Diversity Of Products Research Articles

Analysis of the Circular Economy's Implementation at Maggot House Mengger Sub-District Bandung City

In 2023, the city of Bandung faced serious problems because the Sarimukti landfill caught fire and the city of Bandung experienced a "waste emergency". One of the programs launched is the construction of maggot houses in every sub-district in Bandung City with a target of processing 1 ton of organic waste/day. Mengger Sub-district is one of the sub-districts that received assistance to build maggot house. The land area of ​​the maggot house is 150 m2, managed by 4 officers. This study aims to identify various problems that must be resolved first so that the circular economy concept can be implemented at the Mengger Maggot House. The study was carried out by conducting observations, detailed surveys and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders in Mengger Sub-district. Observations were carried out to see the level of compliance of residents in sorting, a detailed survey was carried out on the waste collection and processing system at the maggot house, and in-depth interviews were conducted with assistants from Bandung City Environmental Service Office (DLH), maggot buyers, sub-district officials, maggot house officers, neighbourhood (RT) and hamlet (RW), and waste collector. Based on the results of observations, it was found that only some residents carry out sorting consistently, a collection system already exists in each RT/RW but they have not implemented a segregated waste collection system, and there is no system for transporting waste from the RW to the maggot house so that the amount of organic waste entering the maggot house is still low, no electricity and clean water, no choppers, leaks in the fly cage, and no diversification in maggot products. Through various socialization activities and Focus Group Discussions with all stakeholders, various agreements were obtained to resolve various problems at the Mengger Maggot House.

Generic FPGA Pre-Processing Image Library for Industrial Vision Systems.

Currently, there is a demand for an increase in the diversity and quality of new products reaching the consumer market. This fact imposes new challenges for different industrial sectors, including processes that integrate machine vision. Hardware acceleration and improvements in processing efficiency are becoming crucial for vision-based algorithms to follow the complexity growth of future industrial systems. This article presents a generic library of pre-processing filters for execution in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to reduce the overall image processing time in vision systems. An experimental setup based on the Zybo Z7 Pcam 5C Demo project was developed and used to validate the filters described in VHDL (VHSIC hardware description language). Finally, a comparison of the execution times using GPU and CPU platforms was performed as well as an evaluation of the integration of the current work in an industrial application. The results showed a decrease in the pre-processing time from milliseconds to nanoseconds when using FPGAs.

The use of microencapsulated banana flower powder pellet on in vitro ruminal fermentation, digestibility, microbial diversity, and methane production

The use of microencapsulated banana flower powder pellet on in vitro ruminal fermentation, digestibility, microbial diversity, and methane production

Rational Design and Modification of NphB for Cannabinoids Biosynthesis.

The rapidly growing field of cannabinoid research is gaining recognition for its impact in neuropsychopharmacology and mood regulation. However, prenyltransferase (NphB) (a key enzyme in cannabinoid precursor synthesis) still needs significant improvement in order to be usable in large-scale industrial applications due to low activity and limited product range. By rational design and high-throughput screening, NphB's catalytic efficiency and product diversity have been markedly enhanced, enabling direct production of a range of cannabinoids, without the need for traditional enzymatic conversions, thus broadening the production scope of cannabinoids, including cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), and cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA). Notably, the W3 mutant achieved a 10.6-fold increase in CBG yield and exhibited a 10.3- and 20.8-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency for CBGA and CBGV production, respectively. The W4 mutant also displayed an 9.3-fold increase in CBGVA activity. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that strategic reconfiguration of the active site's hydrogen bonding network, disulfide bond formation, and enhanced hydrophobic interactions are pivotal for the improved synthetic efficiency of these NphB mutants. Our findings advance the understanding of enzyme optimization for cannabinoid synthesis and lay a foundation for the industrial-scale production of these valuable compounds.

Sustainable scheduling of TFT-LCD cell production: A hybrid dispatching rule and two-phase genetic algorithm

TFT-LCD manufacturing process involves Array, Color Filter (CF), Cell, and Module. The Cell process is pivotal in the TFT-LCD production supply chain; it bridges the front-end (Array and CF) and back-end (Module), maintaining a balance of production capacities. Supply from the front-end is transmitted to the back-end, ensuring prompt responsiveness to customer demands. As awareness of environmental conservation grows, implementing sustainable development in the TFT-LCD manufacturing industry has become crucial. Specifically, reducing the machine setup frequency in TFT-LCD scheduling decreases energy consumption during machine operation and wait times and prolongs equipment lifespan by minimizing wear from repeated shutdowns. To tackle the intricate scheduling challenges within TFT-LCD production, this study proposes an intelligent, sustainable scheduling approach that employs a rolling dispatching and line balancing mechanism and a two-phase genetic algorithm (HDTPGA) for Cell scheduling. The goal is to minimize makespan considering product diversity, production constraints, work-in-process balancing, and machine setup frequency. This holistic approach promotes energy-efficient and sustainable manufacturing practices. According to the empirical study, the proposed HDTPGA reduces the makespan by approximately 10% compared to the baseline. Additionally, it reduces the average daily setup frequency of bottleneck stages (ODF and CCT) in the Cell process by approximately 68.25% and 66.25%, respectively. The main contribution of this paper is to propose an intelligent scheduling algorithm to optimize Cell production scheduling in practice. The HDTPGA achieves equilibrium between front-end and back-end production, utilizing an efficient line change mechanism to reduce energy consumption. The enhancement in efficiency not only restricts material waste but also reduces the environmental impact, enabling manufacturers to adopt green production practices and promoting a transition of the entire panel industry toward sustainability.

Increased food crop diversification and gathering of wild plants associated with women's dietary diversity in Chad.

Women of reproductive age are particularly vulnerable to low-quality diets due to their higher micronutrients needs. The minimum dietary diversity for women (MDDW) is a proxy for micronutrient adequacy in this group of women. Its relationship with other aspects that lead to malnutrition is not fully elucidated and depends on the context. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of MDDW among women of a rural area in Chad and its association with socioeconomical, agricultural, dietary and food security data. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Following a multistage cluster sampling, 984 women of reproductive age were randomly selected and interviewed in March 2019. We obtained food consumption data through unquantified 24 h recalls and computed MDDW as consuming at least five out of 10 predefined food groups. We constructed a Food Production Diversity Score (FPDS) with crop and livestock information. We obtained multivariable logistic regression models including different covariates. MDDW was achieved by only 33% of women in the sample. In our final model, we identified a significant association of MDDW with the FPDS and gathering ofwild plants. Women in households with the highest FPDS had 70% more chances of achieving MDDW than those with the lowest FPDS. Gathering wild plants doubled these chances. Areas of cultivated land,Water, Sanitation and Hygiene resources, and a high level of food security, measured with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale,were also significantly related to the achievement of MDDW. This illustrates the importance of nutrition-sensitive policies, also considering biodiversity and food production diversification.

An experimental census of retrons for DNA production and genome editing.

Retrons are bacterial immune systems that use reverse-transcribed DNA (RT-DNA) to detect phage infection. They are also deployed for genome editing, where they are modified so that the RT-DNA encodes an editing donor. Retrons are common in bacterial genomes, and thousands of unique retrons have been predicted bioinformatically. However, few have been characterized experimentally. We add to the corpus of experimentally studied retrons, finding 62 empirically determined, natural RT-DNAs that are not predictable from the retron sequence alone. We synthesize >100 previously untested retrons to identify the natural sequence of RT-DNA they produce, quantify their RT-DNA production and test the relative efficacy of editing using retron-derived donors to edit bacterial, phage and human genomes. We observe large diversity in RT-DNA production and editing rates across retrons, finding that top-performing editors are drawn from a subset of the retron phylogeny and outperform those used in previous studies, reaching precise editing rates of up to 40% in human cells.

Enhancing the sustainable development of investment funds: a study of the stock market in Vietnam

Stock investment funds play an important role in the development of the stock market by creating demand for the market, while increasing the professionalism of market activities. With expertise, the ability to access and process information effectively, investment funds will bring benefits to all participants. The role of stock investment funds becomes even more important in developing countries where market information is often imperfect and the state's warning systems and control capabilities are limited. In Vietnam, the strong growth of the stock market over the past 10 years has been the foundation for the formation and development of stock investment funds. However, Vietnam's fund industry has only started to take shape in the last 5 years. Up to now, there are only 24 domestic closed-end stock investment funds operating on the Vietnamese stock market, with limited size and diversity of fund products compared to the market potential. At the same time, the stock investment funds themselves have not yet promoted their role in attracting investment capital, leading individual investors, and contributing to the stability of the stock market during their existence. Keywords: Investment Fund, Stocks, Vietnam.

Does decline and recovery process affect clonal and genetic diversity of a coastal plant population?

The evaluation of genetic diversity is important for the conservation of species. However, changes in genetic diversity during conservation are complex processes that depend on the characteristics of the species and environment. To evaluate the changes in genetic diversity from decline to recovery, we surveyed the coastal herb Calystegia soldanella in areas with varying degrees of non‐coastal plant invasion. First, to evaluate genetic diversity before the conservation measures, the spatial clonal structure of adults was investigated in a population invaded by non‐coastal plants. Second, to evaluate genetic diversity after the conservation measures, the regenerated individuals were investigated in the restoration plot. Moreover, to predict future genetic diversity without conservation measures, the effects of non‐coastal plant invasion on the production and genetic diversity of seeds were investigated using individuals from areas with various levels of non‐coastal plant invasion. In the adult population, 16 genets were identified in an 80 m × 4 m area. The maximum genet size was 30.3 m, suggesting the importance of clonal reproduction for population maintenance. In the restoration plots comprising 10 m × 10 m × 3 replicates, many seedlings (1.14 ramets/m2) emerged, resulting in high clonal diversity compared to that of the adult population. Therefore, the biomass and genetic diversity were rapidly restored at the beginning of the conservation practice. Non‐coastal plant invasion did not affect the genetic diversity of the seeds. However, it significantly reduced seed production. This suggests that non‐coastal plant invasion reduces sexual reproduction, resulting in the long‐term loss of genetic diversity.

Infernal Heavens: Narratives of Africa. From Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Paradise

Situated at the intersection of literary studies and cultural studies, the present article looks at how fictional representations of Africa have evolved over the past century, from Conrad’s canonical Heart of Darkness, which has unjustly become the landmark of colonial biased narratives of Africa despite the author’s declared disengagement with his protagonists’ perspectives, to Abdulrazak Gurnah’s recent reverse rewriting of Marlow’s journey, this time from the heart of darkness outward. Dwelling on the spatial metaphors of Heaven and Hell, this study argues that the two works under scrutiny put forward two essentially dichotomic representations of the same place, the African continent, which are largely dependent on the cultural environment and on cultural constraints. Whereas Conrad’s infernal depiction of Africa relies mostly on Eurocentric stereotypes and on a personal experience whose horror mostly stemmed from a cultural shock produced by experiencing difference as evil, Gurnah’s more complex and authentic depiction is a result of telling the story from within, as an insider, and reflecting on difference as productive diversity. In this respect, this study brings into discussion Ranjan Ghosh’s recent dialogue with J. Hillis Miller on Literature and Globalization (2016) to argue that a transnational, transcultural and transdisciplinary approach to the narrative text would actually result in bridging the gap of classical binary difference and would emphasize the immanence of the literary text. Thus, Gurnah’s Paradise reconstructs pre-WWI Africa from within, as a sum of lost Paradises which are by no means of Western extraction, while Conrad’s canonical Inferno echoes the fears of an empire.

PSVI-26 The benefits of probiotics (L. plantarum and L. acidophilus) supplement in growth performance, egg production, gas emission and gut microbiome diversity in Hy-Line brown laying hens

Abstract During the past few decades, antibiotics have been widely used at subtherapeutic doses to improve growth rates and performance in the poultry industry. However, antibiotics can result in side effects including bacterial resistance; these side effects often have detrimental consequences for human health. Thus, the poultry sector was urged to seek alternative strategies to promote animal performance. One environmentally friendly approach to growth promotion involves the use of probiotics, which have been used in the poultry industry for decades. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus spp. (L. plantarum and L. acidophilus) on growth performance, egg production, gas emission and gut microbiota diversity in laying hens. A total of 192 Hy-Line brown laying hens were randomly divided into four groups and assigned to one of four dietary treatments for 12 wk. The test treatments were basal diet (TRT1), basal + 0.25% antibiotic (TRT2), and basal + 0.1% probiotics (TRT3), and basal + 0.2% probiotics (TRT4). Laying hens fed a diet supplemented with 0.2% probiotics showed increased (P < 0.05) egg production in wk 9, 10, and 12. Moreover, fecal ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions were reduced (P < 0.05) in the probiotic groups. Microbiome analysis showed increased (P < 0.05) species richness in the probiotic groups, as indicated by Chao1 and Shannon indices, but a decrease (P < 0.05) in species diversity according to the Simpson index, suggesting a specific microbial community development due to probiotic supplementation. In conclusion, this study provides us with an insight into the potential use Lactobacillus spp. probiotic as a food supplement in the laying hen industry also provides us with a better understanding of the interplay between Lactobacillus spp. and the gut microbiome diversity in laying hens.

Utilization of Western Aphasia Battery–Revised Spoken Language Subtest Stimuli to Characterize Differentially Diagnostic Characteristics of Acquired Apraxia of Speech

Purpose: There is a need for stimuli that can be used in the assessment of apraxia of speech (AOS) characteristics. AOS often presents with aphasia, and the Western Aphasia Battery–Revised (WAB-R) is administered extensively in clinical practice for the assessment of aphasia. This preliminary study investigated error production of differentially diagnostic characteristics of AOS (phonetic and prosodic errors) in response to existing spoken language subtest stimuli of the WAB-R in individuals with concomitant AOS and aphasia and aphasia only. Method: Ten participants presenting with aphasia and potential motor speech impairment were included. Presence of AOS was determined for five individuals. Speech production errors were analyzed using narrow transcription methods in response to the Naming, Repetition, and Spontaneous Speech subtests of the WAB-R for both AOS and aphasia and aphasia-only groups. Results: Differences in total error production for both phonetic and prosodic errors were reported between the AOS and aphasia and aphasia-only groups. In addition, the phonetic complexity of the stimuli correlated to the phonetic and prosodic error production in both groups. An effect of WAB-R subtest was not reported for either group. Conclusion: The diversity of elicited spoken language production across multiple contexts makes the use of the spoken language subtest stimuli a feasible component of a comprehensive AOS assessment, since AOS is often concomitant with aphasia.

PENGARUH KUALITAS PELAYANAN, KERAGAMAN PRODUK DAN PROMOSI TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN DI TOKO WIDIA COLLECTION BALI

This study aims to gather information on the impact of Service Quality, Product Diversity, and Promotion on Purchase Decisions at Widia Collection Store Bali. The study population includes all customers, both men and women, who shop at Widia Collection Store Bali, with a sample size of 80 people. Data collection was conducted using the SPSS Version 25.00 for Windows application. The results of the study indicate that Service Quality has a positive effect on Purchase Decisions at Widia Collection Store Bali, with a t-value greater than the t-table value (3.551 > 1.667) and a significance level of 0.001 < 0.05. Product Diversity also has a positive effect on Purchase Decisions, with a t-value greater than the t-table value (2.349 > 1.667) and a significance level of 0.021 < 0.05. Additionally, Promotion has a positive effect on Purchase Decisions at Widia Collection Store Bali, with a t-value greater than the t-table value (2.641 > 1.667) and a significance level of 0.010 < 0.05.

Innovation diversity, product diversity and innovation performance

Innovation diversity has the potential to enhance a firm's technological capabilities and output by facilitating the sharing of know-how across teams. However, the diversification of corporate business segments can lead to management deterioration due to agency problems, ultimately resulting in damage to firm performance and innovation output. Therefore, this paper investigates the impact of diversified innovation and multi-segment firms on innovation outcomes.We show that when a firm with multiple business segments exhibits a higher degree of innovation diversification, the positive impact of the internal knowledge spillover can mitigate resource inefficiency, resulting in higher levels of innovation performance. To address potential endogeneity concerns, we employ a quasi-natural experiment suggested by Seru (2014), and make a comparison between completed mergers and withdrawn mergers in order to examine the effects of merger-driven diversification on innovation performance. We further conduct three conditional tests, including institutional ownership, trade secrets legal protection and financial constraint. We find that the positive impact of innovation diversity and diversity of business segments on innovation performance will be more significant when firms have better corporate governance, face weaker trade secret legal protection and when firms are financially unconstrained.

Intrinsic religiosity and purchase intention: The role of attitude and moral efficacy

The diversity of products on the market today raises various kinds of consumer considerations when making purchases. Consumers will consider the basics they have before making a purchase. Factors that influence consumers before making a purchase come from internal and external consumers. In this study, consumer behavior analysis is seen based on internal factors such as intrinsic religiosity, attitude, and moral efficacy. This study analyzes the effect of intrinsic religiosity on purchase intention by mediating attitude and moral efficacy. This study examines the behavior of consumers of cosmetic products in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and obtained a sample of 92 respondents. The research data were analyzed using the Smart PLS 4.0 software to test validity, reliability, and bootstrapping. The results of the study proved intrinsic religiosity does not negatively affect purchase intention, intrinsic religiosity has no positive effect on attitude, intrinsic religiosity has a positive effect on moral efficacy, attitude negatively affects purchase intention, moral efficacy has no negative effect on purchase intention, attitude does not mediate the influence of intrinsic religiosity on purchase intention, and moral efficacy did not mediate the effect of intrinsic religiosity on purchase intention.

Down, and Under Pressure: The Decline of Local and Non-Anglo Best-Selling Recording Artists in Australia 2000–2023: Submitted to the International Journal of Music Business Research 14.06.24.

Abstract The global consolidation and platformitisation of recorded music have attracted attention to changes in local artist representation in national sales charts and, more broadly, to the diversity of nationalities within recorded music markets. Global platform distribution has been perceived to aid local music economies and the diversity of cultural production. This article quantitatively analyses the annual Australian top 100 single and album charts 2000–2023 to determine Australian artist representation, Indigenous artist representation and diversity of nationality over the period. The data reveals, contrary to propositions of glocalisation and internationalisation, that Australian and non-Anglo artist representation has declined significantly, while North American and British artists have increased their presence in the Australian charts. It also finds that Indigenous chart representation over the period is low, stable and in line with population ratios. The data raises issues for artists, companies, policy makers and consumers in the Australian music industries.

Plant functional trait is a strong predictor of ecosystem productivity under altered precipitation in desert steppes

AbstractThe relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function has always been one of the hot issues in the field of ecology. With the acceleration of global warming, the precipitation pattern has become one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss, which has a profound impact on ecosystem functional services and stability. However, the studies on the effects and mechanisms of plant community diversity and ecosystem productivity under precipitation changes in desert steppe are still unclear. According to the change rate (−41.1% to 39.2%) of precipitation in the study area in recent 50 years, five precipitation gradients (i.e., −40%, −20%, CK, +20% and +40%) were set to simulate the possible future precipitation pattern changes. Aboveground biomass increased with the increase of precipitation. Compared with CK, the aboveground biomass increased by 22.81% with +40% and decreased by 80.71% with −40%, and the negative impact of precipitation decrease on aboveground biomass was more significant. Through multiple stepwise regression analyses, species diversity, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity were identified as the best models of aboveground biomass. The results showed that the aboveground biomass changes could be explained by 51.3%, 81.6%, 32.6% and 60% respectively. Combined with plant community diversity, the final index model was obtained through multiple stepwise regression analyses, which could explain 88.3% of changes in aboveground biomass. In this model, The average coefficient of specific leaf area and leaf thickness had a very high significance level, and these two functional traits of dominant species had a greater explanatory power for ecosystem system function. There was a nonlinear correlation between precipitation and aboveground biomass, and drought had a more significant negative effect on aboveground biomass. Compared with species diversity and phylogenetic diversity, plant functional traits can better explain ecosystem productivity. Selection effects are the main maintenance mechanism of desert steppe community productivity under the background of precipitation change.

Strategic Dynamics and Growth Opportunities in the Ready-to-Eat Food Industry: A Comprehensive Analysis of “Wei Zhi Xiang”

The comprehensive study on the ready-to-eat (RTE) food industry elucidates the strategic dynamics and growth avenues, focusing on the Chinese brand "Wei Zhi Xiang." It scrutinizes the industry's evolution, driven by cultural and social shifts towards convenience and nutrition-conscious consumption. The analysis navigates through the intricacies of market trends, consumer behaviors, and technological advancements that have catalyzed the proliferation of RTE foods. A particular emphasis is placed on the escalating demand for products that blend convenience with nutritional value, highlighting the industry's response to the modern consumer's fast-paced lifestyle. Through a detailed market analysis, the report dissects the competitive landscape, identifying key players and their strategic maneuvers within the industry. The future outlook section anticipates continued growth, propelled by urbanization and the burgeoning single-person household trend. A SWOT analysis of "Wei Zhi Xiang" reveals strengths in product diversity and distribution, while also pinpointing areas for improvement, particularly in health perception and environmental sustainability of packaging. Strategic recommendations for "Wei Zhi Xiang" suggest a focus on product innovation tailored to health trends, eco-friendly packaging, and market expansion into emerging economies. The report concludes that leveraging technological advancements and consumer engagement can fortify "Wei Zhi Xiang’s" market position and drive the RTE food sector towards a sustainable and health-conscious future.

Board gender diversity and employee productivity. The moderating role of female leaders

Drawing on the Motivational Role Modeling Theory and Critical Mass Theory, the main objectives of this paper are to analyze the impact of Board Gender Diversity (BGD) on Employee Productivity (EP) and to investigate the moderating role of a Female CEO or a Female Board Chair on this relationship in Social Economy companies. The methodology used is a fixed-effects regression with panel data for 1,914 Spanish Social economy companies in the agri-food sector from 2017 to 2021. Our findings uncover a non-linear relationship between BGD and EP displaying a descendent curvilinear pattern, though not strictly U-shaped. Moreover, we confirm the moderating influence of a Female Chair, noting that its presence shifts the relationship between BGD and EP from an inverted curvilinear pattern to a U-shaped one. In this context, the board requires a minimum presence of women, set at a critical mass of 13 %. However, the moderating impact of a Female CEO remains inconclusive. This research underscores the significance of investigating board diversity, specifically emphasizing female leadership in understanding the link between BGD and EP. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the impact of BGD on EP by developing an integrated model based on Motivational Role Modeling Theory and Critical Mass Theory, and calculating the critical mass when a Female Chair is present on the board.

Ecosystem compartment stoichiometry drives the secondary succession processes of zokor‐disturbed grassland

AbstractIn terrestrial ecosystems, resource availability and soil microbial biomass are substantially changed with ecological recovery. However, the shifts in resource stoichiometry and microbial biomass stoichiometry often do not align, leading to stoichiometric imbalance that constrains microbial growth and, consequently, affects plant community succession. The mechanisms by which soil microbes acclimate to these imbalances and how such adjustments influence plant community dynamics remain largely unexplored in alpine grasslands. To address these processes, we examined ecological stoichiometry during the secondary succession of zokor‐disturbed grassland on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China, utilizing a space‐for‐time substitution approach. Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents across plant–soil–microbe and soil ecoenzymatic activities involved in soil microbial nutrient acquisition were measured. The results indicated that C:P and N:P imbalances between microbes and their plant resources intensified with the recovery of zokor‐disturbed grassland. This led to phosphorus limitation in microbial growth, as indicated by the mean vector angles exceeding 45° and decreased threshold element ratio of C:P. In response, soil microbes increased their production of P‐acquiring enzymes to mitigate P limitation. Through structural equation modelling (SEM), we found that the C:N:P ratios within the plant–soil–microbe systems explained 74.5% of the total variance in plant aboveground biomass. We concluded that maintaining balanced C:N:P stoichiometric ratios in plant–soil–microbe systems, facilitated by soil ecoenzymatic activities, enhances plant diversity and net primary productivity during the recovery of zokor‐disturbed grassland.