Dinâmicas de inovação de plataformas digitais: Estudos de caso da Tencent e Alibaba

Na era atual em que vários setores tradicionais estão a ser substituídos por serviços e produtos digitais, a inovação digital e a inovação tecnológica desenvolvem-se a um ritmo muito mais acelerado ao comparar com o passado. Deste modo, surgiram empresas que desenvolvem grandes plataformas de comunicação, comércio, pesquisa entre outras. Estas grandes plataformas introduzem mudanças significantes. A digitalização tem um papel crucial no avanço da tecnologia na China. Fintech, Healthtech, Edtech, E-commerce são expressões que aparecem devido ao surgimento de grandes plataformas que fornecem digitalmente serviços tradicionalmente presenciais. Ao longo desta dissertação foram analisados vários aspetos relacionados com as dinâmicas de inovação das plataformas virtuais chinesas. Foram estudadas plataformas de duas empresas chinesas: Alibaba e Tencent. Para uma melhor compreensão da posição das empresas, foi feita uma análise intensiva de dados secundários, assim como estudos comparativos com empresas do mesmo setor. Para uma melhor compreensão das estratégias de inovação, foi também feita uma análise de dados qualitativos através da análise de artigos científicos.Nowadays, many traditional sectors have been substituted by digital products and services. The digital innovation and innovation technology are developing in a much higher speed compared to the past. Therefore, many big companies developed huge digital platforms for communication, commerce, searching and other functions. These big platforms introduce big changes in our lives. Digitalization is playing a crucial role in the advancement of technology in China. Fintech, Healthtech, Edtech, E-commerce are some expressions that appeared due to the raise of big platforms that provide digital services which substitutes traditionally presential services. In this dissertation, many aspects related to the digital platforms dynamics of innovation had been analyzed. Two companies had been studied: Alibaba and Tencent. For a better understanding of the position of these two companies in the sector, a deeply analysis of secondary data has been made, as well as comparative studies of these two companies. For a better understanding of the innovation strategies, a qualitative analysis also has been made through scientific articles

Unveiling local atomic bonding and packing of amorphous nanophases via independent component analysis facilitated pair distribution function

Amorphous nanophases play a significant role for the properties of a variety of nanoscale heterogeneous materials. Experimental characterization of the atomic arrangement of the amorphous structure, including nanoscale structural variations, is one of the main challenges limiting the rational design of the materials. Here, an approach to characterize local bonding and atomic packing in complex nanomaterials is introduced. Building on scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and pair distribution function analysis (PDF) to record local diffraction information with nanometer spatial resolution, we show that independent component analysis for “blind source separation” of mixed information due to projection effects in STEM-PDF, enables full separation of these signals. The unprecedented information allows determining the structure of individual nanoscale phases and identifying the compounds inside. We analyzed a FeZr/ZrO2 multilayer as proof of principle, and discovered differently coordinated FeOx in the interfacial region. The approach was applied to Fe25Sc75 nanoglass and revealed Fe–Fe bonding concealed in the Sc-rich matrix. Finally, analysis of a shear band in a deformed Cu/CuZr nanolaminate confirmed Cu enrichment and reduced medium-range order in the shear band

Effects of Girdling and Foliar Fertilization with K on Physicochemical Parameters, Phenolic and Volatile Composition in ‘Hanxiangmi’ Table Grape

Aroma is one of the most important indicators of grape quality. Girdling and foliar fertilization with K (K2O) are common agronomic practices applied to improve berry quality in grape production. However, little is known about its effect on the accumulation and biosynthesis of the entire aromatic profile. Our study was aimed to explore the influences of girdling and foliar fertilization with K (alone or in combination) on the general properties, phenolic composition, volatile free aroma compounds, spatial and temporal expression of terpene-related genes and sensory properties in ‘Hanxiangmi’ table grape. In this study, we found that girdling and foliar fertilization with K (alone or in combination) facilitated fruit enlargement and increased the accumulation of phenolic compounds in skin. The combination treatment of girdling and foliar fertilization with K significantly promoted the concentrations of total soluble solids (TSS) in the pulp and proanthocyanidins in the berry skin, and had a lower titratable acidity (TA) compared to those of the control. In contrast, girdling treatment alone increased the concentrations of titratable acidity. Volatile free aroma composition analysis revealed that the combination treatment increased the volatile compounds and concentrations significantly, most notably in terpenes, such as nerol, citronellol and linalool. Spatial and temporal expression analysis showed that the expression level of VvDXS was significantly correlated with linalool and total terpenes concentrations, as a result of which, we speculated that VvDXS is the candidate gene for the regulation of important grape terpenes. We hope that our results can direct farmers to better apply girdling and foliar fertilization with K in grape production

M6AMRFS: Robust Prediction of N6-Methyladenosine Sites With Sequence-Based Features in Multiple Species

As one of the well-studied RNA methylation modifications, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays important roles in various biological progresses, such as RNA splicing and degradation, etc. Identification of m6A sites is fundamentally important for better understanding of their functional mechanisms. Recently, machine learning based prediction methods have emerged as an effective approach for fast and accurate identification of m6A sites. In this paper, we proposed “M6AMRFS”, a new machine learning based predictor for the identification of m6A sites. In this predictor, we exploited a new feature representation algorithm to encode RNA sequences with two feature descriptors (dinucleotide binary encoding and Local position-specific dinucleotide frequency), and used the F-score algorithm combined with SFS (Sequential Forward Search) to enhance the feature representation ability. To predict m6A sites, we employed the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm to build a predictive model. Benchmarking results showed that the proposed predictor is competitive with the state-of-the art predictors. Importantly, robust predictions for multiple species by our predictor demonstrate that our predictive models have strong generalization ability. To the best of our knowledge, M6AMRFS is the first tool that can be used for the identification of m6A sites in multiple species. To facilitate the use of our predictor, we have established a user-friendly webserver with the implementation of M6AMRFS, which is currently available in http://server.malab.cn/M6AMRFS/. We anticipate that it will be a useful tool for the relevant research of m6A sites

Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition via dapagliflozin improves diabetic kidney disease (DKD) over time associatied with increasing effect on the gut microbiota in db/db mice

BackgroundThe intestinal microbiota disorder gradually aggravates during the progression of diabetes. Dapagliflozin (DAPA) can improve diabetes and diabetic kidney disease(DKD). However, whether the gut microbiota plays a role in the protection of DAPA for DKD remains unclear.MethodsTo investigate the effects of DAPA on DKD and gut microbiota composition during disease progression, in our study, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing on fecal samples from db/m mice (control group), db/db mice (DKD model group), and those treated with DAPA (treat group) at three timepoints of 14weeks\18weeks\22weeks.ResultsWe found that DAPA remarkably prevented weight loss and lowered fasting blood glucose in db/db mice during disease progression, eventually delaying the progression of DKD. Intriguingly, the study strongly suggested that there is gradually aggravated dysbacteriosis and increased bile acid during the development of DKD. More importantly, comparisons of relative abundance at the phylum level and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) plots roughly reflected that the effect of DAPA on modulating the flora of db/db mice increased with time. Specifically, the relative abundance of the dominant Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was not meaningfully changed among groups at 14 weeks as previous studies described. Interestingly, they were gradually altered in the treat group compared to the model group with a more protracted intervention of 18 weeks and 22 weeks. Furthermore, the decrease of Lactobacillus and the increase of norank_f:Muribaculaceae could account for the differences at the phylum level observed between the treat group and the model group at 18 weeks and 22 weeks.ConclusionWe firstly found that the protective effect of DAPA on DKD may be related to the dynamic improvement of the gut microbiota over time, possibly associated with the impact of DAPA on the bile acid pool and its antioxidation effect

Plexin D1 emerges as a novel target in the development of neural lineage plasticity in treatment-resistant prostate cancer

Treatment-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) often arises from adenocarcinoma via lineage plasticity in response to androgen receptor signaling inhibitors, such as enzalutamide. However, the specific regulators and targets involved in the transition to NEPC are not well understood. Plexin D1 (PLXND1) is a cellular receptor of the semaphorin (SEMA) family that plays important roles in modulating the cytoskeleton and cell adhesion. Here, we found that PLXND1 was highly expressed and positively correlated with neuroendocrine markers in patients with NEPC. High PLXND1 expression was associated with poorer prognosis in prostate cancer patients. Additionally, PLXND1 was upregulated and negatively regulated by androgen receptor signaling in enzalutamide-resistant cells. Knockdown or knockout of PLXND1 inhibited neural lineage pathways, thereby suppressing NEPC cell proliferation, patient derived xenograft (PDX) tumor organoid viability, and xenograft tumor growth. Mechanistically, the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) regulated PLXND1 protein stability through degradation, and inhibition of HSP70 decreased PLXND1 expression and NEPC organoid growth. In summary, our findings indicate that PLXND1 could serve as a promising therapeutic target and molecular marker for NEPC

Herbal formulas for detoxification and dredging collaterals in treating carotid atherosclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Chinese medicine detoxification and dredging collaterals in treating carotid atherosclerosis (CAS).Methods: A systematic and comprehensive search of nine relevant domestic and international databases were conducted from their inception until June 2022. The methodological quality of the included trials was evaluated, and the efficacy and safety were comprehensively analyzed. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria to the randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the research quality evaluation and data extraction were conducted, followed by a meta-analysis of the selected articles. The Cochrane’s Bias risk assessment was utilized to evaluate the quality of the evidence.Results: Of the 2,660 studies initially retrieved, 14 studies were included, involving a total of 1,518 patients. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that the clinical efficacy of the Detoxification and Collateral Dredging method in the treatment of CAS was superior to that of western medicine treatment alone, and the difference was statistically significant [RR = 1.23, 95% CI (1.13, 1.34)] Furthermore, carotid intima-media thickness [Mean Difference (MD) = −0.10, 95% CI (−0.13, −0.08)] and Crouse plaque score [MD = −0.54, 95% CI (−0.75, −0.32)] were significantly lower in the Detoxification and Collateral Dredging group compared to the pure western medicine treatment group. The difference was statistically significant. In addition, serum total cholesterol [MD = −0.70, 95% CI (−0.85, −0.55)] and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [MD = −0.70, 95% CI (−0.85, −0.55)] were lower in the Detoxification and Collateral Dredging group than in the Western medicine group, with all differences being statistically significant. Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was higher in the Detoxification and Collateral Dredging group compared to the pure western medicine group, and the difference was statistically significant [MD = 0.17, 95% CI (0.11, 0.23)].Conclusion: The use of Chinese medicine Detoxification and Collateral Dredging approach in the treatment of CAS may offer benefits in improving carotid atherosclerotic plaque and reducing blood lipid levels, with a safety profile superior to that of western medicine treatment alone

Computational Modeling Insights into Extreme Heterogeneity in COVID-19 Nasal Swab Data

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented level of clinical nasal swab data from around the globe has been collected and shared. Positive tests have consistently revealed viral titers spanning six orders of magnitude! An open question is whether such extreme population heterogeneity is unique to SARS-CoV-2 or possibly generic to viral respiratory infections. To probe this question, we turn to the computational modeling of nasal tract infections. Employing a physiologically faithful, spatially resolved, stochastic model of respiratory tract infection, we explore the statistical distribution of human nasal infections in the immediate 48 h of infection. The spread, or heterogeneity, of the distribution derives from variations in factors within the model that are unique to the infected host, infectious variant, and timing of the test. Hypothetical factors include: (1) reported physiological differences between infected individuals (nasal mucus thickness and clearance velocity); (2) differences in the kinetics of infection, replication, and shedding of viral RNA copies arising from the unique interactions between the host and viral variant; and (3) differences in the time between initial cell infection and the clinical test. Since positive clinical tests are often pre-symptomatic and independent of prior infection or vaccination status, in the model we assume immune evasion throughout the immediate 48 h of infection. Model simulations generate the mean statistical outcomes of total shed viral load and infected cells throughout 48 h for each “virtual individual”, which we define as each fixed set of model parameters (1) and (2) above. The “virtual population” and the statistical distribution of outcomes over the population are defined by collecting clinically and experimentally guided ranges for the full set of model parameters (1) and (2). This establishes a model-generated “virtual population database” of nasal viral titers throughout the initial 48 h of infection of every individual, which we then compare with clinical swab test data. Support for model efficacy comes from the sampling of infection dynamics over the virtual population database, which reproduces the six-order-of-magnitude clinical population heterogeneity. However, the goal of this study is to answer a deeper biological and clinical question. What is the impact on the dynamics of early nasal infection due to each individual physiological feature or virus–cell kinetic mechanism? To answer this question, global data analysis methods are applied to the virtual population database that sample across the entire database and de-correlate (i.e., isolate) the dynamic infection outcome sensitivities of each model parameter. These methods predict the dominant, indeed exponential, driver of population heterogeneity in dynamic infection outcomes is the latency time of infected cells (from the moment of infection until onset of viral RNA shedding). The shedding rate of the viral RNA of infected cells in the shedding phase is a strong, but not exponential, driver of infection. Furthermore, the unknown timing of the nasal swab test relative to the onset of infection is an equally dominant contributor to extreme population heterogeneity in clinical test data since infectious viral loads grow from undetectable levels to more than six orders of magnitude within 48 h

Advances in the mechanism of inflammasomes activation in herpes virus infection

Herpesviruses, prevalent DNA viruses with a double-stranded structure, establish enduring infections and play a part in various diseases. Despite their deployment of multiple tactics to evade the immune system, both localized and systemic inflammatory responses are triggered by the innate immune system’s recognition of them. Recent progress has offered more profound understandings of the mechanisms behind the activation of the innate immune system by herpesviruses, specifically through inflammatory signaling. This process encompasses the initiation of an intracellular nucleoprotein complex, the inflammasome associated with inflammation.Following activation, proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18 are released by the inflammasome, concurrently instigating a programmed pathway for cell death. Despite the structural resemblances between herpesviruses, the distinctive methods of inflammatory activation and the ensuing outcomes in diseases linked to the virus exhibit variations.The objective of this review is to emphasize both the similarities and differences in the mechanisms of inflammatory activation among herpesviruses, elucidating their significance in diseases resulting from these viral infections.Additionally, it identifies areas requiring further research to comprehensively grasp the impact of this crucial innate immune signaling pathway on the pathogenesis of these prevalent viruses