This qualitative research explores what logistics structures a growing retail company can employ to support its international expansion with a focus on high customer satisfaction levels. It delves into the logistics configurations for reaching efficiency in inbound logistics, especially meeting the complexities of growing volumes and extensive supplier networks. A case study is performed of a Swedish fashion company, which has achieved remarkable growth both within its domestic borders and on the global stage. This stresses a critical need of a logistics structure designed to manage the growing volumes and the global market. Using qualitative methodologies, including in-depth semi-structured interviews and literature reviews, this thesis unveils two central logistical solutions: the shift towards a multi-warehouse system and the integration of Consolidation Hubs. In the context of global expansion within retail, the study underscores the imperative nature of strategic logistics planning. Adopting a multi-terminal logistics system with geographically spread warehouses appears as an initial recommendation. This configuration facilitates accelerated delivery timelines and effectively addresses regional market nuances. Furthermore, regionalized warehousing minimizes administrative complexities and enhances customer trust. While centralized logistics structures have a cost benefit, the prioritization of service quality through a decentralized model emerges as central for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction in the retail industry. Additionally, the research highlights the role of Consolidation Hubs in refining global logistics structure for retail companies. Beyond mere cost efficiencies, Consolidation Hubs significantly reduce transport-related environmental footprints. This aligns seamlessly with the modern consumer's sustainability preferences, potentially offering companies a distinct competitive advantage. More importantly, the adoption of Consolidation Hubs optimizes control over inbound logistics, ensuring stringent product quality checks, minimizing errors, and promoting strong supplier relationships. / Denna kvalitativa studie utforskar de logistikstrukturer som växande bolag inom detaljhandeln kan tillämpa i sin internationella expansion med fokus på hög kundnöjdhet. Den fördjupar sig i nödvändiga logistikstruktur för att uppnå effektivitet i den inkommande logistiken, särskilt för att möta komplexiteten av växande volymer och omfattande leverantörsnätverk. En fallstudie har genomförts på ett svenskt modeföretag som under de senaste åren har uppnått en betydande tillväxt både lokalt och på den globala marknaden. Denna tillväxt betonar ett kritiskt behov av en logistikstruktur anpassad för att hantera denna tillväxt och marknad. Med hjälp av kvalitativa metoder, inklusive djupgående semistrukturerade intervjuer och litteraturstudier, presenterar denna forskning två centrala strategiska förändringar och lösningar: övergången till ett multi-lagersystem samt införandet av konsolideringshubbar. Vid global expansion inom detaljhandeln lyfter studien behovet av en strategisk logistikplanering. Tillämpandet av ett multi-lagersystem med geografiskt spridda terminaler är den primära rekommendationen. Denna konfiguration underlättar korta leveranstider och bemöter även de olika nyanser marknader har. Dessutom minimerar regionala lager administrativ komplexitet och ökar kundernas förtroende. Medan centraliserade logistikstrukturer har en kostnads fördel,erbjuder den decentraliserade modellen en hög servicegrad, vilket är centralt för att upprätthålla en hög kundnöjdhet i detaljhandeln. Dessutom belyser forskningen den roll konsolideringshubbar spelar för att ytterligare förbättra den globala logistikstrukturen för bolag inom detaljhandel. Utöver kostnadseffektivitet minskar konsolideringshubbar transportrelaterade miljöavtryck avsevärt. Detta överensstämmer med den moderna konsumentens hållbarhetskrav, vilket kan ge bolag en tydlig konkurrensfördel. Än viktigare är att införandet av konsolideringshubbar optimerar kontrollen över den inkommande logistiken genom att säkerställa strikta produktkvalitetskontroller, minimera fel och främja starka relationer med leverantörer.

The main focus of this thesis is applied research targeting industrial applications of Usage Control (UCON) and policy-based governance. Nonetheless, we also tackle an associated core problem to address the diverse requirements of the targeted application domains. The core research problem is three-fold. (1) UCON enacts usage control in a fixed life cycle of three temporal phases: pre, ongoing and post. However, emerging security paradigms require custom and finer-grained lifecycles with phases and transitions tailored for the application domain. For example, data hub applications entail data-oriented usage control throughout the different stages of the data lifecycle (e.g., collection, retention, processing and destruction). Therefore, policy systems must enable custom lifecycles to accommodate a wide variety of applications. (2) Although UCON allows attribute values to change and updates usage decisions accordingly, it does not specify a mechanism to govern attribute values. This becomes necessary in decentralised environments where attributes are collected from external parties that are not necessarily trusted. For this reason, policy systems must incorporate a mechanism to govern attributes, prepare them for policy evaluation and ensure their trustworthiness. (3) Due to its widespread adoption, UCON has been extended and adapted for diverse purposes, leading to a proliferation of frameworks. While these variations added significant contributions in their respective fields, they lack comprehensiveness and generality. Therefore, a unified solution is needed to encompass the existing variations of UCON as well as future applications. By addressing these core problems, we aim to leverage policy-based governance in the following four industrial applications: (1) Industrial/International Data Spaces (IDS), (2) data hubs, (3) smart vehicles, and (4) credential transformation.To address these challenges and fulfil our applied research goals, we present six contributions in this thesis. (1) We propose UCON+: an extensible model that extends beyond traditional access and usage control providing a comprehensive framework for policy-based governance. UCON+ builds on the same foundations of UCON, making it an attribute-based model that incorporates continuous monitoring and policy re-evaluation. However, it only defines general structures and common functions, and outlines extensible behaviour to be implemented by concrete extensions. Specifically, UCON+ allows concrete extensions to govern attribute values and updates, and to specify custom lifecycles tailored for their respective requirements. (2) We introduce a general-purpose policy engine that implements the UCON+ model. The engine conserves an Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) baseline using a standard policy language. The policy engine also introduces another type of policies used to govern attribute values, and to define and drive custom lifecycles. Thus, different extensions of UCON+ can be realised within the same policy engine using policies, eliminating the need for reimplementation. The policy engine leverages a modular architecture with an optimised implementation. (3) We demonstrate the use of the policy engine in a cloud service that provides an IDS for contract-based data exchange. We specifically used the policy engine and designed a custom lifecycle to govern and drive the contract negotiation between the data provider and data consumer using policies. We also used the policy engine to govern data usage based on the negotiated data sharing agreement. (4) We also showcase the policy engine in a data hub setting, where we leveraged it to track and govern data objects throughout their lifecycles. We designed a lifecycle that captures the different stages of the data lifecycle based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We show how data usage is controlled at each stage of the lifecycle using policies. (5) We present a dynamic identity management and usage control framework for smart vehicles using the policy engine. We specifically introduce a policy-based Security Token Service (STS) that issues contextualised capabilities that specify what subjects are allowed to do within the vehicle. The STS also manages the capabilities throughout their lifecycles and revokes them if the corresponding policies are violated, while also taking safety measures into consideration. (6) Finally, we describe an application of the policy engine for policy-based credential transformation. Specifically, we introduce a policy-based credential bridge that exchanges, aggregates or maps credentials between different domains or regulatory frameworks. The bridge uses policies that specify how to transform or issue credentials according to the requirements of each domain.

[pt] O problema de localização de hubs visa encontrar pontos de concentração de fluxo numa rede, de modo que a soma das distâncias das ligações compartilhadas entre pontos da rede seja minimizada. Neste trabalho, o problema fundamental de localização de hubs com alocação simples para o sistema de transporte aéreo brasileiro é abordado, através da identificação de hubs regionais e hubs centrais, a fim de minimizar o fluxo na rede via a resolução primeiramente de um modelo integrado. A seguir, é proposto um método heurístico de duas fases em vista de reduzir o tempo de resposta e superar a limitação de memória. Na primeira fase da heurística proposta são identificados hubs regionais via resolução do modelo da p-mediana. Utilizando os resultados da primeira fase na segunda fase, procede-se à identificação de hubs centrais resolvendo-se o modelo q-hub-mediana numa rede de aeroportos menor, porém de mesmo fluxo de passageiros. Experimentos computacionais com as duas estratégias propostas para o problema de localização de hubs são realizados, tendo como instância base o sistema de transporte aéreo brasileiro com 150 aeroportos. Para estratégia via modelo integrado é considerado um total de 24 aeroportos no sistema, com o número de hubs regionais variando de 10 a 19 e o de hubs centrais variando de 2 a 6; para a estratégia via método heurístico é considerado um total de 150 aeroportos no sistema, com o número de hubs regionais variando de 10 a 40 na primeira fase, e o de hubs centrais variando de 2 a 6, na segunda fase. Ainda, recursos gráficos são usados na visualização dos resultados obtidos. / [en] The hub location problem aims to find points of concentration in a ow network, such that the sum of the distances of the connections shared between grid points is minimized. In this work, the fundamental problem of locating hubs with simple allocation for the Brazilian air transportation system is approached, by identifying regional and central hubs, in order to minimize the network ow by solving first an integrated model. Then, a two-phase heuristic method is proposed in order to reduce the response time and overcome the memory limitation. In the first phase of the proposed heuristic the regional hubs are identifed through the resolution of the p- median model. Using the results of the first phase in the second one, the identification of central hubs is proceeded by solving a q-hub-median model in a smaller airport grid, but of the same passenger ow. Computational experiments with the two proposed strategies for the hub location problem are performed, having as basic instance the Brazilian air transportation system with 150 airports. For the integrated model strategy a total of 24 airports in the system is considered, with the number of regional hubs varying from 10 to 19 and the number of central hubs varying from 2 to 6; and for the heuristic method strategy a total of 150 airports in the system is considered, with the number of regional hubs varying from 10 to 40 in the first stage, and the number of central hubs varying from 2 to 6 in the second stage. Further, graphical features are used in the visualization of the results.

Cette thèse, présente des contributions à la résolution (sur les GPUs) de problèmes d'optimisations réels de grandes tailles. Les problèmes de tournées de véhicules (VRP) et ceux de localisation des hubs (HLP) sont traités. Diverses approches et leur implémentions sur GPU pour résoudre des variantes du VRP sont présentées. Un algorithme génétique (GA) parallèle sur GPU est proposé pour résoudre différentes variantes du HLP. Le GA adapte son codage, sa solution initiale, ses opérateurs génétiques et son implémentation à chacune des variantes traitées. Enfin, nous avons utilisé le GA pour résoudre le HLP avec des incertitudes sur les données.Les tests numériques montrent que les approches proposées exploitent efficacement la puissance de calcul du GPU et ont permis de résoudre de larges instances jusqu'à 6000 nœuds. / This thesis presents contributions to the resolution (on GPUs) of real optimization problems of large sizes. The vehicle routing problems (VRP) and the hub location problems (HLP) are treated. Various approaches implemented on GPU to solve variants of the VRP. A parallel genetic algorithm (GA) on GPU is proposed to solve different variants of the HLP. The proposed GA adapts its encoding, initial solution, genetic operators and its implementation to each of the variants treated. Finally, we used the GA to solve the HLP with uncertainties on the data.The numerical tests show that the proposed approaches effectively exploit the computing power of the GPU and have made it possible to resolve large instances up to 6000 nodes.

Na última década, a análise da estrutura proteica baseada em teoria de redes/grafos tem emergido. A abstração da estrutura tridimensional proteica em forma de uma rede, leva em consideração os resíduos de aminoácidos e suas interações através do espaço, e apresenta um conjunto de conexões e propriedades mais complexas do que aquelas visualizadas apenas com a estrutura covalente. A análise da estrutura proteica identificou que as proteínas pertencem às redes de classes de \"mundo pequeno\" (small-world) e \"sem escala\" (scale-free), o que significa que seus resíduos de aminoácidos são altamente agregados e que existem poucas conexões entre 2 resíduos quaisquer da proteína. A identificação dos resíduos com alto grau de conexão, chamados centrais (\"resíduos hubs\"), é feita pela determinação do caminho mais curto que conecta um dado resíduo aos demais compreendidos nesta rede. A remoção destes resíduos centrais (hubs) afeta a integridade da rede de forma mais contundente diferentemente da remoção de resíduos que não são centrais. Até o momento estes \"resíduos hubs\" ainda não foram experimentalmente correlacionados com as propriedades enzimáticas de proteínas. Para tal finalidade, a estrutura terciária de uma β-glicosidase de Spodoptera frugiperda (Sfβgli) foi analisada como uma rede. Após calcular-se os caminhos médios entre todos os pares de aminoácidos da β-glicosidase, encontrou-se 11 resíduos centrais (\"resíduos hubs\"). Alinhamento de sequências e comparações estruturais indicaram alta conservação destes \"resíduos hubs\". Nosso objetivo foi produzir esta β-glicosidase mutando-se a maioria dos \"resíduos hubs\" e 3 aminoácidos não centrais (\"não hubs\"), expressar estes mutantes em E. coli, determinar suas propriedades enzimáticas como atividade catalítica e preferência pelo substrato e verificar a estabilidade destes mutantes em experimentos de inativação térmica. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que mutações nos \"resíduos hubs\" não afetam as propriedades catalíticas, contudo as enzimas com mutações nos \"resíduos hubs\" apresentaram uma menor estabilidade térmica. Estes resultados sugeriram que os \"resíduos hubs\" são relevantes na difusão da energia cinética (vibração) introduzida na estrutura desta β-glicosidase pelo seu aquecimento / In recent years, graph-theoretic approaches have established that protein structures can be modeled as complex networks of interacting residues. Proteins structures can be represented as small-world and scale-free networks that are usually highly clustered with few links connecting any pair of nodes. The identification of nodes with high connection degrees, called hubs, is made by determining the shortest path linking one amino acid to the further nodes comprising the network. Targeted removal of the hubs has greater affect on the integrity of the network structure in contrast to a random removal of amino acid residues comprising the network. Nevertheless these hubs had not previously been correlated with enzymatic properties. The tertiary structure of β-glycosidase from S. furgiperda (Sfβgly) was analyzed as a network. After calculating the averaged paths between all pairs of amino acid residues of Sfgly, we defined 11 hubs, which have the highest centrality on the network. Sequence alignment and structural comparison showed that these hubs residue are conserved among β-glycosidases. Our goal was to mutate most hubs and 3 ´non-hubs´ residues from Sfβgly, express these mutant enzymes in E. coli, test their enzymatic properties as catalytic efficiency and substrate preference, and verify the thermal stability of these mutants. The results implied that mutations in these hubs do not cause changes in catalytic properties although enzymes containing mutations in hubs showed lower thermal stability. Based on that, it was suggested that hub residues are important in the diffusion of kinetic energy (vibrations) introduced in the Sfβgly structure by heating

No description available.

Les nématodes à galles (RKN), Meloidogyne spp. sont des petits vers parasites qui infectent les racines des plantes où ils induisent la formation de sites nourriciers. Les RKN sont des endoparasites à large gamme d'hôtes, englobant les principales espèces de plantes cultivées. Meloidogyne javanica, M. graminicola et M. incognita sont les principales espèces parasitant le riz (Oryza sativa). Le succès infectieux des RKN repose sur la production de protéines effecteurs de virulence, secrétées dans leurs glandes oesophagiennes et libérées dans les cellules de la plante hôte par leur stylet. La caractéristique principale des RKN est leur capacité à déréguler des cellules du parenchyme vasculaire pour induire la formation de cellules géantes multinucléées, à haute activité métabolique. Les processus moléculaires sous-jacents restent encore mal connus, alors que l’identification d’effecteurs de virulence et de leurs cibles végétales pourrait fournir de nouvelles perspectives pour le contrôle des RKN. Ainsi, les objectifs de cette étude étaient (1) d’évaluer le rôle de protéines de Meloidogyne sécrétées (MSP) au cours des interactions riz - RKN et (2) d'identifier des cibles des MSP parmi les principales protéines Hub d’Arabidopsis thaliana impliquées dans l'immunité des plantes, afin d'évaluer la fonction putative des MSP dans les cellules hôtes. Pour la première partie de notre étude, nous avons sélectionné trois MSP exprimées dans les glandes oesophagiennes et possiblement sécrétées. L’analyse de l’expression des gènes par RT-qPCR a montré que MSP2 est fortement exprimé dans les premiers stades du cycle du nématode, tandis que MSP18 et MSP19 sont activés au cours du parasitisme dans les racines du riz. Les essais de localisation subcellulaire dans les cellules d'oignon ont identifié le noyau (pour MSP2) et le cytoplasme (pour MSP7 et MSP18) comme compartiments cellulaires ciblés par les protéines du nématode. Des plants de riz (O. sativa Nipponbare) transgéniques ont été produits pour évaluer le rôle des MSP au cours des interactions riz-RKN. Des lignées de riz surexprimant MSP18 ont permis un taux de reproduction plus élevé de M. javanica et M. graminicola. Au contraire, des retards de développement et de reproduction de M. javanica ont été observés sur des lignées de riz exprimant des micro-RNAs capables de supprimer l’expression des gènes MSP2 ou MSP19. Ces données ont montré que MSP2, MSP18 et MSP19 peuvent être des gènes importants pour le parasitisme ou le développement du nématode. Les tests d'expression transitoire dans le tabac (Nicotiana benthamiana) ont montré que MSP18 peut interférer avec la mort cellulaire programmée déclenchée par INF1, ce qui suggère que MSP18 pourrait supprimer les voies de défense des plantes pour faciliter l’infection. Dans une deuxième partie de ce travail, des analyses systématiques en double-hybride chez la levure ont été menées pour vérifier les interactions protéine-protéine entre 6 MSP et 18 protéines Hub d’A. thaliana. Chez la levure, la protéine du nématode MSP400 interagit avec trois protéines Hub, l’Anaphase-Promoting-complex 8 (At-APC8) et les facteurs de transcription At-TCP14 et At-TCP15. L'interaction physique de MSP400 avec At-APC8, un régulateur clé du cycle cellulaire de la plante, a été confirmée in planta par complémentation bimoléculaire de fluorescence (BiFC). Ces résultats démontrent pour la première fois qu'un effecteur de nématode est capable d'interagir directement avec une protéine régulatrice du cycle cellulaire chez la plante, révélant un nouveau mécanisme utilisé par les RKN pour commander la machinerie du cycle de la cellule hôte et induire ainsi la formation du site d'alimentation. Les données obtenues dans cette étude élargissent considérablement notre connaissance des acteurs moléculaires qui contribuent à la pathogénicité des nématodes, mettant en évidence les différents mécanismes exploités par les RKN pour promouvoir la sensibilité des plantes. / Root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne spp. are small parasitic worms that infect plant roots where they induce the formation of highly specialized nutrient feeding sites. RKN are endoparasites with a wide host range encompassing major plant crops, impairing effective specific control. Meloidogyne javanica, M. graminicola, and M. incognita are the principal RKN species responsible for rice (Oryza sativa) production losses. Successful plant infection is likely achieved by nematode effector proteins produced in their esophageal gland cells and released into the host plant cells through their stylet. In particular, one of the striking features of RKN is their ability to deregulate vascular parenchyma cells to induce the formation of multinucleated giant cells with a high metabolic activity in the roots. The molecular processes underlying plant-RKN interactions still remain poorly understood. Identification of nematode virulence effectors and their plant targets may provide new insights for developing control strategies towards RKN. Thus, the aims of this study were to (1) assess the role of Meloidogyne secreted proteins (MSP) in rice – RKN interactions and (2) identify MSP targets among the major Arabidopsis thaliana Hub proteins involved in plant immunity, to assess the putative MSP function into host cells. For the first part of our study, we selected three Meloidogyne-genus specific proteins expressed in esophageal glands and predicted to be secreted. Gene expression analysis by RT-qPCR showed that MSP2 is highly expressed in the early stages of the nematode cycle, while MSP18 and MSP19 are up-regulated during parasitism in rice roots. Subcellular localization assays in onion cells identified the nucleus (for MSP2) and cytoplasm (for MSP7 and MSP18) as the main cellular compartments targeted by nematode proteins. Transgenic rice (O. sativa Nipponbare) plants expressing the MSP cDNAs or artificial micro-RNAs (amiRNAs) able to silence MSP genes were used to assess the role of MSPs during rice-RKN interactions. Homozygous transgenic lines were inoculated with pre-parasitic juveniles (J2) and (i) the number and developmental stage of nematodes present in roots after 21 days, (ii) the number of egg masses laid after 28 days and, (iii) the number of next-generation hatched J2 after 45 days were assessed. Rice lines overexpressing MSP18 allowed a higher reproduction rate of M. javanica and M. graminicola. On the contrary, impaired M. javanica development and reproduction was observed in rice lines expressing amiRNAs against MSP2 or MSP19 genes. These data showed that MSP2, MSP18, and MSP19 genes might be important genes for nematode parasitism or development. Transient expression assays in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) revealed that MSP18 interfered with the INF1-triggered programmed cell death, suggesting that MSP18 could suppress the plant defense pathways to facilitate nematode parasitism. In the second part of this work, systematic yeast-two-hybrid paired assays were conducted to check for protein-protein interactions between 6 MSP and 18 A. thaliana Hub proteins. In yeast, the nematode MSP400 protein interacts with three Hub proteins, the Anaphase-Promoting-Complex 8 (At-APC8) and the transcription factors At-TCP14 and At-TCP15. Physical interaction of MSP400 with At-APC8, a key plant cell cycle regulator, was confirmed in planta by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. These results demonstrated for the first time that a plant parasitic nematode effector is able to directly interact with a cell cycle regulatory protein, revealing a novel mechanism utilized by RKN to control the host cell cycle machinery and thereby induce feeding site formation. The data obtained in this study significantly broaden our knowledge of the molecular players contributing to nematode pathogenicity, highlighting the different mechanisms exploited by RKN to promote plant susceptibility.

Na última década, a análise da estrutura proteica baseada em teoria de redes/grafos tem emergido. A abstração da estrutura tridimensional proteica em forma de uma rede, leva em consideração os resíduos de aminoácidos e suas interações através do espaço, e apresenta um conjunto de conexões e propriedades mais complexas do que aquelas visualizadas apenas com a estrutura covalente. A análise da estrutura proteica identificou que as proteínas pertencem às redes de classes de \"mundo pequeno\" (small-world) e \"sem escala\" (scale-free), o que significa que seus resíduos de aminoácidos são altamente agregados e que existem poucas conexões entre 2 resíduos quaisquer da proteína. A identificação dos resíduos com alto grau de conexão, chamados centrais (\"resíduos hubs\"), é feita pela determinação do caminho mais curto que conecta um dado resíduo aos demais compreendidos nesta rede. A remoção destes resíduos centrais (hubs) afeta a integridade da rede de forma mais contundente diferentemente da remoção de resíduos que não são centrais. Até o momento estes \"resíduos hubs\" ainda não foram experimentalmente correlacionados com as propriedades enzimáticas de proteínas. Para tal finalidade, a estrutura terciária de uma β-glicosidase de Spodoptera frugiperda (Sfβgli) foi analisada como uma rede. Após calcular-se os caminhos médios entre todos os pares de aminoácidos da β-glicosidase, encontrou-se 11 resíduos centrais (\"resíduos hubs\"). Alinhamento de sequências e comparações estruturais indicaram alta conservação destes \"resíduos hubs\". Nosso objetivo foi produzir esta β-glicosidase mutando-se a maioria dos \"resíduos hubs\" e 3 aminoácidos não centrais (\"não hubs\"), expressar estes mutantes em E. coli, determinar suas propriedades enzimáticas como atividade catalítica e preferência pelo substrato e verificar a estabilidade destes mutantes em experimentos de inativação térmica. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que mutações nos \"resíduos hubs\" não afetam as propriedades catalíticas, contudo as enzimas com mutações nos \"resíduos hubs\" apresentaram uma menor estabilidade térmica. Estes resultados sugeriram que os \"resíduos hubs\" são relevantes na difusão da energia cinética (vibração) introduzida na estrutura desta β-glicosidase pelo seu aquecimento / In recent years, graph-theoretic approaches have established that protein structures can be modeled as complex networks of interacting residues. Proteins structures can be represented as small-world and scale-free networks that are usually highly clustered with few links connecting any pair of nodes. The identification of nodes with high connection degrees, called hubs, is made by determining the shortest path linking one amino acid to the further nodes comprising the network. Targeted removal of the hubs has greater affect on the integrity of the network structure in contrast to a random removal of amino acid residues comprising the network. Nevertheless these hubs had not previously been correlated with enzymatic properties. The tertiary structure of β-glycosidase from S. furgiperda (Sfβgly) was analyzed as a network. After calculating the averaged paths between all pairs of amino acid residues of Sfgly, we defined 11 hubs, which have the highest centrality on the network. Sequence alignment and structural comparison showed that these hubs residue are conserved among β-glycosidases. Our goal was to mutate most hubs and 3 ´non-hubs´ residues from Sfβgly, express these mutant enzymes in E. coli, test their enzymatic properties as catalytic efficiency and substrate preference, and verify the thermal stability of these mutants. The results implied that mutations in these hubs do not cause changes in catalytic properties although enzymes containing mutations in hubs showed lower thermal stability. Based on that, it was suggested that hub residues are important in the diffusion of kinetic energy (vibrations) introduced in the Sfβgly structure by heating

In this thesis, we introduce the Partitioning-Hub Location-Routing problem (PHLRP), which can be classified as a variant of the hub location problem.<p>PHLRP consists of partitioning a network into sub-networks, locating at least one hub in each subnetwork and routing the traffic within the network such that all inter-subnetwork traffic is routed through the hubs and all intra-subnetwork traffic stays within the sub-networks all the way from the source to the destination. Obviously, besides the hub location component, PHLRP also involves a graph partitioning component and a routing component. PHLRP finds applications in the strategic planning or deployment of the Intermediate System-Intermediate System (ISIS) Internet Protocol networks and the Less-than-truck load freight distribution systems.<p><p>First, we introduce three IP formulations for solving PHLRP. The hub location component and the graph partitioning components of PHLRP are<p>modeled in the same way in all three formulations. More precisely, the hub location component is represented by the p-median variables and constraints; and the graph partitioning component is represented by the size-constrained graph partitioning variables and constraints. The formulations differ from each other in the way the peculiar routing requirements of PHLRP are modeled.<p><p>We then carry out analytical and empirical comparisons of the three IP<p>formulations. Our thorough analysis reveals that one of the formulations is<p>provably the tightest of the three formulations. We also show analytically that the LP relaxations of the other two formulations do not dominate each other. On the other hand, our empirical comparison in a standard branch-and-cut framework that is provided by CPLEX shows that not the tightest but the most compact of the three formulations yield the best performance in terms of solution time. <p><p>From this point on, based on the insight gained from detailed analysis of the formulations, we focus our attention on a common sub-problem of the three formulations: the so-called size-constrained graph partitioning problem. We carry out a detailed polyhedral analysis of this problem. The main benefit from this polyhedral analysis is that the facets we identify for the size-constrained graph partitioning problem constitute strong valid inequalities for PHLRP.<p><p>And finally, we wrap up our efforts for solving PHLRP. Namely, we present<p>the results of our computational experiments, in which we employ some facets<p>of the size-constrained graph partitioning polytope in a branch-and-cut algorithm for solving PHLRP. Our experiments show that our approach brings<p>significant improvements to the solution time of PHLRP when compared with<p>the default branch-and-cut solver of XPress. <p><p>/<p><p>Dans cette thèse, nous introduisons le problème Partitionnement-Location des Hubs et Acheminement (PLHA), une variante du problème de location de hubs. Le problème PLHA partitionne un réseau afin d'obtenir des sous-réseaux, localise au moins un hub dans chaque sous-réseau et achemine le traffic dans le réseau de la maniére suivante :le traffic entre deux<p>sous-réseaux distincts doit être éxpedié au travers des hubs tandis que le traffic entre deux noeuds d'un même sous-réseau ne doit pas sortir de celui-ci. PLHA possède des applications dans le planning stratégique, ou déploiement, d'un certain protocole de communication utilisé<p>dans l'Internet, Intermediate System - Intermediate System, ainsi que dans la distribution des frets.<p><p>Premièrement, nous préesentons trois formulations linéaires en variables entières pour résoudre PLHA. Le partitionnement du graphe et la localisation des hubs sont modélisées de la même maniére dans les trois formulations. Ces formulations diffèrent les unes des autres dans la maniére dont l'acheminement du traffic est traité.<p><p>Deuxièmement, nous présentons des comparaisons analytiques et empiriques des trois formulations. Notre comparaison analytique démontre que l'une des formulations est plus forte que les autres. Néanmoins, la comparaison empirique des formulations, via le solveur CPLEX, montre que la formulation la plus compacte (mais pas la plus forte) obtient les meilleures performances en termes de temps de résolution du problème.<p><p>Ensuite, nous nous concentrons sur un sous-problème, à savoir, le partitionnement des graphes sous contrainte de taille. Nous étudions le polytope des solutions réalisables de ce sous-problème. Les facettes de ce polytope constituent des inégalités valides fortes pour<p>PLHA et peuvent être utilisées dans un algorithme de branch-and-cut pour résoudre PLHA.<p><p>Finalement, nous présentons les résultats d'un algorithme de branch-and-cut que nous avons développé pour résoudre PLHA. Les résultats démontrent que la performance de notre méthode est meilleure que celle de l'algorithme branch-and-cut d'Xpress.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The Swedish alternative food networks landscape is underdeveloped compared to that of the US or the countries of Western Europe, however its development has sped up in recent years. The relationship between the farmer and the food hub is the first one to be built when an Alternative Food Network is being set up and therefore represents a valid starting point in the hitherto scarcely studied field of alternative food distribution in Sweden. The paper used a relationship-marketing framework with the addition of elements from Civic Food Networks conceptualization of Alternative Food Networks in order to explain the creation and maintenance, as a well as the quality and depth of supplier-distributor relationships in two cases of Swedish food hubs. Given the immaturity of the Swedish market, this paper tried to explore the possible variations existing in the landscape. In the case of student-led food cooperative Ultimat and its two studied suppliers, values and larger local food systems goals played the primary role in creating and maintaining the relationship, in spite of the poor economic performance of such a relationship in the eyes of the suppliers. The linkages forged between the two entities are strong due to shared values and common goals. In the case of Bygdens Saluhall, the values play a certain role, but the economic element remains crucial for the farmers. At the same time, the connection is closer and ownership of the project by the farmers more significant. Additionally, points of interest arose for future research, notably the diverging stance of Ultimat’s suppliers vs. Bygdens Saluhall’s suppliers in the question of pro-business food hubs and organization of alternative food networks in general.