Product Networks Research Articles

Microbiome-transcriptome analysis reveals that dietary supplementation with macleaya cordata extract alters multiple immune pathways with minimal impact on microbial structure.

As a potential antibiotic alternative, macleaya cordata extract (MCE) has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. This study was conducted to assess the impact of MCE supplementation on the gut microbiota and its interplay with the host in young goats. Thirty female black goats with similar body weight (5.63 ± 0.30kg) were selected and randomly allotted into one of three diets: a control diet (Control), a control diet with antibiotics (Antibiotics, 21 mg/kg/day vancomycin and 42 mg/kg/day neomycin), and a control diet with MCE (MCE, 3.75% w/w premix). Principal coordinate analysis of the microbial community showed that samples of Antibiotic clustered separately from both Control and MCE (p<0.001). The random forest analysis revealed that, in comparison to the Control group, the impact of Antibiotics on the microbiota structure was more pronounced than that of MCE (number of featured microbiota, 13 in Antibiotics and >6 in MCE). In addition, the pathways of significant enrichment either from DEGs between Antibiotics and Control or from DEGs between MCE and Control were almost identical, including Th17 cell differentiation, butanoate metabolism, T-cell receptor signaling pathway, intestinal immune network for IgA production, antigen processing and presentation, and ABC transporters. Furthermore, an integrative analysis indicated that significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) were observed between HEPHL1 and the featured biomarkers Atopostipes, Syntrophococcus, Romboutsia, and Acinetobacter in the MCE group. Conversely, several significant negative correlations (p < 0.05) were identified between HEPHL1 and the featured biomarkers Clostridium_XlVa, Phascolarctobacterium, Desulfovibrio, Cloacibacillus, Barnesiella, Succinatimonas, Alistipes, Oscillibacter, Ruminococcus2, and Megasphaera in the Antibiotics group. Collectively, the analysis of microbiome-transcriptome data revealed that dietary supplementation with MCE produced significant alterations in multiple immune pathways, while having minimal impact on the microbial structure.

Prediction of Optimum Veneer Drying Parameters with Artifi cial Neural Networks for Production of Plywood with High Mechanical Properties

Veneer drying is the manufacturing process in the plywood industry that most affects energy consumption and panel properties such as bonding and bending. Therefore, the veneer drying temperature and moisture content should be accurately adjusted. Moreover, the determination of veneer thermal conductivity is as important as these two parameters and the thermal conductivity values should also be specifi ed when forming the drying programs. This study aimed to predict the optimum values of the veneer drying temperatures, moisture content and thermal conductivity, which gave the best mechanical properties, by artifi cial neural network (ANN) analysis. Poplar (Populus deltoidesI-77/51) and spruce (Picea orientalis L.) veneers and urea formaldehyde (UF) resin were used in the production of plywood. The thermal conductivity of veneer and the bonding, bending strength and elasticity modulus of the panels were tested by the relevant standards. The most accurate and reliable prediction models were obtained by analyzing the experimental data with ANN. The optimum veneer drying temperature, moisture content and thermal conductivity values that gave the best values for all three mechanical properties were 149 &amp;deg;C, 6.2 % and 0.02668 W/mK for poplar and 116 &amp;deg;C, 4.4 % and 0.02534 W/mK for spruce.

Proximity and its impact on the formation of product and process innovation networks among producer firms

ABSTRACT Informal networks among manufacturing firms play an important role in the transfer of knowledge in industrial clusters. Proximity facilitates the networking process; however, empirical evidence on the relationship between multiple proximity dimensions and different kinds of innovation networks is scarce, especially in developing economies. Using multiple regression quadratic assignment procedures (MRQAP), this paper studies the relationship between four proximity dimensions and innovation networks for new product and new process innovations in the Lahore textile cluster in Pakistan. Our findings suggest that both geographical and non-geographical proximity dimensions show a distinct impact on product and process innovations networks.

Literature Review: Halal Culinary Marketing Strategy To Improve The Competitiveness MSMEs In Indonesia

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are one of the main pillars of the Indonesian economy, including the culinary sector. Food is considered one of the significant aspects that affect visitor satisfaction with a destination, especially Muslims. Local food that is currently trending is enough to increase its own interest in the community, especially Muslims, namely Warung Pecel based on Sharia or Halal. It is one type of MSME that combines the principles of shari'ah with their business activities. The purpose of this literature review is to identify marketing strategies that can be used to increase the competitiveness of Sharia pecel pinstripe rice stalls. This research uses the literature review method of journals from ScienceDirect, Researchgate, and Google Scholar. The results of the literature review show that there are 15 articles explaining several marketing strategies that can be applied to increase the competitiveness of Sharia pecel rice stalls. Relevant marketing strategies include the application of digital marketing, market segmentation, and appropriate targeting, branding and product differentiation, network marketing and strategic alliances, use of social media, value-based marketing, effective marketing promotion and communication, and experience marketing. In addition, by understanding the values of Sharia and promoting them effectively, Warung Pecel can differentiate itself from competitors and create a unique experience for customers. The limitation of the study which samples of MSMEs with pecel stalls.

Extracting and Evaluating Urban Entities in China from 2000 to 2020 Based on SNPP-VIIRS-like Data

It is crucial to evaluate the expansion of urban entities to implement sustainable urban planning strategies in China. Thus, this study attempted to extract and evaluate the growth of urban entities 270 prefecture cities in mainland China (2000–2020) using a novel approach based on consistent night light images. After the urban entities were extracted, a rationality assessment was carried out to compare the derived urban entities with the LandScan population product, Landsat, and road network results. Additionally, the results were compared with other physical extent products, such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and urban built-up area products (HE) products. According to the findings, the urban entities were basically consistent with the LandScan, road network, and HE and MODIS products. However, the urban entities more accurately reflected the concentration of human activities than did the impervious extents of the MODIS and HE products. At the prefecture levels, the area of urban entities increased from 8082 km2 to 74,417 km2 between 2000 and 2020, showing an average growth rate of 10.8% over those twenty years. As a reliable supplementary resource and guide for urban mapping, this research will inform new research on the K-means algorithm and on variations in NTL data brightness threshold dynamics at regional and global scales.

ARPC1B is a novel prognostic biomarker for kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and correlates with immune infiltration.

Background: Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 1B (ARPC1B) is reported to be involved in tumorigenesis and progression. However, its role in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and prognostic significance remain unclear. Methods: Data sets from the TCGA, GTEx, GEPIA, GEO, UALCAN, and CPTAC databases were extracted and analyzed to investigate the expression difference, prognosis, and clinicopathological features of ARPC1B. Single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA), CIBERSORT, and TISCH2 analysis were used to examine the relationship between ARPC1B expression and tumor immune infiltration in KIRC. The potential function of ARPC1B in KIRC was explored by GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway analysis. The TIDE algorithm was used to predict and analyze the relationship between ARPC1B expression and response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The expression of ARPC1B was further validated by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: The study showed that ARPC1B expression was an independent prognostic factor of KIRC, with high ARPC1B expression being associated with poor overall survival (OS). Enrichment of GO annotation and pathway analysis showed multiple immune-related functional pathways affected by ARPC1B such as regulation of immune effector process, inflammatory response regulation, antigen processing and presentation, asthma, autoimmune thyroid disease, graft versus host disease, intestinal immune network for IgA production, and type I diabetic mellitus. Moreover, ARPC1B expression positively correlated with infiltrating levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in KIRC. Importantly, high ARPC1B expression predicted a low response to ICB in KIRC. Conclusion: This study indicates that ARPC1B expression is an independent prognostic biomarker for OS in KIRC patients. High ARPC1B expression is closely associated with MDSCs and Tregs infiltration. These findings suggest that ARPC1B may serve as a biomarker for prognosis and immune infiltration in KIRC, potentially aiding in the development of novel treatment strategies to improve the survival outcomes for KIRC patients.

Analysis of the international trade networks of COVID-19 medical products

This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how and for what reasons the world trade networks of medical products were reorganized during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To do this, first, the trade data of eight COVID-19-related product categories (such as medical test kits and protective garments) were collected for the years 2019 and 2020. Then it was examined which countries’ exports and imports changed the most between the studied time period in each product category. In addition, gravity models containing additional economic, geographic, and COVID-19-related variables were used to analyze the impact of the pandemic on the investigated trade networks. Based on the results, China achieved the highest cumulative export growth, surpassing the second-highest value by approximately 14.66. Hungary, with a population of only 9.7 million, stood out as a major importer of ventilators. Additionally, a higher incidence of COVID-19 among importers typically led to reduced traded values, while European Union membership and innovation capacity had the opposite effect.

Construction of Agricultural Products Logistics Network in Hebei Province Based on Improved Gravity Mode

Solving the problems of “agriculture, rural areas” has always been the top priority of national development work and the focus of social attention. Logistics, as the “third source of income”, can give full play to the role of logistics to enable agricultural products to obtain higher returns in the case of high production. In the context of the increasing demand for high-quality life, it is particularly important to reduce the consumption of agricultural products in the transportation process and ensure the quality of fresh agricultural products. A reasonable logistics network system can effectively reduce costs, save manpower and promote the increase of farmers’ income. Based on the research of factor analysis and gravity model, this paper adopts 11 prefecture-level cities in Hebei Province as research samples, and studies the economic development level of each city in Hebei Province, the scale and level of logistics industry development, the demand degree of agricultural products, and the supply degree of agricultural products as four indicators, and constructs a regional agricultural product logistics quality index system. The logistics quality and logistics gravity of agricultural products were calculated, the results of the model were graded, the regional logistics network of agricultural products was drawn and analyzed based on the logistics gravity strength, and some suggestions were put forward to improve the development of regional logistics network of agricultural products. Based on this, this paper believes that only by vigorously developing the construction of agricultural logistics network system can agriculture get better development, and in promoting the development of agriculture, it can optimize and upgrade the local logistics infrastructure and drive the regional economic development.

Mumbai's Tool-House

Across Mumbai, millions of people, with insufficient capital to purchase or rent property at market rates, occupy space in the most economical ways possible. In the process of optimizing the li le space they have they often mix and merge living and working functions. We refer to this typology as the 'tool-house'. While similar live–work conditions have been identi fied under various avatars all over the world, we look at its particularities in the context of Mumbai and show how its emergence is both context induced and context generating. Entire neighbourhoods, such as Dharavi in the heart of Mumbai are shaped by the presence of tiny tool-houses which, taken together, represent a fantastic productive network. We argue that tool-houses should be recognized as legitimate urban forms, not just in Mumbai but everywhere. In this paper, we show how tool-houses (and more generally live–work structures) have been essential building blocks of urban economies in various moments and times and, along with focusing on Dharavi in Mumbai, we also describe the speci fic case of postwar Tokyo.

Transcriptome analysis reveals immune regulation in the spleen of koi carp (Cyprinus carpio Koi) during Aeromonas hydrophila infection

A. hydrophila (Aeromonas hydrophila) is one of the most hazardous pathogenic microorganisms threatening the aquaculture industry and exhibits zoonotic-like characteristics. This study was designed to investigate the differential gene expression and pathway enrichment in the spleen of koi carp (Cyprinus carpio koi) upon A. hydrophila infection. The Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing platform was used to identify 252 DEGs (differentially expressed genes), including 112 upregulated genes and 140 downregulated genes, in the spleens of koi carp challenged with A. hydrophila compared to those in the spleens of koi carp treated with PBS (phosphate-buffered saline). DEGs were shown to be involved in 133 pathways by KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis. Numerous immunological disease-related pathways, such as the immune defense network for IgA production, Staphylococcus aureus infection, and antigen processing and presentation, were enriched in the DEGs. In addition, the expression levels of 10 randomly screened DEGs, including the inflammatory factor nlrp3 (NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3), cytokine il-8 (interleukin-8), c2 (complement c2), c3 (complement c3), and the lipid mediator cox1 (cyclooxygenase-1), were compared by qPCR. The results showed that six genes, including il-8, cox1, and nlrp3, were upregulated according to both RNA-seq and qPCR validation, while four, including c2 and c3, showed downregulated expression. This result verified a strong correlation between the RNA-seq and qPCR datasets at the expression level. Moreover, this study provided splenic transcriptome data for koi carp during A. hydrophila infection and provided theoretical support for future drug development.

Encrypted Model Predictive Control of a Nonlinear Chemical Process Network

This work focuses on developing and applying Encrypted Lyapunov-based Model Predictive Control (LMPC) in a nonlinear chemical process network for Ethylbenzene production. The network, governed by a nonlinear dynamic model, comprises two continuously stirred tank reactors that are connected in series and is simulated using Aspen Plus Dynamics. For enhancing system cybersecurity, the Paillier cryptosystem is employed for encryption–decryption operations in the communication channels between the sensor–controller and controller–actuator, establishing a secure network infrastructure. Cryptosystems generally require integer inputs, necessitating a quantization parameter d, for quantization of real-valued signals. We utilize the quantization parameter to quantize process measurements and control inputs before encryption. Through closed-loop simulations under the encrypted LMPC scheme, where the LMPC uses a first-principles nonlinear dynamical model, we examine the effect of the quantization parameter on the performance of the controller and the overall encryption to control the input calculation time. We illustrate that the impact of quantization can outweigh those of plant/model mismatch, showcasing this phenomenon through the implementation of a first-principles-based LMPC on an Aspen Plus Dynamics process model. Based on the findings, we propose a strategy to mitigate the quantization effect on controller performance while maintaining a manageable computational burden on the control input calculation time.

The Impact of a National Crisis on Research Collaborations: A Scientometric Analysis of Ukrainian Authors 2019–2022

This paper analyzes the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine on the productivity and collaboration networks of Ukrainian academics. As a case study, we analyze the publication patterns in open-access MDPI journals using bibliographic analysis methods and compare the research output published in 2022 with research papers published in the three preceding years (2019–2021) with at least one author having an Ukrainian affiliation. A total of 2365 publications were analyzed. The identified publication trends provide an interesting insight into the dynamics of the research network of Ukrainian researchers, which demonstrated a decline in diversity of international collaborations in 2022. The findings of this study emphasize the necessity of international research collaboration in a variety of fields in order to mitigate the detrimental effects of national crises and emergencies.

A parabrachial-hypothalamic parallel circuit governs cold defense in mice

Thermal homeostasis is vital for mammals and is controlled by brain neurocircuits. Yet, the neural pathways responsible for cold defense regulation are still unclear. Here, we found that a pathway from the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), which runs parallel to the canonical LPB to preoptic area (POA) pathway, is also crucial for cold defense. Together, these pathways make an equivalent and cumulative contribution, forming a parallel circuit. Specifically, activation of the LPB → DMH pathway induced strong cold-defense responses, including increases in thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue (BAT), muscle shivering, heart rate, and locomotion. Further, we identified somatostatin neurons in the LPB that target DMH to promote BAT thermogenesis. Therefore, we reveal a parallel circuit governing cold defense in mice, which enables resilience to hypothermia and provides a scalable and robust network in heat production, reshaping our understanding of neural circuit regulation of homeostatic behaviors.

Factors that facilitate or limit the development of bivalve mollusk aquaculture in BCS, Mexico: The small-scale producers’ perspective

Aquaculture is the activity with the highest economic growth in the fishing sector worldwide. This activity in Baja California Sur (BCS) Mexico is at a key moment due recent upturn in production and the number of operating organizations; regarding bivalve mollusks culture (the livelihood of hundreds of families), but they are unable to stabilize their production. The purpose of this research was to determine the factors that limit/favor the development of the activity, in order to propose strategic actions to improve the situation. For this, through a survey, a political, economic, social and technological, ecological, and legal analysis (PESTEL) were integrated. Among the results stands out that 88% of the companies started activity less than a decade ago, with a higher rate of company creation in the last four years. The producer’s profile shows that they come mainly from fishing and agricultural activities, and two-thirds only have primary or secondary education. As a relevant weakness, only 22% of companies have social security for workers and their families. Environmental conditions, climate, water quality, and high product consumption stand out as favorable aspects. Among the limitations are the shortage of seeds, deficient infrastructure, marketing problems, and lack of financing programs. Within the political factors, producers demand the ordering of the sector. We conclude the need to improve government support programs, seed production, innovation process, productive and commercial articulation, crop diversification, and strengthening of the BCS oyster product network.

Does Proximity to Expressways Improve Manufacturing Productivity? Evidence from Chinese Firms

By matching the geocoded data of firm-level productivity and county-level expressway networks in China’s Yangtze River Delta region, we establish a difference-in-differences model to investigate the impact of expressways on manufacturing firm productivity. The results show that expressways boost manufacturing firms’ total factor productivity, with firms closer to expressway services achieving more significant productivity increases compared to those farther away. The results remain robust after controlling for the endogeneity problem using an instrumental variable approach. Expressways promote firm productivity by reducing inventory costs and increasing firm profitability and regional industrial concentration, whereas their effect on product innovation is insignificant. We also find heterogeneity in the impact of expressways on firm productivity, with firms in peripheral counties and in labor-intensive industries receiving a weak productivity-enhancing effect, while firms in central regions and those with high transport dependency benefit more.

Lung proteomics combined with metabolomics reveals molecular characteristics of inflammation-related lung tumorigenesis induced by B(a)P and LPS.

Inflammatory microenvironment may take a promoting role in lung tumorigenesis. However, the molecular characteristics underlying inflammation-related lung cancer remains unknown. In this work, the inflammation-related lung tumorigenesis mouse model was established by treated with B(a)P (1 mg/mouse, once a week for 4 weeks), followed by LPS (2.5 μg/mouse, once every 3 weeks for five times), the mice were sacrificed 30 weeks after exposure. TMT-labeled quantitative proteomics and untargeted metabolomics were used to interrogate differentially expressed proteins and metabolites in different mouse cancer tissues, followed by integrated crosstalk between proteomics and metabolomics through Spearman's correlation analysis. The result showed that compared with the control group, 103 proteins and 37 metabolites in B(a)P/LPS group were identified as significantly altered. By searching KEGG pathway database, proteomics pathways such as Leishmaniasis, Asthma and Intestinal immune network for IgA production, metabolomics pathways such as Vascular smooth muscle contraction, Linoleic acid metabolism and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway were enriched. A total of 22 pathways were enriched after conjoint analysis of the proteomic and metabolomics, and purine metabolism pathway, the unique metabolism-related pathway, which included significantly altered protein (adenylate cyclase 4, ADCY4) and metabolites (L-Glutamine, guanosine monophosphate (GMP), adenosine and guanosine) was found. Results suggested purine metabolism may contribute to the inflammation-related lung tumorigenesis, which may provide novel clues for the therapeutic strategies of inflammation-related lung cancer.

Rating and perceived helpfulness in a bipartite network of online product reviews

AbstractIn many e-commerce platforms user communities share product information in the form of reviews and ratings to help other consumers to make their choices. This study develops a new theoretical framework generating a bipartite network of products sold by Amazon.com in the category “musical instruments”, by linking products through the reviews. We analyze product rating and perceived helpfulness of online customer reviews and the relationship between the centrality of reviews, product rating and the helpfulness of reviews using Clustering, regression trees, and random forests algorithms to, respectively, classify and find patterns in 2214 reviews. Results demonstrate: (1) that a high number of reviews do not imply a high product rating; (2) when reviews are helpful for consumer decision-making we observe an increase on the number of reviews; (3) a clear positive relationship between product rating and helpfulness of the reviews; and (4) a weak relationship between the centrality measures (betweenness and eigenvector) giving the importance of the product in the network, and the quality measures (product rating and helpfulness of reviews) regarding musical instruments. These results suggest that products may be central to the network, although with low ratings and with reviews providing little helpfulness to consumers. The findings in this study provide several important contributions for e-commerce businesses’ improvement of the review service management to support customers’ experiences and online customers’ decision-making.

Supply Chain Planning for IC Design House Back-End Production Network With Turnkey Service

Owing to global competition, integrated circuit (IC) design houses are facing challenges in the optimal use of capacity and resources to fulfill customer demands and maximize profit. A hybrid make-to-stock (MTS) and make-to-order (MTO) model is generally used. Wafer procurement is made according to customers’ long-term demand forecast based on MTS. Limited wafer fab resources and back-end capacity are first allocated to on-hand orders and then to forecast demand. In production planning, several factors need to be considered to determine the production quantity and inventory level, such as the material, capacity, substitute, technical constraint, and order tardiness. This study considers a typical multi-stage supply chain network of semiconductor back-end production with turnkey service for IC design houses. The objective is to maximize the total profit with the constraints of equipment capacity, the flexibility of substitutes, and the usage of the turnkey mode. The problem is formulated with a mixed-integer programming model and solved using two novel heuristic algorithms: a product-based decomposition (PD_SCP) with profit-based criteria and a Lagrangian decomposition combined with the product-based decomposition (LD-SCP) method. Using the LD-SCP algorithm takes a long time but results in a great solution. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the impact of different parameters on production cost and total profit.

Scaling-up and future sustainability of a national reproductive genetic carrier screening program

An understanding of factors influencing implementation is essential to realise the benefits of population-based reproductive genetic carrier screening programs. The aim of this study was to synthesise data collected during the Australian Reproductive Genetic Carrier Screening Project (Mackenzie’s Mission) to track how priorities shifted over time and identify important factors during scaling-up and for sustainment. We used a multi-method qualitative approach to integrate longitudinal project data collected from 10 project committees with 16 semi-structured interviews conducted with study team members. Both datasets were analysed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify constructs of interest within early, mid-point, and future implementation phases. Several CFIR constructs were present across implementation. The complexity of implementation presented challenges that were overcome through a quality-designed and packaged product, formal and informal networks and communication, and access to knowledge and information. Addressing the diverse consumer needs through resources and increasing community and non-genetic speciality engagement remained a priority throughout and for future sustainment. Going forward, further addressing program complexities and securing funding were emphasised. By applying an implementation framework, findings from this study may be useful for future effort towards building and/or sustaining reproductive genetic carrier screening programs.

Comparative Analysis of Profitability Before and After Using E-Commerce (Case Study: PT Mustika Ratu,Tbk)

The rapid development of information technology affects changes in people's behavior, especially in shopping, thus encouraging companies to innovate and adapt to technological advances. PT. Mustika Ratu Tbk cooperates with the company e-Commerce marketplace Ralali.com to expand the sales distribution network of Mustika Ratu products and provide ease of the easy and safe buying Online through online channels owned by Ralali.com. This study aims to compare the significance of profitability before and after using e-commerce at PT. Mustika Ratu. This study analyzes financial statements profit including NPM, ROA, ROE. The financial data used are financial statements from 2018-2021 using PT Mustika ratu's financial statements using profitability ratios related to the company's net published on the www.mustika_ratu.co.id website