent application of strategic approaches, adaptation of business models, significant investments in R&D and constant production of innovations, establishment of long-term cooperation with partners, optimization of the supply chain, formation systems of constant monitoring and forecasting of the external environment, professional marketing and systemic promotional activities related to traditional and digital elements of the communication mix, network expansion due to permissible regional expansion. It was concluded that the further development of the modern world pharmaceutical market as a structure of monopolistic competition is connected with: acceleration of consumption of medicines in developing countries; expiration of patent protection for a significant number of brand-name drugs; reduction of the market share and profits of branded pharmaceutical companies; legal restrictions on market monopolization; active use of marketing tools to implement non-price competition. The priority factor in increasing the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine is an effective combination of state and market regulation mechanisms, the successful synthesis of which will contribute to the elimination of disparities between the export and import of medicinal products, reduce the dependence of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market on foreign supplies of raw materials and finished products, and strengthen the position of domestic manufacturers in foreign markets.

The dynamics of the relationship between foreign exchange reserves and import demand function

This study empirically investigates the dynamics of the relationship between import demand and foreign exchange reserves for an oil-rich and high-income developing country, Oman. This study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to investigate the impact of real income, domestic prices, and foreign exchange reserves on aggregate and disaggregated import demand function. Results reveal that total imports are significantly affected by domestic prices only; whereas, demand for goods import is influenced by income. The level of foreign exchange reserves does not influence import demand function. These findings indicate that currency peg stabilization efforts, foreign asset leakages and varying sources of foreign currency could have weakened the link between foreign reserves and import levels. Considering domestic prices and income, competition and efficient production of local goods and services should be further encouraged, especially concerning ongoing issues like food security. Understanding import dynamics enhances robust import forecasts, international trade planning and policy formulation.

Stronger effect of individual species’ traits than shading on aquatic plant community productivity and interspecific competition

Competition is one of the major factors structuring plant communities. Species with similar traits generally compete more intensely and have more similar yield than functionally dissimilar species, which often respond differently to environmental change. Little is known about how the interacting species’ traits influence the effect of environmental change on interspecific competition. However, theory predicts that environmental change should lead to more asymmetric competition, by favouring the species best adapted to the particular environmental change. Here we used a mesocosm experiment with three common aquatic plant species from the Baltic Sea (Northern Europe), to test how community productivity and competition asymmetry were affected by functional dissimilarity, individual species’ traits and a common stressor: shading. Competition asymmetry was defined as the absolute difference in reductions in yield relative to monocultures of two interacting species. Community productivity decreased and competition asymmetry increased with functional dissimilarity of the interacting species, possibly explained by the traits of the superior species, which had higher specific leaf area, maximum canopy height and primary production rate than the subordinate species. Community productivity was not affected by shading, contrary to our expectation, while competition asymmetry was higher in shaded than ambient conditions. Individual species yield depended on species identity and species combination. Only the shortest species was negatively affected by shading. Thus, by favouring tall-growing species, shading can alter interspecific competition. Together, these findings suggest that non-random species loss following environmental change can be caused by competitive exclusion, in addition to a direct effect of abiotic filtering.