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Motivated by empirical evidence on firm networks in Italy, this paper explores the relationship between the nature of goods produced by firms operating in the same R&D network and their strategic location. We consider a two-firm spatial Cournot model deriving the conditions under which two firms create a cooperative link in order to share R&D cost-reducing investments. We show that the cooperative link is formed irrespective of the nature of goods produced by participating firms. However, the nature of goods produced affects the distance between firms belonging to the same networks; this distance tends to be greater when firms produce substitute goods. We also discuss the stability of the cooperative link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacturing processes of commercial probiotic strains may be affected in different ways in the attempt to optimize yield, costs, functionality, or stability, influencing gene expression, protein patterns, or metabolic output. Aim of this work is to compare different samples of a high concentration (450 billion bacteria) multispecies (8 strains) formulation produced at two different manufacturing sites, United States of America (US) and Italy (IT), by applying a combination of functional proteomics, metabolomics, and in vivo analyses. Several protein-profile differences were detected between IT- and US-made products, with Lactobacillus paracasei, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacteria being the main affected probiotics/microorganisms. Performing proton nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (1H-NMR), some discrepancies in amino acid, lactate, betaine and sucrose concentrations were also reported between the two products. Finally, we investigated the health-promoting and antiaging effects of both products in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The integration of omics platforms with in vivo analysis has emerged as a powerful tool to assess manufacturing procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]