• Title/Summary/Keyword: Niche

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Cloning Livestock from Cultured Cells Creates New Opportunities for Agriculture

  • Wells, D.N.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.29-48
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    • 2003
  • It is remarkable that nuclear transfer using differentiated donor cells can produce physiologically normal cloned animals, but the process is inefficient and highly prone to epigenetic errors. Aberrant patterns of gene expression in clones contribute to the cumulative losses and abnormal phenotypes observed throughout development. Any long lasting effects from cloning, as revealed in some mouse studies, need to be comprehensively evaluated in cloned livestock. These issues raise animal welfare concerns that currently limit the acceptability and applicability of the technology. It is expected that improved reprogramming of the donor genome will increase cloning efficiencies realising a wide range of new agricultural and medical opportunities. Efficient cloning potentially enables rapid dissemination of elite genotypes from nucleus herds to commercial producers. Initial commercialization will, however, focus on producing small numbers of high value animals for natural breeding especially clones of progeny-tested sires, The continual advances in animal genomics towards the identification of genes that influence livestock production traits and human health increase the ability to genetically modify animals to enhance agricultural efficiency and produce superior quality food and biomedical products for niche markets. The potential opportunities in animal agriculture are more challenging than those in biomedicine as they require greater biological efficiency at reduced cost to be economically viable and because of the more difficult consumer acceptance issues. Nevertheless, cloning and transgenesis are being used together to increase the genetic merit of livestock; however, the integration of this technology into farming systems remains some distance in the future.

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Modeling the Spatial Distribution of Black-Necked Cranes in Ladakh Using Maximum Entropy

  • Meenakshi Chauhan;Randeep Singh;Puneet Pandey
    • Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.79-85
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    • 2023
  • The Tibetan Plateau is home to the only alpine crane species, the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis). Conservation efforts are severely hampered by a lack of knowledge on the spatial distribution and breeding habitats of this species. The ecological niche modeling framework used to predict the spatial distribution of this species, based on the maximum entropy and occurrence record data, allowed us to generate a species-specific spatial distribution map in Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya, India. The model was created by assimilating species occurrence data from 486 geographical sites with 24 topographic and bioclimatic variables. Fourteen variables helped forecast the distribution of black-necked cranes by 96.2%. The area under the curve score for the model training data was high (0.98), indicating the accuracy and predictive performance of the model. Of the total study area, the areas with high and moderate habitat suitability for black-necked cranes were anticipated to be 8,156 km2 and 6,759 km2, respectively. The area with high habitat suitability within the protected areas was 5,335 km2. The spatial distribution predicted using our model showed that the majority of speculated conservation areas bordered the existing protected areas of the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. Hence, we believe, that by increasing the current study area, we can account for these gaps in conservation areas, more effectively.

Secondary Literature Analysis: The Marketing Practice to Attract Potential Customers into Leisure and Sports Industry

  • Eungoo KANG;Ji-Hye KIM
    • The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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    • v.14 no.6
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    • pp.1-8
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    • 2023
  • Purpose: The marketing practice for the leisure and sports industry is a complex process that requires a thorough understanding of the audience, their needs and motivations. Thus, this niche market is focused on specific products, services, or experiences. The present research explores and suggests meaningful strategies based on the literature textual dataset to provide how to attract consumers in this sector. Research design, data and methodology: We have conducted the 'Secondary Literature Analysis', reviewing and summarizing numerous findings in the relevant prior studies. As a result, we could obtain a total of 15 significant textual resources which are from only peer-reviewed journal article. All resources had a high quality of the instrument to prove their results. Results: The findings of this research pointed out that marketers in leisure sports sector need to communicate via following methods: (1) Understanding the Customers' Needs and Wants, (2) Social Media, (3) Advertising, (4) Promoting Brand Affinity, (5) Offering Discounts, and (6) Providing Value-Added Services. Conclusions: The present research concludes that the marketing practice in the leisure and sports industry should be performed using various channels. In addition, marketing practitioners are supposed to check if tailored marketing messages are compatible with products, services, and events that relate to their target audience's interests.

Spatial distribution of phytoplankton in Gamak Bay in spring, with emphasis on small phytoplankton

  • Yeongji Oh;Yoonja Kang
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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    • v.40 no.4
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    • pp.374-386
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    • 2022
  • Phytoplankton communities, with emphasis on picoplankton and nanoplankton, were investigated in Gamak Bay, South Korea, where freshwater input and coastal water intrusion shape ecosystem functions. Shellfish farms and fish farms are located in the inner bay and outer bay, respectively, and tides translocate uneaten food and urine production from aquaculture farms toward the inner bay. Water masses were distinctly different based on a significantly different density between the surface and bottom layer and among three water masses, including the inner bay, outer bay, and Yeosu Harbor. Phytoplankton communities were quantified using flow cytometry and size-fractionated chlorophyll-a (chl-a) was measured. Salinity was a principal variable separating phytoplankton communities between the surface and bottom layer, whereas Si(OH)4 controlled the communities in the inner bay, and NH4+ and PO43- governed the outer bay communities. While phycocyanin-containing (PC) cyanobacteria dominated in the outer bay, phycoerythrin-containing (PE) cyanobacteria dominance occurred with cryptophyte dominance, indicating that nutrients affected the distribution of pico- and nanoplankton and that cryptophytes potentially relied on a mixotrophic mode by feeding on PE cyanobacteria. Interestingly, picoeukaryotes and eukaryotes larger than 10 ㎛ were mostly responsible for the ecological niche in the western region of the bay. Given that chl-a levels have historically declined, our study highlights the potential importance of increased small phytoplankton in Gamak Bay. Particularly, we urge an examination of the ecological role of small phytoplankton in the food supply of cultivated marine organisms.

R&D Transitions in Response to Digital Transformation in Korea

  • Lim, Jongyeon;Lee, BangRae;Won, Dongkyu
    • Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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    • v.10 no.spc
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    • pp.96-111
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    • 2022
  • With the rapid development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital transformation, scientific and technological innovation measures are being devised to overcome Korea's low-growth, high-cost structure. Accordingly, by examining the R&D investment evaluation system of R&D PIE (R&D Platform for Investment and Evaluation), which has been promoted by the Korean government in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, from the perspective of R&D transformation, this study aims to explore a new path for a sustainable national science and technology innovation system following digital transformation. In particular, from the perspective of R&D PIE, a MLP (Multi-level Perspective), which had been conducted as an abstract theoretical study, was attempted with specific cases and analysis for each of the three layers: niche, landscape, and regime. In conclusion, R&D PIE was intended to elevate the abstract R&D investment evaluation system to a platform that leads innovation in the digital space of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In addition, it was confirmed that the R&D PIE could be replaced or enhanced as a platform for innovation in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, thereby providing an alternative to job creation and an escape from economic crisis.

Cloning Livestock from Cultured Cells Creates New Opportunities for Agriculture

  • Wells, D.N.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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    • 2003.10a
    • /
    • pp.29-48
    • /
    • 2003
  • It is remarkable that nuclear transfer using differentiated donor cells can produce physiologically normal cloned animals, but the process is inefficient and highly prone to epigenetic errors. Aberrant patterns of gene expression in clones contribute to the cumulative losses and abnormal phenotypes observed throughout development. Any long lasting effects from cloning, as revealed in some mouse studies, need to be comprehensively evaluated in cloned livestock. These issues raise animal welfare concerns that currently limit the acceptability and applicability of the technology. It is expected that improved reprogramming of the donor genome will increase cloning efficiencies realising a wide range of new agricultural and medical opportunities. Efficient cloning potentially enables rapid dissemination of elite genotypes from nucleus herds to commercial producers. Initial commercialisation will, however, focus on producing small numbers of high value animals for natural breeding especially clones of progeny-tested sires. The continual advances in animal genomics towards the identification of genes that influence livestock production traits and human health increase the ability to genetically modify animals to enhance agricultural efficiency and produce superior quality food and biomedical products for niche markets. The potential opportunities inanimal agriculture are more challenging than those in biomedicine as they require greater biological efficiency at reduced cost to be economically viable and because of the more difficult consumer acceptance issues. Nevertheless, cloning and transgenesis are being used together to increase the genetic merit of livestock; however, the integration of this technology into farming systems remains some distance in the future.

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Eclectic Sociocultural Traditions of the Baba Nyonya of George Town, Penang, Malaysia

  • OOI, Keat Gin
    • SUVANNABHUMI
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.51-89
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    • 2017
  • Strategically situated between the East-West maritime crossroads, the peoples of Southeast Asia over the centuries witnessed the comings and goings of traders from territories from East Asia, South Asia, West Asia and Europe. There were also those from North America that crossed the Pacific for commercial profits in this region. Foreign traders undoubtedly in the course of their visits and sojourns had liaisons with local women, some engaged in marriages. Offspring of these interracial miscegenation possessed rather unique characteristics. As a community, they were identified with the Malay term, peranakan, from the root word, "anak" meaning "child," hence "offspring" or "descendent". Specific terms - Baba Nyonya, Tionghoa-Selat, Chitty, Jawi Pekan, Pashu, Kristang - referred to particular groups. Although socially they appeared 'neither here nor there', members of mixed parentage were able to carve an especial niche in the local environment throughout Southeast Asia, conspicuously in urban, port-cities where trade and commerce predominated. Following in the footsteps of their progenitor, the Peranakan acted as intermediaries, comprador between foreign and indigenous enterprises, profiting financially and socially from trade and commerce. Tapping on the author's personal experiences and first-hand observations, complementing with oral sources, and support from secondary materials, this present essay explores, discusses, and analyzes the eclectic sociocultural practices and traditions of the Baba Nyonya of George Town, Penang. Purposeful intention is to further enlighten our understanding, and in turn, our appreciation, of these ever increasingly diminishing communities and their cultures across Southeast Asia.

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Trends in the AI-based Banking Conversational Agents Literature: A Bibliometric Review

  • Eden Samuel Parthiban;Mohd. Adil
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.702-736
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    • 2023
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the technologies powered by AI fuel the fourth industrial revolution. Being the primary adopter of such innovations, banking has recently started using the most common AI-based technology, i.e., conversational agents. Although research extensively focuses on this niche area and provides bibliometric understanding for such agents in other industries, a similar review with scientometric insights of the banking literature concerning AI conversational agents is absent till date. Furthermore, in the era following the pandemic, banks are faced with the imperative to provide solutions that align with the changing landscape of remote consumer behavior. As a result, banks are proactively integrating technology-driven solutions, such as automated agents, to effectively address the growing demand for remote customer support. Hence more research is needed to perfect such agents. In order to bridge these existing gaps, the present study undertook a comprehensive examination of two decades' worth of banking literature. A meticulous review was conducted, analyzing approximately 116 papers published from 2003 to 2023. The aim was to provide a scientometric overview of the topic, catering to the research needs of both academic and industrial professionals. Holistically, the study seeks to present a macro-view about the existing trends in AI based banking conversational agents' literature while focusing on quantity, qualitative and structural indicators that are effectively necessary to offer new directions for the AI-based banking solutions. Our study, therefore, presents insights surrounding the literature, using selected techniques related to performance analysis and science mapping.

The Role of Small Airports in the Distribution and Logistics of Local Produce in India: A Proposal for Business Efficiency

  • Romy JUNEJA;Saurabh TIWARI;Prasoom DWIVEDI
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.69-81
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    • 2024
  • Purpose: Small airports are social and economic enablers and facilitate businesses and individuals. They contribute significantly to the distribution and logistics of the local produce - be it goods or services, thereby impacting the economy but have limited access to funds and poor management restricts their development. Despite the importance, small airports in small cities struggle financially as they are unable to earn profits and have higher operating costs. In other words, this is a paradoxical situation for small airports wherein, despite losses, the regional or national public authorities still finance such airports under socio-economic obligations. Therefore, this study aims to identify the critical success factors for improving small airports' performance and propose a business model. Research design, data and methodology: Using the qualitative research, interviews with 16 stakeholders from Guwahati, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar and Dehradun airports in india were examined. Results: The analysis reveals strategic planning and low cost, non-passenger services, and development of airport economic region as the main factors contributing towards small airports' success. Additionally, providing logistics to the local businesses and creating niche markets are suggested. Conclusions: Small airports, based on their services and the means of targeting customers, could select the relevant approach to improve their overall performance and improve profitability.

The Plant-Associated Flavobacterium: A Hidden Helper for Improving Plant Health

  • Hyojun Seo;Ju Hui Kim;Sang-Moo Lee;Seon-Woo Lee
    • The Plant Pathology Journal
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    • v.40 no.3
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    • pp.251-260
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    • 2024
  • Flavobacterium is a genus within the phylum Bacteroidota that remains relatively unexplored. Recent analyses of plant microbiota have identified the phylum Bacteroidota as a major bacterial group in the plant rhizosphere. While Flavobacterium species within the phylum Bacteroidota have been recognized as pathogens in the aquatic habitats, microbiome analysis and the characterization of novel Flavobacterium species have indicated the great diversity and potential of their presence in various environments. Many Flavobacterium species have positively contribute to plant health and development, including growth promotion, disease control, and tolerance to abiotic stress. Despite the well-described beneficial interactions of the Flavobacterium species with plants, the molecular mechanisms and bacterial determinants underlying these interactions remain unclear. To broaden our understanding of the genus Flavobacterium's role in plant health, we review the recent studies focusing on their ecological niche, functional roles, and determinants in plant-beneficial interactions. Additionally, this review discusses putative mechanisms explaining the interactions between plants and Flavobacterium. We have also introduced the importance of future research on Flavobacterium spp. and its potential applications in agriculture.