Additional Responses to Hugh Heclo's "On Thinking Institutionally"

Science.gov (United States)

Lincoln, Timothy D.; Fennell, Robert C.

2011-01-01

Issue 13:3 of this journal (July 2010) included a "Conversation" on Hugh Heclo's recent publication "On Thinking Institutionally" (Paradigm Publishers, 2008) with a book review by Robert Fennell and responses by Richard Ascough, Tat-siong Benny Liew, Michael McLain, and Lynne Westfield. Here we publish two additional responses to this same book.…

Synchronization of FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons in external electrical stimulation via nonlinear control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jiang; Zhang Ting; Deng Bin

2007-01-01

Synchronization of FitzHugh-Nagumo neural system under external electrical stimulation via the nonlinear control is investigated in this paper. Firstly, the different dynamical behavior of the nonlinear cable model based on the FitzHugh-Nagumo model responding to various external electrical stimulations is studied. Next, using the result of the analysis, a nonlinear feedback linearization control scheme and an adaptive control strategy are designed to synchronization two neurons. Computer simulations are provided to verify the efficiency of the designed synchronization schemes

Ted Hughes: The Development of a Children's Poet

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, Michael

2009-01-01

This article looks at how Ted Hughes' poetry for children developed over more than 30 years of publication. It traces the movement from his earlier, more conventional rhyming poems, such as "Meet My Folks!" (1961) and "Nessie the Mannerless Monster" (1964), to the mature, free verse "animal poems" for older readers of "Season Songs" (1976c),…

“And time future contained in time past”: British Modernist Poetry from T.S. Eliot to Ted Hughes

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Tatiana N. Krasavchenko

2017-09-01

Full Text Available It seems that T.S. Eliot (1888–1965 and Ted Hughes (1930–1998 are poets of different individual talents and epochs. Hughes, a poet of the second half of the 20 th century, concentrated on the conflict between Nature and the human being destroying Nature and thus preparing the end of the humanity. T.S. Eliot was a poet of urban civilization, a reformer of the Anglophone modernist poetry. In his days, the “poetry of Nature” rooted in the pastoral poetry of the 17 th –18 th centuries and in Romanticism, existed but only at the margins of mainstream poetic trends. Nevertheless, one can find it even in Eliot’s poetry, particularly in his Landscapes — poems written at the beginning of the 1930s. Also, both Eliot and Hughes were modernists. Eliot standing at the beginning of modernism, Hughes at its end; though the latter lived in the time of postmodernism, he was not a postmodernist himself since he was not engaged in the deconstruction and fragmentation of the “world model.” Like Eliot, he was a poet with integral Weltanschauung and a bright individual talent. Like Eliot, he was a traditionalist, though Eliot being an American was a “conscious traditionalist,” while Hughes, an Englishman, was most likely a “born” traditionalist: instead of deconstructing tradition, he was bearing on it. His “great tradition” included Shakespeare, Blake, Coleridge, Kipling, Graves, and Dylan Thomas. Both Eliot and Hughes are poets of eschatological trend and mythologists. However, one will not find Eliot among the authorities enlisted by Hughes in his “great tradition.” In the time of Hughes, Eliot was rejected due to the regular change of mainstreams trends. British poetry in the second half of the 20 th century is “tired” of urban poetry, of “Nature denial,” so it comes back to its track, and the motives that existed in Eliot’s poetry only in the background are now brought to the forefront.

Using Hughes' Salvo Model to Examine Ship Characteristics in Surface Warfare

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Haug, Kevin

2004-01-01

...? Using Hughes' Salvo equations, the author conducted combat simulations to investigate the singular and pairwise effects of providing one force an advantage in its offensive power, defensive power...

A Haphazard Reading of McHugh and Barlow (2010)

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McHugh, R. Kathryn; Barlow, David H.

2010-01-01

Replies to comments on Do haphazard reviews provide sound directions for dissemination efforts? by Eileen Gambrill and Julia H. Littell on the current authors' article The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments: A review of current efforts by Kathryn R. McHugh and David H. Barlow. In their commentary, Gambrill…

Bifurcaciones del Sistema de FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN

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Fernando Ongay Larios

2011-01-01

Full Text Available La familia paramétrica de los sistemas de FitzHugh-Nagumo es rica en bifurcaciones (Rocsoreanu et al., 2000. En este artículo estudiamos las bifurcaciones silla-nodo y de Hopf desde el punto de vista matemático de esta familia y se describen completamente los conjuntos de bifurcación en el espacio de parámetros.

Chimera states in bipartite networks of FitzHugh-Nagumo oscillators

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Wu, Zhi-Min; Cheng, Hong-Yan; Feng, Yuee; Li, Hai-Hong; Dai, Qiong-Lin; Yang, Jun-Zhong

2018-04-01

Chimera states consisting of spatially coherent and incoherent domains have been observed in different topologies such as rings, spheres, and complex networks. In this paper, we investigate bipartite networks of nonlocally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) oscillators in which the units are allocated evenly to two layers, and FHN units interact with each other only when they are in different layers. We report the existence of chimera states in bipartite networks. Owing to the interplay between chimera states in the two layers, many types of chimera states such as in-phase chimera states, antiphase chimera states, and out-of-phase chimera states are classified. Stability diagrams of several typical chimera states in the coupling strength-coupling radius plane, which show strong multistability of chimera states, are explored.

On the Hughes model and numerical aspects

KAUST Repository

Gomes, Diogo A.

2017-01-05

We study a crowd model proposed by R. Hughes in [11] and we describe a numerical approach to solve it. This model comprises a Fokker-Planck equation coupled with an eikonal equation with Dirichlet or Neumann data. First, we establish a priori estimates for the solutions. Second, we study radial solutions and identify a shock formation mechanism. Third, we illustrate the existence of congestion, the breakdown of the model, and the trend to the equilibrium. Finally, we propose a new numerical method and consider two examples.

One Hundred Years of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins: A Story of Meyer to McHugh.

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DePaulo, J Raymond

2017-04-01

This article describes a history of clinical methods and constructs that guide Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Phipps Clinic today. The contributions of Adolf Meyer and Paul McHugh are central and closely connected. Both emphasize the clinical examination as the central practice of psychiatry as a specialty within medicine. Meyer's comprehensive examination of the patient became the centerpiece of his approach and was the standard for psychiatrists in the English-speaking world. McHugh, with Phillip Slavney, developed a pluralistic and practical framework for interpreting that history and examination. Both argued against the uncritical use of the modern disease construct. McHugh argues that the disease construct, although fundamental, is but one of four useful "perspectives of psychiatry" and is, thus, an insufficient basis for psychiatric practice. The perspectives could be used as an organizing framework by all physicians who seek a practical and truly personalized approach to the care of patients.

On the Hughes' model for pedestrian flow: The one-dimensional case

KAUST Repository

Di Francesco, Marco; Markowich, Peter A.; Pietschmann, Jan-Frederik; Wolfram, Marie-Therese

2011-01-01

of Bardos et al. (1979) [7]. We use BV estimates on the density ρ and stability estimates on the potential Π in order to prove uniqueness. Furthermore, we analyze the evolution of characteristics for the original Hughes' model in one space dimension

Saving the Dust Bowl: "Big Hugh" Bennett's Triumph over Tragedy

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Smith, Rebecca

2007-01-01

In the 1930s, years of injudicious cultivation had devastated 100 million acres of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. This was the Dust Bowl, and it exposed a problem that had silently plagued American agriculture for centuries--soil erosion. Farmers, scientists, and the government alike considered it trivial until Hugh Hammond…

Factors affecting athletes' motor behavior after the observation of scenes of cooperation and competition in competitive sport: the effect of sport attitude.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefani, Elisa De; De Marco, Doriana; Gentilucci, Maurizio

2015-01-01

This study delineated how observing sports scenes of cooperation or competition modulated an action of interaction, in expert athletes, depending on their specific sport attitude. In a kinematic study, athletes were divided into two groups depending on their attitude toward teammates (cooperative or competitive). Participants observed sport scenes of cooperation and competition (basketball, soccer, water polo, volleyball, and rugby) and then they reached for, picked up, and placed an object on the hand of a conspecific (giving action). Mixed-design ANOVAs were carried out on the mean values of grasping-reaching parameters. Data showed that the type of scene observed as well as the athletes' attitude affected reach-to-grasp actions to give. In particular, the cooperative athletes were speeded when they observed scenes of cooperation compared to when they observed scenes of competition. Participants were speeded when executing a giving action after observing actions of cooperation. This occurred only when they had a cooperative attitude. A match between attitude and intended action seems to be a necessary prerequisite for observing an effect of the observed type of scene on the performed action. It is possible that the observation of scenes of competition activated motor strategies which interfered with the strategies adopted by the cooperative participants to execute a cooperative (giving) sequence.

Factors affecting athletes’ motor behavior after the observation of scenes of cooperation and competition in competitive sport: the effect of sport attitude

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa eDe Stefani

2015-10-01

Full Text Available AbstractAim: This study delineated how observing sports scenes of cooperation or competition modulated an action of interaction, in expert athletes, depending on their specific sport attitude. Method: In a kinematic study, athletes were divided into two groups depending on their attitude towards teammates (cooperative or competitive. Participants observed sport scenes of cooperation and competition (basketball, soccer, water polo, volleyball, and rugby and then they reached for, picked up, and placed an object on the hand of a conspecific (giving action. Mixed-design ANOVAs were carried out on the mean values of grasping-reaching parameters. Results: Data showed that the type of scene observed as well as the athletes’ attitude affected reach-to-grasp actions to give. In particular, the cooperative athletes were speeded during reach-to-grasp movements when they observed scenes of cooperation compared to when they observed scenes of competition. Discussion: Participants were speeded when executing a giving action after observing actions of cooperation. This occurred only when they had a cooperative attitude. A match between attitude and intended action seems to be a necessary prerequisite for observing an effect of the observed type of scene on the performed action. It is possible that the observation of scenes of competition activated motor strategies which interfered with the strategies adopted by the cooperative participants to execute a cooperative (giving sequence.

Mode stability analysis in the beam—wave interaction process for a three-gap Hughes-type coupled cavity chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Ji-Run; Zhu Min; Guo Wei; Cui Jian

2013-01-01

Based on space-charge wave theory, the formulae of the beam—wave coupling coefficient and the beam-loaded conductance are given for the beam—wave interaction in an N-gap Hughes-type coupled cavity chain. The ratio of the non-beam-loaded quality factor of the coupled cavity chain to the beam quality factor is used to determine the stability of the beam—wave interaction. As an example, the stabilities of the beam—wave interaction in a three-gap Hughes-type coupled cavity chain are discussed with the formulae and the CST code for the operations of the 2π, π, and π/2 modes, respectively. The results show that stable operation of the 2π, π, and π/2 modes may all be realized in an extended-interaction klystron with the three-gap Hughes-type coupled cavity chain

Dynamical Encoding by Networks of Competing Neuron Groups: Winnerless Competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabinovich, M.; Volkovskii, A.; Lecanda, P.; Huerta, R.; Abarbanel, H. D. I.; Laurent, G.

2001-01-01

Following studies of olfactory processing in insects and fish, we investigate neural networks whose dynamics in phase space is represented by orbits near the heteroclinic connections between saddle regions (fixed points or limit cycles). These networks encode input information as trajectories along the heteroclinic connections. If there are N neurons in the network, the capacity is approximately e(N-1) ! , i.e., much larger than that of most traditional network structures. We show that a small winnerless competition network composed of FitzHugh-Nagumo spiking neurons efficiently transforms input information into a spatiotemporal output

The stationary tower notes on a course by W. Hugh Woodin

CERN Document Server

Larson, Paul B

2004-01-01

The stationary tower is an important method in modern set theory, invented by Hugh Woodin in the 1980s. It is a means of constructing generic elementary embeddings and can be applied to produce a variety of useful forcing effects. Hugh Woodin is a leading figure in modern set theory, having made many deep and lasting contributions to the field, in particular to descriptive set theory and large cardinals. This book is the first detailed treatment of his method of the stationary tower that is generally accessible to graduate students in mathematical logic. By giving complete proofs of all the main theorems and discussing them in context, it is intended that the book will become the standard reference on the stationary tower and its applications to descriptive set theory. The first two chapters are taken from a graduate course Woodin taught at Berkeley. The concluding theorem in the course was that large cardinals imply that all sets of reals in the smallest model of set theory (without choice) containing the re...

Factors affecting athletes? motor behavior after the observation of scenes of cooperation and competition in competitive sport: the effect of sport attitude

OpenAIRE

Stefani, Elisa De; De Marco, Doriana; Gentilucci, Maurizio

2015-01-01

AbstractAim: This study delineated how observing sports scenes of cooperation or competition modulated an action of interaction, in expert athletes, depending on their specific sport attitude. Method: In a kinematic study, athletes were divided into two groups depending on their attitude towards teammates (cooperative or competitive). Participants observed sport scenes of cooperation and competition (basketball, soccer, water polo, volleyball, and rugby) and then they reached for, picked u...

Síndrome de Hughes-Stovin

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Sonia Pankl

2015-04-01

Full Text Available El síndrome de Hughes-Stovin es una entidad infrecuente caracterizada por trombosis venosa profunda y aneurismas de la arteria pulmonar, siendo su etiología y patogenia desconocida. Algunos autores la consideran una variante de la enfermedad de Behcet. Su curso natural es generalmente fatal. Se presenta con tos, disnea, hemoptisis, dolor torácico y fiebre. El tratamiento es con esteroides y agentes citotóxicos hasta la cirugía. Presentamos el caso de un hombre de 41 años que consultó por disnea, hemoptisis y dolor torácico, llegándose al diagnóstico de trombosis venosa profunda de miembro inferior derecho, trombo-embolismo de pulmón y aneurismas de arterias pulmonares. Recibió tratamiento con corticoides en altas dosis y 6 pulsos de ciclofosfamida de 1 gramo durante 6 meses, con regresión completa de los aneurismas y de la sintomatología.

Isolamento e caracterização de Pseudomonas maltophilia (Hugh & Ryschenkow, 1960 de material clínico humano, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro Isolating and characterization of Pseudomonas maltophilia (Hugh & Ryschenkow, 1960 from human clinical specimens, in Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara, Brazil

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Altair A. Zebral

1973-01-01

Full Text Available Os autores estudaram as propriedades morfo-bioquímicas e a sensibilidade às substâncias antimicrobianas, de uma nova e rara espécie de Pseudomonas, a Pseudomonas maltophilia (Hugh & Ryschenkow, 1960, isolada de secração vaginal. Como características marcantes, dentre mais de 65 testadas, as amostras estudadas mostraram ser: oxidase negativa e lisina descarboxilase positiva; produziram desoxiribonuclease e um pigmento escuro que se difunde no meio; atacaram oxidativamente a maltose tanto em meio complexo nitrogenado como em meio de Hugh & Leifson e hidrolisaram a esculina. As amostras foram sensíveis ao cloranfenicol, gentamicina, kanamicina, colistin e gabromicina.The authors have studied the morpho-biochemical properties and the sensibility at antimicrobial drugs, of specie of Pseudomonas, the Pseudomonas maltophilia, (Hugh & Ryschenkow, 1960, isolated from vaginal secretion. Since important characteristics among more of sixty-five tested, the strains studied show to be: oxidase negative and lysine decarboxylase positive; to present deoxyrononuclease activity and produced a diffusible brown pigment: acid was produced by oxidation of maltose as much in nitrogenous complex medium as in Hugh & Leifson medium and they hydrolise the esculin. the strains was sensible, for the colistin chloranfenicol, gabromycin, gentamycin and nalidix acid.

The White goddess, Ariadne and myth of the poetic self: The role of myth in forming creative-destructive relation Ted Hughes - Sylvia Plath

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Mušović Azra A.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were husband and wife; they were also two of the most remarkable poets of the twentieth century. Both Hughes and Plath were fond of mythic language - their attempts to find meaning in painful events of life took the form of a journey through myth. Just as Song contains a founding image in the work of Ted Hughes, Ariadne can be identified as a founding image in the work of Sylvia Plath. Both of these poems employ mythic language to identify the emotional pattern of each poet's creative stance toward the distinctive subject matter his or her art will seize on. Since Plath was, indeed, the form taken by the White Goddess in Hughes's life, it had been her destiny to inflict devastation on Hughes, as well as release his creative energy. These were the two aspects of her gift, as Robert Graves defined it: creativity and destruction. This paper is concerned with presenting an up-close look at a couple who saw each other as the means to becoming who they wanted to be: writers and mythic figures representing their generation.

Some Numerical Aspects on Crowd Motion - The Hughes Model

KAUST Repository

Gomes, Diogo A.

2016-01-06

Here, we study a crowd model proposed by R. Hughes in [5] and we describe a numerical approach to solve it. This model comprises a Fokker-Planck equation coupled with an Eikonal equation with Dirichlet or Neumann data. First, we establish a priori estimates for the solution. Second, we study radial solutions and identify a shock formation mechanism. Third, we illustrate the existence of congestion, the breakdown of the model, and the trend to the equilibrium. Finally, we propose a new numerical method and consider two numerical examples.

Dynamics of delay-coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo neural rings

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xiaochen; Sun, Jianqiao; Li, Shaofan

2018-01-01

This paper studies the dynamical behaviors of a pair of FitzHugh-Nagumo neural networks with bidirectional delayed couplings. It presents a detailed analysis of delay-independent and delay-dependent stabilities and the existence of bifurcated oscillations. Illustrative examples are performed to validate the analytical results and to discover interesting phenomena. It is shown that the network exhibits a variety of complicated activities, such as multiple stability switches, the coexistence of periodic and quasi-periodic oscillations, the coexistence of periodic and chaotic orbits, and the coexisting chaotic attractors.

IN SITU STEAM ENHANCED RECOVERY PROCESS - HUGHES ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS, INC. - INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION REPORT

Science.gov (United States)

This Innovative Technology Evaluation report summarizes the findings of an evaluation of the in situ Steam Enhanced Recovery Process (SERP) operated by Hughes Environmental Systems, Inc. at the Rainbow Disposal facility in Huntington Beach, California. he technology demonstration...

Blood Brothers: Albert and Allen Hughes in the Belly of the Hollywood Beast.

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Henry Louis, Jr.

1994-01-01

Recounts an interview with the Hughes brothers, who are twin black men who produced the film "Menace 2 Society," which is a film about urban delinquency and crime among black adolescents. Their comments include thoughts on racism, media stereotyping, being black in America, and their experiences with Hollywood. (GLR)

Analysis of hepatic capsular enhancement mimicking the Fitz-hugh-curtis syndrome on a multidetector computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ji Sang; Park, Seong Jin; Lee, Hae Kyung; Yi, Boem Ha; Hong, Hyun Sook; Cha, Jang Gyu; Lim, Hoon

2008-01-01

To determine the associated diseases causing hepatic capsular enhancement and analyze the relationship of the capsular enhancement patterns as a function of the associated diseases. We retrospectively reviewed 797 patients having undergone arterial phase abdominal CT scans. Among these images, 47 patients showed hepatic capsular enhancement (13 men and 34 women; mean age: 53.1; age range: 5-91 years). We investigated if there was a correlation between the pattern of hepatic capsular enhancement and cause of disease. When the hepatic capsular enhancement was found to persist until the portal phase, the symptom duration was evaluated. Hepatic capsular enhancements were presented in 5.9% (47/797) of the arterial phase abdominal CT scans. Six patients (12.8%) were diagnosed with Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. The other causes of hepatic capsular enhancement included 20 cases of inflammation, 13 cases of malignancy, and 8 cases of other diseases. The extent of the hepatic capsular enhancement was not significantly different among the causes of disease. In thirty two of 47 patients (68.1%), hepatic capsular enhancement persisted until the portal phase images. Hepatic capsular enhancement on an arterial phase is a nonspecific imaging finding observed in the Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome as well as a variety of other diseases. A CT is useful in finding the hepatic capsular enhancement and determining the accompanying disease

A new theory of plant-microbe nutrient competition resolves inconsistencies between observations and model predictions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Qing; Riley, William J; Tang, Jinyun

2017-04-01

Terrestrial plants assimilate anthropogenic CO 2 through photosynthesis and synthesizing new tissues. However, sustaining these processes requires plants to compete with microbes for soil nutrients, which therefore calls for an appropriate understanding and modeling of nutrient competition mechanisms in Earth System Models (ESMs). Here, we survey existing plant-microbe competition theories and their implementations in ESMs. We found no consensus regarding the representation of nutrient competition and that observational and theoretical support for current implementations are weak. To reconcile this situation, we applied the Equilibrium Chemistry Approximation (ECA) theory to plant-microbe nitrogen competition in a detailed grassland 15 N tracer study and found that competition theories in current ESMs fail to capture observed patterns and the ECA prediction simplifies the complex nature of nutrient competition and quantitatively matches the 15 N observations. Since plant carbon dynamics are strongly modulated by soil nutrient acquisition, we conclude that (1) predicted nutrient limitation effects on terrestrial carbon accumulation by existing ESMs may be biased and (2) our ECA-based approach may improve predictions by mechanistically representing plant-microbe nutrient competition. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Observing the coach-created motivational environment across training and competition in youth sport.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Nathan; Quested, Eleanor; Appleton, Paul R; Duda, Joan L

2017-01-01

Adopting an integrated achievement goal (Nicholls, J. G. (1989). The competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.) and self-determination theory (Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268. doi:10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01) perspective as proffered by Duda, J. L. (2013). (The conceptual and empirical foundations of empowering coaching TM : Setting the stage for the PAPA project. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11, 311-318. doi:10.1080/1612197X.2013.839414), the aim of the current study was to observe empowering and disempowering features of the multidimensional motivational coaching environment in training and competition in youth sport. Seventeen grass-roots soccer coaches were observed and rated in training and competitive settings using the multidimensional motivational climate observation system (MMCOS; Smith, N., Tessier, D., Tzioumakis, Y., Quested, E., Appleton, P., Sarrazin, P., … Duda, J. L. (2015). Development and validation of the multidimensional motivational climate observation system (MMCOS). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 37, 4-22. doi:10.1123/jsep.2014-0059). In line with our hypotheses, coaches created different motivational environments in the two contexts. More specifically, coaches were observed to create a less empowering and more disempowering environment in competition compared to in training. The observed differences were underpinned by distinctive motivational strategies used by coaches in the two contexts. Findings have implications for the assessment of the coach-created motivational environment and the promotion of quality motivation for young athletes taking part in grass-roots-level sport.

Howard Hughes and the Cold War Aviation Film Jet Pilot (1957

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Richard Andrew Voeltz

2016-10-01

War.  But sexual intimacy, conspicuous consumption, and aviation technology also inserted themselves into the perfect safetly of American domestic bliss. This paper will analyze how the eccentric Cold War romantic comedy Jet Pilot (1957 so associated with the compulsiveness of Howard Hughes, produced and written by Jules Furthman, directed ( partially by Josef von Sternburg and starring John Wayne and Janet Leigh, reflects all these themes making it the paradigmatic Cold Film that remains a camp classic from the American popular cultyre of the 1950s.

"Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes": Toward a Creative Social Web for Learners and Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianwei

2009-01-01

This article commenting on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes (2009) examines the potential strengths and weaknesses of Web 2.0 in supporting student collaborative creativity in light of sociocultural conditions of knowledge creation. Weaknesses and challenges are identified related to the embedded and dispersed representation of community knowledge,…

Hugh L. Dryden's Career in Aviation and Space. No. 5; Monographs in Aerospace History

Science.gov (United States)

Gorn, Michael H.

1996-01-01

Hugh Latimer Dryden led a life rich in paradox. Born in obsurity, he attained international prominence. Indifferent to self-advancement, he nonetheless rose to the pinnacle of the aeronautics profession and subsequently assumed a pivotal role in the initial period of space exploration. Although a research scientist of the first order, he nurtured within himself a profoundly spiritual outlook.

Hugh Grady (ed.), Shakespeare and Modernity : Early Modern to Millenium

OpenAIRE

Ribeyrol, Wendy

2014-01-01

Shakespeare and Modernity : Early Modern to Millenium, publié au tournant du troisième millénaire est un recueil de neuf essais d’universitaires américains et britanniques, précédé d’une introduction de Hugh Grady, auteur par ailleurs de The Modernist Shakespeare (1991), Shakespeare’s Universal Wolf (1996) et plus récemment de Shakespeare and Impure Aesthetics (2009). Ce livre offre à l’étudiant, à l’enseignant et au chercheur un état des lieux stimulant de l’évolution des études shakespearie...

The NACA Exceptional Service Medal presented at the NACA High Speed Flight Station. L-R: Hugh Dryden

Science.gov (United States)

1956-01-01

The NASA exceptional Service Medal presented at the NACA High Speed Flight Station. L-R: Hugh Dryden, Joe Walker (X-1A research pilot), Stan Butchart (pilot of the B-29 mothership), Richard Payne (X-1A crew chief).

Synchronization of Coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo Neurons Using Self-Feedback Time Delay

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Denggui; Song, Xinle; Liao, Fucheng

Many neurological diseases are characterized by abnormally synchronous oscillations of neuronal populations. However, how the neurons can synchronize with each other is still not fully understood, which may have potentially hampered the understanding and diagnosis for these dynamical diseases. In this paper, the self-feedback time delay (SFTD) and adaptive control theory are employed to control the onset of synchronization in the coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neurons. It is found that the larger SFTD can induce the complete synchronization of coupled neuronal system. Further investigation reveals that the reinforcing SFTD can significantly postpone the synchronization onsets. In addition, for the case that synchronization cannot be achieved by adjusting SFTD, the parameter estimation update laws and adaptive controller with respect to SFTD of coupled system are investigated to deduce the sufficient condition for complete synchronization. Simulations are also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. In particular, we observed the fascinating dynamical synchronization transitions, such as chaotic synchronization and bursting synchronization transitions, as well as the transition from anti-synchronization to complete synchronization.

Kinematic analysis of melange fabrics: Examples and applications from the McHugh Complex, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Kusky, T.M.; Bradley, D.C.

1999-01-01

Permian to Cretaceous melange of the McHugh Complex on the Kenai Peninsula, south-central Alaska includes blocks and belts of graywacke, argillite, limestone, chert, basalt, gabbro, and ultramafic rocks, intruded by a variety of igneous rocks. An oceanic plate stratigraphy is repeated hundreds of times across the map area, but most structures at the outcrop scale extend lithological layering. Strong rheological units occur as blocks within a matrix that flowed around the competent blocks during deformation, forming broken formation and melange. Deformation was noncoaxial, and disruption of primary layering was a consequence of general strain driven by plate convergence in a relatively narrow zone between the overriding accretionary wedge and the downgoing, generally thinly sedimented oceanic plate. Soft-sediment deformation processes do not appear to have played a major role in the formation of the melange. A model for deformation at the toe of the wedge is proposed in which layers oriented at low angles to ??1 are contracted in both the brittle and ductile regimes, layers at 30-45??to ??1 are extended in the brittle regime and contracted in the ductile regime, and layers at angles greater than 45??to ??1 are extended in both the brittle and ductile regimes. Imbrication in thrust duplexes occurs at deeper levels within the wedge. Many structures within melange of the McHugh Complex are asymmetric and record kinematic information consistent with the inferred structural setting in an accretionary wedge. A displacement field for the McHugh Complex on the lower Kenai Peninsula includes three belts: an inboard belt of Late Triassic rocks records west-to-east-directed slip of hanging walls, a central belt of predominantly Early Jurassic rocks records north-south directed displacements, and Early Cretaceous rocks in an outboard belt preserve southwest-northeast directed slip vectors. Although precise ages of accretion are unknown, slip directions are compatible with

Further Issues in Determining the Readability of Self-Report Items: Comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)

Science.gov (United States)

Schinka, John A.

2012-01-01

Objective: Issues regarding the readability of self-report assessment instruments, methods for establishing the reading ability level of respondents, and guidelines for development of scales designed for marginal readers have been inconsistently addressed in the literature. A recent study by McHugh and Behar (2009) provided new findings relevant…

Role of Noise in Complex Networks of FitzHugh-Nagumo Neurons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortuna, Luigi; Frasca, Mattia; La Rosa, Manuela

2005-01-01

This paper deals with the open question related to the role of noise in complex networks of interconnected FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons. In this paper this problem is faced with extensive simulations of different network topologies. The results show that several topologies behave in an optimal way with respect to the range of noise level leading to an improvement in the stimulus-response coherence, while other with respect to the maximum values of the performance index. The best results in terms of both the suitable noise level and high stimulus response coherence have been obtained when a diversity in neuron characteristic parameters has been introduced and the neurons have been connected in a small-world topology

A Powerful Friendship: Theodore von Karman and Hugh L. Dryden

Science.gov (United States)

Gorn, Michael

2003-01-01

During their long personal friendship and professional association, Theodore von Karman (1882-1963) and Hugh L. Dryden (1898-1965) exercised a pivotal if somewhat elusive influence over American aeronautics and spaceflight. Both decisive figures in organizing scientists and engineers at home and abroad, both men of undisputed eminence in their technical fields, their range of contacts in government, academia, the armed forces, industry, and professional societies spanned the globe to an extent unparalleled then as now. Moreover, because they coordinated their activities closely, their combined influence far exceeded the sum of each one s individual contributions. This paper illustrates their personal origins as well as the foundations of their friendship, how their relationship became a professional alliance, and their joint impact on the world of aeronautics and astronautics during the twentieth century.

The Impact of Competitive Foods on Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: An Observational Plate Waste Study

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Janie W. Cole

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the effect of competitive foods on children’s consumption of lunch meals in elementary schools in Mississippi. The objective of this observational study was to examine how competitive food purchases affect entrée, fruit, and vegetable consumption using the quarter-waste method. A total of 862 meals and purchase of competitive foods were observed. Children who purchased ice cream or pudding were 1.6 times more likely to throw away more than 50% of their entrée, 3.5 times more likely to not eat their vegetables, and more than two times more likely to not eat their fruit than children who did not purchase ice cream or pudding. Children who purchased chips were also less likely to consume more than 50% of their entrée. These findings suggest that competitive foods can impact children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.

Kinematic analysis of mélange fabrics: examples and applications from the McHugh Complex, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Kusky, Timothy M.; Bradley, Dwight C.

1999-12-01

Permian to Cretaceous mélange of the McHugh Complex on the Kenai Peninsula, south-central Alaska includes blocks and belts of graywacke, argillite, limestone, chert, basalt, gabbro, and ultramafic rocks, intruded by a variety of igneous rocks. An oceanic plate stratigraphy is repeated hundreds of times across the map area, but most structures at the outcrop scale extend lithological layering. Strong rheological units occur as blocks within a matrix that flowed around the competent blocks during deformation, forming broken formation and mélange. Deformation was noncoaxial, and disruption of primary layering was a consequence of general strain driven by plate convergence in a relatively narrow zone between the overriding accretionary wedge and the downgoing, generally thinly sedimented oceanic plate. Soft-sediment deformation processes do not appear to have played a major role in the formation of the mélange. A model for deformation at the toe of the wedge is proposed in which layers oriented at low angles to σ1 are contracted in both the brittle and ductile regimes, layers at 30-45° to σ1 are extended in the brittle regime and contracted in the ductile regime, and layers at angles greater than 45° to σ1 are extended in both the brittle and ductile regimes. Imbrication in thrust duplexes occurs at deeper levels within the wedge. Many structures within mélange of the McHugh Complex are asymmetric and record kinematic information consistent with the inferred structural setting in an accretionary wedge. A displacement field for the McHugh Complex on the lower Kenai Peninsula includes three belts: an inboard belt of Late Triassic rocks records west-to-east-directed slip of hanging walls, a central belt of predominantly Early Jurassic rocks records north-south directed displacements, and Early Cretaceous rocks in an outboard belt preserve southwest-northeast directed slip vectors. Although precise ages of accretion are unknown, slip directions are compatible with

Sir Hugh Cairns: The neurosurgeon who introduced crash helmets

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Shahsivadhanan Sundaravadhanan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Statistics prove that more Indians die in Road traffic related accidents than in wars. Prior to World War II, the death toll across the world used to be very high. It was at this juncture that a Military Neurosurgeon named Hugh Cairns introduced the compulsory wearing of crash helmets and brought about a reduction in mortality by more than 50%. Within a decade of introduction of crash helmets in Britain, the entire world followed suit. The results of his efforts are here for all of us to see. This innovative military neurosurgeon is credited as the one who introduced the concept of mobile neurosurgical units during world war and also the first proponent of usage of penicillin in war. His concepts in war surgery are still followed by militaries across the world. This article comes as a tribute to this great Neurosurgeon who helped in saving millions of lives.

Tools for Tomorrow's Science and Technology Workforce: MATE's 2006 ROV Competition Sets Students' Sights on Ocean Observing Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zande, Jill; Meeson, Blanche; Cook, Susan; Matsumoto, George

2006-01-01

Teams participating in the 2006 ROV competition organized by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center and the Marine Technology Society's (MTS) ROV Committee experienced first-hand the scientific and technical challenges that many ocean scientists, technicians, and engineers face every day. The competition tasked more than 1,000 middle and high school, college, and university students from Newfoundland to Hong Kong with designing and building ROVs to support the next generation of ocean observing systems. Teaming up with the National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations, Ocean. US, and the Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Networks (ORION) Program, the competition highlighted ocean observing systems and the careers, organizations, and technologies associated with ocean observatories. The student teams were challenged to develop vehicles that can deploy, install, and maintain networks of instruments as well as to explore the practical applications and the research questions made possible by observing systems.

Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance of the Hughes NTMS quadrangle, Alaska

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Andrea, R.F. Jr.; Zinkl, R.J.; Shettel, D.L. Jr.; Langfeldt, S.L.; Youngquist, C.A.

1981-09-01

This report presents results of a Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) of the Hughes NTMS quadrangle, Alaska. In addition to this abbreviated data release, more complete data are available to the public in machine-readable form through the Grand Junction Office Information System at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Presented in this data release are location data, field analyses, and laboratory analyses of several different sample media. For the sake of brevity, many field site observations have not been included in this volume. These data are, however, available on the magnetic tape. Appendices A and B describe the sample media and summarize the analytical results for each medium. The data were subdivided by one of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) sorting programs of Zinkl and others into groups of stream sediment and lake sediment samples. For each group which contains a sufficient number of observations, statistical tables, tables of raw data, and 1:1000000 scale maps of pertinent elements have been included in this report. In addition, maps showing results of multivariate statistical analyses have been included. Further information about the HSSR program in general, or about the LANL portion of the program in particular, can be obtained in quarterly or semiannual program progress reports on open-file at DOE's Technical Library in Grand Junction. Information about the field and analytical procedures used by LANL during sample collection and analysis may be found in any HSSR data release prepared by the LANL and will not be included in this report

New type of chimera structures in a ring of bistable FitzHugh-Nagumo oscillators with nonlocal interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Shepelev, I. A.; Vadivasova, T. E.; Bukh, A. V.; Strelkova, G. I.; Anishchenko, V. S.

2017-04-01

We study the spatiotemporal dynamics of a ring of nonlocally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo oscillators in the bistable regime. A new type of chimera patterns has been found in the noise-free network and when isolated elements do not oscillate. The region of existence of these structures has been explored when the coupling range and the coupling strength between the network elements are varied.

Hugh Ramsay’s Self-Portrait: Reflections on a Spanish Master Painter

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Jenny Beatriz Quijano Martínez

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The interest in European masters from the past was a phenomenon related to the development of the artistic careers of many artists in Australia at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. More than that, the copying or emulation of great works of art was seen to be a necessary part of an artist’s training1. This paper looks at Hugh Ramsay and his fascination with the painting Las Meninas (1656 by Velázquez as part of a larger study into understanding how the Spanish in uence was re ected in Australian art. Ramsay introduced elements from Las Meninas into his Portrait of the artist standing before easel, which took him to personify the role of the painter as Velázquez.

How Hugh Hampton Young's treatment of President Woodrow Wilson's urinary retention and urosepsis affected the resolution of World War I.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogg, Ryan; Kutikov, Alexander; Uzzo, Robert G; Canter, Daniel

2011-09-01

President Woodrow Wilson was never able to gain ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, the peace accord to end World War I. Before he could convince the American people of the importance of ratification, Wilson suffered a stroke followed by life threatening urinary sepsis due to urinary retention, and was treated by the father of modern urology, Hugh Hampton Young. The effects of these health problems are examined in the context of their implications on international affairs. Biographical sources and primary documentation of Wilson's physicians were reviewed to determine the effect of Wilson's stroke on his voiding habits. Hugh Hampton Young's evaluation and decision making is examined in depth. In the fall of 1919 President Wilson was recovering from a stroke. Shortly after the stroke his preexisting voiding dysfunction progressed to urinary retention from which urinary sepsis developed. Hugh Hampton Young advised on Wilson's case and counseled patience over surgery. The President began voiding spontaneously and recovered from sepsis. The illness left him severely weakened and unable to mount an aggressive campaign to persuade the U.S. Senate of the importance of ratifying the Treaty of Versailles. His personal physician, Admiral Cary T. Grayson, stated that the President was mentally never the same after the sepsis. Wilson's voiding dysfunction contributed to his inability to win approval for the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. As a result, the United States returned to a policy of isolationism and Europe plunged into 2 decades of upheaval, leading to World War II. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary test results from a telescope of Hughes pixel arrays at FNAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jernigan, J.G.; Arens, J.; Vezie, D.; Collins, T.; Krider, J.; Skubic, P.

1992-09-01

In December of 1991 three silicon hybrid pixel detectors each having 2.56 x 2.56 pixels 30 μm square, made by the Hughes Aircraft Company, were placed in a high energy muon beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Straight tracks were recorded in these detectors at angles to the normal to the plane of the silicon ranging from 0 to 45 degrees. In this note, preliminary results are presented on the straight through tracks, i.e., those passing through the telescope at normal incidence. Pulse height data, signal-to-noise data, and preliminary straight line fits to the data resulting in residual distributions are presented. Preliminary calculations show spatial resolution of less than 5 μm in two dimensions

2002 Report to Congress: Evaluating the Consensus Best Practices Developed through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Collaborative Hazardous Waste Management Demonstration Project

Science.gov (United States)

This report discusses a collaborative project initiated by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to establish and evaluate a performance-based approach to management of hazardous wastes in the laboratories of academic research institutions.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR HUGH HARRIS SPEAKS AT THE APOLLO/SATURN V CENTER RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

NASA/KSC Public Affairs Director Hugh W. Harris gives the welcome and introductions at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new Apollo/Saturn V Center, part of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center. The 100,000- square-foot facility includes two theaters, various exhibits and an Apollo-era Saturn V rocket, which formerly was on display outside the Vehicle Assembly Building and is one of only three moon rockets remaining in existence. The new center is located off the Kennedy Parkway at the Banana Creek launch viewing site.

Nonlinear oscillations of the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations under combined external and two-frequency parametric excitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatchim Bemmo, D.; Siewe Siewe, M.; Tchawoua, C.

2011-01-01

The continuous FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN for short) model is transformed into modified van der Pol oscillator with asymmetry under external and two-frequency parametric excitations. At the first, the dependence of the solutions on a combined external and two-frequency parametric stimulus forcing is investigated. By using the multiple scale method, ranges of applied current and/or parametric forcing in which nonlinear oscillations are observed are described. Second, when the multiple scale method cannot be used, we numerically prove that in the modified van der Pol oscillator with asymmetry under external and two-frequency parametric excitations, chaos and periodic solution depending on the combination between different frequencies of the model should appear. We also show that the amplitude of the oscillations can be reduced or increased. To do this, we perform the study of the FHN model by choosing a range of parameters exhibiting Hopf bifurcation and two qualitative different regimes in phase portrait. - Highlights: → We model both external and two-frequency parametric excitations in FHN equations. → We examine effects of harmonic forcing on coupled nonlinear oscillator. → Jump and hysteresis phenomena are observed in the dynamical response. → By increasing the constant stimulus we obtain limit cycle. → Some combinations of frequencies produce limit cycle and chaos for other.

Radio Band Observations of Blazar Variability Margo F. Aller , Hugh ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

gle dish monitoring and spatial resolution from VLBA imaging. Such measurements now available in all four ... linear-to-circular mode conversion in a region that is at least partially self- absorbed. Detailed analysis of ... Single dish monitoring observations from Metsähovi, Michigan (hereafter. UMRAO), and recently from the ...

Environmental structure and competitive scoring advantages in team competitions

Science.gov (United States)

Merritt, Sears; Clauset, Aaron

2013-10-01

In most professional sports, playing field structure is kept neutral so that scoring imbalances may be attributed to differences in team skill. It thus remains unknown what impact environmental heterogeneities can have on scoring dynamics or competitive advantages. Applying a novel generative model of scoring dynamics to roughly 10 million team competitions drawn from an online game, we quantify the relationship between the structure within a competition and its scoring dynamics, while controlling the impact of chance. Despite wide structural variations, we observe a common three-phase pattern in the tempo of events. Tempo and balance are highly predictable from a competition's structural features alone and teams exploit environmental heterogeneities for sustained competitive advantage. Surprisingly, the most balanced competitions are associated with specific environmental heterogeneities, not from equally skilled teams. These results shed new light on the design principles of balanced competition, and illustrate the potential of online game data for investigating social dynamics and competition.

Canards Existence in FitzHugh-Nagumo and Hodgkin-Huxley Neuronal Models

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Jean-Marc Ginoux

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In a previous paper we have proposed a new method for proving the existence of “canard solutions” for three- and four-dimensional singularly perturbed systems with only one fast variable which improves the methods used until now. The aim of this work is to extend this method to the case of four-dimensional singularly perturbed systems with two slow and two fast variables. This method enables stating a unique generic condition for the existence of “canard solutions” for such four-dimensional singularly perturbed systems which is based on the stability of folded singularities (pseudo singular points in this case of the normalized slow dynamics deduced from a well-known property of linear algebra. This unique generic condition is identical to that provided in previous works. Application of this method to the famous coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo equations and to the Hodgkin-Huxley model enables showing the existence of “canard solutions” in such systems.

An Integrated Soft Computing Approach to Hughes Syndrome Risk Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilhena, João; Rosário Martins, M; Vicente, Henrique; Grañeda, José M; Caldeira, Filomena; Gusmão, Rodrigo; Neves, João; Neves, José

2017-03-01

The AntiPhospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an acquired autoimmune disorder induced by high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies that cause arterial and veins thrombosis, as well as pregnancy-related complications and morbidity, as clinical manifestations. This autoimmune hypercoagulable state, usually known as Hughes syndrome, has severe consequences for the patients, being one of the main causes of thrombotic disorders and death. Therefore, it is required to be preventive; being aware of how probable is to have that kind of syndrome. Despite the updated of antiphospholipid syndrome classification, the diagnosis remains difficult to establish. Additional research on clinically relevant antibodies and standardization of their quantification are required in order to improve the antiphospholipid syndrome risk assessment. Thus, this work will focus on the development of a diagnosis decision support system in terms of a formal agenda built on a Logic Programming approach to knowledge representation and reasoning, complemented with a computational framework based on Artificial Neural Networks. The proposed model allows for improving the diagnosis, classifying properly the patients that really presented this pathology (sensitivity higher than 85%), as well as classifying the absence of APS (specificity close to 95%).

Training induces scapular dyskinesis in pain-free competitive swimmers: a reliability and observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Madsen, Pernille H; Bak, Klaus; Jensen, Susanne; Welter, Ulrik

2011-03-01

Scapular dyskinesis is a major etiological factor in overhead athletes' shoulder problems. Our hypotheses were to evaluate if (1) visual observation of scapular dyskinesis during scaption has substantial interobserver reliability, and (2) scapular dyskinesis may be induced by swim training in pain-free swimmers. A reliability and observational study. Bachelor project at a college institution and at a private sports orthopedic hospital. Seventy-eight competitive swimmers with no history of shoulder pain were included in the study. Fourteen swimmers were evaluated regarding reliability. Inclusion criteria were competitive swimmers with high training volume who previously had no shoulder pain. Observations of scapular dyskinesis (yes/no) during simple scaption. The interobserver reliability of scaption and wall push-up was evaluated in 14 swimmers using kappa analysis. Prevalence of scapular dyskinesis at 4 time intervals during a swim training session. The scaption test resulted in a weighted kappa value of 0.75. Scapular dyskinesis was seen in 29 shoulders (37%) after the first time interval, in another 24 (cumulated prevalence 68%) after one-half of the training session, and in an additional 4 swimmers (cumulated prevalence 73%) after three-quarters of the training session. During the last quarter of the training session, another 7 swimmers had dyskinesis, resulting in a cumulated prevalence of 82%. The prevalence of abnormal scapular kinesis during a normal training session is high in previously pain-free swimmers. The prevalence increases with more training and occurs early during the training session.

The Hugh Davies Collection: live electronic music and self-built electro-acoustic musical instruments, 1967–1975

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Dr James Mooney

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Hugh Davies Collection (HDC at the Science Museum in London comprises 42 items of electronic sound apparatus owned by English experimental musician Hugh Davies (1943–2005, including self-built electro-acoustic musical instruments and modified sound production and manipulation hardware. An early proponent of ‘live electronic music’ (performed live on stage rather than constructed on magnetic tape in a studio, Davies’s DIY approach shaped the development of experimental and improvised musics from the late 1960s onwards. However, his practice has not been widely reported in the literature, hence little information is readily available about the material artefacts that constituted and enabled it. This article provides the first account of the development of Davies’s practice in relation to the objects in the HDC: from the modified electronic sound apparatus used in his early live electronic compositions (among the first of their kind by a British composer; through the ‘instrumental turn’ represented by his first self-built instrument, Shozyg I (1968; to his mature practice, where self-built instruments like Springboard Mk. XI (1974 replaced electronic transformation as the primary means by which Davies explored new and novel sound-worlds. As well as advancing knowledge of Davies’s pioneering work in live electronics and instrument-building and enhancing understanding of the objects in the HDC, this article shows how object biographic and archival methodologies can be combined to provide insight into the ways in which objects (instruments, technologies and practices shape each other over time.

First observation of the competitive double-gamma (“γγ/γ” decay process

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Pietralla N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available First observation of the competitive double-γ decay process is presented. It is a second-order electromagnetic decay mode. The 662-keV decay transition from the 11/2− isomer of 137Ba to its ground state proceeds at a fraction of 2 × 10−6 by simultaneous emission of two γ quanta instead of one. The observed angular correlation and energy distribution of coincident γ quanta are well described by a dominant M2 – E2 and a minor E3 – M1 contribution to the double-γ decay branch. The data were well accounted for by a calculation using the Quasiparticle Phonon Model.

CONCEPTUAL APPROACH OF COMPETITIVENESS AND INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN COMPETITION AND COMPETITIVENESS

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Tatiana GUTIUM

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to analysis of interdependence and correlation between competition and competitiveness, and competition’s consequences. The author analysed some authors’ visions on competitiveness, and common features between theories of competition and competitiveness. Using the synthetic indicator elaborated by author has been evaluated the competitiveness of domestic goods on the internal and external market. At the end of this article, the author has developed proposals to increase competitiveness.

Robust Synchronization of Delayed Chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo Neurons under External Electrical Stimulation

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Muhammad Rehan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Synchronization of chaotic neurons under external electrical stimulation (EES is studied in order to understand information processing in the brain and to improve the methodologies employed in the treatment of cognitive diseases. This paper investigates the dynamics of uncertain coupled chaotic delayed FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN neurons under EES for incorporated parametric variations. A global nonlinear control law for synchronization of delayed neurons with known parameters is developed. Based on local and global Lipschitz conditions, knowledge of the bounds on the neuronal states, the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, and the L2 gain reduction, a less conservative local robust nonlinear control law is formulated to address the problem of robust asymptotic synchronization of delayed FHN neurons under parametric uncertainties. The proposed local control law guarantees both robust stability and robust performance and provides the L2 bound for uncertainty rejection in the synchronization error dynamics. Separate conditions for single-input and multiple-input control schemes for synchronization of a wide class of FHN systems are provided. The results of the proposed techniques are verified through numerical simulations.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS

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Gabriel-Andrei Donici

2011-09-01

Full Text Available There is a certain connection between education and economic competitiveness. The relation between these two concepts is easy to intuit. On the medium and long term investments in education generate astrong increase in a country’s level of economic competitiveness. Through education the human capital is formed, and it affects all economic fields. Therefore we can observe that human capital has a decisive influence on the economic competitiveness of a country.

Obituary: Lawrence Hugh Aller, 1913-2003

Science.gov (United States)

Kaler, James B.

2003-12-01

The announcement still lies in my inbox: ``Lawrence Aller died last Sunday." On 16 March 2003, one of the world's fine astronomers passed away at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy that will ripple as long as there are students of the celestial science, one that incorporated observation, theory, education, care, decency, and kindness. Lawrence was born in the humblest of conditions in Tacoma, Washington, on 24 September 1913. His mother, Lella (Belle) Allen, was a homemaker and his father Leslie Aller, was an occassional printer and gold prospector who thought that the use of the mind was a waste of time. With fierce persistence and dedication, Lawrence pulled off a feat that would probably not be possible now: getting into college without having finished high school, the result of being dragged to work in his father's primitive gold mining camp. His interest, sparked by leaflets from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and by Russell, Dugan, and Stewart's venerable textbook, led him to a correspondence, and finally a meeting, with Donald Menzel of Harvard, who persuaded the admissions director of the University of California at Berkeley to admit him in 1932. From there, Lawrence went on to graduate school at Harvard and the Harvard Society of Fellows, where he studied with Menzel and developed his interest in stellar and nebular astronomy. After working in the War effort, he made his professorial debut at Indiana University, where he stayed until 1948 before leaving for the University of Michigan. Residing there for the next 14 years, he established his research reputation and helped develop the Michigan graduate program. In 1962, the opportunity arose to return to California, to UCLA, where he again was instrumental in founding a PhD program. There he stayed, through his retirement in 1984, doing research right up to the end. Eight other schools received him as visiting professor. Lawrence knew that to make inroads into astronomy, he needed to apply

The relative importance of seed competition, resource competition and perturbations on community structure

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K. Bohn

2011-05-01

Full Text Available While the regional climate is the primary selection pressure for whether a plant strategy can survive, however, competitive interactions strongly affect the relative abundances of plant strategies within communities. Here, we investigate the relative importance of competition and perturbations on the development of vegetation community structure. To do so, we develop DIVE (Dynamics and Interactions of VEgetation, a simple general model that links plant strategies to their competitive dynamics, using growth and reproduction characteristics that emerge from climatic constraints. The model calculates population dynamics based on establishment, mortality, invasion and exclusion in the presence of different strengths of perturbations, seed and resource competition. The highest levels of diversity were found in simulations without competition as long as mortality is not too high. However, reasonable successional dynamics were only achieved when resource competition is considered. Under high levels of competition, intermediate levels of perturbations were required to obtain coexistence. Since succession and coexistence are observed in plant communities, we conclude that the DIVE model with competition and intermediate levels of perturbation represents an adequate way to model population dynamics. Because of the simplicity and generality of DIVE, it could be used to understand vegetation structure and functioning at the global scale and the response of vegetation to global change.

Price Competition or Tacit Collusion

OpenAIRE

Yano, Makoto; Komatsubara, Takashi

2012-01-01

Every now and then, we observe a fierce price war in a real world market, through which competing firms end up with a Bertrand-like price competition equilibrium. Despite this, very little has been known in the existing literature as to why a price competition market is formed. We address this question in the context of a choice between engaging in price competition and holding a price leader. Focusing on a duopoly market, we demonstrate that if supply is tight relative to demand, and if the ...

Adaptable Analytical Vistas Illumine a Touchstone: Langston Hughes as Minor Author/Poet

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Mzenga A. Wanyama

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The authentic association of spontaneity, as a spur or basis for artistic expression, with the vaunted notion of autonomy in literary creationis nowhere more clearly established than in the work of theorists Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari as they, inter-alia, explicate the unique literary repertoire bestowed upon the world by Franz Kafka. In their acclaimed works: Kafka: Toward a Minor Literature and Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia,they offered to literary theory the fascinating and analytically productive constructs of deterritorialization and anti-Oedipus in the context of a compelling portraiture of the ways in which various institutionalized relationships subtly prescribe and reinforce inequity in society’s power mechanics that tendentiously impact, among other realities, the nature and quality of literary products. They offered, in the process, a refreshing definition of minor literature that unequivocally restores to literature its distinctive place and role in the amalgamated adjudications of society’s intergroup dissensions. In this regard, the present paper subscribes to the idea that spontaneity equaled the intrinsic and immutable desire of the gifted literary mind of African-American author/poet Langston Hughes to reach expressivity in accordance, strictly, with his unalloyed literary vision and thus made autonomy the inevitable upshot of his inspiration and practice.

Studies on antigenic competition. Efforts to identify the cellular basis of competition using a cell transfer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McArthur, W.P.; Siskind, G.W.; Thorbecke, G.J.

1974-01-01

Antigenic competition was studied in a cell transfer system. The effect of reconstituting lethally irradiated mice with various numbers of thymus or bone marrow cells on the extent of antigenic competition was evaluated. Brucella or burro erythrocytes both caused inhibition of the immune response (Plaque-forming cell) to sheep erythrocytes when given two days prior to the test antigen. Varying the dose of thymus cells, or of bone marrow cells did not alter the degree of competition. Competition was observed even when the competing antigen was injected with bone marrow cells alone two days before the test antigen and thymus cells. The results suggest that mechanisms other than T-cell activation alone must be considered as operative in some models of antigenic competition

Demolishing the competition: the longitudinal link between competitive video games, competitive gambling, and aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena

2013-07-01

The majority of research on the link between video games and aggression has focused on the violent content in games. In contrast, recent experimental research suggests that it is video game competition, not violence, that has the greatest effect on aggression in the short-term. However, no researchers have examined the long-term relationship between video game competition and aggression. In addition, if competition in video games is a significant reason for the link between video game play and aggression, then other competitive activities, such as competitive gambling, also may predict aggression over time. In the current study, we directly assessed the socialization (competitive video game play and competitive gambling predicts aggression over time) versus selection hypotheses (aggression predicts competitive video game play and competitive gambling over time). Adolescents (N = 1,492, 50.8 % female) were surveyed annually from Grade 9 to Grade 12 about their video game play, gambling, and aggressive behaviors. Greater competitive video game play and competitive gambling predicted higher levels of aggression over time, after controlling for previous levels of aggression, supporting the socialization hypothesis. The selection hypothesis also was supported, as aggression predicted greater competitive video game play and competitive gambling over time, after controlling for previous competitive video game play and competitive gambling. Our findings, taken together with the fact that millions of adolescents play competitive video games every day and that competitive gambling may increase as adolescents transition into adulthood, highlight the need for a greater understanding of the relationship between competition and aggression.

Experimental evolution of sperm competitiveness in a mammal

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Simmons Leigh W

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background When females mate with multiple partners, sperm from rival males compete to fertilise the ova. Studies of experimental evolution have proven the selective action of sperm competition on male reproductive traits. However, while reproductive traits may evolve in response to sperm competition, this does not necessarily provide evidence that sperm competitive ability responds to selection. Indeed, a study of Drosophila failed to observe divergence in sperm competitive ability of males in lines selected for enhanced sperm offence and defence. Results Adopting the naturally polygamous house mouse (Mus domesticus as our vertebrate model, we performed an experimental evolution study and observed genetic divergence in sperm quality; males from the polygamous selection lines produced ejaculates with increased sperm numbers and greater sperm motility compared to males from the monogamous lines. Here, after 12 generations of experimental evolution, we conducted competitive matings between males from lineages evolving under sperm competition and males from lineages subject to relaxed selection. We reduced variation in paternity arising from embryo mortality by genotyping embryos in utero at 14 days gestation. Our microsatellite data revealed a significant paternity bias toward males that evolved under the selective regime of sperm competition. Conclusion We provide evidence that the sperm competitiveness phenotype can respond to selection, and show that improved sperm quality translates to greater competitive fertilisation success in house mice.

Extreme Rapid Weight Loss and Rapid Weight Gain Observed in UK Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Preparing for Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Joseph John; Nicholas, Ceri

2017-04-01

There is a lack of research documenting the weight-making practices of mixed-martial-arts (MMA) competitors. The purpose of the investigation was to quantify the magnitude and identify the methods of rapid weight loss (RWL) and rapid weight gain (RWG) in MMA athletes preparing for competition. Seven athletes (mean ± SD, age 24.6 ± 3.5 yrs, body mass 69.9 ± 5.7 kg, competitive experience 3.1 ± 2.2 yrs) participated in a repeated-measures design. Measures of dietary intake, urinary hydration status, and body mass were recorded in the week preceding competition. Body mass decreased significantly (p < .0005) from baseline by 5.6 ± 1.4 kg (8 ± 1.8%). During the RWG period (32 ± 1 hr) body mass increased significantly (p < .001) by 7.4 ± 2.8 kg (11.7 ± 4.7%), exceeding RWL. Mean energy and carbohydrate intake were 3176 ± 482 kcal・day -1 and 471 ± 124 g・day -1 , respectively. At the official weigh-in 57% of athletes were dehydrated (1033 ± 19 mOsmol・kg -1 ) and the remaining 43% were severely dehydrated (1267 ± 47 mOsmol・kg -1 ). Athletes reported using harmful dehydration-based RWL strategies, including sauna (43%) and training in plastic suits (43%). Results demonstrated RWG greater than RWL, this is a novel finding and may be attributable to the 32 hr duration from weigh-in till competition. The observed magnitude of RWL and strategies used are comparable to those which have previously resulted in fatalities. Rule changes which make RWL impractical should be implemented with immediate effect to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of competitors.

Dynamical System Approach for Edge Detection Using Coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo Neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shaobai; Dasmahapatra, Srinandan; Maharatna, Koushik

2015-12-01

The prospect of emulating the impressive computational capabilities of biological systems has led to considerable interest in the design of analog circuits that are potentially implementable in very large scale integration CMOS technology and are guided by biologically motivated models. For example, simple image processing tasks, such as the detection of edges in binary and grayscale images, have been performed by networks of FitzHugh-Nagumo-type neurons using the reaction-diffusion models. However, in these studies, the one-to-one mapping of image pixels to component neurons makes the size of the network a critical factor in any such implementation. In this paper, we develop a simplified version of the employed reaction-diffusion model in three steps. In the first step, we perform a detailed study to locate this threshold using continuous Lyapunov exponents from dynamical system theory. Furthermore, we render the diffusion in the system to be anisotropic, with the degree of anisotropy being set by the gradients of grayscale values in each image. The final step involves a simplification of the model that is achieved by eliminating the terms that couple the membrane potentials of adjacent neurons. We apply our technique to detect edges in data sets of artificially generated and real images, and we demonstrate that the performance is as good if not better than that of the previous methods without increasing the size of the network.

Dam safety investigations of the concrete structures of Hugh Keenleyside dam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanna, A.W.; Nunn, J.O.H.; Cornish, L.; Northcott, P.

1993-01-01

The Hugh Keenleyside dam is located on the Columbia River in southeastern British Columbia, and impounds Arrow Lakes Reservoir which has a live storage of 8.8 km 3 and drains an area of 36,000 km 2 . It consists of a number of concrete structures, with a total length of 360 m and a maximum height of 58 m, and an earthfill embankment which spans across the original river channel. The 450 m long zoned earthfill dam is founded on pervious alluvium over 150 m deep. It has a sloping impervious core constructed from glacial till which extends 670 m upstream of the dam. This impervious blanket extends over the full width of the reservoir and is connected to the upstream face of the concrete structures. The results of a dam safety study, which was carried out due to the presence of high uplift pressures at some parts of the foundation, and stability concerns, are presented. The investigation concluded that the high uplift pressures were due to a localized defect in the upstream blanket and did not indicate any general deterioration of the blanket. Techniques that were found to be of particular use in the study for defining the source and nature of the foundation defects were: temperature surveys of flows from piezometers, cells and drains; air injection tests; and pressure response testing of cells, piezometers and drains to establish foundation interconnections. The concrete structures met the stability criteria for all load cases considered except for the navigation lock and the low level outlets. 3 refs., 6 figs

Associations of Mother's and Father's Parenting Practices with Children's Observed Social Reticence in a Competitive Situation: A Monozygotic Twin Difference Study

Science.gov (United States)

Guimond, Fanny-Alexandra; Brendgen, Mara; Forget-Dubois, Nadine; Dionne, Ginette; Vitaro, Frank; Tremblay, Richard E.; Boivin, Michel

2012-01-01

This study used the monozygotic (MZ) twin difference method to examine whether the unique environmental effects of maternal and paternal overprotection and hostility at the age of 30 months predict twins' observed social reticence in a competitive situation in kindergarten, while controlling for the effect of family-wide influences, including…

Semi-arid development: competitiveness factors in biodiesel productive chain

OpenAIRE

Breno Barros Telles do Carmo; Dmontier Pinheiro Aragão; Heráclito Lopes Jaguaribe Pontes; Bruno Magalhães Ribeiro; Marcos Ronaldo Albertin

2009-01-01

The new global market competitiveness considerer the competition between productive chains (PC) or supply chains, not just between enterprises. In this case, it can be observed collaboration and cooperation enterprises that dispute with others productives chain. The PC competitiveness can be impaired if is subject by inhibitors factors, that can impairer the performance. This paper analyses these competitiveness factors inhibitors in biodiesel productive chain (CPB) in semi-arid area: exporte...

Competitiveness levels in cattle herd farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Rocha Marques

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this experiment was to identify improvement demands for farms with different levels of competitiveness in the west of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. A total of 63 owners of large farms were interviewed (farms with an area greater than 900ha by applying a semi-structured questionnaire, guided by four drivers: technology (TEC, management (MAN, market relations (MR and the institutional environment (IE.It was used the Statistical Analysis System 9.2 software to perform the cluster analysis and identify farmers' characteristics. Three random clusters with different levels of competitiveness were observed: low competitiveness level (LCL, middle competitiveness level (MCL and high competitiveness level (HCL. The 29 variables (sub factors were evaluated in the cluster analysis according to level of impact on competitiveness, being classified into variables of high, medium or low impact. Stratification was carried out, ranking demands for improvements from aspects attributed by experts in relation to sub factors. The farmers with low competitiveness level (LTL had an unfavorable status for MAN, while the farmers belonging to clusters MCL and HCL have, respectively, favorable and neutral status for the same driver. The management characteristics determined the level of competitiveness of the farms surveyed

CONSIDERATIONS OF NATIONAL CULTURE’S ROLE IN EXPLAINING COMPETITIVENESS

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Ivana Načinović Braje

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to map the connection between national culture and competitiveness. Competitiveness includes the set of institutions, policies, and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. Although competitiveness can be a result of several drivers, we argue that as some of these are people driven, competitiveness must be related to basic underlying assumptions, espoused values and artefacts shared by the people from the observed entity. This makes competitiveness closely related to national and organizational culture. Cross-country analysis has indicated that national culture features do have an impact on national competitiveness. The empirical analysis of global competitiveness index and Hofstede’s cultural variables has shown that uncertainty avoidance index negatively affects competitiveness, but long term orientation index affects competitiveness in a positive way. Therefore, policy makers should be aware that not only tangible economic factors lead to competitiveness but intangible factors such as culture should also be considered in attempts to improve competitiveness.

EDITORIAL: Physics competitions Physics competitions

Science.gov (United States)

Jordens, H.; Mathelitsch, L.

2009-11-01

1. Physics competitions: aims and realizations One aim of physics competitions is to increase the interest of young students, primarily at upper secondary level, to physics and natural sciences in general. A competition has motivational aspects known usually from sports events or games—comparing one's own ability with others, of course with the desire to be better and to win. If competitions reach nationwide and even international levels, additional stimulation is created. Competitions provide greatest attraction to possible winners, to the group of gifted people in a particular field. This implies that science contests are excellent tools for the promotion of talented students. Traditional teaching has been shown to have problems in supporting this group of students. Very often teachers are overstretched with the demands of teaching both low- and high-level students. Extracurricular activities are therefore a good chance to relieve the teacher, and to give talented students the opportunity for appropriate training and challenge. The competitions, however, have a broader impact and address more young people than one might guess from the statements above. Training courses and selection at school level give a larger group of students extra and, to some extent, complimentary education in physics. The degree of complexity of the tasks corresponds very often to the standards of the next level of education in the school system. Interestingly, many physics competitions have their origin in countries beyond the former Iron Curtain. They started as regional and national tournaments, were joined by neighbouring countries and have grown, in some cases, to events with participants from more than 80 countries. Although the features mentioned above are common to the different competitions, there are distinct differences between them [1]. The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is the oldest international physics competition for students at upper secondary level [2]. It dates

Measuring and explaining competition in the financial sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, J.A.; Spierdijk, L.

The first part of this paper provides a systematic discussion of the structural problems of competition on financial markets as observed from the demand and from the supply side, using a diagnostic framework. Potential impediments to competition are concentration, entry barriers, lack of

COMPETITIVENESS AND COMPETITIVE ORIENTATIONS: EVALUATION OF STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Z. Efimova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Education of a competitive student is a strategically significant problem of the system of higher education in modern social and economic conditions. Personal competitiveness and competitive orientations – priority quality of future expert for successful future professional experience.The aim of the present research is to study factors of competitive orientations formation and criteria for evaluation of competitiveness of student’s youth in the Russian society.Methodology and research methods. Results of theoretical researches of Russian and foreign researchers are generalized; secondary analysis of data based on results of sociological researches and analysis of official statistical data are carried out. The results of the sociological survey undertaken in 2017 on the basis of statistical methods were processed and studied by the instrumentality of IBM SPSS Statistics 23 program; 1196 students of institutions of higher and secondary vocational education of the Tyumen region took part.Results and scientific novelty. It is stated that senior students feel themselves more competitive. It is revealed that a quarter of students who took part in the survey, generally men, count themselves competitive. A continuous distance of goal-setting is recorded among these respondents; in every third case they have plans of professional growth for five and more years that allows them to build attractive competitive strategy.The level of the competitiveness is directly connected with such indicators as “social stratum”, “overall life satisfaction”, “self-esteem of health”, “tendency to lead a healthy lifestyle” and “the level of trust in the surrounding people”. Mostly the students oriented on competition look into the future with confidence and optimism.Respondents focused on the competitiveness were more tend to demonstrate their abilities and cause admiration, have a creative approach towards work, be ready for surprises

Asymmetry within social groups: division of labour and intergroup competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, J L; Loope, K J; Reeve, H K

2016-03-01

Social animals vary in their ability to compete with group members over shared resources and also vary in their cooperative efforts to produce these resources. Competition among groups can promote within-group cooperation, but many existing models of intergroup cooperation do not explicitly account for observations that group members invest differentially in cooperation and that there are often within-group competitive or power asymmetries. We present a game theoretic model of intergroup competition that investigates how such asymmetries affect within-group cooperation. In this model, group members adopt one of two roles, with relative competitive efficiency and the number of individuals varying between roles. Players in each role make simultaneous, coevolving decisions. The model predicts that although intergroup competition increases cooperative contributions to group resources by both roles, contributions are predominantly from individuals in the less competitively efficient role, whereas individuals in the more competitively efficient role generally gain the larger share of these resources. When asymmetry in relative competitive efficiency is greater, a group's per capita cooperation (averaged across both roles) is higher, due to increased cooperation from the competitively inferior individuals. For extreme asymmetry in relative competitive efficiency, per capita cooperation is highest in groups with a single competitively superior individual and many competitively inferior individuals, because the latter acquiesce and invest in cooperation rather than within-group competition. These predictions are consistent with observed features of many societies, such as monogynous Hymenoptera with many workers and caste dimorphism. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society for Evolutionary Biology.

Biochemical Effects of Carbohydrate Supplementation in a Simulated Competition of Short Terrestrial Duathlon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Campbell Bill

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biochemical effects of carbohydrate supplementation in a simulated competition of short terrestrial duathlon. Ten duathletes participated in a simulated competition of short terrestrial duathlon 30 minutes after the ingestion of a 6% (30 g/500 ml maltodextrin solution (MALT or a placebo (PLA. This solution was also ingested every 15 minutes during the competition (12 g/200 ml; and immediately after the competition (18 g/300 ml. Samples of blood were collected at 3 time points: 1 at rest 1 hour before the beginning of the competition; 2 during the competition (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes after the 1st collection; 3 immediately after the competition. Blood was analyzed for blood glucose, lactate, insulin and cortisol. Significant differences were observed in relation to blood glucose levels between MALT and PLA in the post-competition phase. There was also a significant difference in the lactate levels observed between MALT and PLA during the competition phase. Similarly, a significant difference in the cortisol concentrations during and after the competition phases (MALT and PLA were observed. We conclude that maltodextrin supplementation appears to be beneficial during short terrestrial duathlon competition as evidenced by biochemical markers.

Effect of spatially correlated noise on stochastic synchronization in globally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yange Shao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The phenomenon of stochastic synchronization in globally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN neuron system subjected to spatially correlated Gaussian noise is investigated based on dynamical mean-field approximation (DMA and direct simulation (DS. Results from DMA are in good quantitative or qualitative agreement with those from DS for weak noise intensity and larger system size. Whether the consisting single FHN neuron is staying at the resting state, subthreshold oscillatory regime, or the spiking state, our investigation shows that the synchronization ratio of the globally coupled system becomes higher as the noise correlation coefficient increases, and thus we conclude that spatial correlation has an active effect on stochastic synchronization, and the neurons can achieve complete synchronization in the sense of statistics when the noise correlation coefficient tends to one. Our investigation also discloses that the noise spatial correlation plays the same beneficial role as the global coupling strength in enhancing stochastic synchronization in the ensemble. The result might be useful in understanding the information coding mechanism in neural systems.

Competition Law and the Bounded Rationality of Firms

OpenAIRE

Bhattacharya, Shilpi

2016-01-01

Firm rationality plays a role in several aspects of competition law. Yet, the conception of the firm as a rational, profit maximizing entity has been disputed in different disciplines. This literature shows that neoclassical economic assumptions on which competition law is based can fall short of explaining the full range of observed firm behaviour. Accordingly, an alternative conception of the firm as boundedly rational can impact the understanding of firm conduct in competition law. Be...

The relaxation time of processes in a FitzHugh-Nagumo neural system with time delay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong Ailing; Zeng Chunhua; Wang Hua

2011-01-01

In this paper, we study the relaxation time (RT) of the steady-state correlation function in a FitzHugh-Nagumo neural system under the presence of multiplicative and additive white noises and time delay. The noise correlation parameter λ can produce a critical behavior in the RT as functions of the multiplicative noise intensity D, the additive noise intensity Q and the time delay τ. That is, the RT decreases as the noise intensities D and Q increase, and increases as the time delay τ increases below the critical value of λ. However, above the critical value, the RT first increases, reaches a maximum, and then decreases as D, Q and τ increase, i.e. a noise intensity D or Q and a time delay τ exist, at which the time scales of the relaxation process are at their largest. In addition, the additive noise intensity Q can also produce a critical behavior in the RT as a function of λ. The noise correlation parameter λ first increases the RT of processes, then decreases it below the critical value of Q. Above the critical value, λ increases it.

Strategic farsighted learning in competitive multi-agent games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

t Hoen, P.J.; Bohté, S.M.; Poutré, la J.A.; Brewka, G.; Coradeschi, S.; Perini, A.

2006-01-01

We describe a generalized Q-learning type algorithm for reinforcement learning in competitive multi-agent games. We make the observation that in a competitive setting with adaptive agents an agent's actions will (likely) result in changes in the opponents policies. In addition to accounting for the

Competitive balance in national European soccer competitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haan, M.A.; Koning, R.H.; van Witteloostuijn, A.; Albert, Jim; Koning, Ruud H.

2007-01-01

According to popular belief, competitive balance in national soccer competitions in Europe has decreased due to the Bosman ruling and the introduction of the Champions League. We test this hypothesis using data from 7 national competitions, for a host of indicators. We find some evidence for

Yield and competition in barley variety mixtures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kari Jokinen

1991-09-01

Full Text Available Competition between spring barley varieties and yield performance of two-, three and four-variety mixtures were studied in two replacement series field experiments. In the first experiment, repeated in three successive years (1983 —85 the components were the six-row varieties Agneta, Arra, Hja-673 and Porno. In the second experiment (1984, including two nitrogen doses (50 and 100 kgN/ha, both six-row (Agneta, Pomo and two-row (Ida, Kustaa varieties were used. Arra in the first and Agneta in the second experiment were the most competitive varieties. The results suggested that the fast growth of Arra at the beginning promoted its competitive ability. Increase in available nitrogen usually strengthened the competitiveness of Agneta. The observed competitive differences between varieties were not related to the earliness of a variety, neither to the morphological characters (two- and six-row varieties nor to the grain yield of a variety grown alone. The competitive ability was not always a stable character, the dominant suppression relationship varying from one environment to another (e.g. growing season, nitrogen dose. The observed overyielding was not statistically significant. The ratio of actual to expected yield and the relative yield total of several mixtures exceeded slightly one. As a conclusion, the yield advantage of mixtures was marginal. As a rule, the mixtures were not more stable than monocultures as determined by the coefficient of variation. However, the yield of some mixtures varied less than the yield of the most stable monoculture.

Reflections on Competition, Competition Regulation and the Current Crises

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buch-Hansen, Hubert; Wigger, Angela

2013-01-01

competition came to enjoy such an exalted status in Europe and then challenges conventional wisdom by bringing into focus the downsides of competition. It argues that excessive competition and neoliberal competition regulation have contributed to intensify the economic, political, social and environmental...

The formation of stars by gravitational collapse rather than competitive accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Krumholz, Mark R.; McKee, Christopher F.; Klein, Richard I.

2005-11-01

There are two dominant models of how stars form. Under gravitational collapse, star-forming molecular clumps, of typically hundreds to thousands of solar masses (Msolar), fragment into gaseous cores that subsequently collapse to make individual stars or small multiple systems. In contrast, competitive accretion theory suggests that at birth all stars are much smaller than the typical stellar mass (~0.5Msolar), and that final stellar masses are determined by the subsequent accretion of unbound gas from the clump. Competitive accretion models interpret brown dwarfs and free-floating planets as protostars ejected from star-forming clumps before they have accreted much mass; key predictions of this model are that such objects should lack disks, have high velocity dispersions, form more frequently in denser clumps, and that the mean stellar mass should vary within the Galaxy. Here we derive the rate of competitive accretion as a function of the star-forming environment, based partly on simulation, and determine in what types of environments competitive accretion can occur. We show that no observed star-forming region can undergo significant competitive accretion, and that the simulations that show competitive accretion do so because the assumed properties differ from those determined by observation. Our result shows that stars form by gravitational collapse, and explains why observations have failed to confirm predictions of the competitive accretion model.

Synchronization of coupled different chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons with unknown parameters under communication-direction-dependent coupling.

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, Muhammad; Rehan, Muhammad; Khaliq, Abdul; Saeed-ur-Rehman; Hong, Keum-Shik

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the chaotic behavior and synchronization of two different coupled chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neurons with unknown parameters under external electrical stimulation (EES). The coupled FHN neurons of different parameters admit unidirectional and bidirectional gap junctions in the medium between them. Dynamical properties, such as the increase in synchronization error as a consequence of the deviation of neuronal parameters for unlike neurons, the effect of difference in coupling strengths caused by the unidirectional gap junctions, and the impact of large time-delay due to separation of neurons, are studied in exploring the behavior of the coupled system. A novel integral-based nonlinear adaptive control scheme, to cope with the infeasibility of the recovery variable, for synchronization of two coupled delayed chaotic FHN neurons of different and unknown parameters under uncertain EES is derived. Further, to guarantee robust synchronization of different neurons against disturbances, the proposed control methodology is modified to achieve the uniformly ultimately bounded synchronization. The parametric estimation errors can be reduced by selecting suitable control parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is illustrated via numerical simulations.

Retail competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Retail competition as the cornerstone of a competitive electricity marketplace was the subject of the seventh in the series of policy discussion papers developed at the Market Design Conference. Concern was expressed that because of the complexities involved in market design and technical implementation, the retail competition may lag behind other elements of the implementation of the new market design. A variety of key issues were debated, including the role of physical versus financial contracts, the form of retail competition and financial settlement systems in the short term, the requirement to separate 'competitive' (metering, billing, maintenance, consumer education) from non-competitive' (the transmission wires) services and the role of municipal electric utilities. It was agreed that the IMO should play an important role in defining and enforcing the separation of services, and that as a general rule, the development of policy in this area should be guided by the principle of maximizing the potential for competition

Competitive intelligence as an enabler for firm competitiveness: An overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Maune

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to provide an overview, from literature, about how competitive intelligence can be an enabler towards a firm’s competitiveness. This overview is done under the background of intense global competition that firms are currently experiencing. This paper used a qualitative content analysis as a data collection methodology on all identified journal articles on competitive intelligence and firm competitiveness. To identify relevant literature, academic databases and search engines were used. Moreover, a review of references in related studies led to more relevant sources, the references of which were further reviewed and analysed. To ensure reliability and trustworthiness, peer-reviewed journal articles and triangulation were used. The paper found that competitive intelligence is an important enabler of firm competitiveness. The findings from this paper will assist business managers to understand and improve their outlook of competitive intelligence as an enabler of firm competitiveness and will be of great academic value.

Forging a 21st Century Model for Undergraduate Research

Science.gov (United States)

Musante, Susan

2011-01-01

Not all biology students get to experience scientific research firsthand, but the National Genomics Research Initiative (NGRI) is working to change that. The NGRI is the first initiative to spring from Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) new Science Education Alliance (SEA). At present, a competitive application process determines which…

La traducción como manipulación historiográfica en el exilio: análisis paratextual e intertextual de La Guerra Civil española de Hugh Thomas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanz Gallego, Guillermo

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper explores how the Spanish translation of Hugh Thomas’s The Spanish Civil War was appropriated by Éditions Ruedo ibérico in order to rewrite a series of crucial episodes and details of the conflict, such as the origins of the war, and the estimates of casualties. By drawing an intertextual and paratextual comparison between both versions – in English and Spanish – evidence is provided of how a series of passages have been manipulated in the translation. Such translation shifts follow an ideological pattern that benefits the Republican side. Also, the article shows how the Spanish translation differs from the original text in English in terms of objectivity. The results of the analysis provide evidence of translation shifts and manipulation in the Spanish version of a referential work, such as The Spanish Civil War by Hugh Thomas. Accordingly, a historiographical revision of the conflict is required.El presente artículo examina cómo la editorial Ruedo ibérico hizo uso de la traducción de La Guerra Civil española de Hugh Thomas para reescribir ciertos episodios y detalles trascendentales del conflicto, como los orígenes de la guerra y las cifras de víctimas. Al realizar una comparación intertextual y paratextual entre el original en inglés y la versión española se observa cómo una serie de fragmentos han sido manipulados en la traducción siguiendo un patrón ideológico que favorece los intereses del bando republicano. Además la presente investigación detalla cómo la traducción al español de la obra de Thomas se distancia del original en inglés en una serie de aspectos que influyen en el nivel de objetividad del texto. La condición de referente de la obra de Thomas, junto con los resultados del estudio, donde se aportan pruebas que demuestran manipulación en la traducción al español, exigen una revisión historiográfica del conflicto.

Competitive Intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergeron, Pierrette; Hiller, Christine A.

2002-01-01

Reviews the evolution of competitive intelligence since 1994, including terminology and definitions and analytical techniques. Addresses the issue of ethics; explores how information technology supports the competitive intelligence process; and discusses education and training opportunities for competitive intelligence, including core competencies…

Healthy Competition and Unsound Comparison: Reforming Educational Competition in Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Søren

2015-01-01

It is frequently claimed that the "competition state" responds to external competition by making competition increasingly central to its internal processes as well. This article discusses education reform in Singapore as departing from the opposite position. In Singapore "excessive" competition in education is now targeted by…

Competitive advantage: an analytical framework based on entrepreneurship

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Zhibiao

2006-01-01

This article observes and studies the role and effect of entrepreneurship within the theoretical framework of resource-based view(RBV).It advances competitive advantage theory based on entrepreneurship by proving the distinctiveness of entrepreneurship. Distinctive cognition competence of entrepreneurs provides them with personal specific assets,which determines both the competence to explore new business opportunities and the competence to integrate resources for risk activities.The characteristics of such intangible resource as entrepreneurship,such as its distinctiveness,limitedness of competition,and incomplete mobility of factors,are the most important sources of competitive advantage of enterprises in the strategic management theory of RBV.

EDITORIAL: Physics competitions Physics competitions

Science.gov (United States)

Jordens, H.; Mathelitsch, L.

2010-07-01

This editorial opens the second special section on physics competitions in European Journal of Physics. In the first section last year, we asked for feedback on the idea of such a section and on the content of the articles. We received no answer whatsoever, which can be interpreted in two ways: the section is not interesting enough to raise motivation for feedback, or the reader is satisfied. Having no indication which scenario is the correct one, we are optimistic and favour the second. The section at hand contains three articles. Again, as last year, the organizer of the annual Olympiad reports on tasks and outcomes of this competition. The Olympiad took place in Merida, Mexico, and was by far the largest event with 316 contestants from 68 countries. Again, the predominance of Asian/Chinese students was manifest, showing how serious the training is taken by both their authorities and students. Unfortunately, the winners of the last International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT), the team from Korea, did not accept the offer to report on their prize-winning contribution. We are thankful that two students from Austria, who achieved second place with their team, took over and reported on the task which they presented in the finals of the competition. It connects the fields of sport and physics and explains a special move in skateboarding. The third contribution introduces a different competition, 'International Conference of Young Scientists'. On one hand, as in the Olympiad, it addresses individuals, not teams. On the other, as in the IYPT, students have several months to prepare and also the quality of the presentation is an important element of the judgment. In fact, this competition comes closer to real scientific research compared to the other events. Finally and again, we hope that this section will serve several purposes: To show the competitions as a very important tool in the support of gifted students. To raise awareness amongst university teachers, and

Power market competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, J.

1998-01-01

In the Unites States the prospect of greater competition in wholesale power market was immediately eclipsed by talk of retail competition. Attempts to move to retail competition have been costly and complex. Prudent public policy and economic analyses suggest that retail competition not be implemented until it can first be demonstrated that effective competition exists in wholesale power markets [it

Lunabotics Mining Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Rob; Murphy, Gloria

2010-01-01

This slide presentation describes a competition to design a lunar robot (lunabot) that can be controlled either remotely or autonomously, isolated from the operator, and is designed to mine a lunar aggregate simulant. The competition is part of a systems engineering curriculum. The 2010 competition winners in five areas of the competition were acknowledged, and the 2011 competition was announced.

Cell Competition: Roles and Importance as a Central Phenomenon.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Manish; Antala, Bhavesh; Shrivastava, Neeta

2015-01-01

Cell competition is a type of short-range cell-cell interaction first observed in Drosophila melanogaster. In two heterogeneous cell populations, cells that have a higher fitness level would have a competitive advantage and grow at the cost of neighbor cells that have comparatively lower fitness. This interaction is due to differences in expression levels of a specific protein in the two cell populations, and it is known as cell competition. In this review, we have studied recent findings of cell competition in different biological processes in Drosophila as well as mammalian systems. The purpose of this review is to collate important studies of competitive cell interactions, and to understand its roles and importance as a central phenomenon. This review provides evidence of the relevance of cell competition in various physiological and pathological conditions, such as size control in organ development, stem cell maintenance, tissue repair, organ regeneration, aging, formation of memory, and cancer.

Stress-related hormonal and psychological changes to official youth Taekwondo competitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiodo, S; Tessitore, A; Cortis, C; Cibelli, G; Lupo, C; Ammendolia, A; De Rosas, M; Capranica, L

2011-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an official Taekwondo competition on the heart rate (HR), salivary α-amylase (sA-A), salivary free cortisol (sC), and Profile of Mood States (POMS) in 10 young male (14±0 years) and six female (13±1 years) athletes. POMS and hormones were measured 15 min before and directly after the competition. During the recovery phase (30 and 90 min), sA-A and sC were also measured. HR measured during the competition was expressed as a percentage of individual's maximal heart rate (%HR(max) ) to evaluate the intensity of exercise. During the competition, athletes spent 65% of the time working at HR>90% of individuals HR(max). A significant increase (Ppre-competition level. The peak sC values were observed at 30 min of recovery (Ppre-competition level at 90 min of recovery. A gender difference (P=0.01) emerged only for sC, although a similar trend was observed for female and male athletes. Significantly higher post-match scores emerged for Anger-hostility (pre: 6.1±1.1, post: 11.2±1.9; P=0.03) and Depression-dejection (pre: 4.5±0.5, post: 10.2±1.9; P=0.006), whereas the reverse picture was observed for Vigour-activity (pre: 23.2±1.2, post: 16.3±1.7; P=0.0006). Taekwondo competition results in temporary changes in the stress-related parameters measured in this study. The present findings suggest that this experimental paradigm can represent a useful model for further research on the effects of various stressors (i.e., training and competition) in Taekwondo athletes of different levels (i.e., novice, international). © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Competition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bridoux, F.; Vodosek, M.; Den Hartog, D.N.; McNett, J.M.

2014-01-01

Competition traditionally refers to the actions that firms take in a product market to outperform rivals in attracting customers and generating revenues. Yet, competition extends beyond product markets to other arenas such as factor markets, where firms compete for resources, and the political

Synchronization of Coupled Different Chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo Neurons with Unknown Parameters under Communication-Direction-Dependent Coupling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Iqbal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the chaotic behavior and synchronization of two different coupled chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN neurons with unknown parameters under external electrical stimulation (EES. The coupled FHN neurons of different parameters admit unidirectional and bidirectional gap junctions in the medium between them. Dynamical properties, such as the increase in synchronization error as a consequence of the deviation of neuronal parameters for unlike neurons, the effect of difference in coupling strengths caused by the unidirectional gap junctions, and the impact of large time-delay due to separation of neurons, are studied in exploring the behavior of the coupled system. A novel integral-based nonlinear adaptive control scheme, to cope with the infeasibility of the recovery variable, for synchronization of two coupled delayed chaotic FHN neurons of different and unknown parameters under uncertain EES is derived. Further, to guarantee robust synchronization of different neurons against disturbances, the proposed control methodology is modified to achieve the uniformly ultimately bounded synchronization. The parametric estimation errors can be reduced by selecting suitable control parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is illustrated via numerical simulations.

Competition in Japan

OpenAIRE

Michael E. Porter; Mariko Sakakibara

2004-01-01

This article examines competition in Japan and its link to postwar economic prosperity. While Japan's industrial structure and competition policy seem to indicate that competition in Japan has been less intense, the empirical evidence does not support this conclusion. The sectors in which competition was restricted prove to be those where Japan was not internationally successful. In the internationally successful sectors, internal competition in Japan was invariably fierce. While the level of...

Competitive bidding in Medicare: who benefits from competition?

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zirui; Landrum, Mary Beth; Chernew, Michael E

2012-09-01

To conduct the first empirical study of competitive bidding in Medicare. We analyzed 2006-2010 Medicare Advantage data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services using longitudinal models adjusted for market and plan characteristics. A $1 increase in Medicare's payment to health maintenance organization (HMO) plans led to a $0.49 (P service plans included, higher Medicare payments increased bids less ($0.33 per dollar), suggesting more competition among these latter plans. As a market-based alternative to cost control through administrative pricing, competitive bidding relies on private insurance plans proposing prices they are willing to accept for insuring a beneficiary. However, competition is imperfect in the Medicare bidding market. As much as half of every dollar in increased plan payment went to higher bids rather than to beneficiaries. While having more insurers in a market lowered bids, the design of any bidding system for Medicare should recognize this shortcoming of competition.

How competitive is nuclear energy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keppler, J.H.

2010-01-01

the volatility of electricity prices. These factors are discussed in this article. In conclusion, the real competitiveness of nuclear energy cannot be determined once and for all in the abstract. It is clear that in an environment with low financing costs, high carbon prices and stable electricity prices, the competitiveness of nuclear energy is manifest. On the other hand, in an environment with high financing costs, low or absent carbon prices and volatile electricity prices, the economic case for nuclear energy is harder to sustain. Both observations also apply to renewable energies, which just as nuclear energy are high fixed cost, low-carbon technologies. Following the above observations, in order to bolster the long-term competitiveness of nuclear energy, the nuclear industry and governments would need to: 1. develop financing mechanisms with the help of long-term investors that keep financing costs at a minimum; 2. help establish, perhaps in co-operation with the renewable energy industry, a stable, long-term carbon price; 3. help create, again possibly in cooperation with the renewable energy industry, market conditions that minimise electricity price volatility. So far the industry and governments have just begun to address the first point. The sector's long-term competitiveness will, however, also depend on progress made in addressing the second and third

Do competitive interactions in dry heathlands explain plant abundance patterns and species coexistence?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ransijn, Johannes; Damgaard, Christian; Schmidt, Inger K

2015-01-01

Plant community patterns in space and time may be explained by the interactions between competing plant species. The presented study investigates this in a nutrient and species poor ecosystem. The study presents a methodology for inferring competitive interactions from yearly vegetation inventories...... to predict the community dynamics of C. vulgaris and D. flexuosa. This was compared with the observed plant community structure at 198 Danish dry heathland sites. Interspecific competition will most likely lead to competitive exclusion of D. flexuosa at the observed temporal and spatial scale...... and uses this to assess the outcome of competitive interactions and to predict community patterns and dynamics in a Northwest-European dry heathland. Inferred competitive interactions from five consecutive years of measurements in permanent vegetation frames at a single dry heathland site were used...

Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing

OpenAIRE

Awwad, Abdulkareem S.; Al Khattab, Adel A.; Anchor, J.R

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to explore and predict the relationship between the competitive priorities (quality, cost, flexibility and delivery) and the competitive advantage of firms in the Jordanian Industrial Sector. A population of 88 Jordanian manufacturing firms, registered on the Amman Stock Exchange, was targeted using a cross-sectional survey employing a questionnaire method of data collection. The results of the data analysis indicate a significant relationship between competit...

The Literature Review of a New Form of Competitiveness Called City Competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osman EROĞLU

2014-06-01

Full Text Available With globalization, the rapid development of information technologies and the rapid changes in the economic structure, the country’s borders at a time increasingly depreciate and the importance of city competitiveness reveals. Although it is an ongoing debate around the world whether cities compete with each other, city competitiveness is a new form of competitiveness. Cities compete with each other to increase their competitiveness. City competitiveness is defined as having better values compared to other cities. In this study, a new form of competitiveness called city competitiveness is examined.

The Impact of Taxes on Competition for CEOs.

Science.gov (United States)

Krenn, Peter

2017-07-03

This paper contributes to the question of how taxation of corporate profits and wages affects competition among firms for highly skilled human resources such as CEOs. Use of a theoretical model shows that wage taxes can have a substantial impact on the outcome of such a competition if marginal tax rates are different as in an international labor market. Further, the paper shows that increasing the wage tax rate unilaterally can have an ambiguous effect on observed gross compensation levels. However, in a local labor market for CEOs, observed gross fixed salaries should decline in the wage tax rate. Tax effects in a market for CEOs is a particularly interesting topic because recent developments with respect to compensation practices of top-level managers have opened a public debate about the use of instruments for regulating compensation of those managers. Furthermore, many countries around the world use tax incentives in order to facilitate immigration of highly skilled human resources. The investigation follows an analytical economics-based approach by extending an LEN model with elements of competition for scarce human resources and income taxation. It investigates the impact of differential taxation on the competition between two firms for the exclusive service of a unique, highly skilled CEO.

Competition between species of small mammals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grant, P.R.

1978-01-01

Interspecific competition has often been inferred from its results. In evolutionary time it has been responsible for patterns of regularity in the structure of mammalian communities, and in the morphological and ecological characteristics of the constituent species. In contemporary time it gives rise to reciprocal (complementary) numbers and distributions of two or more species. These inferences are strengthened by recent experimental demonstrations of competition between species of North American rodents. Recent observations and experiments are reviewed. The most thoroughly studied competitors are two species of microtine rodents, Microtus pennsylvanicus and Clethrionomys gapperi. Species which compete for space have been studied experimentally more often than have food competitors. Overt aggression is frequently implicated, but its importance in nature in relation to other means of interaction (e.g. through vocal or scent communication) is not known. The definitive study of competition for food between mammal species has yet to be performed

Productive and Unproductive Competition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guerra, Alice; Luppi, Barbara; Parisi, Francesco

Conventional theories of competition classify contests as being either “productive,” when the competitive efforts generate a surplus for society, or “unproductive,” when competition generates no social surplus and merely distributes already existing resources. These two discrete categories of com...... and socially optimal levels of competition in the full range of intermediate cases, as well as in the extremum cases of destructive and super-productive competition.......Conventional theories of competition classify contests as being either “productive,” when the competitive efforts generate a surplus for society, or “unproductive,” when competition generates no social surplus and merely distributes already existing resources. These two discrete categories...... of competition create a division of real-world situations into analytical categories that fails to recognize the entire spectrum of competitive activities. Taking the existing models of productive and unproductive competition as benchmark idealizations, this paper explores the relationship between the privately...

Mixing, entropy and competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimenko, A Y

2012-01-01

Non-traditional thermodynamics, applied to random behaviour associated with turbulence, mixing and competition, is reviewed and analysed. Competitive mixing represents a general framework for the study of generic properties of competitive systems and can be used to model a wide class of non-equilibrium phenomena ranging from turbulent premixed flames and invasion waves to complex competitive systems. We demonstrate consistency of the general principles of competition with thermodynamic description, review and analyse the related entropy concepts and introduce the corresponding competitive H-theorem. A competitive system can be characterized by a thermodynamic quantity—competitive potential—which determines the likely direction of evolution of the system. Contested resources tend to move between systems from lower to higher values of the competitive potential. There is, however, an important difference between conventional thermodynamics and competitive thermodynamics. While conventional thermodynamics is constrained by its zeroth law and is fundamentally transitive, the transitivity of competitive thermodynamics depends on the transitivity of the competition rules. Intransitivities are common in the real world and are responsible for complex behaviour in competitive systems. This work follows ideas and methods that have originated from the analysis of turbulent combustion, but reviews a much broader scope of issues linked to mixing and competition, including thermodynamic characterization of complex competitive systems with self-organization. The approach presented here is interdisciplinary and is addressed to the general educated readers, whereas the mathematical details can be found in the appendices. (comment)

Resources based factors of competitiveness of agricultural enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matyja Małgorzata

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Among many different definitions of competitiveness it is difficult to pinpoint the most appropriate one. In the paper it was defined as the ability to be profitable by effective use of available resources. The profitability ratios (ROS, ROA, ROE and value index were proposed as measures of competitiveness and resources were indicated as one of the group of factors that has an impact on it. Precisely, the purpose of the paper was to examine the relationship between selected resourced based factors and competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. The study was done with the use of correlation analysis on the basis of statistical data on selected Polish companies operating in agriculture. The main finding was that the analyzed resources (the level of labour, size and quality of agricultural land and size of assets were weakly correlated with competitiveness. This observation means that other factors have stronger impact on agricultural company’s competitiveness. They can refer to intangible resources (such as relational capital, know-how, managerial competencies, technological resources etc. and external conditions (such as climate, legal issues of agricultural enterprises.

Dancing in the Dark: Competition over the "Meaning of Competition"

OpenAIRE

Metcalfe John Stanley

2009-01-01

Competing concepts of competition provide a sharp divide between theories of economic order and theories of economic transformation. The shift from competition as a state of affairs and competition as a creative process provides the divergence of perspective that is the topic of this paper. We link the Smith Marshall approach of rivalry and open competition to the more modern evolutionary view based on variation cum selection perspectives on innovation and the adaptive role of market processe...

Competitive intelligence: An instrument to enhance South Africa’s competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilma Viviers

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The case for Competitive Intelligence (CI as an instrument that can enhance the competitiveness of South African companies and South Africa as a country is strong. Various global competitive rankings measurements have indicated over a number of years the areas in which competitiveness is lacking. Moreover, these rankings have indicated that South Africa has failed to improve its position year on year. The fact that the world is becoming increasingly competitive for South African entities is undisputed. Coupled with a fluctuating exchange rate and the country’s geographical proximity, this poses unique challenges facing South African managers who have to deal with various regulations and legislative matters. In order to create and sustain an effective knowledge economy and to enhance global competitiveness, South Africa however has to put appropriate strategies/measures in place to stimulate, encourage and grow knowledge practices. Competitive Intelligence (CI as a means of making more sense of the competitive business environment and to identify opportunities and risks in time to act upon can be effectively used as a means to enhance competitiveness. Valuable lessons from successful CI practices in the business sector and government can be learnt from elsewhere in the world. CI should be investigated and adapted for South Africa’s business environment. It is therefore the aim of this article to first attempt to describe the role of CI in enhancing competitiveness, specifically in South Africa and secondly, to stimulate thought on how to secure momentum in enhancing CI as an academic field by developing relevant CI courses as well as demonstrating the value of CI to companies in South Africa through research and collaboration between academics and the private and public sectors.

COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH INFORMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca Daniela RIZEA

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Intelligence competitiveness has already started to build its road in the company’s long term strategies. Nonetheless, business executives continue to look for ways to apply information technology strategically to their businesses. Using information managers manage to communicate, to convey their knowledge about markets, competitors, products, services and operations. Even if data and information are all over there are few amounts of managers that realize the importance of them to the success of the business. This article will review competitive forces and competitive information systems strategies for gaining competitive advantages, explain concepts of value chain, value co-opetition (competition and cooperation, and discuss innovation strategy. Co-opetition is a strategy whereby companies cooperate and compete at the same time with their competitors, complementors (i.e. hardware and software businesses, customers, suppliers. The article discuss an important dimension of information system, identifies competitive advantages and enhancing competitive strategies thought information systems.

Putting competition into perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, L. III.

1993-01-01

This paper examines the current level of competition in the electric industry in the context of the history of the industry and the development of electric markets in other counties. The topics of the paper include competition in the history of the American electric industry, the current state of competition, the competitive situation in Texas, competition in other electric markets, and competitive changes in the US market

Multinationals and Institutional Competitiveness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hull Kristensen, Peer; Morgan, Glenn

This article discusses how institutional competitiveness and multinationals are mutually enriching concepts. Seen from the perspective of Multinationals, institutional competitiveness becomes expressed at two levels. At the level of corporate HQs institutional competitiveness proves itself...... competitiveness of Liberal Market Economies and Coordinated Markets Economies under the current competitive regime....

EDITORIAL: Physics competitions Physics competitions

Science.gov (United States)

Jordens, H.; Mathelitsch, L.

2011-07-01

International tests on competences, such as TIMSS or PISA, and knowledge of young students have revealed low average scores in many countries, often unexpectedly. One effective measure to increase the average standard of a population is to bring the last third of the group to a higher level. Therefore, many nations put some effort into this activity. This brings the danger that not enough attention is paid to students at the other end, those who are talented. Indeed, it is a very difficult task for a teacher to support the less able and at the same time challenge the gifted students, to lead them to the limits of their abilities and provide for a smooth transition to university study. Physics competitions have been proven to fulfil these last demands to a large degree, and therefore are an important additional and, to some extent, complementary tool for the promotion of talented students. This third special section on physics competitions in European Journal of Physics contains three papers, each dealing with a different form of science contest. The first continues the series of presentations of tasks performed at the International Young Physicists' Tournament, which was held in Vienna in 2011. First place went to the team from Singapore, and they have put their investigation on vertical oscillations of coupled magnets into written form (not required by the tournament, where an oral presentation and a defence and discussion are the central aspects). Their paper shows how rich in physics this problem is, and what level of solutions high-school students can already achieve. Sadly, those responsible for the organization of last year's International Physics Olympiad did not provide us with a report on this competition. This is unfortunate, since the Olympiad in Zagreb was very successful and, in particular, the experimental tasks were creative and demanding. Very similar to the aims and the execution of the Physics Olympiad is the International Olympiad on Astronomy

Exploring an Age Difference in Preschool Children's Competitiveness Following a Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yu; Zhu, Yi

2018-01-01

Literature suggests that resource acquisition compels competition in young children. However, little is still known about the development of preschool children's competitiveness. In this preliminary study, 166 children (aged 2-4 and 5-6 years) engaged in a dyadic competition which resulted in a winning and a losing group (in a control/non-competition group, participants engaged in a similar task which did not lead to winning/losing outcome), and then experimenters tracked their decisions to compete again with a rival (i.e., an individual they interacted in the previous competition task) and a non-rival competitor (i.e., an anonymous classmate they did not interact in the previous competition task) for a reward, respectively. As expected, results showed an age-related decreasing trend in the percentage of choices to compete with a competitor. However, this age difference was only significant in the control group when participants played with the partner with whom they interacted in the previous game and in the losing group when participants competed with a non-rival competitor. This study contributes to our knowledge of how competitiveness develop in preschool childhood, and calls for further research on the roles of motivation and cognitive control in children's competitiveness.

The effect of swimming on oral health status: competitive versus non-competitive athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simonetta D’ERCOLE

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Young swimmers are particularly susceptible to the onset of oral diseases. Objective To evaluate the oral health status in young competitive and non-competitive swimmers, involving an assessment of salivary cariogenic bacteria and secretory IgA (S-IgA concentration. Material and Methods Before training sessions (T1, 54 competitive and 69 non-competitive swimmers had the following parameters assessed: decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT, Plaque Index (PlI, and Gingival Index (GI. At T1 and after training sessions (T2, stimulated saliva was collected and microbiological and immunological analyses were performed. Results Competitive swimmers trained 2.02±0.09 hours 5 times a week, while non-competitive swimmers trained 2.03±0.18 hours a week. A total of 14.7% of competitive swimmers suffered dental trauma related to sports. Only 11.76% of the competitive swimmers took a daily dose of fluoride, against 32.65% of non-competitive swimmers (p=0.029. Neither group followed an established diet or presented statistically significant differences in terms of nutritional supplement drink and chocolate intake. There were statistically significant differences in terms of oral hygiene. No significant difference in clinical indexes (DMFT, PlI, and GI was present. S. mutans was harbored by 18.6% of competitive and the 32.2% of non-competitive swimmers. S. sobrinus was detected in 22.03% of competitive and 91.6% of non-competitive swimmers (p<0.05. S. sanguinis was found only in the saliva of competitive swimmers. The average S-IgA of competitive swimmers decreased significantly at T2 (p<0.05. The pool water had a daily average pH of 7.22. Conclusions Microbial markers, immune status and sporting characteristics are important for establishing guidelines for management of training load in order to minimize physical stress and the risk of oral infection.

"Violence" in Sport and the Violenti non fit Iniuria Defence: A Perspective on the Death of the Cricket Player Phil Hughes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter Labuschagne

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article evaluates the defence of violenti non fit inuiria in sport with specific reference to the principle of bonos mores or the “good morals” in society to tolerate injuries in sport. The increased prevalence of serious injuries in sport in the professional era, in which sportsmen earn their livelihood from sport, necessitate a review of the existing situation. The death of the Australian cricket player, Phil Hughes, as a result of fast, short-pitched bowling in cricket, has again put the spotlight on the aggressive and excessive use of "violence" in sport. The malicious intent in sport, to harm or even to kill an opponent, has made it necessary to ask if there should be any difference in the manner in which the perpetrator of violence in sport should be treated as against ordinary criminal law assault and murder offenders. A two-pronged approach is suggested in the article as a possible way of dealing with wrongfulness in cricket.

Performance of the Dutch non-life insurance industry: competition, efficiency and focus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, J.A.; Gorter, J.

This paper investigates competition in the Dutch non-life insurance industry indirectly by measuring scale economies and X-inefficiency, assuming that strong competition would force insurance firms to exploit unused scale economies and to push down inefficiencies. We observe substantial economies of

Competition-colonization trade-offs, competitive uncertainty, and the evolutionary assembly of species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pradeep Pillai

Full Text Available We utilize a standard competition-colonization metapopulation model in order to study the evolutionary assembly of species. Based on earlier work showing how models assuming strict competitive hierarchies will likely lead to runaway evolution and self-extinction for all species, we adopt a continuous competition function that allows for levels of uncertainty in the outcome of competition. We then, by extending the standard patch-dynamic metapopulation model in order to include evolutionary dynamics, allow for the coevolution of species into stable communities composed of species with distinct limiting similarities. Runaway evolution towards stochastic extinction then becomes a limiting case controlled by the level of competitive uncertainty. We demonstrate how intermediate competitive uncertainty maximizes the equilibrium species richness as well as maximizes the adaptive radiation and self-assembly of species under adaptive dynamics with mutations of non-negligible size. By reconciling competition-colonization tradeoff theory with co-evolutionary dynamics, our results reveal the importance of intermediate levels of competitive uncertainty for the evolutionary assembly of species.

Romania's Competitiveness and Competitive Position in Global Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin NECULITA

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Competitiveness increase has become a primordial framework of the social and economic development strategies of most world countries (mainly the most developed ones over the last decades. The vigorous boost of the contemporary phenomenon of globalization, which has widened the global area of economies, sectors and firms confrontation, has laid an emphasis on their competitiveness importance for their favorable position in the international competition and has therefore force the status to take proper, broad and concerted measures to stimulate the determining factors of action and to take better advantage of their effects. The purpose of the paper is to determine whether an increase in competitiveness could reduce the disparities between regions. The E.U. Member States and regions need significant financial help to solve various structural problems and to achieve their potential of growth. Romania is no exception, one of the main problems being the low rate in attracting European funds.

Diversifying evolution of competitiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, Sebastian A; Engqvist, Leif; Weissing, Franz J

2014-10-29

In many species, individuals express phenotypic characteristics that enhance their competitiveness, that is, the ability to acquire resources in competition with others. Moreover, the degree of competitiveness varies considerably across individuals and in time. By means of an evolutionary model, we provide an explanation for this finding. We make the assumption that investment into competitiveness enhances the probability to acquire a high-quality resource, but at the same time reduces the ability of exploiting acquired resources with maximal efficiency. The model reveals that under a broad range of conditions competitiveness either converges to a polymorphic state, where individuals differing in competitive ability stably coexist, or is subject to perpetual transitions between periods of high and low competitiveness. The dynamics becomes even more complex if females can evolve preferences for (or against) competitive males. In extreme cases, such preferences can even drive the population to extinction.

Exertional Rhabdomyolysis after an Extreme Conditioning Competition: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramires Alsamir Tibana

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This case report describes an instance of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis caused by an extreme conditioning program (ECP competition. A 35-year-old female presented with abdominal pain and soreness, which began one day after she completed two days of ECPcompetition composed of five workouts. Three days after competition, creatine kinase (CK was 77,590 U/L accompanied by myalgia and abnormal liver function tests, while renal function was normal and this resulted in a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis. A follow-up examination revealed that her serum level of CK was still elevated to 3034 U/L on day 10 and 1257 U/L on day 25 following the ECP competition. The subject reported myalgia even up to 25 days after the ECP competition. Exertional rhabdomyolysis can be observed in ECP athletes following competition and highlights a dangerous condition, which may be increasing in recent years due to the massive expansion of ECP popularity and a growing number of competitions. Future research should investigate the causes of rhabdomyolysis that occur as a result of ECP, especially training methods and/or tasks developed specifically for these competitions.

Managing Multiple Sources of Competitive Advantage in a Complex Competitive Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Howard Henry Lapersonne

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to review the literature on the topic of sustained and temporary competitive advantage creation, specifically in dynamic markets, and to propose further research possibilities. After having analyzed the main trends and scholars’ works on the subject, it was concluded that a firm which has been experiencing erosion of its core sources of economic rent generation, should have diversified its strategy portfolio in a search for new sources of competitive advantage, ones that could compensate for the decline of profits provoked by intensive competitive environments. This review concludes with the hypothesis that firms, who have decided to enter and manage multiple competitive environments, should have developed a multiple strategies framework approach. The management of this source of competitive advantage portfolio should have allowed persistence of a firm’s superior economic performance through the management of diverse temporary advantages lifecycle and through a resilient effect, where a very successful source of competitive advantage compensates the ones that have been eroded. Additionally, the review indicates that economies of emerging countries, such as the ones from the BRIC block, should present a more complex competitive environment due to their historical nature of cultural diversity, social contrasts and frequent economic disruption, and also because of recent institutional normalization that has turned the market into hypercompetition. Consequently, the study of complex competition should be appropriate in such environments.

Crop–weed competition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gallandt, Eric R.; Weiner, Jacob

2015-01-01

importantly, weed density and time of emergence relative to the crop. Practices that (1) reduce the density of weeds, (2) maximise occupation of space or uptake of resources by the crop or (3) establish an early-season size advantage of the crop over the weeds will minimise the competitive effects of weeds...... on crops. Longer term management of crop–weed competition can be achieved through crop rotations, specifically crop sequences that reduce the weed seed bank, and therefore seedling density, and prevent proliferation of perennial weeds. Key ConceptsKey Concepts * Plant growth requires sunlight, water...... an early-season competitive advantage to the crop and (3) maximising resource capture by the crop using competitive species, competitive cultivars, high sowing densities, optimal spatial arrangement, intercropping complimentary species or transplanting....

A Conceptual Mapping Resource Advantage Theory, Competitive Advantage Theory, and Transient Competitive Advantage

OpenAIRE

Jasanta PERANGINANGIN

2015-01-01

Competitive advantage is the main purposed of the business entity focusing on market base view. Resource advantage theorists put their concern to empowering resources development with resources based view, in the other side needs to redefining competitive advantage. All the competitive advantage are transient, concluded the end of competitive advantage. Redefining competitive advantage by selling migration and shrewdness outward. This research to emphasize innovation capability rarely appears...

Robotics Competitions: An Overview of First© Events and VEX© Competitions

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, Maria A.

2012-01-01

Robotics competitions generate excitement and raise the profile of a robotics program. This article provides an overview of robotics competitions, concentrating on those sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and RECF (Robotics Education and Competition Foundation). FIRST® LEGO® League and VEX® robotics…

The tobacco international competitiveness of the South Brazil :1997-2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Candéa Sá Barreto

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The research analyses the international competitiveness of the southern tobacco in international trade. We used data analysis system of the Foreign Trade Information Internet (ALICE-Web, the Foreign Trade Secretariat (SECEX of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC in the years 1997-2014. Additionally, advantages index were constructed for and competitiveness revealed to observe the state of the production behavior in international trade. The results show that the southern region has a high relative advantage in tobacco exports over the years considered. The revealed competitiveness was positive, however, advantage of greater magnitude since 2005.

Competition among Turkish hospitals and its effect on hospital efficiency and service quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Torun, Nazan; Celik, Yusuf; Younis, Mustafa Z

2013-01-01

The level of competition among hospitals in Turkey was analyzed for the years 1990 through 2006 using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). Multiple and simple regression analyses were run to observe the development of competition among hospitals over this period of time, to examine likely determinants of competition, and to calculate the effects of competition on efficiency and quality in individual hospitals. This study found that the level of competition among hospitals in Turkey has increased throughout the years. Also, competition has had a positive effect on the efficiency of hospitals; however, it did not have a significant positive effect on their quality. Moreover, there are important differences in the level of competition among hospitals that vary according to the geographical region, the type of ownership, and the type of hospital. This study is one of the first to evaluate the effects of health policies on competition as well as the effects of increasing competition on hospital quality and efficiency in Turkey.

Anti- versus Pro-Competitive Mergers

OpenAIRE

Fridolfsson, Sven-Olof

2007-01-01

In a framework where mergers are mutually excluding, I show that firms pursue anti- rather than (alternative) pro-competitive mergers. Potential outsiders to anti-competitive mergers refrain from pursuing pro-competitive mergers if the positive externalities from anti-competitive mergers are strong enough. Potential outsiders to pro-competitive mergers pursue anti-competitive mergers if the negative externalities from the pro-competitive mergers are strong enough. Potential participants in an...

Competitive Interactions of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Damesrocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Science.gov (United States)

Leicht-Young, Stacey A.; Pavlovic, Noel B.; Adams, Jean V.

2012-01-01

Competitive interactions between native plants and nonnative, invasive plant species have been extensively studied; however, within degraded landscapes, the effect of interspecific interactions among invasive plants is less explored. We investigated a competitive interaction between two sympatric, invasive mustard species that have similar life history strategies and growth forms: garlic mustard and damesrocket. Greenhouse experiments using a full range of reciprocal density ratios were conducted to investigate interspecific competition. Garlic mustard had a negative effect on the final biomass, number of leaves, and relative growth rate in height of damesrocket. Survival of damesrocket was not negatively affected by interspecific competition with garlic mustard; however, garlic mustard showed higher mortality because of intraspecific competition. These results indicated that although garlic mustard has been observed to be the dominant species in this landscape, it may not completely outcompete damesrocket in all situations. Studies of invasive species in competition are important in degraded landscapes because this is the common situation in many natural areas.

Approximate kernel competitive learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jian-Sheng; Zheng, Wei-Shi; Lai, Jian-Huang

2015-03-01

Kernel competitive learning has been successfully used to achieve robust clustering. However, kernel competitive learning (KCL) is not scalable for large scale data processing, because (1) it has to calculate and store the full kernel matrix that is too large to be calculated and kept in the memory and (2) it cannot be computed in parallel. In this paper we develop a framework of approximate kernel competitive learning for processing large scale dataset. The proposed framework consists of two parts. First, it derives an approximate kernel competitive learning (AKCL), which learns kernel competitive learning in a subspace via sampling. We provide solid theoretical analysis on why the proposed approximation modelling would work for kernel competitive learning, and furthermore, we show that the computational complexity of AKCL is largely reduced. Second, we propose a pseudo-parallelled approximate kernel competitive learning (PAKCL) based on a set-based kernel competitive learning strategy, which overcomes the obstacle of using parallel programming in kernel competitive learning and significantly accelerates the approximate kernel competitive learning for large scale clustering. The empirical evaluation on publicly available datasets shows that the proposed AKCL and PAKCL can perform comparably as KCL, with a large reduction on computational cost. Also, the proposed methods achieve more effective clustering performance in terms of clustering precision against related approximate clustering approaches. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coal competitiveness?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogeaux, B.

2006-01-01

Will coal electrical plants be more competitive in the coming years? Answering this one cannot be limited to merely comparing estimates based on reference electricity production costs. The competitiveness of coal will indeed depend on the final product marketed, as the MWhs are not equal: is the purpose to produce base, half-base MWh? Does the electrical equipment structure require flexible MWh (for instance in the event of significant intermittent renewable energy amounts), and therefore plants able to adjust their power rapidly? But the competitiveness of coal will also depend on many factors that will correct reference cost estimates: uncertainties, risks, externalities. These factors will need to be appreciated on a case by case basis. We introduce some of the reasoning used to better appreciate the future competitiveness of coal, and the main factors conditioning it in three contrasting regions of the world: Europe, USA, china. (author)

The evolution of enterprises in the global network competition

OpenAIRE

Borghoff,Thomas; Welge,Martin K.

2001-01-01

The globalization of a company is embedded in the globalization of its task environment. This process can be described as a co-evolutionary process of a social system in its environment. A historical view of the globalization of competition seems to prove that it can be interpreted as an evolutionary process of differentiation and integration that is reinforced by the decreasing rigidity of boundaries. A liquefaction of competition" can be observed, in which an increasing number of autonomous...

GLOBAL COMPETITION AND ROMANIA’S NATIONAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pop Nicolae Alexandru

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Analyzing products and services around us it is clear that most of them are the result of production factors, labor and capital becoming more international and increasingly less and less national. We are witnessing the globalization of markets and production, to a large global integration and interdependence, increase personalization of production and services as a result of new communication systems interaction and flexible production processes. Markets will continue to homogenize and diversify at the same time, so it is important that as a global marketer one addresses a market segment defined by income, age, and consumption habits and not by membership of a nation. The most visible and polarized is the premium segment fighting for high income clients where brand value plays an important role. Instead identification of large segments of customers offers the advantages of scale economy in production and marketing for global enterprises. Consumer profile is the dominant global consumer requesting and accepting global products and services easily. In fact, what can force an economic alignment to achieve the best performance, rather than the global consumer. The research methodology used includes literature review, comparative analysis, synthesis of data based on bibliographic resources and official documents.The aim of the paper is to highlight current models that underlie the competitive advantage of nations and assess the competitive advantage of Romania in the context of the global market. A case study is used to offer an overview of competitive advantage of Antibiotice Iasi SA, a competitive player, in a global pharmaceutical market with strong global competition. Countries moderate companies’ achievements of global efficiency objectives due to the countries’ rivalry. Romania has to understand that it is in competition with other countries in order to fulfill economic, political and social objectives. The scope in the end is the well

Exploring an Age Difference in Preschool Children’s Competitiveness Following a Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Hu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Literature suggests that resource acquisition compels competition in young children. However, little is still known about the development of preschool children’s competitiveness. In this preliminary study, 166 children (aged 2–4 and 5–6 years engaged in a dyadic competition which resulted in a winning and a losing group (in a control/non-competition group, participants engaged in a similar task which did not lead to winning/losing outcome, and then experimenters tracked their decisions to compete again with a rival (i.e., an individual they interacted in the previous competition task and a non-rival competitor (i.e., an anonymous classmate they did not interact in the previous competition task for a reward, respectively. As expected, results showed an age-related decreasing trend in the percentage of choices to compete with a competitor. However, this age difference was only significant in the control group when participants played with the partner with whom they interacted in the previous game and in the losing group when participants competed with a non-rival competitor. This study contributes to our knowledge of how competitiveness develop in preschool childhood, and calls for further research on the roles of motivation and cognitive control in children’s competitiveness.

Exploring an Age Difference in Preschool Children’s Competitiveness Following a Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yu; Zhu, Yi

2018-01-01

Literature suggests that resource acquisition compels competition in young children. However, little is still known about the development of preschool children’s competitiveness. In this preliminary study, 166 children (aged 2–4 and 5–6 years) engaged in a dyadic competition which resulted in a winning and a losing group (in a control/non-competition group, participants engaged in a similar task which did not lead to winning/losing outcome), and then experimenters tracked their decisions to compete again with a rival (i.e., an individual they interacted in the previous competition task) and a non-rival competitor (i.e., an anonymous classmate they did not interact in the previous competition task) for a reward, respectively. As expected, results showed an age-related decreasing trend in the percentage of choices to compete with a competitor. However, this age difference was only significant in the control group when participants played with the partner with whom they interacted in the previous game and in the losing group when participants competed with a non-rival competitor. This study contributes to our knowledge of how competitiveness develop in preschool childhood, and calls for further research on the roles of motivation and cognitive control in children’s competitiveness. PMID:29593610

Prescribing behavior of general practitioners : Competition matters!

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaumans, C.B.C.

Background General Practitioners (GP) have limited means to compete. As quality is hard to observe by patients, GPs have incentives to signal quality by using instruments patients perceive as quality. Objectives I investigate whether GPs prescribe more units when confronted with more competition. As

Monopolistic Competition, International Trade and Firm Heterogeneity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jørgen Ulff-Møller; Hansen, Jørgen Drud; Kvedaras, Virmantas

This paper presents a dynamic international trade model based on monopolistic competition, where observed intra-industry differences at a given point in time reflect different stages of the firm's life cycle. New product varieties of still higher quality enter the market every period rendering old...

FIRST 2002, 2003, 2004 Robotics Competition(s)

Science.gov (United States)

Purman, Richard

2004-01-01

The New Horizons Regional Education Center (NHREC) in Hampton, VA sought and received NASA funding to support its participation in the 2002, 2003, and 2004 FIRST Robotics Competitions. FIRST, Inc. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization which encourages the application of creative science, math, and computer science principles to solve real-world engineering problems. The FIRST competition is an international engineering contest featuring high school, government, and business partnerships.

Behavior of the ion Magnesium in triathlon half-ironman competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Bürger-Mendonça

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The present study it had as objective to analyze the response of the ion magnesium before and after-competition of triathlon in athlete of the masculine sex, in the half-ironman distance, through it biochemistry analyzes of the concentration of the ion magnesium in the plasma blood. Ten physically active volunteers of the masculine sex participated in the present study, divided in two groups: control and experimental. The integrants of the experimental group was submitted to two blood collections (approximately 25 ml, after eight hours dietary restriction in the seated position. The second blood sample was collected immediately at ending of the competition of each athlete (t=1. For statistical analysis was used the software SPSS 11.0, and T-student test for statistical comparisons between the two groups (P<0.05 accepted as significant. When compared the values before the competition between the control group and experimental group a significant difference in the concentration of plasma magnesium (P=0,005 was observed. When compared the values of plasma magnesium concentration in the experimental group before and after competition a significant difference (P=0,005, with an average reduction of 35,23% was observed. In the comparison of values after-competition between the experimental group and control, a significant difference in the plasma magnesium concentration was detected, indicating that the exercises of long duration cause a depletion of magnesium reserves of the organism.

Behavior of the ion magnesium in triathlon half-ironman competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Bürger-Mendonça

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The present study it had as objective to analyze the response of the ion magnesium before and after-competition of triathlon in athlete of the masculine sex, in the half-ironman distance, through it biochemistry analyzes of the concentration of the ion magnesium in the plasma blood. Ten physically active volunteers of the masculine sex participated in the present study, divided in two groups: control and experimental. The integrants of the experimental group was submitted to two blood collections (approximately 25 ml, after eight hours dietary restriction in the seated position. The second blood sample was collected immediately at ending of the competition of each athlete (t=1. For statistical analysis was used the software SPSS 11.0, and T-student test for statistical comparisons between the two groups (P<0.05 accepted as significant. When compared the values before the competition between the control group and experimental group a significant difference in the concentration of plasma magnesium (P=0,005 was observed. When compared the values of plasma magnesium concentration in the experimental group before and after competition a significant difference (P=0,005, with an average reduction of 35,23% was observed. In the comparison of values after-competition between the experimental group and control, a significant difference in the plasma magnesium concentration was detected, indicating that the exercises of long duration cause a depletion of magnesium reserves of the organism.

Competition policy and environmental protection, obstacles to competition in the waste sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alanen, J.; Marttinen, K.; Steiner, N.

2000-08-01

This study deals with the legal rules that affect the conditions of competition in the waste sector at both the EU level and national level in Finland. This study describes further, on a more general level, the relation between the EC's internal market rules and competition rules and the actions involving environmental protection taken by public authorities (EG, Member States) and enterprises. Hazardous waste is not studied in this report. The study comprises two parts: The first part deals with the free movement of waste, EG rules on the transportation of waste between Member States, and the specific EG rules and Finnish laws and regulations on waste. The aim of this study has been, on the one hand, to discuss cases where restrictions of competition in the waste sector are a direct consequence of EG rules on waste and, on the other hand, situations where EG rules or the large margin of manoeuvre left with the Member States create problems with a view to a well functioning competition at the national level. Part two deals with the application of EG rules and Finnish competition rules to companies' agreements on actions involving environmental protection and especially waste management, and to their operations in general and, in certain cases, also to the measures taken by Member States. The EG rules on waste do not pay enough attention to competition aspects. The different requirements set by Member States result in distortion of competition while the rules governing the shipments of waste are not effective enough. From the internal market point of view, more binding and detailed rules are motivated. Competition rules are fully applicable to enterprises' measures aimed at environmental protection that restrict competition. Environmental protection aspects in connection with a case-to-case consideration of interests is, however, gaining importance. Those restrictions of competition in the waste sector that EC has dealt with have without exception concerned the

Competition improves robustness against loss of information

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Arash eKermani Kolankeh

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A substantial number of works aimed at modeling the receptive field properties of the primary visual cortex (V1. Their evaluation criterion is usually the similarity of the model response properties to the recorded responses from biological organisms. However, as several algorithms were able to demonstrate some degree of similarity to biological data based on the existing criteria, we focus on the robustness against loss of information in the form of occlusions as an additional constraint for better understanding the algorithmic level of early vision in the brain. We try to investigate the influence of competition mechanisms on the robustness. Therefore, we compared four methods employing different competition mechanisms, namely, independent component analysis, non-negative matrix factorization with sparseness constraint, predictive coding/biased competition, and a Hebbian neural network with lateral inhibitory connections. Each of those methods is known to be capable of developing receptive fields comparable to those of V1 simple-cells. Since measuring the robustness of methods having simple-cell like receptive fields against occlusion is difficult, we measure the robustness using the classification accuracy on the MNIST hand written digit dataset. For this we trained all methods on the training set of the MNIST hand written digits dataset and tested them on a MNIST test set with different levels of occlusions. We observe that methods which employ competitive mechanisms have higher robustness against loss of information. Also the kind of the competition mechanisms plays an important role in robustness. Global feedback inhibition as employed in predictive coding/biased competition has an advantage compared to local lateral inhibition learned by an anti-Hebb rule.

Pollution taxes and international competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birch Soerensen, P.

1994-01-01

Throughout the industrialized world policy makers are becoming increasingly aware of the potential gains in economic efficiency and environmental quality to be reaped in certain areas of pollution control by switching from direct regulation to market-oriented policy instruments such as pollution taxes. However, concern about the impact on the international competitiveness of domestic producers seems to make governments in many countries hesitant to introduce pollution taxes. As a result, several observers have called for international agreements on harmonized pollution taxes among larger groups of countries such as the member states of the European Community. This paper argues that policy makers should be less concerned about the effects of pollution taxes on international competitiveness and more conscious about their effects on economic efficiency and equity. If pollution taxes improve the allocation of resources, it would be possible to compensate those citizens who might lose from their introduction and still leave the rest of society better off. The openness of the economy only means that a given improvement of environmental quality can be achieved through a lower level of pollution tax rates than would be necessary in a closed economy, because a given pollution tax rate will cause a greater contraction of output in polluting industries, the more these industries are exposed to foreign competition. (EG)

Follow the Leaders: competition in the Brazilian Auto Financing Sector

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Rodrigo M. S. Moita

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to understand the competitive pattern and strategy of the firms in the Brazilian automobile financing market. First, we analyzed the strong segmentation observed in this market, determining market niches. We then estimated reaction functions to price changes. The results indicated that the three largest companies in the sector have a strong influence on interest rate setting within the entire segment. This phenomenon characterizes the competition of this sector as the leader-follower type, rather than Bertrand competition, the latter of which is often expected in the banking sector and it demonstrates the existence of the leading firms' market power.

Theoretical aspects of competitive advantage and competition

OpenAIRE

Hudakova, Ivana

2009-01-01

The concept of competitive advantage is well-known for many of us and a number of literary resources focused on entrepreneurship and functioning of economies deal with it, either directly or indirectly. The understanding of the term competitive advantage though sometimes varies. One can only perceive it when looking at it as a whole, a live organism that is constantly developing in a complex dynamic entrepreneurial environment, the individual parts of which do not function when separated from...

Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2011

OpenAIRE

2012-01-01

The NCC publishes two annual competitiveness reports. Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge focuses on the national competitiveness issues of most importance to the enterprise sector and identifies policy recommendations required to address these issues. The report focuses on pursuing policies to improve competitiveness, particularly those to reduce the cost base for enterprise, to enhance the performance of the entire education system, and to deliver meaningful public sector reform. Ireland's ...

Analyzing Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Strategically Managing Resource Allocations to Achieve Operational Competitiveness

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Abdul Malek Nurul Aida

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In today’s dynamic business environment, a key challenge for all companies is to make adaptive adjustments to their manufacturing strategy. This study demonstrates the competitive priorities of manufacturing strategy in hydro-power case company to evaluate the level of sustainable competitive advantage and also to further analyze how business strategies are aligned with manufacturing strategies. This research is based on new holistic analytical evaluation of manufacturing strategy index, sense and respond, and sustainable competitive advantage models. These models help to describe, evaluate, and optimize resource allocation to meet the performance requirements in dynamic decision making. Furthermore, these models evaluate operational competitiveness for manufacturing strategies according to the multi-criteria priority. The results show that the adjustments of competitive priorities in manufacturing strategies by implementing the proposed holistic analytical models are helpful in strategically managing business operations. The discussion derives the most critical attributes in business operations while alignment of resource allocation with competitive priorities help to strategically focus those attributes. In conclusion, we argue that resource allocation and manufacturing strategies have become the most important capabilities in a business environment where companies focus to get a sustainable competitive advantage.

Morphological response to competition for light in the clonal Trifolium repens (Fabaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Bittebiere, Anne-Kristel; Renaud, Nolwenn; Clément, Bernard; Mony, Cendrine

2012-04-01

Plant communities in temperate zones are dominated by clonal plants that can plastically modify their growth characteristics in response to competition. Given that plants compete with one another, and the implications this has for species coexistence, we conducted a study to assess how clonal species morphologically respond to competition for light depending on its intensity and heterogeneity, which are determined by the competitor species. We assessed the morphological response to competition for light of the clonal species Trifolium repens L. by measuring its growth performance, and vertical and horizontal growth traits. We used five competitive environments, i.e., one without competitor and four differing by their competitor species creating different conditions of competition intensity and heterogeneity. The morphological response of Trifolium repens to competition for light depended on the competitor identity. Competition intensity and heterogeneity, determined by competitor identity, had an interactive effect on most traits. The increase in petiole elongation and specific leaf area due to increased competition intensity was observed only at low to intermediate competition heterogeneity. Competition heterogeneity promoted the elongation of clone connections allowing space exploration. Our results demonstrated that the intensity and heterogeneity of competition, which depended on competitor identity, are of primary importance in determining the plastic response of Trifolium repens. This emphasizes that it is important to consider the fine-scale spatial distribution of individuals when studying their interactions within plant communities.

Competitive differentiation through brand extensions in the era of hyper competition

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Claudiu-Catalin Munteanu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In the era of hyper competition, competitive differentiation has become increasingly important. Brand extensions are used by companies across various industries for competitive differentiation. But in the era of hyper competition, a successful differentiation strategy requires that a brand emphasizes on uniqueness rather than commoditization. In this article, we make a case for creating a meaningful differentiation strategy. We emphasize the role of brand extensions for competitive differentiation and highlight the main perils of using brand extensions as a primary differentiation strategy. By using qualitative research, we identify primary objectives for brand extensions in practice. This investigation uses in-depth interviews with 14 senior brand managers across various industries to highlight brand portfolio strategies in relation to the brand differentiation strategy. Findings reveal that for business at the base of the pyramid, in markets such as Romania, brand managers are using brand extensions to increase sales or to boost short-term revenue rather than to implement a coherent differentiation strategy. We conclude with multiple recommendations for improving brand extension usage as a strategic instrument for creating meaningful differentiation in the era of hyper competition.

Getting Competitive: Competitive Intelligence Is a Smart next Step for Information Pros

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Cynthia Cheng

2006-01-01

Competitive Intelligence (CI) has become an attractive concept for Library and Information Science professionals, as information and research functions have become commoditized by end users, and financial, competitive, and performance pressures increase the need to demonstrate value. In the current competitive and cost-cutting environment,…

Sensory competition in the face processing areas of the human brain.

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Krisztina Nagy

Full Text Available The concurrent presentation of multiple stimuli in the visual field may trigger mutually suppressive interactions throughout the ventral visual stream. While several studies have been performed on sensory competition effects among non-face stimuli relatively little is known about the interactions in the human brain for multiple face stimuli. In the present study we analyzed the neuronal basis of sensory competition in an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI study using multiple face stimuli. We varied the ratio of faces and phase-noise images within a composite display with a constant number of peripheral stimuli, thereby manipulating the competitive interactions between faces. For contralaterally presented stimuli we observed strong competition effects in the fusiform face area (FFA bilaterally and in the right lateral occipital area (LOC, but not in the occipital face area (OFA, suggesting their different roles in sensory competition. When we increased the spatial distance among pairs of faces the magnitude of suppressive interactions was reduced in the FFA. Surprisingly, the magnitude of competition depended on the visual hemifield of the stimuli: ipsilateral stimulation reduced the competition effects somewhat in the right LOC while it increased them in the left LOC. This suggests a left hemifield dominance of sensory competition. Our results support the sensory competition theory in the processing of multiple faces and suggests that sensory competition occurs in several cortical areas in both cerebral hemispheres.

The Competitive Perception

OpenAIRE

Lima, João Tiago

2012-01-01

This paper aims to define what competitive perception is. Using Dufrenne’s phenomenological analysis of the art spectator’s experience, namely the concept of aesthetic perception, I will claim that it is useful to apply this phenomenological approach to the experience of watching sport events. I will argue that the concepts of uncertainty and auto teleology, being two main features in sport competition, are helpful to define competitive perception.

ANALYSIS OF COMPETITION INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES

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A. O. Egorova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzed and systematized the definition of "competition" proposed by domestic and foreign scholars in the field of strategic management, based on these discovered and refined essence of the concept of "competition". We consider the price and non-price competition. Examples are given of the methods of competition used in the practice of industrial activities. Substantiated that the forms and methods of competition must be constantly improved through the search for new competitive advantages.

Design, development and validation of a photogrammetric system for kinematic assessment of competition in team sports Diseño, desarrollo y validación de un sistema fotogramétrico para la valoración cinemática de la competición en deportes de equipo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. C. Barbero

2010-09-01

Full Text Available

The valuation and quantification of the displacements of the player throughout the execution of its movements during its intervention in the parties, allow to obtain very excellent data to be able to deduce the physical loads which this one is put under (Hughes and Franks, 1997. This knowledge of the physical exigencies supported by the player during the competitive activity provides very useful and excellent information for trainers and physical trainer on the demands of the sport and the tipology of the efforts. The intention of the present work is to present the main characteristics a developed fotogrametric system for the kinematic analysis of the competition in equipment sports. The developed method allows realize a kinematic analysis by means of bidimensional photogrammetry quantifying of precise and trustworthy form the registered displacements. It generates information referring to as much kinematic parameters (distances, speeds, accelerations like of use of the space (frequented areas, very useful variables to deduce the physical loads which one is put under the sportsman during the competition, providing a more specific knowledge of each one of the studied sport specialties.
KEY WORDS: Kinematic analysis, team-sports, competition.

La valoración y cuantificación de los desplazamientos del jugador a lo largo de la ejecución de sus movimientos durante su intervención en los partidos, permite obtener información muy relevante para poder deducir las cargas físicas a las que éste se ve sometido (Hughes y Franks, 1997. Este conocimiento de las exigencias físicas soportadas por el jugador durante la actividad competitiva proporciona información muy útil y relevante para entrenadores y preparadores físicos sobre las demandas del deporte y la tipología s esfuerzos. El propósito del presente trabajo es dar a conocer las principales caracter

Competition in energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haynes, Warren

1995-01-01

With changes occurring within both the gas and electricity industries and both sectors undergoing simultaneous reforms at the State and national levels it is timely to look at some major aspects of the energy-reform processes in Australia and to attempt to offer some perspectives from the viewpoint of an industry user of energy. From an industry user's viewpoint there is quantifiable evidence that competition in the energy sector will deliver major economic benefits to industry and the nation. The reform process currently in train will increase Australia's international competitiveness. Commonwealth-State collaboration is useful on economic issues which require a national consistent approach. Many significant and complex arrangement apply to the gas and electricity sectors which add to the complexity of the respective reform processes. More competitive arrangements are therefore required more quickly at several stages of the gas-sector reform process, such as in the commercialization of government utilities, resolving the issue of third-party transmission pricing, and the removal of State governments' impediments to competitive trading. The Hilmer Report on National Competition Policy will help deal with some difficult structural and transitional issues, e.g. third-party access, competitive structures, regulatory regimes, and a consistent national approach.(author). 1 fig., 1 photo

Architectural Competition and BIM

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Nils Lykke; Frandsen, Anne Kathrine; Øien, Turid Borgestrand

2015-01-01

on architecturalcompetitions, a series of interviews was conducted with building clients as well as architects, focusing on the impact of the above-mentioned changes within the building sector on architectural competitions as an institution. In the interviews, ICT and notleast BIM was a recurring theme that both parties saw...... as having a positive impact on competitions. But when looking closely into the answers, these revealed diverse understandings of how and why the impact of BIM on competitions could be said to be positive. The paper sheds light on the interaction between the actors (building clients, architects and client...... consultants) and the applied technologies (competition forms, ICT tools, directives) in architectural competitions in a theoretical actor-network perspective. The diverging understandings of the role of BIM are demonstrating one of many negotiations in progress in the network of architectural competitions...

Quality and Competition

OpenAIRE

Rajiv D. Banker; Inder Khosla; Kingshuk K. Sinha

1998-01-01

In recent years, the practitioner literature in operations management has seen a dramatic surge in articles on quality management. It reflects the increased emphasis on quality by U.S. firms, which has been attributed largely to increased competition faced by them. The question of how quality is influenced by competitive intensity, however, has not received much attention, either in the practitioner or the academic research literatures. The notion of competitive intensity itself has not been ...

Can Competition Keep the Restrooms Clean? Price, Quality and Spatial Competition

OpenAIRE

Pennerstorfer, Dieter

2017-01-01

This article investigates the influence of competition on price and product quality among Austrian camping sites, a market characterized by both horizontal (spatial) and vertical product differentiation. Theoretically, the effect of competition on quality is ambiguous and depends on the degree of cost substitutability between output and quality. Estimating a system of equations shows that intense competition has a positive impact on product quality and a negative effect on prices (conditional...

The effects of hospital competition on inpatient quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutter, Ryan L; Wong, Herbert S; Goldfarb, Marsha G

2008-01-01

Existing empirical studies have produced inconclusive, and sometimes contradictory, findings on the effects of hospital competition on inpatient quality of care. These inconsistencies may be due to the use of different methodologies, hospital competition measures, and hospital quality measures. This paper applies the Quality Indicator software from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to the 1997 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases to create three versions (i.e., observed, risk-adjusted, and "smoothed") of 38 distinct measures of inpatient quality. The relationship between 12 different hospital competition measures and these quality measures are assessed, using ordinary least squares, two-step efficient generalized method of moments, and negative binomial regression techniques. We find that across estimation strategies, hospital competition has an impact on a number of hospital quality measures. However, the effect is not unidirectional: some indicators show improvements in hospital quality with greater levels of competition, some show decreases in hospital quality, and others are unaffected. We provide hypotheses based on emerging areas of research that could explain these findings, but inconsistencies remain.

Competition for Assistance Agreements

Science.gov (United States)

It is EPA policy to promote competition in the award of assistance agreements to the maximum extent practicable.When assistance agreements are awarded competitively, it is EPA policy that the competitive process be fair and open & that no applicant receive

COMPETITIVENESS, VALUE CHAIN AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH COMPETITIVIDAD, CADENA DE VALOR E INVESTIGACION CIENTIFICA

OpenAIRE

Jaime Apolinar Martinez Arroyo; Irma Cristina Espitia Moreno; Marco Alberto Valenzo Jimenez

2013-01-01

This article discusses the importance of the sources of competitive advantage by cost or differentiation in the avocado value chain of exporting companies located in Uruapan, Michoacán. The analysis is made by assessing the impact of independent variables, dimensions and indicators on the dependent variable. This approach allows us to know or show the source of competitive advantage. That is, to observe the totally competitive advantage, you must know what activity the advantage derives from....

Can competition reduce quality?

OpenAIRE

Brekke, Kurt; Siciliani, Luigi; Straume, Odd Rune

2017-01-01

In a spatial competition setting there is usually a non-negative relationship between competition and quality. In this paper we offer a novel mechanism whereby competition leads to lower quality. This mechanism relies on two key assumptions, namely that the providers are motivated and risk-averse. We show that the negative relationship between competition and quality is robust to any given number of firms in the market and whether quality and price decisions are simultaneous or sequential. We...

Competition Policy in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Lee, Cassey

2004-01-01

Malaysia does not have a national competition law. Competition is regulated at the sectoral level in the country. Two economic sectors have legal provisions for competition law but these have been relatively ineffectively enforced. The benefits of Malaysia's industrial policy as well as the policy reforms in regulation and trade have been compromised by the lack of a formal institution to address competition related issues. Hence, the future priority and direction of regulatory reform is obvi...

Competitive strategy : Sorrin Puutarha

OpenAIRE

Haaristo, Emilia

2010-01-01

The thesis handles the fresh food product industry in Finland and especially one company operating in the industry and its competitive position. Sorrin Puutarha manufactures ready-to-use fresh cut salad bag, which is sold in the grocery stores. The objective of the thesis was to find competitive advantages of the case company. Once the competitive advantages were identified the purpose was to choose a fitting competitive strategy that would strengthen those advantages. The field study was con...

Competitive societies are happy if the women are less competitive than the men

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Vliert, E.; Janssen, O.

2002-01-01

Societies are less happy to the extent that their members are more competitive. A 42-nation regression study, based on aggregated indicators of female competitiveness, male competitiveness, four components of happiness, and national development restricts this negative cultural link between overall

A School Competition on the computation of the solar parallax using observations from the Mercury Transit of 9 May 2016 - Results and Discussion

Science.gov (United States)

Zender, Joe; Barnes, Rebecca; Zuidervaart, Huib; Benkhoff, Johannes; Martinez, Santa; Breitfellner, Michel; Almeida, Miguel

2017-04-01

On 9 May 2016 an intriguing and rare event occurred. Seen from most countries in Europe, Mercury, the planet nearest to the Sun, crossed the Sun's surface. Such a phenomenon is better known for the moon, for during such an eclipse it gets dark (or darker), so everyone will notice that something special is going on. But as Mercury is very, very small compared to the Sun, one will never remark such a Mercury-eclipse by oneself. It was the famous astronomer Johannes Kepler who realized in 1601 that Mercury (or Venus) transits could be observed from the Earth. Later in 1691, Edmund Halley published a mathematical algorithm to compute the solar parallax (from which one can determine the distance from Earth to the Sun) from observations made during the transit. It is sad to note that neither of the both scientists had the chance to witness a Mercury transit during their lifetime. Well before the event, the ESA Communication Office announced a school competition to observe the Mercury transit and repeat the measurements proposed by Edmund Halley and other scientists since then. Several hints were given on the observation possibilities (telescope, binoculars, solar glasses), and examples of the algorithms in form of written formulae or excel sheet formulae were given. All schools were encouraged to share their data with each other and the needed support was provided by ESA. After the transit, all school teams were asked to provided their results and an accompanying report to allow us to get a picture of the team's technical, mathematical, and social activities in preparation of the event and the event itself. In our presentation, we will give a short overview of the participants and their efforts. We analyze our school competition expectations against the results as seen from a scientist point of view (1st and 3rd author) and a scientific communicator point of view (2nd author), and give our perspective towards upcoming planetary eclipse opportunities, i.e. the Mercury

Globalization: the evolution of enterprises in the global network competition

OpenAIRE

Borghoff, Thomas; Welge, Martin K.

2001-01-01

The globalization of a company is embedded in the globalization of its task environment. This process can be described as a co-evolutionary process of a social system in its environment. A historical view of the globalization of competition seems to prove that it can be interpreted as an evolutionary process of differentiation and integration that is reinforced by the decreasing rigidity of boundaries. A liquefaction of competition" can be observed, in which an increasing number of autonomous...

The State of Competition and the Competition Regime of Ethiopia ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The socialist regime's economic policies are further compounding the problems that businesses face. ... This project seeks to investigate the barriers to competition, the potential gaps in Ethiopia's revised competition law (Trade Practices Proclamation), and the possible challenges that ... Bulletin de BRAS - Janvier 2018.

The Competitive Advantages of Retail Enterprises: the Factor and the Result of Competitive Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chorna Maryna V.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at systematization and development of a conceptual-categorical apparatus of the essence of competitive advantages. The approaches to their interpretation have been allocated. The essential characteristics and stages of the life cycle of competitive advantages are considered. As active stages it is suggested to consider the following: formation, implementation, and development. The basic properties of competitive advantages such as dual character have been substantiated and supplemented. Both the factor and the effective nature of competitive advantages are characterized. On the basis of the mentioned approaches together with the identified features, a definition of the concept of «competitive advantages» as economic category has been proposed. Its use as a base along with taking into consideration the functional specificity of trade enterprises has allowed: clarifying the essence of competitive advantages of retail enterprises; suggesting their definition as a factor and as a result of competitive relations. The identification of dual character will increase the possibilities to assess competitive advantages. Prospects for further researches in this direction are connected with allocating of peculiarities and kinds of competitive advantages of retail trade enterprises with the purpose of increasing the of validity of decisions on their formation, implementation, and development.

REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF COMPETITION POLICY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liviana Andreea Niminet

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Competition policy starts by shaping a legislative framework. This is aimed to establish boundaries for conducting competition and also sets limits of licit and illicit demarcation, for competitive and anticompetitive practices. The Romanian Competition Law has a divalent approach and it aims to provide specific behavioral conditions in order to stimulate and protect free-market competition, with the ultimate goal of developing a balanced, efficient and competitive economy. Our country’s Competition policy is based on punishing the behavior. There are three such types of anti-competitive behavior, namely: agreements between undertakings, abuse of dominant position and mergers and other concentrations between undertakings. Recent Practice proved that this “enforcement-conduct-punishment” structure is not necessary the best way to address competition and it is high time for authorities to switch both regulation and enforcement of competition from the “classical perspective” towards concepts like “competition advocacy” and “soft power” and give competition policy a new, reshaped face.

PRICES IN COMPETITIVE SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VADUVA MARIA

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Regularities of competitive market determine rules for determining prices and their dynamics. Orientation prices to competition (competitive pricing is the strategy most frequently used in countries with market economies and especially for exports. Moreover, in an economy dominated by market competition it cannot be ignored without certain risks the prices resulting from competition between products bidders. Companies that use this type of strategy seek to maintain a level of prices linked to that charged by other competitors (or exporting producers generally no longer covering production costs or demand, relying on the assumption that the average market price is a reasonable basis of costs. But the way how practical guidance and reporting to the competition in every price strategy, will be determined by the company's market position, by the available power and enjoyed prestige, objectives and prospects of its market share etc. according to these elements, there may be several versions of pricing strategies oriented to competitors.

Changes in Subjective Sleep Quality Before a Competition and Their Relation to Competitive Anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlenspiel, Felix; Erlacher, Daniel; Ziegler, Matthias

2016-12-09

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of competitions on subjective sleep quality. Previous studies have been inconclusive and lack differentiated and standardized measurements of subjective sleep quality. Furthermore the temporal relation between precompetitive anxiety and sleep quality was investigated. Anxiety and nervousness associated with competitions are considered to cause sleep impairments. A convenience sample of N = 79 elite male athletes from various sports participated. In a time-to-event paradigm, sleep quality and competitive anxiety were assessed via standardized self-report measurements 4 days before a competition and on the day of the competition. Univariate analyses were used to examine differences between time points. To examine cross-lagged effects between anxiety and sleep quality a latent change score model (LCSM) was specified that tested an effect of anxiety on changes in sleep quality. Evaluations of nocturnal sleep deteriorated significantly from 4 days before competition to the day of competition, but there were no differences regarding perceptions of the restorative value of sleep. LCSM revealed that athletes who reported more intense worry symptoms 4 days before competition also reported greater deterioration in evaluations of nocturnal sleep. The findings support earlier reports of impaired subjective sleep quality before competitions. Precompetitive sleep impairments appear also to be preceded by cognitive anxiety. Whereas interventions should thus address worry-cognitions associated with competition and sleep, research should address the practical importance of these perceptions of sleep impairments.

Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2014

OpenAIRE

2014-01-01

Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2014, which is produced under the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, outlines the National Competitiveness Council’s view of the main competitiveness issues confronting the business sector in Ireland over the medium term, and sets out a series of policy responses required to address these challenges. Building on their earlier benchmarking of Irish competitiveness, the Council focus on six major themes in the 2014 report: addressing cost competitiveness; broadening ...

Temporal analysis of national level Muay-Thai matches: Effects of competitive phase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrício Boscolo Del Vecchio

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Temporal analysis of matches allows the study of fighting patterns in combat sports. With this procedure, we can recreate the efforts in specific training. However, up to date have no information concerning temporal analysis considering competitive level in Muay-Thai. Objective: To investigate temporal characteristics of Muay-Thai athletes in official competition from national level, considering round, and to compare preliminary combats with those that had medal disputes. Material and methods: Were recorded 65 matches in a Brazilian championship. We conducted in loco recording. To time-motion analysis, Software Kinovea™ was used. Were considered Observation, Preparation and Interaction periods, as well as high intensity and low intensity ratio (HI:LI. The average duration of the rounds between competitive phases (preliminary or finals was compared with a t test. A generalized linear model was applied considering effort duration as dependent variable and competitive level, round and effort type as independent. Significant level was set in 5%. Results: Were registered 7 to 8 s of Observation, near from 3 s of Preparation and 4 to 5.5 s of Interaction effort type, and the duration of Observation effort was significantly superior the others. Significant differences were observed in the Interaction between preliminary and finals (respectively 5.5 ± 0.3 s and 3.7 ± 0.5 s; p < 0.05. Pooling the Observation and Preparation time as low intensity (LI, and Interaction as high intensity (HI efforts, the HI:LI ratio was 1:2in eliminatory and 1:3 in the final matches. Conclusions: Muay-Thai is an intermittent combat sport, the duration of Interaction effort type is lower in final in comparison to preliminary matches.

Pedestrian collective motion in competitive room evacuation.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcimartín, A; Pastor, J M; Martín-Gómez, C; Parisi, D; Zuriguel, I

2017-09-07

When a sizable number of people evacuate a room, if the door is not large enough, an accumulation of pedestrians in front of the exit may take place. This is the cause of emerging collective phenomena where the density is believed to be the key variable determining the pedestrian dynamics. Here, we show that when sustained contact among the individuals exists, density is not enough to describe the evacuation, and propose that at least another variable -such as the kinetic stress- is required. We recorded evacuation drills with different degrees of competitiveness where the individuals are allowed to moderately push each other in their way out. We obtain the density, velocity and kinetic stress fields over time, showing that competitiveness strongly affects them and evidencing patterns which have been never observed in previous (low pressure) evacuation experiments. For the highest competitiveness scenario, we detect the development of sudden collective motions. These movements are related to a notable increase of the kinetic stress and a reduction of the velocity towards the door, but do not depend on the density.

Corporate competitiveness and sustainability risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udo Braendle

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at providing a theoretical analysis of the existing research on corporate competition and sustainability risks that occur when companies aspire to reach maximum competitive advantages and gain competitive benefits compared to their rivals. Competitiveness has been described as a multidimensional, theoretical and relative concept linked with the market mechanism. The concept of competitiveness may refer to different levels of aggregation: national, regional, industrial and individual companies. This paper contributes to the theoretical research on corporate competitiveness by the analysis of old and new definitions of this category. It also notes that the sustainability risks connected to competition can be divided into several groups where the authors highlight environmental, legal, financial risks, behaviour risks and state-related risks as the most crucial ones. For companies to be fit for the competitive challenge, the paper identifies main characteristics of such risks and gives policy guidance for their avoidance

A Neural Network Model for the Correlation between Sprinters’ Pre-competition Anxiety and Competition Performance

OpenAIRE

Jiwei Yao; Yongliang Yang; Xiang Xie; Wenxin Xu; Xiushi Ding

2013-01-01

Sprint is an important sporting event in track and field competition, in which, athletes’ pre-competition anxiety will greatly affect them in bringing into play their competence, which will then influence their final performance in the competition. For this reason, to study the correlation between sprinters’ pre-competition anxiety and their competition performance is of great significance in predicting athletes’ performance under difference anxiety state. After having analyzed domestic and f...

COMPETITION: CLASSICAL VERSUS NEOCLASSICAL VIEW

OpenAIRE

Mihaela Cornelia Sandu

2013-01-01

Competition is an important element from economical theory. Over time it has experienced several definitions and classifications much of them being contradictory. In this paper I will make a parallel between classical and neoclassical point of view according to competition. Keywords. Competition; neoclassical theory; classical theory; monopolistic; perfect competition.

Debt Contracts, Collapse and Regulation as Competition Phenomena

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gersbach, H.; Uhlig, H.F.H.V.S.

1998-01-01

We study a credit market with adverse selection and moral hazard where sufficient sorting is impossible. The crucial novel feature is the competition between lenders in their choice of contracts offered. Qualities of investment projects are not observable by banks and investment decisions of

The effects of nurse staffing on hospital financial performance: competitive versus less competitive markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Everhart, Damian; Neff, Donna; Al-Amin, Mona; Nogle, June; Weech-Maldonado, Robert

2013-01-01

Hospitals facing financial uncertainty have sought to reduce nurse staffing as a way to increase profitability. However, nurse staffing has been found to be important in terms of quality of patient care and nursing-related outcomes. Nurse staffing can provide a competitive advantage to hospitals and as a result of better financial performance, particularly in more competitive markets. In this study, we build on the Resource-Based View of the Firm to determine the effect of nurse staffing on total profit margin in more competitive and less competitive hospital markets in Florida. By combining a Florida statewide nursing survey with the American Hospital Association Annual Survey and the Area Resource File, three separate multivariate linear regression models were conducted to determine the effect of nurse staffing on financial performance while accounting for market competitiveness. The analysis was limited to acute care hospitals. Nurse staffing levels had a positive association with financial performance (β = 3.3, p = .02) in competitive hospital markets, but no significant association was found in less competitive hospital markets. Hospitals in more competitive hospital markets should reconsider reducing nursing staff, as these cost-cutting measures may be inefficient and negatively affect financial performance.

The new competitive intelligence agents: "Programming" competitive intelligence ethics into corporate cultures

OpenAIRE

Betsy Van der Veer Martens; Emilie Steele Giustozzi

2011-01-01

This article examines some of the ethical issues involved in competitive intelligence activities on the Internet. We discuss the importance of an ethical framework for the performance of competitive intelligence, especially the Code of Ethics of SCIP (the leading professional association for strategic and competitive professionals), in the context of today's networked global environment. The virtual borderlines separating national economic and military territories online are becoming increasi...

Attentional bias in competitive situations: Winner does not take all

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongqiang eSun

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Compared to previous studies of competition with participants’ direct involvement, the current study for the first time investigated the influence of competitive outcomes on attentional bias from a perspective of an onlooker. Two simple games were employed: the Rock-Paper-Scissors game (Experiment 1 in which the outcome is based on luck, and Arm-wrestling (Experiment 2, in which the outcome is based on the competitors’ strength. After observing one of these games, participants were asked to judge a stimulus presented on either the winner’s or loser’s side of a screen. Both experiments yielded the same results, indicating that the onlookers made much quicker judgments on stimuli presented on the loser’s side than the winner’s side. This suggests the existence of an attention bias for loser-related information once a competition has ended. Our findings provide a new lens through which the influence of competition results on human cognitive processing can be understood.

Gender and Competition in Adolescence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreber, Anna; Essen, Emma von; Ranehill, Eva

2013-01-01

We look at gender differences among adolescents in Sweden in preferences for competition, altruism and risk. For competitiveness, we explore two different tasks that differ in associated stereotypes. We find no gender difference in competitiveness when comparing performance under competition...... to that without competition. We further find that boys and girls are equally likely to self-select into competition in a verbal task, but that boys are significantly more likely to choose to compete in a mathematical task. This gender gap diminishes and becomes nonsignificant when we control for actual...... performance, beliefs about relative performance, and risk preferences, or for beliefs only. Girls are also more altruistic and less risk taking than boys....

Is healthy competition healthy? New evidence of the impact of hospital competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Gift, Thomas L; Arnould, Richard; DeBrock, Larry

2002-01-01

Competition among hospitals is commonly regarded as inefficient due to the medical arms race phenomenon, but most evidence for this hypothesis predates the Medicare prospective payment system and preferred provider legislation. Recent studies indicate hospital competition reduces costs and prices, but nearly all such research has focused on California. We add to the body of literature that analyzes the effects of competition in hospital markets. Using data from the state of Washington, we show that hospitals assume more risk in competitive markets by being more likely to accept prospective payment arrangements with insurers. If the arrangement is retrospective, the hospital is more likely to offer a discount as the number of competing hospitals increases. Both findings indicate that competitive forces operate the same in hospital markets as in most others: as the number of competitors increases, prices decrease and market power shifts from the suppliers to purchasers. The medical arms race hypothesis that favors more concentrated hospital markets no longer appears to be valid.

Current and future competitiveness of bioenergy - Conceptions about competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling, E.; Lundgren, K.; Maartensson, Kjell

1998-01-01

It is important to visualize the conceptions that guide the behaviour of the actors within the energy system to be able to, in an efficient manner, increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix. A major issue is to elucidate explicit and implicit presumptions within judgements on the competitiveness of bioenergy. This study focuses on how conceptions of bioenergy in the form of patterns of thinking, influence whether bioenergy can become competitive. The aim of the study is to develop a framework that will enable an increased understanding of the competitiveness of bioenergy today and in the future. The conceptions that the actors of the energy system uphold are studied and analysed. The conceptions of the actors are seen as key factors for the understanding of the function of the energy system and accordingly also for the understanding of the competitiveness of bioenergy. The over-all method perspective in the study is an actor approach. The actors' conceptions have been identified from interviews with 30 significant actors within the energy system. The material from the interviews has been synthesised into nine ideal types of actors. These nine 'model actors' are seen as representing the whole material and form the basis for the further analysis of the competitiveness of bioenergy as depending on patterns of thinking called logics. Three idealized logics are developed. The three logics developed in the study are production logic, market logic and socio-economic logic. (Upholders of the logics rank energy sources after production cost, profitability, and socio-economic legitimacy, respectively.) The logics co-exist within the different parts of the energy system. A single person can even uphold more than one logic. The three logics have however different weight in different organisations and in different parts of the energy system. Finally, the study proposes an enlarged description of the competitiveness of bioenergy in three dimensions: price

The Effects of Nurse Staffing on Hospital Financial Performance: Competitive Versus Less Competitive Markets

Science.gov (United States)

Everhart, Damian; Neff, Donna; Al-Amin, Mona; Nogle, June; Weech-Maldonado, Robert

2013-01-01

Background Hospitals facing financial uncertainty have sought to reduce nurse staffing as a way to increase profitability. However, nurse staffing has been found to be important in terms of quality of patient care and nursing related outcomes. Nurse staffing can provide a competitive advantage to hospitals and as a result better financial performance, particularly in more competitive markets Purpose In this study we build on the Resource-Based View of the Firm to determine the effect of nurse staffing on total profit margin in more competitive and less competitive hospital markets in Florida. Methodology/Approach By combining a Florida statewide nursing survey with the American Hospital Association Annual Survey and the Area Resource File, three separate multivariate linear regression models were conducted to determine the effect of nurse staffing on financial performance while accounting for market competitiveness. The analysis was limited to acute care hospitals. Findings Nurse staffing levels had a positive association with financial performance (β=3.3; p=0.02) in competitive hospital markets, but no significant association was found in less competitive hospital markets. Practice Implications Hospitals in more competitive hospital markets should reconsider reducing nursing staff, as these cost cutting measures may be inefficient and negatively affect financial performance. PMID:22543824

Competitive intransitivity promotes species coexistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Robert A; Schamp, Brandon S

2006-08-01

Using a spatially explicit cellular automaton model with local competition, we investigate the potential for varied levels of competitive intransitivity (i.e., nonhierarchical competition) to promote species coexistence. As predicted, on average, increased levels of intransitivity result in more sustained coexistence within simulated communities, although the outcome of competition also becomes increasingly unpredictable. Interestingly, even a moderate degree of intransitivity within a community can promote coexistence, in terms of both the length of time until the first competitive exclusion and the number of species remaining in the community after 500 simulated generations. These results suggest that modest levels of intransitivity in nature, such as those that are thought to be characteristic of plant communities, can contribute to coexistence and, therefore, community-scale biodiversity. We explore a potential connection between competitive intransitivity and neutral theory, whereby competitive intransitivity may represent an important mechanism for "ecological equivalence."

Managing the relationship between strategic resources and competitive priorities through the resource-based view

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudia Fabiana Gohr

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Firms should develop and improve strategic resources that are important for the competitive priorities, especially those that are important to customers. Using resource-based view of the firm as a theoretical perspective, this paper aims to analyze how strategic resources can contribute to the competitive priorities of an organization that operates in the logistic sector. The research method used was the case study using as the main technique of data collection semi-structured and structured interviews; and, systematic observations. The resources that contribute effectively to competitive priorities that need improvement are sales control, loyal customer base, partners experience and agile feedback to customers. However, only the experience of the partners provides to the company sustainable competitive advantage. Others resources identified in the field research provide only a competitive parity, despite this, support important competitive priorities.

Heterogeneous logics of competition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mossin, Christiane

2015-01-01

of competition are only realized as particular forms of social organization by virtue of interplaying with other kinds of logics, like legal logics. (2) Competition logics enjoy a peculiar status in-between constructedness and givenness; although competition depends on laws and mechanisms of socialization, we...... still experience competition as an expression of spontaneous human activities. On the basis of these perspectives, a study of fundamental rights of EU law, springing from the principle of ‘free movement of people’, is conducted. The first part of the empirical analysis seeks to detect the presence...... of a presumed logic of competition within EU law, whereas the second part focuses on particular legal logics. In this respect, the so-called ‘real link criterion’ (determining the access to transnational social rights for certain groups of unemployed people) is given special attention. What is particularly...

Recent progress in competitive intelligence, competitive technical intelligence and knowledge management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dou Henri

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the role of competitive intelligence and knowledge management to create, maintain and sustain competitive advantages. The triple helix model, based on the integration of the public sector (government, business models (private corporations and universities to promote innovation is examined. Research trends in competitive intelligence are presented. It concludes that the systematic use of the technology monitoring should support the comparison between various business models of companies that hold the market best practices and form a basis to knowledge for the decision making process and strategies development.

Competitive biosorption of thorium and uranium by Micrococcus luteus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, A.; Tsuruta, T.

2004-01-01

Eighteen species of bacteria were screened for abilities to adsorb thorium and uranium. High adsorption capacity was observed for thorium by Arthrobacter nicotianae and Micrococcus luteus, and for uranium by Arthrobacter nicotianae. The adsorption of both thorium and uranium by Micrococcus luteus cells was rapid, was affected by the solution pH, and obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm for binary systems in a competitive manner taking the ionic charge of the metal ion into account. The thorium selectivity in the competitive adsorption is assumed to be caused by the faster adsorption and the slower desorption rates of thorium than those of uranium. (author)

Competition Regime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Icaza Ortiz

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is a review of the competition regime works of various authors, published under the auspices of the University of the Hemispheres and the Corporation for Studies and Publications. Analyzes the structure, the general concepts, case law taken for development. Includes comments on the usefulness of this work for the study of competition law and the contribution to the lawyers who want to practice in this branch of economic law.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PRUNEA Ana Daniela

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Rapid changes in market characteristics and the technological innovations are common and faster challenges, resulting in products, processes and technologies. The competitive advantage is volatile, difficult to obtain and more difficult to maintain and strengthened with consumers who through their individual choices polarization confirms the recognition performance and award competitive advantages, thus causing the competitive ranking of companies present in a particular market. The competitive advantage lies in the focus of the performance of companies in competitive markets and innovation is a source for obtaining and consolidating it. Companies will need to demonstrate the capacity to adapt to changes in the business environment so as to maintain the helded positions. This paper treats this aspect behavior that companies should adopt to get on the account of innovation a sustainable competitive advantage. I started of the work in the elaboration from the theory of developed by Michael Porter in his book "Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance" we applied methods listed thus trying to point out possible ways of creating competitive advantage by companies. We have presented the sources of competitive advantage and the factors on which depends its creation. Walking theoretical research revealed how lack of competitive advantage leads to a lack of competitiveness of companies and the benefits that arise with the creation of this type of asset. Among the most important benefits is to increase performances. Once the competitive advantage is achieved, it must be maintained and updated market conditions and the methods that can be created a sustainable competitive advantage represent the answers to many of the companies questions are fighting for survival in an environment of fierce competition. The implementation of methods for obtaining competitive advantages, but also exist dangers, that every company should know them

5 CFR 351.403 - Competitive level.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Competitive level. 351.403 Section 351... FORCE Scope of Competition § 351.403 Competitive level. (a)(1) Each agency shall establish competitive levels consisting of all positions in a competitive area which are in the same grade (or occupational...

Competition in education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Hanne; Christensen, Søren

Competition in education has two functions: selection and motivation. How do these two functions correlate, contradict or co-exist? How has the educational system reflected on the relation between competition as motivational technology and as a technology for selection? The aim of this paper...... is to formulate the problem of competition in education as a relation between selection and motivation and provide an analytical strategy to grasp this problem. Our ambition is to theorize the problem and give empirical illustrations of how the connection between selection and motivation has been articulated...... in various educational institutions and programs....

Metabolic evaluation of Crioulo horses participating in competitions of 750 km

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena Alvariza Amaral

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The Crioulo breed of horses performs in one of the most physically demanding equestrian competitions, the Marcha de Resistência, which is a contest in which the horses run 750 km in 15 days. The study's aim was to characterize the metabolic responses during this period. We evaluated eleven Crioulo horses in the competition, specifically, two males and nine females. Blood samples were collected 24 hours before the contest and on the 4th, 9th, 11th, 14th and 15th days of competition. We evaluated CK, AST, LDH, glucose, lactate, urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, total calcium, ionized calcium, total protein, hematocrit and the white blood cell count. At the end of the competition, the mean values of serum AST were 1151±358 IU/ L the mean LDH values were 7418±1695 IU/L and CK was 13,867±3998UI /L. There was a significant increase in urea, creatinine and lactate (p<0.0001. A decrease in the mean values of chloride, sodium, potassium, and total and ionized calcium was observed (p≤0.0002. An evaluation of the total leukocytes and segmented neutrophils (p≤0.0002 revealed their increased values, and decreased values were observed for hematocrit, plasma protein and total lymphocytes (p≤0.0003. The values of glucose, on average, remained constant. Based on these data, we conclude that the Marcha de Resistência competition necessitated a high muscular demand and the depletion of energy and electrolytes, suggesting an inflammatory process in the animals evaluated.

5 CFR 351.402 - Competitive area.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Competitive area. 351.402 Section 351.402... Competition § 351.402 Competitive area. (a) Each agency shall establish competitive areas in which employees compete for retention under this part. (b) A competitive area must be defined solely in terms of the...

Competition in investment banking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrina Ellis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We construct a comprehensive measure of overall investment banking competitiveness for follow-on offerings that aggregates the various dimensions of competition such as fees, pricing accuracy, analyst recommendations, distributional abilities, market making prowess, debt offering capabilities, and overall reputation. The measure allows us to incorporate trade-offs that investment banks may use in competing for new or established clients. We find that firms who switch to similar-quality underwriters enjoy more intense competition among investment banks which manifests in lower fees and more optimistic recommendations. Investment banks do compete vigorously for some clients, with the level of competition related to the likelihood of gaining or losing clients. Finally, investment banks not performing up to market norms are more likely to be dropped in the follow-on offering. In contrast, firms who seek a higher reputation underwriter face relatively non-competitive markets.

Stochastic resonance induced by novel random transitions of motion of FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Guangjun; Xu Jianxue

2005-01-01

In contrast to the previous studies which have dealt with stochastic resonance induced by random transitions of system motion between two coexisting limit cycle attractors in the FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neuron model after Hopf bifurcation and which have dealt with the phenomenon of stochastic resonance induced by external noise when the model with periodic input has only one attractor before Hopf bifurcation, in this paper we have focused our attention on stochastic resonance (SR) induced by a novel transition behavior, the transitions of motion of the model among one attractor on the left side of bifurcation point and two attractors on the right side of bifurcation point under the perturbation of noise. The results of research show: since one bifurcation of transition from one to two limit cycle attractors and the other bifurcation of transition from two to one limit cycle attractors occur in turn besides Hopf bifurcation, the novel transitions of motion of the model occur when bifurcation parameter is perturbed by weak internal noise; the bifurcation point of the model may stochastically slightly shift to the left or right when FHN neuron model is perturbed by external Gaussian distributed white noise, and then the novel transitions of system motion also occur under the perturbation of external noise; the novel transitions could induce SR alone, and when the novel transitions of motion of the model and the traditional transitions between two coexisting limit cycle attractors after bifurcation occur in the same process the SR also may occur with complicated behaviors types; the mechanism of SR induced by external noise when FHN neuron model with periodic input has only one attractor before Hopf bifurcation is related to this kind of novel transition mentioned above

Competition Between Fusarium pseudograminearum and Cochliobolus sativus Observed in Field and Greenhouse Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Troth, Erin E Gunnink; Johnston, Jeffrey A; Dyer, Alan T

2018-02-01

Among root pathogens, one of the most documented antagonisms is the suppression of Cochliobolus sativus by Fusarium (roseum) species. Unfortunately, previous studies involved single isolates of each pathogen and thus, provided no indication of the spectrum of responses that occur across the respective species. To investigate the variability in interactions between Cochliobolus sativus and Fusarium pseudograminearum, field and greenhouse trials were conducted that included monitoring of spring wheat plant health and monitoring of pathogen populations via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The interactions between two isolates of C. sativus and four isolates of F. pseudograminearum were explored in three geographically distinct wheat fields. To complement field trials and to limit potentially confounding environmental variables that are often associated with field studies, greenhouse trials were performed that investigated the interactions among and between three isolates of C. sativus and four isolates of F. pseudograminearum. Across field locations, C. sativus isolate Cs2344 consistently and significantly reduced Fusarium populations by an average of 20.1%. Similarly, F. pseudograminearum isolate Fp2228 consistently and significantly reduced C. sativus field populations by an average of 30.9%. No interaction was detected in the field between pathogen species with regards to disease or crop losses. Greenhouse results confirmed a powerful (>99%), broadly effective suppression of Fusarium populations by isolate Cs2344. Among greenhouse trials, additional isolate-isolate interactions were observed affecting Fusarium populations. Due to lower C. sativus population sizes in greenhouse trials, significant Fusarium suppression of C. sativus was only detected in one isolate-isolate interaction. This study is the first to demonstrate suppression of Fusarium spp. by C. sativus in field and greenhouse settings. These findings also reveal a complex competitive

Apparent competition and native consumers exacerbate the strong competitive effect of an exotic plant species.

Science.gov (United States)

Orrock, John L; Dutra, Humberto P; Marquis, Robert J; Barber, Nicholas

2015-04-01

Direct and indirect effects can play a key role in invasions, but experiments evaluating both are rare. We examined the roles of direct competition and apparent competition by exotic Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) by manipulating (1) L. maackii vegetation, (2) presence of L. maackii fruits, and (3) access to plants by small mammals and deer. Direct competition with L. maackii reduced the abundance and richness of native and exotic species, and native consumers significantly reduced the abundance and richness of native species. Although effects of direct competition and consumption were more pervasive, richness of native plants was also reduced through apparent competition, as small-mammal consumers reduced richness only when L. maackii fruits were present. Our experiment reveals the multiple, interactive pathways that affect the success and impact of an invasive exotic plant: exotic plants may directly benefit from reduced attack by native consumers, may directly exert strong competitive effects on native plants, and may also benefit from apparent competition.

Asset prices and rents in a GE model with imperfect competition

OpenAIRE

Pierre Lafourcade

2003-01-01

This paper analyses the general equilibrium effects on asset valuation and capital accumulation of an exogenous drop in the rate of return required by investors in a model of production with imperfectly competitive product markets. The model improves substantially on the standard perfectly competitive neo-classical framework, by dissociating the behavior of marginal and average q. It tracks more closely current observed data on the ratio of stock-market value to the economy's capital base, wh...

THE ROMANIAN BANKING COMPETITION AND THE ACCESSION TO EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Capraru

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In this study we try to assess banking competition in the Romania for 2001 – 2008, taking into account the evolution of market share of the top five, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI, performances indicators like ROA and ROE and evolutions of deposit and loans rates. We observed that the competition in the Romanian banking system increases continuously in the last years. The main factors which have influenced this process were: the privatization of the majority of state capital banks and the perspective of accession of our country in the EU. In the period assessed, there are two approaches: in the first period banks have had very good performances due to their market share in a low competitive banking environment and after the privatization of some state capital banks, the leader of the market lost market share in the favor of other bank with greater performances.

Competitive Pressure: Competitive Dynamics as Reactions to Multiple Rivals

OpenAIRE

Zucchini, Leon; Kretschmer, Tobias

2011-01-01

Competitive dynamics research has focused primarily on interactions between dyads of firms. Drawing on the awareness-motivation-capability framework and strategic group theory we extend this by proposing that firms’ actions are influenced by perceived competitive pressure resulting from actions by several rivals. We predict that firms’ action magnitude is influenced by the total number of rival actions accumulating in the market, and that this effect is moderated by strategic group membership...

Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Robazza, Claudio; Izzicupo, Pascal; D'Amico, Maria Angela; Ghinassi, Barbara; Crippa, Maria Chiara; Di Cecco, Vincenzo; Ruiz, Montse C; Bortoli, Laura; Di Baldassarre, Angela

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine psychobiosocial states, cognitive functions, endocrine responses (i.e., salivary cortisol and chromogranin A), and performance under competitive pressure in orienteering athletes. The study was grounded in the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) and biopsychosocial models. Fourteen junior orienteering athletes (7 girls and 7 boys), ranging in age from 15 to 20 years (M = 16.93, SD = 1.77) took part in a two-day competitive event. To enhance competitive pressure, emphasis was placed on the importance of the competition and race outcome. Psychophysiological and performance data were collected at several points before, during, and after the races. Results showed that an increase in cortisol levels was associated with competitive pressure and reflected in higher perceived exertion (day 1, r = .32; day 2, r = .46), higher intensity of dysfunctional states (day 1, r = .59; day 2, r = .55), lower intensity of functional states (day 1, r = -.36; day 2, r = -.33), and decay in memory (day 1, r = -.27; day 2, r = -.35), visual attention (day 1, r = -.56; day 2, r = -.35), and attention/mental flexibility (day 1, r = .16; day 2, r = .26) tasks. The second day we observed better performance times, lower intensity of dysfunctional states, lower cortisol levels, improved visual attention and attention/mental flexibility (p competition days, chromogranin A levels were higher (p < .050) on the most difficult loops of the race in terms of both physical and psychological demands. Findings suggest emotional, cognitive, psychophysiological, and performance variables to be related and to jointly change across different levels of cognitive and physical load. Overall results are discussed in light of the IZOF and biopsychosocial models. The procedure adopted in the study also supports the feasibility of including additional cognitive load for possible practical applications.

Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Robazza

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to examine psychobiosocial states, cognitive functions, endocrine responses (i.e., salivary cortisol and chromogranin A, and performance under competitive pressure in orienteering athletes. The study was grounded in the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF and biopsychosocial models. Fourteen junior orienteering athletes (7 girls and 7 boys, ranging in age from 15 to 20 years (M = 16.93, SD = 1.77 took part in a two-day competitive event. To enhance competitive pressure, emphasis was placed on the importance of the competition and race outcome. Psychophysiological and performance data were collected at several points before, during, and after the races. Results showed that an increase in cortisol levels was associated with competitive pressure and reflected in higher perceived exertion (day 1, r = .32; day 2, r = .46, higher intensity of dysfunctional states (day 1, r = .59; day 2, r = .55, lower intensity of functional states (day 1, r = -.36; day 2, r = -.33, and decay in memory (day 1, r = -.27; day 2, r = -.35, visual attention (day 1, r = -.56; day 2, r = -.35, and attention/mental flexibility (day 1, r = .16; day 2, r = .26 tasks. The second day we observed better performance times, lower intensity of dysfunctional states, lower cortisol levels, improved visual attention and attention/mental flexibility (p < .050. Across the two competition days, chromogranin A levels were higher (p < .050 on the most difficult loops of the race in terms of both physical and psychological demands. Findings suggest emotional, cognitive, psychophysiological, and performance variables to be related and to jointly change across different levels of cognitive and physical load. Overall results are discussed in light of the IZOF and biopsychosocial models. The procedure adopted in the study also supports the feasibility of including additional cognitive load for possible practical applications.

Competitiveness and Management of Technology

OpenAIRE

Cheng, Ming Yu

2015-01-01

This paper delves into competition and technology management as a means of economic development. Expanding from Porter's framework on competitiveness and using a novel framework of PTGE（People, Technology, Government and Environment）, this paper argues that three types of competitive advantage could be created. These competitive advantages range from passive to active advantages, i.e. natural advantage, duplicated advantage and niche advantage. Technology and effective management of technolog...

LENIENCY POLICY FOR COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY

OpenAIRE

Ilie Moga

2013-01-01

A market driven economy is inconceivable without competition. In this system, the competition is beneficial firstly for consumers, but also for producers. The former have the ability to satisfy their needs according to taste and financial ability, while the latter are incentivized to innovate and increase efficiency. Competition induces natural selection among companies. This selection must adhere to strictly abiding by competition law regulation, while regulation must benefit both consumers ...

Understanding Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The Role of Positioning, Resources and Organisational Capabilities

OpenAIRE

David J. Collis

1998-01-01

This paper applies the value-based framework (Brandenburger and Stuart 1994) to the strategic management concepts of positioning, resources and organisational capabilities. It observes that each is a discrete level in the analysis of sustainable competitive advantage which can rigorously be interpreted as the determinants of location and speed of movement in value space. It concludes that strategic management will never find the ultimate explanation of competitive advantage because all orders...

Competitive versus comparative advantage

OpenAIRE

Neary, J. Peter

2002-01-01

I explore the interactions between comparative, competitive and absolute advantage in a two-country model of oligopoly in general equilibrium. Comparative advantage always determines the direction of trade, but both competitive and absolute advantage affect resource allocation, trade patterns and trade volumes. Competitive advantage in the sense of more home firms drives foreign firms out of marginal sectors but also makes some marginal home sectors uncompetitive. Absolute advantage in the se...

COMPETITION AS MARKET MECHANISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Ya. Kazhuro

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The essence of a competition as an objective law for development of the commodities production based on private ownership of the means of production and commodity exchange has been revealed in the paper. The paper presents an economic basis of market economy (private ownership which generates a corresponding production objective. Such purpose is a maximization of profit and a minimization of market subject expenses. Therefore, a struggle for the most favourable conditions on commodity production and sales is inevitable in such situation. The struggle is considered in the community with developed market economy as a competition.The competition is regarded not as an exogenic factor exerting its influence on market economic system from the outside, but as an objective phenomenon which is inherent to management market system in itself. Such treatment is substantiated by economic disintegration of individual commodity producers. Being an important engine of market economy, the competition does not establish its laws, and its role is to be an executive of data which are internally inherent in commodity production laws and firstly it concerns a profit maximization law which defines a purpose and guiding motif of economic entities in the given economy.The competition plays a contradictory role under conditions of market economy. On the one hand, it makes manufacturers constantly to aspire to expense reduction for the sake of profit increase. This has resulted in labour productivity increase, production cost decrease and a company receives an opportunity to reduce retail price for its products. Consequently, the competition acts as a potential factor for lowering of prices while increasing production efficiency. On the other hand, sellers have more freedom in price fixing under conditions of imperfect competition as they sell their products under the conditions of a monopolistic competition or an oligopoly. This is the main weakest point of the market

Marketing Aspect of Banking Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nieizviestna Olena V.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to study the need for application of marketing tools in order to improve competitiveness and competitive advantages of banks. By analyzing, systematizing and summarizing the scientific works of many scientists, the relationship between the competitiveness of the commercial bank and its share in the banking market has been discovered. In the process of studying the integration of the strategy of maximizing customer satisfaction in the practice of strategic competition in the banking market there was presented the author’s position regarding the need to take into account the structure of the customer loyalty, as it is it that helps to properly distribute the bank’s marketing efforts. It has been proved that the technology of bank marketing should not only include the systems of identifying customer needs, creation of new financial products, but also contribute to the formation of the multi-factor strategic model of competitive strategy of the bank competitive development. It has been proposed to use the SWOT-analysis in order to effectively manage the bank’s competitiveness.

Competition Advocacy: the Italian Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Rebecchini

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Competition advocacy is considered, together with enforcement, the core business of an antitrust authority. Broadly speaking there are at least three main tasks regularly performed by most, if not all, antitrust agencies that are amenable to the advocacy function: addressing laws and regulations in order to remove unnecessary impediments to competition; engaging in sector enquiries to understand markets behavior and identify critical issues; explaining the benefits of open competitive markets to the public opinion. This article examines these three main tasks and outlines the challenges for competition agencies, with references to the experience of the Italian Competition Authority (ICA and the initiatives undertaken at international level.

Fostering research aptitude among high school students through space weather competition

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, M.; Majid, R. A.; Bais, B.; Bahri, N. S.; Asillam, M. F.

2018-01-01

Cultivating research culture at an early stage is important for capacity building in a community. The high school level is the appropriate stage for research to be introduced because of students' competitive nature. Participation in the space weather competition is one of the ways in which research aptitude can be fostered in high school students in Malaysia. Accordingly, this paper presents how research elements were introduced to the students at the high school level through their participation in the space weather competition. The competition required the students to build a system to detect the presence of solar flares by utilizing VLF signals reflected from the ionosphere. The space weather competition started off with proposal writing for the space weather related project where the students were required to execute extensive literature review on the given topic. Additionally, the students were also required to conduct the experiments and analyse the data. Results obtained from data analysis were then validated by the students through various other observations that they had to carry out. At the end of the competition, students were expected to write a comprehensive technical report. Through this competition, the students learnt how to conduct research in accordance to the guidelines provided through the step by step approach exposed to them. Ultimately, this project revealed that the students were able to conduct research on their own with minimal guidance and that participation in the competition not only generated enjoyment in learning but also their interest in science and research.

Microcystis aeruginosa strengthens the advantage of Daphnia similoides in competition with Moina micrura.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Hengxing; Hou, Xinying; Xue, Xiaofeng; Chen, Rui; Zhu, Xuexia; Huang, Yuan; Chen, Yafen

2017-08-31

Microcystis blooms are generally associated with zooplankton shifts by disturbing interspecific relationships. The influence of Microcystis on competitive dominance by different sized zooplanktons showed species-specific dependence. We evaluated the competitive responses of small Moina micrura and large Daphnia similoides to the presence of Microcystis using mixed diets comprising 0%, 20%, and 35% of toxic M. aeruginosa, and the rest of green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. No competitive exclusion occurred for the two species under the tested diet combinations. In the absence of M. aeruginosa, the biomasses of the two cladocerans were decreased by the competition between them. However, the Daphnia was less inhibited with the higher biomass, suggesting the competitive dominance of Daphnia. M. aeruginosa treatment suppressed the population growths of the two cladocerans, with the reduced carrying capacities. Nonetheless, the population inhibition of Daphnia by competition was alleviated by the increased Microcystis proportion in diet. As a result, the competitive advantage of Daphnia became more pronounced, as indicated by the higher Daphnia: Moina biomass ratio with increased Microcystis proportions. These results suggested that M. aeruginosa strengthens the advantage of D. similoides in competition with M. micrura, which contributes to the diversified zooplankton shifts observed in fields during cyanobacteria blooms.

40 CFR 35.6555 - Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... current and include enough qualified sources to ensure maximum open and free competition. Recipients must... transactions in a manner providing maximum full and open competition. (a) Restrictions on competition... bonding requirements; (3) Noncompetitive pricing practices between firms or between affiliated companies...

Public healthcare interests require strict competition enforcement.

Science.gov (United States)

Loozen, Edith M H

2015-07-01

Several countries have introduced competition in their health systems in order to maintain the supply of high quality health care in a cost-effective manner. The introduction of competition triggers competition enforcement. Since healthcare is characterized by specific market failures, many favor healthcare-specific competition enforcement in order not only to account for the competition interest, but also for the healthcare interests. The question is whether healthcare systems based on competition can succeed when competition enforcement deviates from standard practice. This paper analyzes whether healthcare-specific competition enforcement is theoretically sound and practically effective. This is exemplified by the Dutch system that is based on regulated competition and thus crucially depends on getting competition enforcement right. Governments are responsible for correcting market failures. Markets are responsible for maximizing the public healthcare interests. By securing sufficient competitive pressure, competition enforcement makes sure they do. When interpreted according to welfare-economics, competition law takes into account both costs and benefits specific market behavior may have for healthcare. Competition agencies and judiciary are not legitimized to deviate from standard evidentiary requirements. Dutch case law shows that healthcare-specific enforcement favors the healthcare undertakings concerned, but to the detriment of public health care. Healthcare-specific competition enforcement is conceptually flawed and counterproductive. In order for healthcare systems based on competition to succeed, competition enforcement should be strict. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The competitiveness of national tourism industry

OpenAIRE

Rūtelionė, Aušra

2005-01-01

The purpose of the scientific research is to suggest the model of national tourism industry competitiveness and determine the main factors that increase national tourism industry competitiveness basing on fundamental national competitiveness theories and national tourism industry competitiveness conceptions.

Intra-industry momentum and product market competition around the world

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Li

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the relationship between product market competition and intra-industry momentum returns. Based on 12,982 firm observations from 19 developed markets for the period of 1990–2010, I find that buying winners and selling losers in competitive industries generates significantly higher momentum profits than that in concentrated industries. The higher the intensity of product market competition, the larger are the intra-industry momentum returns. The results are robust to sub-samples (periods of the U.S., non-U.S. countries, the G7 countries, 1990–2000, and 2001–2010. I further employ the nearness of a stock's price to the 52-week high to determine past winners and losers and find stronger results. I also compare intra-industry momentum returns with Jegadeesh and Titman (1993 individual stock momentum and Moskowitz and Grinblatt (1999 inter-industry momentum strategies. My results suggest that intra-industry momentum strategy outperforms the latter two strategies in most cases. The overall results are consistent with the notion that severe product market competition induces managers to improve financial performance.

Conductivity, temperature, depth, fluorescence, optical backscatter, laser in-situ scattering and transmissivity, acoustic zooplankton biomass, net zooplankton counts, and suspended particle data from the RV HUGH R. SHARP in the upper Chesapeake Bay from February 23 through 26, 2007 as part of the Bio-Physical Interaction in the Turbidity Maximum (BITMAX-II) program (NODC Accession 0062884)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Data set contains Cruise Reports and CTD data from 8 main cruises in the upper Chesapeake Bay on board the R/V Hugh R. Sharp from February 2007 to October 2008 ....

Competition in electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, W.

1996-01-01

This article examines expanded wholesale and retail competition and the effect that they are likely to have on the electric power industry. The author believes that expanded wholesale competition is good and will bring immediate benefit to all electric consumers; however, based on the experience of the natural gas industry and the electric power industry in California and other parts of the world, the author counsels caution in moving toward expanded retail competition

On the multidimensionality of political competition: Measuring political competition in a Bartolinian Way

OpenAIRE

Bühlmann, M; Zumbach, D

2011-01-01

Political competition plays a crucial role in the democratic cycle, be it as a possible mainspring of political participation or as the essential element of democratic accountability and responsiveness. Thus, it is not surprising that many scholars focus on the impact and meaning of political competition. Unfortunately, such is very often misspecified as a unidimensional concept. At least since Stefano Bartolini's seminal paper Collusion, Competition and Democracy (1999, 2000), however, th...

Competitive Intelligence and Social Advantage.

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Elisabeth; Cronin, Blaise

1994-01-01

Presents an overview of issues concerning civilian competitive intelligence (CI). Topics discussed include competitive advantage in academic and research environments; public domain information and libraries; covert and overt competitive intelligence; data diversity; use of the Internet; cooperative intelligence; and implications for library and…

Competition and quality in health care markets: a differential-game approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Brekke, Kurt R; Cellini, Roberto; Siciliani, Luigi; Straume, Odd Rune

2010-07-01

We investigate the effect of competition on quality in health care markets with regulated prices taking a differential game approach, in which quality is a stock variable. Using a Hotelling framework, we derive the open-loop solution (health care providers set the optimal investment plan at the initial period) and the feedback closed-loop solution (providers move investments in response to the dynamics of the states). Under the closed-loop solution competition is more intense in the sense that providers observe quality in each period and base their investment on this information. If the marginal provision cost is constant, the open-loop and closed-loop solutions coincide, and the results are similar to the ones obtained by static models. If the marginal provision cost is increasing, investment and quality are lower in the closed-loop solution (when competition is more intense). In this case, static models tend to exaggerate the positive effect of competition on quality.

Succession Planning and Financial Performance: Does Competition Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Patidar, Nitish; Gupta, Shivani; Azbik, Ginger; Weech-Maldonado, Robert

2016-01-01

Succession planning has been defined as the process by which one or more successors are identified for key positions, development activities are planned for identified successors, or both. Limited research exists pertaining to the relationship between hospital succession planning and financial performance, particularly in the context of market competition. We used the resource-based view framework to analyze the differential effect of succession planning on hospitals' financial performance based on market competition. According to RBV, organizations can achieve higher performance by using their superior resources and capabilities. We used a panel design consisting of a national sample of hospitals in the United States for 2006-2010. We analyzed data using multivariate linear regression with facility random effects and year and state fixed effects. The sample included 22,717 hospital-year observations; more than one half of the hospitals (55.4%) had a succession planning program. The study found a positive relationship between the presence of succession planning and financial performance (β = 1.41, p planning programs on the basis of competition in their market.

Integrated model of destination competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armenski Tanja

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to determine the weakest point of Serbian destination competitiveness as a tourist destination in comparation with its main competitors. The paper is organized as follows. The short introduction of the previous research on the destination competitiveness is followed by description of the Integrated model of destination competitiveness (Dwyer et al, 2003 that was used as the main reference framework. Section three is devoted to the description of the previous studies on competitiveness of Serbian tourism, while section four outlines the statistical methodology employed in this study and presents and interprets the empirical results. The results showed that Serbia is more competitive in its natural, cultural and created resources than in destination management while, according to the Integrated model, Serbia is less competitive in demand conditions that refer to the image and awareness of the destination itself.

Is Nocturnal Foraging in a Tropical Bee an Escape From Interference Competition?

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Adam R; Kitchen, Shannon M; Toney, Ryan M; Ziegler, Christian

2017-01-01

Temporal niche partitioning may result from interference competition if animals shift their activity patterns to avoid aggressive competitors. If doing so also shifts food sources, it is difficult to distinguish the effects of interference and consumptive competition in selecting for temporal niche shift. Bees compete for pollen and nectar from flowers through both interference and consumptive competition, and some species of bees have evolved nocturnality. Here, we use tropical forest canopy towers to observe bees (the night-flying sweat bees Megalopta genalis and M. centralis [Halictidae], honey bees, and stingless bees [Apidae]) visiting flowers of the balsa tree (Ochroma pyramalidae, Malvaceae). Because Ochroma flowers are open in the late afternoon through the night we can test the relative influence of each competition type on temporal nice. Niche shift due to consumptive competition predicts that Megalopta forage when resources are available: from afternoon into the night. Niche shift due to interference competition predicts that Megalopta forage only in the absence of diurnal bees. We found no overlap between diurnal bees and Megalopta in the evening, and only one instance of overlap in the morning, despite the abundance of pollen and nectar in the late afternoon and evening. This supports the hypothesis that Megalopta are avoiding interference competition, but not the hypothesis that they are limited by consumptive competition. We propose that the release from interference competition enables Megalopta to provision cells quickly, and spend most of their time investing in nest defense. Thus, increases in foraging efficiency directly resulting from temporal shifts to escape interference competition may indirectly lead to reduced predation and parasitism. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

A model for competitiveness level analysis in sports competitions: Application to basketball

Science.gov (United States)

de Saá Guerra, Y.; Martín González, J. M.; Sarmiento Montesdeoca, S.; Rodríguez Ruiz, D.; García-Rodríguez, A.; García-Manso, J. M.

2012-05-01

The degree of overall competitiveness of a sport league is a complex phenomenon. It is difficult to assess and quantify all elements that yield the final standing. In this paper, we analyze the general behavior of the result matrices of each season and we use the corresponding results as a probably density. Thus, the results of previous seasons are a way to investigate the probability that each team has to reach a certain number of victories. We developed a model based on Shannon entropy using two extreme competitive structures (a hierarchical structure and a random structure), and applied this model to investigate the competitiveness of two of the best professional basketball leagues: the NBA (USA) and the ACB (Spain). Both leagues’ entropy levels are high (NBA mean 0.983; ACB mean 0.980), indicating high competitiveness, although the entropy of the ACB (from 0.986 to 0.972) demonstrated more seasonal variability than that of the NBA (from 0.985 to 0.990), a possible result of greater sporting gradients in the ACB. The use of this methodology has proven useful for investigating the competitiveness of sports leagues as well as their underlying variability across time.

Competition Experiments for Legume Infection Identify Burkholderia phymatum as a Highly Competitive β-Rhizobium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Lardi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Members of the genus Burkholderia (β-proteobacteria have only recently been shown to be able to establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with several legumes, which is why they are also referred to as β-rhizobia. Therefore, very little is known about the competitiveness of these species to nodulate different legume host plants. In this study, we tested the competitiveness of several Burkholderia type strains (B. diazotrophica, B. mimosarum, B. phymatum, B. sabiae, B. symbiotica and B. tuberum to nodulate four legumes (Phaseolus vulgaris, Macroptilium atropurpureum, Vigna unguiculata and Mimosa pudica under our closely defined growth conditions. The assessment of nodule occupancy of these species on different legume host plants revealed that B. phymatum was the most competitive strain in the three papilionoid legumes (bean, cowpea and siratro, while B. mimosarum outcompeted the other strains in mimosa. The analysis of phenotypes known to play a role in nodulation competitiveness (motility, exopolysaccharide production and additional in vitro competition assays among β-rhizobial strains suggested that B. phymatum has the potential to be a very competitive legume symbiont.

Sterility and meeting competitiveness of medfly, Ceratitis Capitata (Wiedemann)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taein-Tun; Molly-Maung-Maung

2001-01-01

The basic methodology in the determination of sterilising dosage in male med flies and mating competitiveness with the normal males was carried out in the laboratory. Application of the Sterile Insect Technique (S.I.T.) by three irradiation dosages on Seib-6096 pupae results in sterility when dosage increased. A lower mating competitiveness was observed with the increase in sterility value. This value was determined from the corrected egg hatch percent. The resulting data showed that irradiation dosage of γ 10.0 Krad gave a good advantage to suppress the population in the next generation. The method suggested a good application in the control and eradication of fruit flies. (author)

Bacterial proteins pinpoint a single eukaryotic root

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Derelle, R.; Torruella, G.; Klimeš, V.; Brinkmann, H.; Kim, E.; Vlček, Čestmír; Lang, B.F.; Eliáš, M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 112, č. 7 (2015), E693-E699 ISSN 0027-8424 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-24983S Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) ED2.1.00/03.0100; Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Early Career Scientist Program(US) 55007424; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, European Molecular Biology Organization Young Investigator Program(ES) BFU2012-31329; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, "Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa" - European Regional Development Fund(ES) Sev-2012-0208, BES-2013-064004 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : eukaryote phylogeny * phylogenomics * Opimoda * Diphoda * LECA Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 9.423, year: 2015

The Kreek-McHugh-Schluger-Kellogg scale: a new, rapid method for quantifying substance abuse and its possible applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellogg, Scott H; McHugh, Pauline F; Bell, Kathy; Schluger, James H; Schluger, Rosemary P; LaForge, K Steven; Ho, Ann; Kreek, Mary Jeanne

2003-03-01

The new Kreek-McHugh-Schluger-Kellogg scale ('KMSK scale') is designed to quantify self-exposure to opiates, cocaine, alcohol, and/or tobacco. Each section of the KMSK scale assesses the frequency, amount, and duration of use of a particular substance during the individual's period of greatest consumption. The scale also assesses the mode of use, whether the substance use is current or past, and whether each substance is the substance of choice. The administration time is under 5 min. In an initial validation study of this scale, 100 human subjects were administered the KMSK scale concurrently with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I DSM-IV version). The sensitivity and specificity were very good for opiates, cocaine, and alcohol use. In addition, the correlations between KMSK scores and the number of SCID-I criteria items met were excellent for opiates and cocaine and good for alcohol use. Nicotine dependence was not assessed in this study as there is no SCID-I nicotine criteria. These preliminary results show that the KMSK scale may have both construct validity similar to that of other established self-report measures and the potential to be an effective screening instrument for the assessment of a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol, opiate, or cocaine dependence. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

Business Ideas Competition

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Business Ideas Competition "The Rainbow Seed Fund is a UK fund, which provides finance to support the commercialization of good ideas founded on scientific research; it is for the benefit of the UK industry in particular. To encourage ideas from CERN the Rainbow Seed Fund is running a business ideas competition.The winner of this competition will receive an immediate cash prize of GBP £1,000. In addition the Rainbow Seed Fund may well provide finance for market research, for protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and for prototyping to take the idea forward. Further awards of GBP £750 will be made for ideas which gain investment from the Fund.Candidates will only be required to prepare a 2-4-page summary of their business idea, and not a full business plan. Full details and an entry form are available at www.rainbowseedfund.com ." ALL Members of the Personnel seeking participation in the business ideas competition are asked to submit their ideas via the CERN TT Unit (Jean-Marie.Le Goff@cern.ch) th...

Innovation and strategic competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jović Mile B.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Paper discussed relationships of innovation to achieving strategic competitiveness in today globalized economic environment. Special attention is devoted to the nature of competitive advantages on global industries as well national level. Competitive advantage is a firm's ability to transform inputs into goods and services at a profit on a sustained basis, better than competitors. Comparative advantage resides in the factor endowments and created endowments of particular regions. Beside the traditional endowment approach (land, natural resources, labor and the size of the local population it is emphasized the importance of created one such as skilled labor, the technology and knowledge base, government support and culture. Creating corporate or country competitiveness roadmap there are no substantial difference - innovative as well strategic approach is essential.

Strategic Adjustment Capacity, Sustained Competitive Advantage, and Firm Performance: An Evolutionary Perspective on Bird Flocking and Firm Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shou Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Imitating the positioning rules in the bird flocking system, the strategic adjustment capacity is decomposed into three aspects, which are the organizational learning capacity from the top firms, the extent to which firms maintain or rely on the best operational capacity vector in history, and the ability to overcome the disadvantage while maintaining the advantage of the operational capacity vector from the previous years, respectively. Financial vectors are constructed to represent the results of corporate strategic adjustment and listed firms in the China A stock are chosen as the samples. As empirical analysis reveals, there is a positive correlation between the organizational learning capacity from the top firms and the firm performance and a U-shaped relation between the learning capability from the previous best operational capacity vector and the firm performance. However, no significant correlation between the inertia control ability of the current operational capacity vector of the firms and their performance improvement can be observed. This study verifies that the issue of corporate competitiveness and performance can be investigated by utilizing the principles of competition in nature. Moreover, a firm can obtain a sustainable competitive advantage by improving its ability to learn from top firms in the industry.

Designing powerplants for today's competitive environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makansi, J.

1994-01-01

Deregulation continues to unfold. Certainty about what the impact will be is as scarce as new US powerplant development opportunities. But one thing industry observers seem clear on is that the priorities for powerplant design will shift as competitive forces are rolled out. Powerplants will have to be developed, designed, and operated as a bottom-line business, not as part of a regulated industry. Thus, the design must enable the facility to accomplish this goal. In the emerging fully competitive environment, that bottom line applies to both the kilowatt and the kilowatt-hour. The entrepreneurial and business skills and talents of the independent power producer (IPP) have mostly been brought to bear on capital costs and project development thus far, with electricity sold under long-term power-purchase agreements. If retail wheeling takes hold, future plants must also be designed to merchandise power to a variety of customers scattered around the grid. This article provides insight into how powerplant design will accommodate new priorities

Competitive Cyber-Insurance and Internet Security

Science.gov (United States)

Shetty, Nikhil; Schwartz, Galina; Felegyhazi, Mark; Walrand, Jean

This paper investigates how competitive cyber-insurers affect network security and welfare of the networked society. In our model, a user's probability to incur damage (from being attacked) depends on both his security and the network security, with the latter taken by individual users as given. First, we consider cyberinsurers who cannot observe (and thus, affect) individual user security. This asymmetric information causes moral hazard. Then, for most parameters, no equilibrium exists: the insurance market is missing. Even if an equilibrium exists, the insurance contract covers only a minor fraction of the damage; network security worsens relative to the no-insurance equilibrium. Second, we consider insurers with perfect information about their users' security. Here, user security is perfectly enforceable (zero cost); each insurance contract stipulates the required user security. The unique equilibrium contract covers the entire user damage. Still, for most parameters, network security worsens relative to the no-insurance equilibrium. Although cyber-insurance improves user welfare, in general, competitive cyber-insurers fail to improve network security.

Competitive Dominance by a Bacteriocin-Producing Vibrio harveyi Strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyt, P R; Sizemore, R K

1982-09-01

Vibrio (Beneckea) harveyi, a bioluminescent marine bacterium, has been shown to produce a bacteriocin-like substance the production of which is mediated by a plasmid. This substance is assumed to be proteinaceous because of its sensitivity to certain proteolytic enzymes. It is stable at low temperatures and can be concentrated by ammonium sulfate precipitation or negative-pressure dialysis. The molecular weight of the bacteriocin was determined to be 2.4 x 10 by molecular exclusion chromatography. Competition experiments indicated that bacteriocin-producing strains predominated over cured variants of the same strain in broth culture experiments. We studied several environmental parameters (pH, salinity, temperature, nutrient concentration) to determine their effects on the competitive advantage bestowed on a bacteriocin-producing strain. Under simulated free-living conditions, no competitive advantage attributable to bacteriocin production was observed. In a simulated enteric habitat, a bacteriocin-producing strain showed dramatic (>90%) inhibition of the sensitive strain within 24 h.

BUSINESS COMPETITORS AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUCIU TITUS

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the concept of competition, both from the perspective of the economic sector –where it is characteristic for pure monopole, oligopoly, monopole competition and pure competition, as well asfrom the market’s point of view – where it determines the strategies, objectives, advantages and weaknesses of acompany. The main point of the paper is the criticism of the pure and perfect competition theory. Concluding,the author insists on innovation, especially on the model of open innovation.

Improving competitive ability of chickpea with sowthistle

OpenAIRE

Cici, S.-Z.-H.; Kristiansen, P.; Sindel, B.M.

2005-01-01

An experiment was conducted to examine the extent of root and canopy interference of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus L.). Sowthistle was surrounded with either two or eight chickpea plants. There were different types of competition: no competition, shoot competition, root competition and full competition (root and shoot). The performance of sowthistle grown in full competition with two chickpea plants was the same as that grown with root competition only. Al...

The competitive challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burr, M.T.

1992-01-01

This article examines the strategies necessary to succeed in the increasingly competitive independent power industry. The topics of the article include the factors encouraging mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, the availability of financing, changes in the market, regulatory climate changes, competition and power planning, Not In My Back Yard and project siting, and the road ahead

Neural evidence for competition-mediated suppression in the perception of a single object.

Science.gov (United States)

Cacciamani, Laura; Scalf, Paige E; Peterson, Mary A

2015-11-01

Multiple objects compete for representation in visual cortex. Competition may also underlie the perception of a single object. Computational models implement object perception as competition between units on opposite sides of a border. The border is assigned to the winning side, which is perceived as an object (or "figure"), whereas the other side is perceived as a shapeless ground. Behavioral experiments suggest that the ground is inhibited to a degree that depends on the extent to which it competed for object status, and that this inhibition is relayed to low-level brain areas. Here, we used fMRI to assess activation for ground regions of task-irrelevant novel silhouettes presented in the left or right visual field (LVF or RVF) while participants performed a difficult task at fixation. Silhouettes were designed so that the insides would win the competition for object status. The outsides (grounds) suggested portions of familiar objects in half of the silhouettes and novel objects in the other half. Because matches to object memories affect the competition, these two types of silhouettes operationalized, respectively, high competition and low competition from the grounds. The results showed that activation corresponding to ground regions was reduced for high- versus low-competition silhouettes in V4, where receptive fields (RFs) are large enough to encompass the familiar objects in the grounds, and in V1/V2, where RFs are much smaller. These results support a theory of object perception involving competition-mediated ground suppression and feedback from higher to lower levels. This pattern of results was observed in the left hemisphere (RVF), but not in the right hemisphere (LVF). One explanation of the lateralized findings is that task-irrelevant silhouettes in the RVF captured attention, allowing us to observe these effects, whereas those in the LVF did not. Experiment 2 provided preliminary behavioral evidence consistent with this possibility. Copyright �

The Competitiveness of Alternative Hydrogen Pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Anders Chr.

to transport services and in market competitiveness and societal competitiveness. The major societal competitive advantage of hydrogen is its convertibility to electricity and from any other source of energy. This enables a flexible use of natural gas and primary electricity as transport fuels. The major...... advantage in market competitiveness is the energy efficiency of the fuel cell. This advantage is, however, to some extent balanced by the costs associated with conversion, transport, and storage. The balance between these factors required for market competitiveness is identified.......The paper surveys the literature on the competitiveness of alternative hydrogen pathways in the transport sector. The competitiveness of the alternative systems can be differentiated in the “well-to-tank (WtT)” and “tank-to-wheel (TtW)” sections of the pathway transforming primary energy...

40 CFR 35.382 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.382 Section 35...)(3)) § 35.382 Competitive process. State Wetlands Development Grants are awarded on a competitive... established by EPA. After the competitive process is complete, the recipient can, at its discretion, accept...

40 CFR 35.603 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.603 Section 35... (section 104(b)(3)) § 35.603 Competitive process. EPA will award water quality cooperative agreement funds through a competitive process in accordance with national program guidance. After the competitive process...

Temperament and self-based correlates of cooperative, competitive and individualistic learning preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Gocłowska, Małgorzata A; Aldhobaiban, Nawal; Elliot, Andrew J; Murayama, Kou; Kobeisy, Ahmed; Abdelaziz, Ashraf

2017-06-01

People vary in the extent to which they prefer cooperative, competitive or individualistic achievement tasks. In this research, we conducted two studies designed to investigate correlates and possible roots of these social interdependence orientations, namely approach and avoidance temperament, general self-efficacy, implicit theories of intelligence, and contingencies of self-worth based in others' approval, competition and academic competence. The results indicated that approach temperament, general self-efficacy and incremental theory were positively related, and entity theory was negatively related to cooperative preferences (|r| range from .11 to .41); approach temperament, general self-efficacy, competition contingencies and academic competence contingencies were positively related to competitive preferences (|r| range from .16 to .46); and avoidance temperament, entity theory, competitive contingencies and academic competence contingencies were positively related, and incremental theory was negatively related to individualistic preferences (|r| range from .09 to .15). The findings are discussed with regard to the meaning of each of the three social interdependence orientations, cultural differences among the observed relations and implications for practitioners. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Does real-time objective feedback and competition improve performance and quality in manikin CPR training--a prospective observational study from several European EMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, J R; Kranz, K; Carmona, F; Lindner, T W; Newton, A

2015-10-15

Previous studies have reported that the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is important for patient survival. Real time objective feedback during manikin training has been shown to improve CPR performance. Objective measurement could facilitate competition and help motivate participants to improve their CPR performance. The aims of this study were to investigate whether real time objective feedback on manikins helps improve CPR performance and whether competition between separate European Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and between participants at each EMS helps motivation to train. Ten European EMS took part in the study and was carried out in two stages. At Stage 1, each EMS provided 20 pre-hospital professionals. A questionnaire was completed and standardised assessment scenarios were performed for adult and infant out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). CPR performance was objectively measured and recorded but no feedback given. Between Stage 1 and 2, each EMS was given access to manikins for 6 months and instructed on how to use with objective real-time CPR feedback available. Stage 2 was undertaken and was a repeat of Stage 1 with a questionnaire with additional questions relating to usefulness of feedback and the competition nature of the study (using a 10 point Likert score). The EMS that improved the most from Stage 1 to Stage 2 was declared the winner. An independent samples Student t-test was used to analyse the objective CPR metrics with the significance level taken as p Competition between EMS organisations recorded a mean score of 5.8 and competition between participants recorded a mean score of 6.0. The results suggest that the use of real time objective feedback can significantly help improve CPR performance. Competition, especially between participants, appeared to encourage staff to practice and this study suggests that competition might have a useful role to help motivate staff to perform CPR training.

COMPETITION IN ROMANIAN BANKING SECTOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Capraru Bogdan

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Recent turmoil in the global financial system has impacted severely on the banking sector with many banks suffering large losses and necessitating the need to raise additional capital privately or through their respective national governments. In our study we investigate the impact of structural reforms performed throughout the European Union (EU accession process on competition and contestability of banking systems in Romania. The literature of the measurement of competition can be divided into two major approaches: structural and non-structural. The structural approach to the assessment of competition embraces the Structure-Conduct-Performance Hypothesis (SCP and the Efficient Structure Hypothesis (ESH. The structural approach, as the name suggests, assesses bank competition by examining measures of market structure such as concentration ratios (the share of assets held by the top 3 or 5 institutions or indices (e.g., the Herfindhal-Hirschman index and supposes that higher concentration in the banking market causes less competitive bank conduct and leads to higher bank profitability. The SCP model is originally developed by Bain (1956. The second approach, ESH, developed by Demsetz (1973 and Peltzmann (1977 suggests that the superior performance of the market leaders determines the market structure, implying that higher efficiency produces both higher concentration and greater profitability. The non-structural indicators of competition are mainly based on the measures of monopoly power developed by Lerner (1934. The Lerner Index suggests the mark-up of price over marginal cost. An alternative non-structural indicator of the degree of market competition is the Panzar and Rosse (1987 H-statistic. The H-statistic measures the extent to which changes in banking costs are reflected in changes in banking revenues. In order to examine the level of competition and market power of banks in Romania for period 2003 - 2009, we estimate the non

Salivary Biomarkers and Training Load during Training and Competition in Paralympic Swimmers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinnott-O'Connor, Ciara; Comyns, Tom; Nevill, Alan M; Warrington, Giles

2017-11-28

Stress responses in athletes can be attributed to training and also competition, where increased physiological and psychological stress may negatively impact on performance and recovery. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between training load and salivary biomarkers IgA, alpha-amylase (AA) and cortisol across a 16-week preparation phase and 10-day competition phase in Paralympic swimmers. Four Paralympic swimmers provided bi-weekly saliva samples during three training phases - 1) normal training, 2) intensified training and 3) taper as well as daily saliva samples in the 10 day Paralympic competition (2016 Paralympic Games). Training load (TL) was measured using session-RPE. Multi-level analysis identified a significant increase in sIgA (94.98 (27.69) μg.ml -1 ), sAA (45.78 (19.07) μg.ml -1 ) and salivary cortisol (7.92 (2.17) ng.ml) during intensified training concurrent with a 38.3% increase in TL. During taper phase, a 49.5% decrease in TL from the intensified training phase resulted in decrease in sIgA, sAA and salivary cortisol; however, all three remained higher than baseline levels. A further significant increase was observed during competition in sIgA (168.69(24.19) μg.ml -1 ), sAA (35.86(16.67) μg.ml -1 ) and salivary cortisol (10.49(1.89) ng.ml) despite a continued decrease (77.8%) in TL from taper phase. Results demonstrate performance in major competition such as Paralympic Games despite a noticeable reduction in TL induces a stress response in athletes. Due to elevated stress response observed, modifications to individual post-race recovery protocols may be required to enable athletes to maximise performance across all ten days of competition.

Competitiveness on the International Tourism Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca Gabriela Turtureanu

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This paper comes to present and analyse the features of tourism in the main countries in Central and Western Europe, as well as the different strategies these countries adopt in order to maintain the competitiveness of the field.In the beginning, we have defined competitiveness, as the prerequisite of market success, we have analysed its components and the main factors that determine it, as well as the competitiveness – competitive advantage relation.During the last years, competitiveness has turned into one of the common concepts used in order to approach and describe the sustainable development of the tourism and travel industry. Expert literature has defined concepts such as tourism and travel competitiveness or touristic destinations competitiveness, suggesting not only the significance of the concept but also the emphasis that touristic organizations should lay on this aspect.The competitiveness of touristic destinations and, generally speaking, the global competitiveness of the tourism industry became vital for the survival and growth of the touristic organizations on the international market, provided by the growth of spare time and the growth of the level of income that is available for spending the time.

Attention competition with advertisement

Science.gov (United States)

Cetin, Uzay; Bingol, Haluk O.

2014-09-01

In the new digital age, information is available in large quantities. Since information consumes primarily the attention of its recipients, the scarcity of attention is becoming the main limiting factor. In this study, we investigate the impact of advertisement pressure on a cultural market where consumers have a limited attention capacity. A model of competition for attention is developed and investigated analytically and by simulation. Advertisement is found to be much more effective when the attention capacity of agents is extremely scarce. We have observed that the market share of the advertised item improves if dummy items are introduced to the market while the strength of the advertisement is kept constant.

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF COMPETITIVENESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klimova A. V.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available One of the most important conditions of the existence of every organization, every enterprise is to insure the long-term sustainable development, one of the conditions of which is the increase of an organizational competitiveness. In modern economic conditions, social aspects of competitiveness are now in the foreground of interest, because just the strategy of social responsibility (SSR of modern enterprises can assure some commercial benefits, in responding, at the same time, to the social demands and in creating its well-being. Such an approach is in the basis of the notion of competitiveness. Along with «rigid parameters», such as price characteristics, the capability to deal with competitors, effective financial and production policies, «flexible factors» of competitiveness are of a big importance: a personnel potential, individual and collective competencies, organizational and managerial capabilities. As a result, we have formulated a research hypothesis: the organizational competitiveness is defined by individual and collective competencies of an organization, is based on socially responsible actions, confirms the demand for the object and insures its sustainable long-term development. Any organization should base all its actions aimed to increase its competitiveness on its intellectual potential, or on the management of individual and collective competencies that assure the sustainable development and the goal achievement. For every organizational strategic action, an effective combination of these competencies exists. So, we suggest a new definition of competitiveness: it is a social and economic category of understanding of the social responsibility, having as a central element individual and collective competencies, based on socially responsible actions of an enterprise, insuring its long-term sustainable development.

Designing competitions for education in robotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Nils Axel; Ravn, Ole

2012-01-01

The paper describes design considerations for making a robot competition. Topics as level of participants, learning objective, evaluation form, task design and competition rules are treated. It is shown that careful design considering these topics are necessary for a succesful outcome of a compet......The paper describes design considerations for making a robot competition. Topics as level of participants, learning objective, evaluation form, task design and competition rules are treated. It is shown that careful design considering these topics are necessary for a succesful outcome...... of a competition. The conclusions are based on examples from more than 15 years of experience with robotic competitions....

Testosterone and androgen receptor gene polymorphism are associated with confidence and competitiveness in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenegger, Christoph; Kumsta, Robert; Naef, Michael; Gromoll, Jörg; Heinrichs, Markus

2017-06-01

A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. Studies in non-human animals and humans have demonstrated the important role of testosterone in competitive interactions. Here, we investigated whether endogenous testosterone levels predict the decision to compete, in a design excluding spite as a motive underlying competitiveness. In a laboratory experiment with real monetary incentives, 181 men solved arithmetic problems, first under a noncompetitive piece rate, followed by a competition incentive scheme. We also assessed several parameters relevant to competition, such as risk taking, performance, and confidence in one's own performance. Salivary testosterone levels were measured before and 20min after the competition task using mass spectrometry. Participants were also genotyped for the CAG repeat polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene, known to influence the efficacy of testosterone signaling in a reciprocal relationship to the number of CAG repeats. We observed a significant positive association between basal testosterone levels and the decision to compete, and that higher testosterone levels were related to greater confidence in one's own performance. Whereas the number of CAG repeats was not associated with the choice to compete, a lower number of CAG repeats was related to greater confidence in those who chose to compete, but this effect was attributable to the polymorphism's effect on actual performance. An increase in testosterone levels was observed following the experiment, and this increase varied with self-reported high-school math grades. We expand upon the latest research by documenting effects of the androgen system in confidence in one's own ability, and conclude that testosterone promotes competitiveness without spite. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Different Kind of Physics Competition-the 12th International Young Physicists Tournament

Science.gov (United States)

Haskell, Hugh

1999-11-01

This May, five seniors from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and their adult leaders, Hugh Haskell and Chuck Britton, were the first US team to compete in the International Young Physicists Tournament (IYPT), which took place in Vienna, Austria. They challenged and were challenged by eighteen similar teams from sixteen other countries. The IYPT differs from the Physics Olympiad, which is an examination, whereas the Tournament is a debate on the solution of seventeen open-ended problems published in October, on the IYPT website . The five students, Adriane Boyd, Dahl Clark, Mark Blevins, Zach Keane, and Adam Simpkins spent from mid-January until our departure on May 20, preparing their responses to the questions. In Vienna, the team was joined by Ron Edge, of the University of South Carolina, who served as jurist for the tournament. Each team pays for transportation, but once there, the host country bears all other costs. For each event, called a "physics fight," three teams are assigned their roles-reporter, opponent and reviewer. First, the opposing team selects a question. The reporters have twelve minutes to present a report. The opposing team then has five minutes to critique the report. After a rebuttal by the reporter, the reviewers discuss effectiveness of both presentations . Finally, the jurors ask questions and score each team. This year's overall winner was Germany. Taking second was the team from the Republic of Georgia. The US team did not make the semifinal round, but did well enough for a first-time competitor. Will there be another United States Team? This is an open question. Efforts are being made to find a school that can send a team to next year's competition which is scheduled for Budapest, Hungary.

MACROECONOMIC ASPECTS OF COMPETITIVENESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Hooke

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In the process of globalization of world economic processes, the role of individual national economies increases, comparative advantages of the development of a country are formed, and their competitiveness is ensured. That is why it is worth emphasizing the importance of increasing the competitiveness of each individual country, based on its internal capacity. In a broad aspect, the competitiveness of the national economy is perceived as the ability of the country to ensure the balance of its external proportions and to avoid those constraints imposed by the foreign economic sphere, to self-organizing the improvement of their world economic ties. The competitiveness of the economy at the macro level is associated with the duration of the cycle of reproduction of the main productive assets and, accordingly, the jobs, productive forces of society and determined by the overall economic efficiency of investment. The criteria of competitiveness of the national economy are the growth of social productivity of labor, increase of social and economic efficiency of production and standard of living of the population. The competitiveness of the national economy determines sustainable socio-economic development of the country, as well as sustainable development predetermines the competitiveness of not only the country, but also all its levels. Scientific results are obtained using special methods of research of economic objects and phenomena, that is, based on the correlation and regressive, comparative analysis (establishing the relationship between the indicator factor, as well as economic modeling. Findings. Generalizing analysis and the importance of the macroeconomic aspect of competitiveness were used in the research paper, which will allow to better respond to the economic situation, in accordance with the trends of the “green” transformation of the economy; which in turn will solve important problems of the development and implementation of its

Competition Policy and Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møllgaard, Peter; Lorentzen, Jo

2005-01-01

We briefly review the rationale behind technological alliances and provide a snapshot oftheir role in global competition, especially insofar as it is based around intellectual capital.They nicely illustrate the increased importance of horizontal agreements and thusestablish the relevance of the t......We briefly review the rationale behind technological alliances and provide a snapshot oftheir role in global competition, especially insofar as it is based around intellectual capital.They nicely illustrate the increased importance of horizontal agreements and thusestablish the relevance...... of the topic. We move on to discuss the organisation of industriesin a dynamic context and draw out consequences for competition policy. We concludewith an outlook on the underlying tensions between technology alliances, competitionpolicy, and industrial policy.JEL codes: L4, L5, O31Keywords: Competition...

COMPETITIVENESS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelu Eugen POPESCU

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The current economic environment puts pressure on all national economies which struggle to improve their competitiveness and innovativeness in a sustainable way. This article aims to present the current state of the competitiveness by reviewing the main literature and worldwide researches, in order to provide a brief overview of the determinants that drive productivity and economic success at global and national level, taking into consideration the entrepreneurial activity for a country’s competitiveness and economic growth. The paper identifies the ways in which efficiency driven countries can improve their policies and get a better return on their investments, underlining a set of competitiveness enhancing policies (measures that can be implemented by public and private institutions in order to strengthen the economic fundamentals of the economies.

Product market competition and corporate governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Chou

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates whether product market competition acts as an external mechanism for disciplining management and also whether there is any relationship between the degree of competition a firm faces and its corporate governance. We find that firms in competitive industries or with low market power tend to have weak corporate governance structures. Results are robust to various competition measures at firm and industry levels, even after controlling for firm-specific variables. We further find that corporate governance quality has a significant effect on performance only when product market competition is weak. The overall evidence suggests that product market competition has a substantial impact on corporate governance and that it substitutes for corporate governance quality. Finally, we provide evidence that the disciplinary force of competition on management is from the fear of liquidation.

The Necessity of ASEAN Competition Law: Rethinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udin Silalahi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available As outlined in the AEC Blueprint, all ASEAN member states (AMSs will endeavour to introduce competition policy by 2015. At present 7 (seven AMSs, namely: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar have the national competition laws to supervise anti-competitive conduct in the domestic market. But the question is what if happened unfair competition between ASEAN member states, due to the agreement or businesses activities by business actors that harm competition? ASEAN has an ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Competition Policy (ARGCP that developed by ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC as framework for member states to develop its own competition law or policy and as a guideline in measuring that directly affect the behaviour of enterprises and the structure of industry and markets. Regional Guideline is just to help AMSs in increasing of awareness of important policy, not to sustain the competition among ASEAN member countries. Until now there is no ASEAN Competition Law and Institution to oversee competition among ASEAN member countries. In this era, ASEAN economic integration it is a certainty that anti-competitive among AMSs will happen.

Competitive advantage and corporate communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitić Sanja

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Strategic importance of corporate communications and its role in the development of competitive advantage has attracted interest of numerous researchers in the fields of organization, management, marketing and public relations. Recent studies particularly emphasise the growing importance of soft factors, such as reputation in the development of competitive advantage. Concept of reputation is strongly connected with stakeholder theory, which stresses the importance of corporate communications for competitive advantage of firms. The paper focuses on competitive advantage and the link among strategy, reputation and corporate communications.

Competition in a Business Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard, Chris; Medlin, Christopher J

Competition and cooperation stabilize and structure business networks. In business research there is little focus on network based competition between firms and on how firms compete to gain network position. We review a range of conceptualizations of competition and cooperation and work towards...... research and also managerial thinking about network strategy and implementation....

Inter-species competition-facilitation in stochastic riparian vegetation dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tealdi, Stefano; Camporeale, Carlo; Ridolfi, Luca

2013-02-07

Riparian vegetation is a highly dynamic community that lives on river banks and which depends to a great extent on the fluvial hydrology. The stochasticity of the discharge and erosion/deposition processes in fact play a key role in determining the distribution of vegetation along a riparian transect. These abiotic processes interact with biotic competition/facilitation mechanisms, such as plant competition for light, water, and nutrients. In this work, we focus on the dynamics of plants characterized by three components: (1) stochastic forcing due to river discharges, (2) competition for resources, and (3) inter-species facilitation due to the interplay between vegetation and fluid dynamics processes. A minimalist stochastic bio-hydrological model is proposed for the dynamics of the biomass of two vegetation species: one species is assumed dominant and slow-growing, the other is subdominant, but fast-growing. The stochastic model is solved analytically and the probability density function of the plant biomasses is obtained as a function of both the hydrologic and biologic parameters. The impact of the competition/facilitation processes on the distribution of vegetation species along the riparian transect is investigated and remarkable effects are observed. Finally, a good qualitative agreement is found between the model results and field data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theoretical Basis Of The Company Competitiveness Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Nikiforovich Belkin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the basic theoretical questions of the company competitiveness assessment. The state of modern economic thought on this issue is shown. The main factors of the company competitiveness are specified. A specific role of staff of an enterprise is revealed: on the one hand, it is a resource, on the other is a subject, resulting in productive movement all factors of competitiveness, i.e. the staff is a critical factor in the company competitiveness. The criterion of company competitiveness is proposed, on its basis, the concept of “competitive enterprise” is defined. The most well-known approaches for assessing the company competitiveness are analyzed. The author’s method of the company competitiveness assessment based on the dynamics of the integral index of competitiveness is provided. For those cases, when it is impossible to determine the proportion of products on the market, it is proposed to evaluate the company competitiveness on the profitability of its production. The article shows the experience in calculating of the company competitiveness on the proposed author’s methods.

Discovering the Nature of Competitive Personality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga A. Klyueva

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of “competitiveness” has been most thoroughly developed in theframework of modern economics and management. Apart from economic factors,this concept also embraces social and psychological factors, but economic modelsdo not reveal the psychological essence of the concept of “competitive personality.”Analytical review of the psychological and educational case studies of the competitive-personality problem has brought to light the ambiguity in this concept alongwith a multitude of models that distinguish individual aspects of a competitivepersonality. Most creators of the various models emphasize the quality of the conditionsnecessary for forming and developing a competitive personality.In economics, competition is an essential, inherent feature of various types of activitywhere conflicts of interest occur. However, the established economic modelof competitive personality reduces and replaces the psychological content of theconcept.Theoretically and experimentally the authors of this article substantiate their disclosureof the competitive-personality concept via its creative potential. Results ofan in-depth study confirm that the ability to achieve success through one’s owninitiative, anticipating the demands of competition, appears to be the backbonefor competitiveness of personality.

An Analysis of Tank Gap in Military Balance between Republic of Korea and North Korea

Science.gov (United States)

1989-12-01

combat m-odel. Dwi~rbution A~ ailab:rv of -bsrat 1 AIbStt ct Security Classification * u ;a’fi:Cdl ur:Jnc flar-re as repocrt El DTJIC users I... Bronco Observ. Helicopter Total $116. 1m sa- le before FY-77 200 Hughes AGM-65A 1977-78 $10.2m, arming Maverick ASM (150 ea) 60 F-SEs 1152 Hughes TOW

Winning isn't everything: mood and testosterone regulate the cortisol response in competition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuele Zilioli

Full Text Available Dominance contests are recurrent and widespread causes of stress among mammals. Studies of activation of the stress axis in social defeat - as reflected in levels of adrenal glucocorticoid, cortisol - have generated scattered and sometimes contradictory results, suggesting that biopsychological individual differences might play an important mediating role, at least in humans. In the context of a larger study of the regulation of endocrine responses to competition, we evaluated the notion that mood states, such as self-assurance and hostility, may influence cortisol reactivity to dominance cues via an interplay with baseline testosterone, considered as a potential marker of individual differences in dominance. Seventy healthy male university students (mean age 20.02, range 18-26 provided saliva samples before and after competing for fifteen minutes on a rigged computer task. After a winner was determined, all participants were assessed on their mood states through a standardized psychometric instrument (PANAS-X. Among winners of a rigged videogame competition, we found a significant interaction between testosterone and self-assurance in relation to post-competition cortisol. Specifically, self-assurance was associated with lower post-competition cortisol in subjects with high baseline testosterone levels, but no such relationship was observed in subjects with lower baseline testosterone levels. In losers of the competition no interaction effect between basal testosterone and hostility was observed. However, in this subgroup a significant negative relationship between basal testosterone and post-competition cortisol was evident. Overall, these findings provide initial support for the novel hypothesis that biological motivational predispositions (i.e. basal testosterone and state (i.e. mood changes may interact in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation after a social contest.

A smart-pixel holographic competitive learning network

Science.gov (United States)

Slagle, Timothy Michael

-multiplexed PCM readout, and gains of up to 60 were observed when a time-sequential read-out technique was used. Finally, the optical competitive learning laboratory system is described, including some necessary modifications to the previous architectures, and the data acquisition and control system developed for the system. Experimental results showing phase conjugation of the WTA outputs, holographic interconnect storage, associative storage between input images and WTA neuron outputs, and WTA array switching are presented, demonstrating the functions necessary for the operation of the optical learning system.

Environmental regulation and competitiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulatu, A.; Florax, R.J.G.M.; Withagen, C.A.A.M.

2001-01-01

The potential relationship between domestic environmental regulation and international competitiveness has evoked various speculations. The common neoclassical train of thought is that strict environmental regulation is detrimental to the competitiveness of industry, and that it induces phenomena

Competitive platinum-group-metal (PGM) supply from the Eastern Limb, Bushveld Complex: Geological, mining and mineral economic aspects

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

McGill, JE

2011-08-01

Full Text Available -GROUP-METAL (PGM) SUPPLY FROM THE EASTERN LIMB, BUSHVELD COMPLEX: GEOLOGICAL, MINING, AND MINERAL ECONOMIC ASPECTS Dr. Jeannette E. McGill & Prof. Murray W. Hitzman ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ? COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) ? Centre for Mining... Innovation ? Office of Graduate Studies, Fogarty Endowment ? Mr. VISHNU PILLAY (EXECUTIVE HEAD: JV?S ? Anglo Platinum) ? ACADEMIC ADVISORS Prof. Murray Hitzman (Economic Geology); Dr. Hugh Miller (Mining Engineering); Prof. Rodderick Eggert (Mineral...

Host age modulates within-host parasite competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Izhar, Rony; Routtu, Jarkko; Ben-Ami, Frida

2015-05-01

In many host populations, one of the most striking differences among hosts is their age. While parasite prevalence differences in relation to host age are well known, little is known on how host age impacts ecological and evolutionary dynamics of diseases. Using two clones of the water flea Daphnia magna and two clones of its bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa, we examined how host age at exposure influences within-host parasite competition and virulence. We found that multiply-exposed hosts were more susceptible to infection and suffered higher mortality than singly-exposed hosts. Hosts oldest at exposure were least often infected and vice versa. Furthermore, we found that in young multiply-exposed hosts competition was weak, allowing coexistence and transmission of both parasite clones, whereas in older multiply-exposed hosts competitive exclusion was observed. Thus, age-dependent parasite exposure and host demography (age structure) could together play an important role in mediating parasite evolution. At the individual level, our results demonstrate a previously unnoticed interaction of the host's immune system with host age, suggesting that the specificity of immune function changes as hosts mature. Therefore, evolutionary models of parasite virulence might benefit from incorporating age-dependent epidemiological parameters. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Competition for a better future? Effects of competition on child care quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akgündüz, Y.E.; Plantenga, J.

2013-01-01

Little is known about how competition affects child care centers’ quality. This paper examines the impact of competition on the quality of Dutch child care centers. The results show that high density of child care centers in an area improves scores in quality assessment measures. The positive

Regional Competitiveness and Its Implications for Development

OpenAIRE

Daryono Soebagyo; Triyono Triyono; Yuli Tri Cahyono

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to identify regional competitiveness in some areas of Central Java. Regional competitiveness became one of the issues in regional development policy since the enactment of local autonomy.Measurement of regional competitiveness has been mostly done through ranking as a benchmark the competitiveness of the region. Mapping regional competitiveness in Indonesia has been made to all counties and cities, which shows the competitiveness ranking of each region. Competitivenes...

Does Competition Really Bring Out the Worst? Testosterone, Social Distance and Inter-Male Competition Shape Parochial Altruism in Human Males

Science.gov (United States)

Diekhof, Esther Kristina; Wittmer, Susanne; Reimers, Luise

2014-01-01

Parochial altruism, defined as increased ingroup favoritism and heightened outgroup hostility, is a widespread feature of human societies that affects altruistic cooperation and punishment behavior, particularly in intergroup conflicts. Humans tend to protect fellow group members and fight against outsiders, even at substantial costs for themselves. Testosterone modulates responses to competition and social threat, but its exact role in the context of parochial altruism remains controversial. Here, we investigated how testosterone influences altruistic punishment tendencies in the presence of an intergroup competition. Fifty male soccer fans played an ultimatum game (UG), in which they faced anonymous proposers that could either be a fan of the same soccer team (ingroup) or were fans of other teams (outgroups) that differed in the degree of social distance and enmity to the ingroup. The UG was played in two contexts with varying degrees of intergroup rivalry. Our data show that unfair offers were rejected more frequently than fair proposals and the frequency of altruistic punishment increased with increasing social distance to the outgroups. Adding an intergroup competition led to a further escalation of outgroup hostility and reduced punishment of unfair ingroup members. High testosterone levels were associated with a relatively increased ingroup favoritism and also a change towards enhanced outgroup hostility in the intergroup competition. High testosterone concentrations further predicted increased proposer generosity in interactions with the ingroup. Altogether, a significant relation between testosterone and parochial altruism could be demonstrated, but only in the presence of an intergroup competition. In human males, testosterone may promote group coherence in the face of external threat, even against the urge to selfishly maximize personal reward. In that way, our observation refutes the view that testosterone generally promotes antisocial behaviors and

Export competitiveness of pakistani horticultural products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, W.; Akmal, N.; Shah, H.; Tahir, A.; Niazi, M.A.

2013-01-01

This paper examines Pakistan's competitiveness in export of selected horticulture commodities by employing set of revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and revealed competitive advantage indices with respect to global trade. Results demonstrate that Pakistan has comparative and competitive advantage over the period under analysis and indicates a transition from comparative and competitive disadvantage to comparative and competitive advantage during the period under analysis. Tangerines, mandarins, clem have maintained relatively higher revealed comparative advantage as compared to other categories for the whole period under analysis. Onion export has revealed comparative advantage with some fluctuations over time. The research indicates that Pakistan's comparative and competitive advantages have been increasing in all the selected commodities during period under analysis which indicates the potential of horticulture exports for foreign exchange earnings. There is need to strengthen comparative and competitive advantage in horticulture sector by policy support and facilitating role by all stakeholders. (author)

Competition for nutrients and light: testing advances in resource competition with a natural phytoplankton community.

Science.gov (United States)

Burson, Amanda; Stomp, Maayke; Greenwell, Emma; Grosse, Julia; Huisman, Jef

2018-05-01

A key challenge in ecology is to understand how nutrients and light affect the biodiversity and community structure of phytoplankton and plant communities. According to resource competition models, ratios of limiting nutrients are major determinants of species composition. At high nutrient levels, however, species interactions may shift to competition for light, which might make nutrient ratios less relevant. The "nutrient-load hypothesis" merges these two perspectives, by extending the classic model of competition for two nutrients to include competition for light. Here, we test five key predictions of the nutrient-load hypothesis using multispecies competition experiments. A marine phytoplankton community sampled from the North Sea was inoculated in laboratory chemostats provided with different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads to induce either single resource limitation or co-limitation of N, P, and light. Four of the five predictions were validated by the experiments. In particular, different resource limitations favored the dominance of different species. Increasing nutrient loads caused changes in phytoplankton species composition, even if the N:P ratio of the nutrient loads remained constant, by shifting the species interactions from competition for nutrients to competition for light. In all treatments, small species became dominant whereas larger species were competitively excluded, supporting the common view that small cell size provides a competitive advantage under resource-limited conditions. Contrary to expectation, all treatments led to coexistence of diatoms, cyanobacteria and green algae, resulting in a higher diversity of species than predicted by theory. Because the coexisting species comprised three phyla with different photosynthetic pigments, we speculate that niche differentiation in the light spectrum might play a role. Our results show that mechanistic resource competition models that integrate nutrient-based and light-based approaches

MEASURING COMPETITIVENESS OF ECONOMIC ENTITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MUNGIU-PUPĂZAN MARIANA CLAUDIA

2013-12-01

Full Text Available A competitive structure of a national economy is influenced by the competitiveness of each of the actors made the national economy. In other words, to achieve competitive economic structure shall contribute all sectors of the national economy and hence all branches of the national economy, all organizations within each branch. Thus, the productive sectors of the economy contribute by increasing their competitiveness, GDP growth, added value, while other branches making a contribution through activity, increased quality of life (health, culture, social in training skilled labor (education to ensure effective functioning of the judiciary, protection of private property and citizen safety, lower crime rate (police, reducing the risk of political instability, increasing social cohesion, social disparities (richness and extreme poverty, and discrimination against women and minority groups. Human resources are probably the most important factor determining the competitiveness of an area. The ability of a country to move up the value chain is closely related to human resource capability. In understanding the competitive evaluation is important to assess not only in terms of education, improvement, skills and work experience, but also in terms of other attributes, more difficult to measure, as entrepreneurial relationships, creativity and risk tolerance. Secondly, we must accept that individual productivity is determined by external factors. Latent potential of the individual can develop when the person moves to another environment that provides better and more opportunities. Currently structural changes to remain competitive obtaining essential parameters of the Romanian economy to cope with competitive pressures of the single European market.

Concept analysis of competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bychkovskii Andrei Yurevich

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Approaches to determine the competitiveness of enterprises. The techniques of estimating the probability of bankruptcy as the lowest level of competitiveness of the organization. Asked to assess the competitiveness on the basis of the analysis of internal and external factors of the company. External factors are asked to provide a financial and economic, political, industrial, technological, social, environmental. Internal factors proposed to explore, using the model of "the golden rule of business economics" in conjunction with approaches for assessing the ability of the enterprise to create value.

Are High Labour Costs Destroying the Competitiveness of Danish Dairy Farmers?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asmild, Mette; Nielsen, Kurt; Bogetoft, Peter

the distributions of efficiency scores in different countries to assess their relative competitiveness. To analyze the effect of labour costs we apply two different DEA models; one including the labour input as hours worked and the other including labour costs. This way we capture the effect of labour costs......This paper analysis the competitiveness of Danish dairy farmers relative to dairy farmers in other Northern European countries. We use individual farm accounts data from the European Commission’s Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) and have an average of 1665 observations per year in the period...

Using the Competitive Dimensions to Achieve Competitive Advantage A Study on Jordanian Private Hospitals

OpenAIRE

Salah M. Diab

2014-01-01

This study aims to know, if the Jordanian private hospitals using the competitive dimensions to achieve competitive advantage, the Study populations consists of all managers at the Jordanian private hospital, were as the sample consisting of (200) managers. The simple statistical methods were used like repetitions, percentages, means, standard deviations, and multiple liner regression .The results showed that the Jordanian private hospitals used all the competition dimensions to achieve compe...

Economic intelligence and intellectual capital in agriculture competitiveness: Case study

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Nešković Slobodan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The process of globalization in the last few decades conditioned the many technological, economic and social changes which have transformed the world market of agricultural products and the impact on the competitive environment. In the modern world, creating material value in agricultural production more and more the result of the intangible factors and production is increasingly based on knowledge, skills and innovation of employees. In the industrial age the necessary resources to achieve competitive advantages were capital, natural resources and work, while in today's knowledge-based economy the importance is on the information, innovation, knowledge, intellectual capital and intellectual property - that have become the foundation of creating all other values. These values are, because of their great importance in achieving the modern competitive advantages, very often the target of economic intelligence and therefore require all available forms of protection. The sector of agricultural production can make a significant contribution to improving the overall national competitiveness if it is based on intellectual capital as evidenced by the country with highly developed agriculture. However, by observing global changes can be concluded that Serbia in this sector has unused potential for growth and development.

Competitive Self-Assembly Manifests Supramolecular Darwinism in Soft-Oxometalates

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Santu; Kumar, Saurabh; Mallick, Apabrita; Roy, Soumyajit

2015-09-01

Topological transformation manifested in inorganic materials shows manifold possibilities. In our present work, we show a clear topological transformation in a soft-oxometalate (SOM) system which was formed from its polyoxometalate (POM) precursor [PMo12@Mo72Fe30]. This topological transformation was observed due to time dependent competitive self-assembly of two different length scale soft-oxometalate moieties formed from this two-component host-guest reaction. We characterized different morphologies by scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive scattering spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, horizontal attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The predominant structure is selected by its size in a sort of supramolecular Darwinian competition in this process and is described here.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest during Participation in Competitive Sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Cameron H; Allan, Katherine S; Connelly, Kim A; Cunningham, Kris; Morrison, Laurie J; Dorian, Paul

2017-11-16

The incidence of sudden cardiac arrest during participation in sports activities remains unknown. Preparticipation screening programs aimed at preventing sudden cardiac arrest during sports activities are thought to be able to identify at-risk athletes; however, the efficacy of these programs remains controversial. We sought to identify all sudden cardiac arrests that occurred during participation in sports activities within a specific region of Canada and to determine their causes. In this retrospective study, we used the Rescu Epistry cardiac arrest database (which contains records of every cardiac arrest attended by paramedics in the network region) to identify all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occurred from 2009 through 2014 in persons 12 to 45 years of age during participation in a sport. Cases were adjudicated as sudden cardiac arrest (i.e., having a cardiac cause) or as an event resulting from a noncardiac cause, on the basis of records from multiple sources, including ambulance call reports, autopsy reports, in-hospital data, and records of direct interviews with patients or family members. Over the course of 18.5 million person-years of observation, 74 sudden cardiac arrests occurred during participation in a sport; of these, 16 occurred during competitive sports and 58 occurred during noncompetitive sports. The incidence of sudden cardiac arrest during competitive sports was 0.76 cases per 100,000 athlete-years, with 43.8% of the athletes surviving until they were discharged from the hospital. Among the competitive athletes, two deaths were attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and none to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Three cases of sudden cardiac arrest that occurred during participation in competitive sports were determined to have been potentially identifiable if the athletes had undergone preparticipation screening. In our study involving persons who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the incidence of sudden cardiac

Modeling discrete competitive facility location

CERN Document Server

Karakitsiou, Athanasia

2015-01-01

This book presents an up-to-date review of modeling and optimization approaches for location problems along with a new bi-level programming methodology which captures the effect of competition of both producers and customers on facility location decisions. While many optimization approaches simplify location problems by assuming decision making in isolation, this monograph focuses on models which take into account the competitive environment in which such decisions are made. New insights in modeling, algorithmic and theoretical possibilities are opened by this approach and new applications are possible. Competition on equal term plus competition between market leader and followers are considered in this study, consequently bi-level optimization methodology is emphasized and further developed. This book provides insights regarding modeling complexity and algorithmic approaches to discrete competitive location problems. In traditional location modeling, assignment of customer demands to supply sources are made ...

Electricity market competition and nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varley, C.; Paffenbarger, J.

1999-01-01

Throughout the world, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries' governments are promoting competitive electricity markets. In particular, there is a move away from administrative price-setting by government institutions to market price-setting through the introduction of competition. Today this is often focused on competition in generation. However, competition among final electricity suppliers and distributors to provide effective consumer choice is a further step that governments are likely to pursue as experience with market reform grows. This competitive environment will undoubtedly impact upon the nuclear generation industry. Competition will provide an opportunity to reinvigorate nuclear power; it will improve the transparency of energy policy-making and the policy framework for nuclear power; it will spur innovation in existing plants and help prospects for new plant build; and provide a strong impetus for cost reduction and innovation. This paper discusses these issues in detail. It looks at the potential benefits and challenges to the nuclear generation industry arising from an increasingly competitive market. (author)

A Study on Logistics Cluster Competitiveness among Asia Main Countries using the Porter's Diamond Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae Won Chung

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Measurement and discussions of logistics cluster competitiveness with a national approach are required to boost agglomeration effects and potentially create logistics efficiency and productivity. This study developed assessment criteria of logistics cluster competitiveness based on Porter's diamond model, calculated the weight of each criterion by the AHP method, and finally evaluated and discussed logistics cluster competitiveness among Asia main countries. The results indicate that there was a large difference in logistics cluster competitiveness among six countries. The logistics cluster competitiveness scores of Singapore (7.93, Japan (7.38, and Hong Kong (7.04 are observably different from those of China (5.40, Korea (5.08, and Malaysia (3.46. Singapore, with the highest competitiveness score, revealed its absolute advantage in logistics cluster indices. These research results intend to provide logistics policy makers with some strategic recommendations, and may serve as a baseline for further logistics cluster studies using Porter's diamond model.

Co-evolution of the brand effect and competitiveness in evolving networks

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jin-Li

2014-07-01

The principle that ‘the brand effect is attractive’ underlies the preferential attachment. Here we show that the brand effect is just one dimension of attractiveness. Another dimension is competitiveness. We firstly introduce a general framework that allows us to investigate the competitive aspect of real networks, instead of simply preferring popular nodes. Our model accurately describes the evolution of social and technological networks. The phenomenon that more competitive nodes become richer can help us to understand the evolution of many competitive systems in nature and society. In general, the paper provides an explicit analytical expression of degree distributions of the network. In particular, the model yields a nontrivial time evolution of nodes' properties and the scale-free behavior with exponents depending on the microscopic parameters characterizing the competition rules. Secondly, through theoretical analyses and numerical simulations, we reveal that our model has not only the universality for the homogeneous weighted network, but also the character for the heterogeneous weighted network. Thirdly, we also develop a model based on the profit-driven mechanism. It can better describe the observed phenomenon in enterprise cooperation networks. We show that the standard preferential attachment, the growing random graph, the initial attractiveness model, the fitness model, and weighted networks can all be seen as degenerate cases of our model.

Competition, Ownership and Productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baghdasaryan, Delia; la Cour, Lisbeth

2013-01-01

Theoretical results support two concurrent views regarding the mediating role that ownership structure might play on the effect of competition on firm performance. According to one stream of literature, competition has a high, positive impact in companies that have an effective ownership structur...

Costing and competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bates, K; Brignall, S

1994-01-01

Working for patients established a new system of contracts between providers and purchasers of healthcare, with prices based on full costs, avoiding cross-subsidization. The new regime necessitates greatly improved costing systems, to improve the efficiency of service provision by creating price competition between providers. Ken Bates and Stan Brignall argue that non-price competition also occurs, with providers 'differentiating' on quality of service/product, flexibility or innovation.

Computing with competition in biochemical networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Genot, Anthony J; Fujii, Teruo; Rondelez, Yannick

2012-11-16

Cells rely on limited resources such as enzymes or transcription factors to process signals and make decisions. However, independent cellular pathways often compete for a common molecular resource. Competition is difficult to analyze because of its nonlinear global nature, and its role remains unclear. Here we show how decision pathways such as transcription networks may exploit competition to process information. Competition for one resource leads to the recognition of convex sets of patterns, whereas competition for several resources (overlapping or cascaded regulons) allows even more general pattern recognition. Competition also generates surprising couplings, such as correlating species that share no resource but a common competitor. The mechanism we propose relies on three primitives that are ubiquitous in cells: multiinput motifs, competition for a resource, and positive feedback loops.

Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2018-02-27

The Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP) is a periodic solicitation through the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP) is a periodic solicitation through the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Manufacturers of small and medium wind turbines are awarded cost-shared grants via a competitive process to optimize their designs, develop advanced manufacturing processes, and perform turbine testing. The goals of the CIP are to make wind energy cost competitive with other distributed generation technology and increase the number of wind turbine designs certified to national testing standards. This fact sheet describes the CIP and funding awarded as part of the project.ufacturers of small and medium wind turbines are awarded cost-shared grants via a competitive process to optimize their designs, develop advanced manufacturing processes, and perform turbine testing. The goals of the CIP are to make wind energy cost competitive with other distributed generation technology and increase the number of wind turbine designs certified to national testing standards. This fact sheet describes the CIP and funding awarded as part of the project.

Reduced plant competition among kin can be explained by Jensen's inequality.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonsen, Anna K; Chow, Theresa; Stinchcombe, John R

2014-12-01

Plants often compete with closely related individuals due to limited dispersal, leading to two commonly invoked predictions on competitive outcomes. Kin selection, from evolutionary theory, predicts that competition between relatives will likely be weaker. The niche partitioning hypothesis, from ecological theory, predicts that competition between close relatives will likely be stronger. We tested for evidence consistent with either of these predictions by growing an annual legume in kin and nonkin groups in the greenhouse. We grew plant groups in treatments of symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria differing in strain identity and composition to determine if differences in the microbial environment can facilitate or obscure plant competition patterns consistent with kin selection or niche partitioning. Nonkin groups had lower fitness than expected, based on fitness estimates of the same genotypes grown among kin. Higher fitness among kin groups was observed in mixtures of N-fixing bacteria strains compared to single inoculations of bacteria strains present in the soil, which increased fitness differences between kin and nonkin groups. Lower fitness in nonkin groups was likely caused by increased competitive asymmetry in nonkin groups due to genetic differences in plant size combined with saturating relationships with plant size and fitness- i.e. Jensen's inequality. Our study suggests that microbial soil symbionts alter competitive dynamics among kin and nonkin. Our study also suggests that kin groups can have higher fitness, as predicted by kin selection theory, through a commonly heritable trait (plant size), without requiring kin recognition mechanisms.

Evolutionary disarmament in interspecific competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Kisdi, E; Geritz, S A

2001-12-22

Competitive asymmetry, which is the advantage of having a larger body or stronger weaponry than a contestant, drives spectacular evolutionary arms races in intraspecific competition. Similar asymmetries are well documented in interspecific competition, yet they seldom lead to exaggerated traits. Here we demonstrate that two species with substantially different size may undergo parallel coevolution towards a smaller size under the same ecological conditions where a single species would exhibit an evolutionary arms race. We show that disarmament occurs for a wide range of parameters in an ecologically explicit model of competition for a single shared resource; disarmament also occurs in a simple Lotka-Volterra competition model. A key property of both models is the interplay between evolutionary dynamics and population density. The mechanism does not rely on very specific features of the model. Thus, evolutionary disarmament may be widespread and may help to explain the lack of interspecific arms races.

Sport competitions in Antique Chersoneses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moutiev A.V.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available It is examined the content of physical education in Chersoneses in the ancient period. It is shown the participation of citizens in the Chersoneses competitions at various levels. Stressed the importance of physical culture, sports, sports training, organizing and conducting athletic competitions. Show the direction of physical education of youth, training for local and Panhellenic competitions, military service. The role of the teacher of gymnastics in physical education students in public schools. It is noted that the study involved in Chersoneses pedagogical methods and techniques. It is established that the citizens of Chersoneses actively participated in Panhellenic competitions and they became the victors.

Competitive forces in the medical group industry: a stakeholder perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, J D; Buesseler, J A

1998-01-01

Applying Porter's model of competitive forces to health care, stakeholder concepts are integrated to analyze the future of medical groups. Using both quantitative survey and qualitative observational data, competitors, physician suppliers, integrated systems new entrants, patient and managed care buyers, and hospitals substitutes are examined.

Examining the dark side of competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blake, M.

1990-01-01

This article examines the effect that increased competition among electric power suppliers will have on overall service to the customer and to profits. Some topics discussed are the coexistence of competition and cooperation, electric utility profits at risk and the dark side of competition - business failures. The author feels there is a basic conflict between some of the features of the competitive market model and the obligation to serve

Decision-making in plants under competition

OpenAIRE

Gruntman, Michal; Groß, Dorothee; Májeková, Maria; Tielbörger, Katja

2017-01-01

Plants can plastically respond to light competition in three strategies, comprising vertical growth, which promotes competitive dominance; shade tolerance, which maximises performance under shade; or lateral growth, which offers avoidance of competition. Here, we test the hypothesis that plants can ‘choose’ between these responses, according to their abilities to competitively overcome their neighbours. We study this hypothesis in the clonal plant Potentilla reptans using an experimental setu...

Using Sustainable Development as a Competitive Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Spearman, Pat

Sustainable development reduces construction waste by 43%, generating 50% cost savings. Residential construction executives lacking adequate knowledge regarding the benefits of sustainable development practices are at a competitive disadvantage. Drawing from the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore knowledge acquisition within the bounds of sustainable residential construction. The purposive sample size of 11 executive decision makers fulfilled the sample size requirements and enabled the extraction of meaningful data. Participants were members of the National Home Builders Association and had experience of a minimum of 5 years in residential construction. The research question addressed how to improve knowledge acquisition relating to the cost benefits of building green homes and increase the adoption rate of sustainable development among residential builders. Data were collected via semistructured telephone interviews, field observation, and document analysis. Transcribed data were validated via respondent validation, coded into 5 initial categories aligned to the focus of the research, then reduced to 3 interlocking themes of environment, competitive advantage, and marketing. Recommendations include developing comprehensive public policies, horizontal and vertical communications networks, and green banks to capitalize sustainable development programs to improve the diffusion of green innovation as a competitive advantage strategy. Business leaders could benefit from this data by integrating sustainable development practices into their business processes. Sustainable development reduces operational costs, increases competitive advantage for builders, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Implications for social change increase energy independence through conservation and developing a legislative policy template for comprehensive energy strategies. A comprehensive energy strategy promotes economic development

Study on the Development of Industry of Internet of Things Based on Competitive GEM Model in Fujian Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Jun An

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Firstly, the basic theories of internet of things, competitive GEM model and industrial development in Fujian Province were studied in this paper. Then, the factors influencing the cultivation of industrial competitiveness of the internet of things was observed and finally the suggestions on enhancing the competitiveness of internet of things and strengthening the cultivation of talents of internet of things were put forward.

Chemotactic preferences govern competition and pattern formation in simulated two-strain microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Centler, Florian; Thullner, Martin

2015-01-01

Substrate competition is a common mode of microbial interaction in natural environments. While growth properties play an important and well-studied role in competition, we here focus on the influence of motility. In a simulated two-strain community populating a homogeneous two-dimensional environment, strains competed for a common substrate and only differed in their chemotactic preference, either responding more sensitively to a chemoattractant excreted by themselves or responding more sensitively to substrate. Starting from homogeneous distributions, three possible behaviors were observed depending on the competitors' chemotactic preferences: (i) distributions remained homogeneous, (ii) patterns formed but dissolved at a later time point, resulting in a shifted community composition, and (iii) patterns emerged and led to the extinction of one strain. When patterns formed, the more aggregating strain populated the core of microbial aggregates where starving conditions prevailed, while the less aggregating strain populated the more productive zones at the fringe or outside aggregates, leading to a competitive advantage of the less aggregating strain. The presence of a competitor was found to modulate a strain's behavior, either suppressing or promoting aggregate formation. This observation provides a potential mechanism by which an aggregated lifestyle might evolve even if it is initially disadvantageous. Adverse effects can be avoided as a competitor hinders aggregate formation by a strain which has just acquired this ability. The presented results highlight both, the importance of microbial motility for competition and pattern formation, and the importance of the temporal evolution, or history, of microbial communities when trying to explain an observed distribution.

Picking battles wisely: plant behaviour under competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Novoplansky, Ariel

2009-06-01

Plants are limited in their ability to choose their neighbours, but they are able to orchestrate a wide spectrum of rational competitive behaviours that increase their prospects to prevail under various ecological settings. Through the perception of neighbours, plants are able to anticipate probable competitive interactions and modify their competitive behaviours to maximize their long-term gains. Specifically, plants can minimize competitive encounters by avoiding their neighbours; maximize their competitive effects by aggressively confronting their neighbours; or tolerate the competitive effects of their neighbours. However, the adaptive values of these non-mutually exclusive options are expected to depend strongly on the plants' evolutionary background and to change dynamically according to their past development, and relative sizes and vigour. Additionally, the magnitude of competitive responsiveness is expected to be positively correlated with the reliability of the environmental information regarding the expected competitive interactions and the expected time left for further plastic modifications. Concurrent competition over external and internal resources and morphogenetic signals may enable some plants to increase their efficiency and external competitive performance by discriminately allocating limited resources to their more promising organs at the expense of failing or less successful organs.

COMPETITIVENESS IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: ROMANIAN STYLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia-Elena TUCLEA

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper is presented one of the important sectors of the nationaleconomy, at least from its potential for development perspective: thehospitality industry. The research interest is related to finding out the mainfactors of competitiveness in this field. This research attempts to identify theessential aspects of competitiveness in the hospitality industry. Theobjectives pursued refer to: discovering the degree to which the concept ofcompetitiveness is understood and capitalized on by the managers in theRomanian hospitality industry; identifying a set of factors considered decisivein raising the competitiveness of Romanian firms in the hospitality industry;identifying the strategic concerns of firms operating in the Romanianhospitality industry, in order to establish the connection between strategy andthe competitiveness of the firms belonging to this sector.As a result, the hypotheses are: in the hospitality industry there areparticularities which influence the firms’ competitiveness and strategicorientation; preoccupation towards raising competitiveness and strategicorientation is influenced by the type of exploitation and the number of stars(level of comfort; in the hospitality industry, managers focus on cost controland service quality as decisive factors of competitiveness.

Designing the Lunar Regolith Excavation Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Christopher

2009-01-01

The project assigned this summer involves designing a lunar regolith mining robotics competition. This process involves consulting several assets available at the Kennedy Space Center. The process involves several steps. The first step is to determine the requirements for the competition. Once these requirements are determined, the dimensions of the playing field are drawn up, first by hand, and then using computer models. After these drawings are tentatively decided upon, the cost of materials must be determined, so as to fit within the allotted budget for the project. The materials are to then be ordered, assembled, broken down, and stored throughout the duration of the competition. We must also design the advertisements and logos for the competition. This is to market and publicize the competition to college level teams. We must also determine the rules for the competition so as to have uniform requirements for all teams. Once these processes are completed, the competition can be finalized and publicized for the public. The contributing parties are Greg Galloway, Robert Mueller, Susan Sawyer, Gloria Murphy, Julia Nething, and Cassandra Liles.

Competitive Aggression without Interaction: Effects of Competitive versus Cooperative Instructions on Aggressive Behavior in Video Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Craig A.; Morrow, Melissa

1995-01-01

Extended and tested Deutsch's theory of competition effects. Predicted that people view competitive situations as inherently more aggressive than cooperative ones. Predicted that leading people to think of an aggressive situation in competitive terms would increase aggressive behavior. Increase of kill ratio occurred in absence of changes in…

Model Selection in Data Analysis Competitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wind, David Kofoed; Winther, Ole

2014-01-01

The use of data analysis competitions for selecting the most appropriate model for a problem is a recent innovation in the field of predictive machine learning. Two of the most well-known examples of this trend was the Netflix Competition and recently the competitions hosted on the online platform...... performers from Kaggle and use previous personal experiences from competing in Kaggle competitions. The stated hypotheses about feature engineering, ensembling, overfitting, model complexity and evaluation metrics give indications and guidelines on how to select a proper model for performing well...... Kaggle. In this paper, we will state and try to verify a set of qualitative hypotheses about predictive modelling, both in general and in the scope of data analysis competitions. To verify our hypotheses we will look at previous competitions and their outcomes, use qualitative interviews with top...

Competitiveness, Technology and Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Lall, Sanjaya

This document examines competitiveness in the developing world. Chapters 1 through 3, which are largely conceptual, examine the following topics: the concept of competitiveness and why it is important; market-stimulating technology policies in developing countries, and the relationship between import liberalization and industrial performance.…

Price competition on graphs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soetevent, A.R.

2010-01-01

This paper extends Hotelling's model of price competition with quadratic transportation costs from a line to graphs. I propose an algorithm to calculate firm-level demand for any given graph, conditional on prices and firm locations. One feature of graph models of price competition is that spatial

Winning a competition predicts dishonest behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurr, Amos; Ritov, Ilana

2016-02-16

Winning a competition engenders subsequent unrelated unethical behavior. Five studies reveal that after a competition has taken place winners behave more dishonestly than competition losers. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that winning a competition increases the likelihood of winners to steal money from their counterparts in a subsequent unrelated task. Studies 3a and 3b demonstrate that the effect holds only when winning means performing better than others (i.e., determined in reference to others) but not when success is determined by chance or in reference to a personal goal. Finally, study 4 demonstrates that a possible mechanism underlying the effect is an enhanced sense of entitlement among competition winners.

Price and quality in spatial competition

OpenAIRE

Brekke, Kurt R.; Siciliani, Luigi; Straume, Odd Rune

2010-01-01

We study the relationship between competition and quality within a spatial competition framework where firms compete in prices and quality. We generalise existing literature on spatial price–quality competition along several dimensions, including utility functions that are non-linear in income and cost functions that are non-separable in output and quality. Our main message is that the scope for a positive relationship between competition and quality is underestimated in the existing literatu...

The importance of motivation, weapons, and foul odors in driving encounter competition in carnivores.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Maximilian L; Wilmers, Christopher C; Elbroch, L Mark; Golla, Julie M; Wittmer, Heiko U

2016-08-01

Encounter competition is interference competition in which animals directly contend for resources. Ecological theory predicts the trait that determines the resource holding potential (RHP), and hence the winner of encounter competition, is most often body size or mass. The difficulties of observing encounter competition in complex organisms in natural environments, however, has limited opportunities to test this theory across diverse species. We studied the outcome of encounter competition contests among mesocarnivores at deer carcasses in California to determine the most important variables for winning these contests. We found some support for current theory in that body mass is important in determining the winner of encounter competition, but we found that other factors including hunger and species-specific traits were also important. In particular, our top models were "strength and hunger" and "size and hunger," with models emphasizing the complexity of variables influencing outcomes of encounter competition. In addition, our wins above predicted (WAP) statistic suggests that an important aspect that determines the winner of encounter competition is species-specific advantages that increase their RHP, as bobcats (Lynx rufus) and spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis) won more often than predicted based on mass. In complex organisms, such as mesocarnivores, species-specific adaptations, including strategic behaviors, aggressiveness, and weapons, contribute to competitive advantages and may allow certain species to take control or defend resources better than others. Our results help explain how interspecific competition shapes the occurrence patterns of species in ecological communities. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

The labor competition like a requirement of efficiency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dolores Virgen de la Cruz Lozada

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Through this study the analysis of a pertinent situation in the organization will be undertaken, by means of the application of a new structure from February of the current year, where the functions of each charge are not defined yet in each of the cases. It also serves as a training way for each directive in the confrontation of the suitability evaluation, in the respectfulness regarding the objective of their job, and in the accomplishment of the mission; what constitutes the main objective of this work, and also assessing the consequences that will originate the lack of knowledge of the labor competitions and its relation with the abilities of every individual who occuppies the job in question. In this work it is used as a method the observation, related with the analysis - synthesis, action - participation and observation - participant and also techniques such as: interview and surveys. The results are in the inexperience of those involved in their functions: labor competition, which gives the difficulty to face the DNA (determination of the learning necessities of the human resources and as a consequence the Training Plan doesn't solve all the workers expectations.

Competition policy and public procurement in developing countries

OpenAIRE

Falvey, Rod; La Chimia, Annamaria; Morrissey, Oliver; Zgovu, Evious

2008-01-01

Measures to support Competition Policy and enhance the efficiency of Public Procurement can enhance the impact of regional integration agreements. The first part addresses Competition Policy - measures employed by government to ensure a fair competitive market environment. Competition policy aims to ensure that markets remain competitive (through anti-trust or anti-cartel enforcement) or become competitive (through liberalisation). For a variety of reasons, competition is often restricted in ...

Does Competition Destroy Ethical Behavior?

OpenAIRE

Andrei Shleifer

2004-01-01

Explanations of unethical behavior often neglect the role of competition, as opposed to greed, in assuring its spread. Using the examples of child labor, corruption, "excessive" executive pay, corporate earnings manipulation, and commercial activities by universities, this paper clarifies the role of competition in promoting censured conduct. When unethical behavior cuts costs, competition drives down prices and entrepreneurs' incomes, and thereby reduces their willingness to pay for ethical ...

Assessing Competition in Philippine Markets

OpenAIRE

Aldaba, Rafaelita M.

2008-01-01

This paper reviews the current empirical literature on competition and market structure of Philippine industries. It shows that weak competition is one of the fundamental factors that explain limited growth, productivity, and employment in the economy. Philippine experience has shown that reforms such as trade liberalization, deregulation, and privatization, while necessary, are not sufficient to foster effective competition. The success of these reforms depends on the creation of a competiti...

77 FR 2676 - Competitive Postal Products

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-19

... could give the Postal Service an artificial competitive advantage. The Commission gave considerable... POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 39 CFR Part 3015 [Docket No. RM2012-3; Order No. 1108] Competitive... Commission is initiating a review to determine whether competitive products provide the appropriate minimum...

The effect of competition from neighbours on stomatal conductance in lettuce and tomato plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Vysotskaya, Lidiya; Wilkinson, Sally; Davies, William J; Arkhipova, Tatyana; Kudoyarova, Guzel

2011-05-01

Competition decreased transpiration from young lettuce plants after 2 days, before any reductions in leaf area became apparent, and stomatal conductance (g(s) ) of lettuce and tomato plants was also reduced. Stomatal closure was not due to hydraulic signals or competition for nutrients, as soil water content, leaf water status and leaf nitrate concentrations were unaffected by neighbours. Competition-induced stomatal closure was absent in an abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient tomato mutant, flacca, indicating a fundamental involvement of ABA. Although tomato xylem sap ABA concentrations were unaffected by the presence of neighbours, ABA/pH-based stomatal modulation is still likely to underlie the response to competition, as soil and xylem sap alkalization was observed in competing plants. Competition also modulated leaf ethylene production, and treatment of lettuce plants with an ethylene perception inhibitor (1-methylcyclopropene) diminished the difference in g(s) between single and competing plants grown in a controlled environment room, but increased it in plants grown in the greenhouse: ethylene altered the extent of the stomatal response to competition. Effects of competition on g(s) are discussed in terms of the detection of the absence of neighbours: increases in g(s) and carbon fixation may allow faster initial space occupancy within an emerging community/crop. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

14 CFR 1274.504 - Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft... FIRMS Procurement Standards § 1274.504 Competition. All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a...

Competitiveness in the global economic crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gheorghe Popescu

2009-05-01

Full Text Available The first challenge is to analyze the concept of "competitiveness" given the fact that in the centre of the great economic analystes' concerns lays from some time the phenomenon of competitiveness, along with the generation of competitive advantage at the organization level and, moreover, at country level. The economic science will have to be rethought, meaning that competitiveness will have to adapt to the new prospects launched today by the global economic crisis.

Gaining Relational Competitive Advantages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Yimei; Zhang, Si; Li, Jizhen

2015-01-01

Establishing strategic technological partnerships (STPs) with foreign partners is an increasingly studied topic within the innovation management literature. Partnering firms can jointly create sources of relational competitive advantage. Chinese firms often lack research and development (R......&D) capabilities but are increasingly becoming preferred technological partners for transnational corporations. We investigate an STP between a Scandinavian and a Chinese firm and try to explore how to gain relational competitive advantage by focusing on its two essential stages: relational rent generation...... and appropriation. Based on an explorative case study, we develop a conceptual framework that consists of process, organizational alliance factors, and coordination modes that we propose lead to relational competitive advantage....

Competitiveness: new economic paradigm?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlene Peñaloza

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Nowadays competitiveness is made up of “the new” paradigm that allows to prevail in the global World. Thus, it is inevitable to ask, was it required to be competitive to be successful in the international trade arena? Recognizing the discussion about it and its theoretical-conceptual density, the present paper studies this old notion whose meaning, in essence, is always the same one. This applies even though new realities in the present world-wide atmosphere confer to it a distinguishing character and new and old players are forced to organize actions and bring efforts together to obtain the competitive supremacy.

VIRTUAL COMPETITIVENESS: YOUTHS’ VIEWS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Yu. Semenov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Nowadays, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT has become an integral part both of every individual’s life and of the society in general. It is no longer possible to deny the impact of virtual environment on socialisation and development of the identity of young people. In this regard, the investigation of young people’s view on virtual social networks, and the possibility of students’ own competitiveness realization through various web services. The aim of the research presented in the article is to study the factors of students’ assessment of virtual social networks as a tool of personal fulfillment. Methodology and research methods. Content analysis and synthesis of scientific publications studies were carried out at a theoretical stage of the research; secondary sampling analysis of sociologic data material sources was conducted. The empirical research stage involved the instrument of questionnaire surveys, statistical data processing and interpretation of the results. Results and scientific novelty. The social survey conducted in 2017 with the participation of 1087 high school students and 1196 college students of the Tyumen Region shown that the more competitive students consider themselves, the more competitive they perceive the people having great popularity on the Internet. At that, compared to girls, young people are more inclined to consider the people having great popularity on the Internet competitive. It is determined that having a popular virtual media account for the young person is less worthwhile than for female respondents. The author explains this fact: male representatives regard it as “social capital” which can contribute to growth of their competitiveness in society as well as to achieve some profit. The author concludes that youth views on competitiveness are not directly related to the activity in virtual social networks. Frequent use by respondents of the Internet and

Business plan competition

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

"Venture – Companies for tomorrow" is a business plan competition, which supports students and other junior entrepreneurs in developing their business plans. The sixth edition of the competition is now taking place. Venture 2008 highlights: - prize money totalling CHF 150’000; - possibility to optimize business ideas and business plans with the help of experienced coaches: around 200 coaches are available, with a wide range of backgrounds, entrepreneurs as well as venture capitalists; -\tpossibility to present business ideas and business plans to potential investors ("Investor Days" - 17 January and 7 May); - active involvement in the start-up community; -\tcontribution to potential independence. The competition consists of two phases: Phase I, Business idea, Deadline for submission of business idea: 5 December 2007 (online at http://www.venture.ch). Award Ceremony: 17 January 2008 Phase II, Business plan Deadline for submission of business plan: 2 April 2008 (online at...

The Competitive Potential of the Belorussian Economy

OpenAIRE

Migranyan, A.

2014-01-01

The article is an attempt to study the factors of the competitive capacity of Belorussian economy. There are two groups of factors of competitive potential and competitive advantages' formation: internal (changes in resource allocation) and external factors (adaptation to external shocks). The study found that the main source of the increase of competitive capacity of the Belorussian economy were foreign. The competitive potential of Belarus was formed on the basis of the increased exports. H...

Salivary hormones and anxiety in winners and losers of an international judo competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Papacosta, Elena; Nassis, George P; Gleeson, Michael

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the responses of salivary hormones and salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and anxiety in winners and losers during an international judo competition. Twenty-three trained, male, national-level judo athletes provided three saliva samples during a competition day: morning, in anticipation of competition after an overnight fast, mid-competition, and post-competition within 15 min post-fight for determination of salivary cortisol, salivary testosterone, salivary testosterone/cortisol ratio, SIgA absolute concentrations, SIgA secretion rate and saliva flow rate. The competitive state anxiety inventory questionnaire was completed by the athletes (n = 12) after the first saliva collection for determination of somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. Winners were considered 1-3 ranking place (n = 12) and losers (n = 11) below third place in each weight category. Winners presented higher anticipatory salivary cortisol concentrations (p = 0.03) and a lower mid-competition salivary testosterone/cortisol ratio (p = 0.003) compared with losers with no differences for salivary testosterone. Winners tended to have higher SIgA secretion rates (p = 0.07) and higher saliva flow rates (p = 0.009) at mid-competition. Higher levels of cognitive anxiety (p = 0.02) were observed in the winners, without differences according to the outcome in somatic anxiety and self-confidence. The results suggest that winners experienced higher levels of physiological arousal and better psychological preparedness in the morning, and as the competition progressed, the winners were able to control their stress response better.

Analysis of the competitiveness of small business

OpenAIRE

KUČEROVÁ, Iveta

2011-01-01

The bachalorś thesis is described and characterized by a particular small business. Furthermore, its competitiveness, competitiveness analysis, and analysis of its major competitors. Based on a comparison of the chosen company to the competition is based on a proposal to improve business competitiveness and market position.

Competition between the phytophagous stink bugs Euschistus heros and Piezodorus guildinii in soybeans.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuelher, Edmar S; Silva, Éder H; Hirose, Edson; Guedes, Raul Narciso C; Oliveira, Eugênio E

2016-10-01

The abundance and contribution of the neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (F.), and the redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (West.), to the composition of insect pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.), fields have changed both spatially and temporally in neotropical soybean production areas. Therefore, we assessed the competitiveness of each species in direct competition experiments following an additive series. We performed mixed (adult) insect infestations in soybean plants and evaluated the fitness of each species and the soybean yield. While the competitive ability of E. heros was significantly compromised by increments in conspecifics and heterospecifics (i.e. P. guildinii), the competitive ability of P. guildinii was compromised by the presence of heterospecifics (i.e. E. heros). The reproductive output of P. guildinii remained unaffected by increments in E. heros or of P. guildinii. Intriguingly, despite the fact that P. guildinii apparently lost the competition with E. heros, almost no pod production was observed in any plant colonised by the former. The higher abundance of E. heros in neotropical soybean fields seems to result from higher competitive ability than its heterospecific competitor P. guildinii, which may prevent the higher losses caused by P. guildinii. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

40 CFR 35.362 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.362 Section 35... 104(b)(3)) § 35.362 Competitive process. EPA will award Water Quality Cooperative Agreement funds through a competitive process in accordance with national program guidance. ...

Herbivory more limiting than competition on early and established native plants in an invaded meadow.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, Emily K; Arcese, Peter

2008-12-01

The dominance of nonnative plants coupled with declines of native plants suggests that competitive displacement drives extinctions, yet empirical examples are rare. Herbivores, however, can alter vegetation structure and reduce diversity when abundant. Herbivores may act on mature, reproductive life stages whereas some of the strongest competitive effects might occur at early life stages that are difficult to observe. For example, competition by perennial nonnative grasses can interfere with the establishment of native seeds. We contrasted the effects of ungulate herbivory and competition by neighboring plants on the performance of native plant species at early and established life stages in invaded oak meadows. We recorded growth, survival, and flowering in two native species transplanted as established plants, six native species grown from seed, and five extant lily species as part of two 2 x 2 factorial experiments that manipulated herbivory and competition. Herbivory reduced the performance of nearly all focal native species at early and established life stages, whereas competition had few measurable effects. Our results suggest that herbivory has a greater local influence on native plant species than competition and that reducing herbivore impacts will be required to successfully restore endangered oak meadows where ungulates are now abundant.

Competitive adsorption of heavy metals in soil underlying an infiltration facility installed in an urban area.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, M A; Furumai, H; Nakajima, F

2009-01-01

Accumulation of heavy metals at elevated concentration and potential of considerable amount of the accumulated heavy metals to reach the soil system was observed from earlier studies in soakaways sediments within an infiltration facility in Tokyo, Japan. In order to understand the competitive adsorption behaviour of heavy metals Zn, Ni and Cu in soil, competitive batch adsorption experiments were carried out using single metal and binary metal combinations on soil samples representative of underlying soil and surface soil at the site. Speciation analysis of the adsorbed metals was carried out through BCR sequential extraction method. Among the metals, Cu was not affected by competition while Zn and Ni were affected by competition of coexisting metals. The parameters of fitted 'Freundlich' and 'Langmuir' isotherms indicated more intense competition in underlying soil compared to surface soil for adsorption of Zn and Ni. The speciation of adsorbed metals revealed less selectivity of Zn and Ni to soil organic matter, while dominance of organic bound fraction was observed for Cu, especially in organic rich surface soil. Compared to underlying soil, the surface soil is expected to provide greater adsorption to heavy metals as well as provide greater stability to adsorbed metals, especially for Cu.

40 CFR 35.342 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.342 Section 35...) § 35.342 Competitive process. EPA Regions award Pollution Prevention State Grants to State programs through a competitive process in accordance with EPA guidance. When evaluating State applications, EPA...

Competition and PUHCA reform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, P.L.

1991-01-01

This article examines the national energy policy legislation being developed with respect to Public Utilities Holding Company Act issues. The topics of the article include the proposals to encourage competition among electric power producers, those involved in the process, qualifying facilities, independent power producers, competition and efficiency, and the outlook for reform

[Policies encouraging price competition in the generic drug market: Lessons from the European experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Puig-Junoy, Jaume

2010-01-01

To describe alternative policies aimed at encouraging price competition in generic drug markets in countries with strict price regulation, and to present some case studies drawn from the European experience. Systematic literature review of articles and technical reports published after 1999. The shortcomings in consumer price competition observed in some European generic markets, including Spain, may be reduced through three types of public reimbursement or financing reforms: policies aimed at improving the design of current maximum reimbursement level policies; policies aimed at monitoring competitive prices in order to reimburse real acquisition cost to pharmacies; and, more radical and market-oriented policies such as competitive tendering of public drug purchases. The experience of recent reforms adopted in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and Sweden offers a useful guide for highly price-regulated European countries, such as Spain, currently characterized by limited consumer price competition and the high discounts offered to pharmacy purchases. Direct price regulation and/or the generic reference pricing systems used to reduce generic drug prices in many European countries can be successfully reformed by adopting measures more closely aimed at encouraging consumer price competition in generic drug markets. Copyright 2009 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Decision-making in plants under competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruntman, Michal; Groß, Dorothee; Májeková, Maria; Tielbörger, Katja

2017-12-21

Plants can plastically respond to light competition in three strategies, comprising vertical growth, which promotes competitive dominance; shade tolerance, which maximises performance under shade; or lateral growth, which offers avoidance of competition. Here, we test the hypothesis that plants can 'choose' between these responses, according to their abilities to competitively overcome their neighbours. We study this hypothesis in the clonal plant Potentilla reptans using an experimental setup that simulates both the height and density of neighbours, thus presenting plants with different light-competition scenarios. Potentilla reptans ramets exhibit the highest vertical growth under simulated short-dense neighbours, highest specific leaf area (leaf area/dry mass) under tall-dense neighbours, and tend to increase total stolon length under tall-sparse neighbours. These responses suggest shifts between 'confrontational' vertical growth, shade tolerance and lateral-avoidance, respectively, and provide evidence that plants adopt one of several alternative plastic responses in a way that optimally corresponds to prevailing light-competition scenarios.

Co-evolution of the brand effect and competitiveness in evolving networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Jin-Li

2014-01-01

The principle that ‘the brand effect is attractive’ underlies the preferential attachment. Here we show that the brand effect is just one dimension of attractiveness. Another dimension is competitiveness. We firstly introduce a general framework that allows us to investigate the competitive aspect of real networks, instead of simply preferring popular nodes. Our model accurately describes the evolution of social and technological networks. The phenomenon that more competitive nodes become richer can help us to understand the evolution of many competitive systems in nature and society. In general, the paper provides an explicit analytical expression of degree distributions of the network. In particular, the model yields a nontrivial time evolution of nodes' properties and the scale-free behavior with exponents depending on the microscopic parameters characterizing the competition rules. Secondly, through theoretical analyses and numerical simulations, we reveal that our model has not only the universality for the homogeneous weighted network, but also the character for the heterogeneous weighted network. Thirdly, we also develop a model based on the profit-driven mechanism. It can better describe the observed phenomenon in enterprise cooperation networks. We show that the standard preferential attachment, the growing random graph, the initial attractiveness model, the fitness model, and weighted networks can all be seen as degenerate cases of our model. (general)

How light competition between plants affects their response to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

van Loon, Marloes P; Schieving, Feike; Rietkerk, Max; Dekker, Stefan C; Sterck, Frank; Anten, Niels P R

2014-09-01

How plants respond to climate change is of major concern, as plants will strongly impact future ecosystem functioning, food production and climate. Here, we investigated how vegetation structure and functioning may be influenced by predicted increases in annual temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentration, and modeled the extent to which local plant-plant interactions may modify these effects. A canopy model was developed, which calculates photosynthesis as a function of light, nitrogen, temperature, CO2 and water availability, and considers different degrees of light competition between neighboring plants through canopy mixing; soybean (Glycine max) was used as a reference system. The model predicts increased net photosynthesis and reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration under atmospheric CO2 increase. When CO2 elevation is combined with warming, photosynthesis is increased more, but transpiration is reduced less. Intriguingly, when competition is considered, the optimal response shifts to producing larger leaf areas, but with lower stomatal conductance and associated vegetation transpiration than when competition is not considered. Furthermore, only when competition is considered are the predicted effects of elevated CO2 on leaf area index (LAI) well within the range of observed effects obtained by Free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments. Together, our results illustrate how competition between plants may modify vegetation responses to climate change. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Business Plan Competitions: An Overview. CELCEE Digest.

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Nicole

This document describes business plan competitions sponsored by universities. The idea began in the early 1980s at the University of Texas when Masters in Business Administration (MBA) students created a friendly competitive activity along the lines of the law schools Moot Court competition. Later the competition became national, and then…

MICROECONOMIC ANALYSIS IN COMPETITION POLICY

OpenAIRE

Paul Prisecaru

2013-01-01

This paper presents some of the most important microeconomic tools used in assessing antitrust and merger cases by the competition authorities. By explaining the way that microeconomic concepts like “market power”, “critical loss” or “price elasticity of demand” are used by the modern competition policy, the microeconomics scholar can get a practical perspective on the way that these concepts fit into the more general concept of “competition policy”. Extensive economic research has shown what...

Interstate competition and political stability

OpenAIRE

Hugh-Jones, David

2010-01-01

Previous theories of globalization have examined factor mobility’s effect on the political conflict\\ud between social classes. But factor mobility also increases competition between state rulers in provid-\\ud ing services for citizens. I ask how this interstate competition affects the process of political change.\\ud In a simple model, interstate competition substitutes for democracy, by forcing rulers to invest in pub-\\ud lic goods so as to avoid capital and labor leaving the country. As a re...

Innovation strategies and competitive advantage

OpenAIRE

Gërguri, Shqipe; Rexhepi, Gadaf; Ramadani, Veland

2013-01-01

Companies today operate in a very dynamic, uncertain and competitive environment. They compete in "nicety" that are so small but so important. Companies are trying to achieve competitive advantage in order to help them obtain a better and a stable position in the marketplace. The best way for companies to achieve a competitive advantage is through innovation. This paper addresses the meaning of innovation what does innovation present, types of innovation specifically discussing the right way ...

40 CFR 35.712 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.712 Section 35... Monitoring (section 28) § 35.712 Competitive process. EPA will award Toxic Substances Control Act Compliance Monitoring grants to Tribes or Intertribal Consortia through a competitive process in accordance with...

40 CFR 35.661 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.661 Section 35... 6605) § 35.661 Competitive process. EPA Regions award Pollution Prevention Grant funds to Tribes and Intertribal Consortia through a competitive process in accordance with EPA guidance. When evaluating a Tribe's...

The Scientific Competitiveness of Nations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cimini, Giulio; Gabrielli, Andrea; Sylos Labini, Francesco

2014-01-01

We use citation data of scientific articles produced by individual nations in different scientific domains to determine the structure and efficiency of national research systems. We characterize the scientific fitness of each nation-that is, the competitiveness of its research system-and the complexity of each scientific domain by means of a non-linear iterative algorithm able to assess quantitatively the advantage of scientific diversification. We find that technological leading nations, beyond having the largest production of scientific papers and the largest number of citations, do not specialize in a few scientific domains. Rather, they diversify as much as possible their research system. On the other side, less developed nations are competitive only in scientific domains where also many other nations are present. Diversification thus represents the key element that correlates with scientific and technological competitiveness. A remarkable implication of this structure of the scientific competition is that the scientific domains playing the role of "markers" of national scientific competitiveness are those not necessarily of high technological requirements, but rather addressing the most "sophisticated" needs of the society.

MICROECONOMIC ANALYSIS IN COMPETITION POLICY

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Paul Prisecaru

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents some of the most important microeconomic tools used in assessing antitrust and merger cases by the competition authorities. By explaining the way that microeconomic concepts like “market power”, “critical loss” or “price elasticity of demand” are used by the modern competition policy, the microeconomics scholar can get a practical perspective on the way that these concepts fit into the more general concept of “competition policy”. Extensive economic research has shown what are the market forces and economic factors that determine how cartels, which are at the core of antitrust policy, are established and sustained over time. One of the most important of these factors is the markets exposure to innovation, especially disruptive innovation. In these markets, the paradox, from a competition policy perspective, can be considered the fact that collusion is one of the least important concerns, due to the specific elements that determine the nature of competition.Instead, the main anticompetitive risk in the markets exposed to intensive innovation is unilateral conduct by which dominant incumbents can exclude competitors.

Mediterranean Way of Competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Art Kovacic

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The Mediterranean area have a special concept of competitiveness topic. Normally is that region not so industrial and knowledge based oriented as a North Europe.That countries can't reach the same development level as the north one. Lisbon's and Goethenburg's strategies create the main framework of development programme. Mediterranean programme is such a case. European internal market has forced the EU countries to increase competitiveness. The economic prosperity of countries is associated with their ability to generate or attract economic activities which are able to increase income by performing well on themarket. Financial crisis in the EU has changed the look on the competitiveness research. Economy in the main countries has to find way of recovery. Former giants of the financial world have found themselves suddenly facing bankruptcy.Inevitably, the crisis is also having an effect on households and businesses - economic growth has slowed sharply and in some EU countries unemployment has begun to increase for the first time in several years. Form that perspective we have to find the right solution of European competitiveness.

40 CFR 35.613 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.613 Section 35... (section 104(b)(3)) § 35.613 Competitive process. Wetlands development grants are awarded on a competitive... process is complete, the recipient can, at its discretion, accept the award as a wetlands development...

40 CFR 35.723 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Competitive process. 35.723 Section 35... Grants (pub.l. 105-276) § 35.723 Competitive process. EPA will award Tribal hazardous waste program... guidance. After the competitive process is complete, the recipient can, at its discretion, accept the award...

Best practices for assessing forage fish fisheries-seabird resource competition

Science.gov (United States)

Sydeman, William J.; Thompson, Sarah Ann; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Bennison, Ashley; Bertrand, Sophie; Boersch-Supan, Philipp; Boyd, Charlotte; Bransome, Nicole C.; Crawford, Robert J.M.; Daunt, Francis; Furness, Robert W.; Gianuca, Dimas; Gladics, Amanda; Koehn, Laura; Lang, Jennifer W.; Loggerwell, Elizabeth; Morris, Taryn L.; Phillips, Elizabeth M.; Provencher, Jennifer; Punt, André E..; Saraux, Claire; Shannon, Lynne; Sherley, Richard B.; Simeone, Alejandro; Wanless, Ross M.; Wanless, Sarah; Zador, Stephani

2017-01-01

Worldwide, in recent years capture fisheries targeting lower-trophic level forage fish and euphausiid crustaceans have been substantial (∼20 million metric tons [MT] annually). Landings of forage species are projected to increase in the future, and this harvest may affect marine ecosystems and predator-prey interactions by removal or redistribution of biomass central to pelagic food webs. In particular, fisheries targeting forage fish and euphausiids may be in competition with seabirds, likely the most sensitive of marine vertebrates given limitations in their foraging abilities (ambit and gape size) and high metabolic rate, for food resources. Lately, apparent competition between fisheries and seabirds has led to numerous high-profile conflicts over interpretations, as well as the approaches that could and should be used to assess the magnitude and consequences of fisheries-seabird resource competition. In this paper, we review the methods used to date to study fisheries competition with seabirds, and present “best practices” for future resource competition assessments. Documenting current fisheries competition with seabirds generally involves addressing two major issues: 1) are fisheries causing localized prey depletion that is sufficient to affect the birds? (i.e., are fisheries limiting food resources?), and 2) how are fisheries-induced changes to forage stocks affecting seabird populations given the associated functional or numerical response relationships? Previous studies have been hampered by mismatches in the scale of fisheries, fish, and seabird data, and a lack of causal understanding due to confounding by climatic and other ecosystem factors (e.g., removal of predatory fish). Best practices for fisheries-seabird competition research should include i) clear articulation of hypotheses, ii) data collection (or summation) of fisheries, fish, and seabirds on matched spatio-temporal scales, and iii) integration of observational and experimental

Cooperative and Competitive Contextual Effects on Social Cognitive and Empathic Neural Responses

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Minhye Lee

2018-06-01

Full Text Available We aimed to differentiate the neural responses to cooperative and competitive contexts, which are the two of the most important social contexts in human society. Healthy male college students were asked to complete a Tetris-like task requiring mental rotation skills under individual, cooperative, and competitive contexts in an fMRI scanner. While the participants completed the task, pictures of others experiencing pain evoking emotional empathy randomly appeared to capture contextual effects on empathic neural responses. Behavioral results indicated that, in the presence of cooperation, participants solved the tasks more accurately and quickly than what they did when in the presence of competition. The fMRI results revealed activations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC related to executive functions and theory of mind when participants performed the task under both cooperative and competitive contexts, whereas no activation of such areas was observed in the individual context. Cooperation condition exhibited stronger neural responses in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC and dmPFC than competition condition. Competition condition, however, showed marginal neural responses in the cerebellum and anterior insular cortex (AIC. The two social contexts involved stronger empathic neural responses to other’s pain than the individual context, but no substantial differences between cooperation and competition were present. Regions of interest analyses revealed that individual’s trait empathy modulated the neural activity in the state empathy network, the AIC, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC depending on the social context. These results suggest that cooperation improves task performance and activates neural responses associated with reward and mentalizing. Furthermore, the interaction between trait- and state-empathy was explored by correlation analyses between individual�

Levelling vs competition – political trend reversal in the German healthcare system?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sascha Wolf

2014-12-01

Full Text Available For almost 20 years, the German federal government has declared that competition is the key to ensuring the financial sustainability of the healthcare system. The aim of this paper is to investigate if German government indeed has followed a direct path to enhancing competition. For this purpose, a qualitative analysis of the most important healthcare reform acts has been conducted. In conclusion, especially since the introduction of the Health Fund in 2009, a clear trend towards more levelling and regulation can be observed. This trend is confirmed by the most recent healthcare reform act in June 2014. The abolishment of flat-rate premiums is the expression of the government’s fear that competitive pressure could endanger the solvency and viability of sickness funds (statutory health insurance funds. In contrast, on the market for selective contracts, an ambivalent picture emerges. On the one hand, several possibilities for establishing new forms of healthcare and strengthening competition have been introduced. On the other hand, sickness funds as well as service providers are often reluctant to enter into selective contracts.

Endogeneous Risk in Monopolistic Competition

OpenAIRE

Vladislav Damjanovic

2012-01-01

We consider a model of financial intermediation with a monopolistic competition market structure. A non-monotonic relationship between the risk measured as a probability of default and the degree of competition is established.

The organization and conducting of paratriathlon competitions

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Vladimir Vodlozerov

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to analyze the system of the organization and conducting of competitions among paratriathletes concerning compliance with specifics of this sport – the consecutive overcoming of the combined distance by means of different types of physical activity. Material & Methods: the analysis of conditions of the organization and conducting of competitions of paratriathletes in six competitive categories was made on the basis of studying of articles of the UNO Convention on the Rights of physically disabled people, the regulatory base of the international federations of triathlon and Federation of triathlon of Ukraine. Results: the compliance of the organization and conducting of paratriathlon competitions concerning specifics of continuous triathlon with certain modifications of passing of stages of the combined distance by sportsmen with limited physical capacities is revealed. Conclusions: competition rules on paratriathlon, which allow conducting the fair competitive competition in the spirit of fair, competitive and safe rivalry to athletes with different physical deviations, are developed for more active attraction to sports activities, and also for the purpose of removal of discrimination barriers from physically disabled people.

The influence of a competition on noncompetitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kc, Raghabendra P; Kunter, Marcus; Mak, Vincent

2018-03-13

We report a series of experimental studies that investigate the influence of a competition on noncompetitors who do not participate in it but are aware of it. Our work is highly relevant across many domains of social life where competitions are prevalent, as it is typical in a competition that the competitors are far outnumbered by these noncompetitors. In our field experiment involving pay-what-you-want entrance at a German zoo ( n = 22,886), customers who were aware of a competition over entrance payments, but did not participate in it, paid more than customers who were unaware of the competition. Further experiments provide confirmatory and process evidence for this contagion effect, showing that it is driven by heightened social comparison motivation due to mere awareness of the competition. Moreover, we find evidence that the reward level for the competitors could moderate the contagion effect on the noncompetitors. Even if an individual does not participate in a competition, their behavior can still be influenced by it, and this influence can change with the characteristics of the competition in an intriguing way.

As fronteiras da pesquisa antropológica: Ética, Autonomia e Tráfico de Órgãos. Um comentário a The Global Traffic in Human Organs, de Nancy Scheper-Hughes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debora Diniz

2001-02-01

Full Text Available O debate sobre os fundamentos éticos da comercialização de partes do corpo humano cresce a cada dia na bioética. Este artigo discute os princípios da ética e da autonomia contidos no mais importante estudo etnográfico sobre o tráfico internacional de órgãos, trabalho coordenado pela antropóloga Nancy Scheper-Hughes. O artigo mostra que a defesa da ética da não-comercialização exige o reconhecimento de fundamentos absolutos e inalienáveis para o ser humano, um pressuposto político cuja legitimidade os antropólogos relativistas resistem em reconhecer.

Competition: Was Kohn Right?

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, David Light; Bredemeier, Brenda Light

2010-01-01

Alfie Kohn made the case for competition being destructive to education. The truth may be that there are two separate ways to contest: true competition, which is a healthy desire to excel, and decompetition, which is the unhealthy desire merely to beat the opponent. Decompetition leads to the ills that Kohn enumerated. Educators should teach their…

The Literature of Competitive Intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Thomas D.

1994-01-01

Describes competitive intelligence (CI) literature in terms of its location, quantity, authorship, length, and problems of bibliographic access. Highlights include subject access; competitive intelligence research; espionage and security; monographs; and journals. (21 references) (LRW)

Green competitiveness research on Chinese automotive enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanhui Li

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: More and more executives of automobileindustry in China start to recognize the concept of green competitiveness recently. However, relatively less research attention has been devoted to the consideration of measurement. This paper aims to find empirical approach to quantify green competitiveness for automotive enterprises. The connotation of green competitiveness is explored and one suite of evaluation index system has been proposed with four dimensions including environmental, resource, capability and knowledge.Design/methodology/approach: By introducing the factor analysis method, green competitiveness has been measured through an empirical analysis of 24 automotive enterprises within China.Findings: The results indicate that those elements, such as enterprise resource possession and utilization; environment, responsibility and knowledge; profitability; management efficiency, have significant effect on the green competitiveness for automotive enterprises. The further analysis also unveils the advantages and disadvantages of green competitiveness for each company and the direction for improvement.Research limitations/implications: Guide regulators and managers of automobile industry to take some measures to enhance their green competitive advantage.Practical implications: Provide practical methods to measure green competitiveness for automotive enterprises.Originality/value: This paper proposes an evaluation index system of green competitiveness for automotive enterprises. The suggestions of our research will be beneficial to enterprise executives and industry regulators.

Measuring Competition: Inconsistent Definitions, Inconsistent Results

Science.gov (United States)

Linick, Matthew Allen

2014-01-01

There is a developing literature examining how charter schools, through the effects of competition, impact performance in public school districts and district-run public schools, also known as the second-level effects of competition. What follows is an examination of how competition is measured in this literature that offers a critique of existing…

The relationship between social support and health-related quality of life in patients with antiphospholipid (hughes) syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgopoulou, Sofia; Efraimidou, Sofia; MacLennan, Sara Jane; Ibrahim, Fowzia; Cox, Thomas

2018-01-01

Antiphospholipid (Hughes) syndrome (APS) is recognised as a systemic autoimmune disease defined by recurrent thromboembolic events and/or pregnancy morbidity. Little is known about the psychological burden of this long-term condition. This study aims to explore the relationship between social support and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with APS. A total of 270 patients with a clinical diagnosis of APS participated in a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey. Data included demographics, disease-related information, social support and HRQoL. Both perceived and ideal social support were associated with HRQoL in APS. Patients reported receiving insufficient social support. Perceived emotional support was related to physical functioning (B = 7.77, p = .006, 95% CI: 2.25, 13.29); perceived instrumental support was associated with bodily pain (B = 17.52, p support with physical and social functioning (B = -6.30, p = .05, 95% CI: -12.52, -0.08; B = 8.06, p = .02, 95% CI: 1.17, 14.94). Ideal emotional support was related to physical and social functioning (B = 5.80, p = .04, 95% CI: 0.26, 11.34; B = 7.53, p = .04, 95% CI: 0.55, 14.51); ideal instrumental support was associated with mental health (B = 4.73, p = .03, 95% CI: 0.38, 9.07) and ideal informational support with vitality (B = 5.85, p = .01, 95% CI: 1.23, 10.46). Social support was linked to HRQoL in patients with APS. Insufficient social support was associated with limitations in various HRQoL domains. Increasing social support especially through provision of disease-specific education might contribute to improving HRQoL in patients with APS. Patient-tailored interventions addressing psychosocial aspects of living with APS are needed to improve patients' psychological and physical status.

Competition Fosters Trust

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huck, Steffen; Lünser, Gabriele; Tyran, Jean-Robert Karl

2012-01-01

We study the effects of reputation and competition in a trust game. If trustees are anonymous, outcomes are poor: trustees are not trustworthy, and trustors do not trust. If trustees are identifiable and can, hence, build a reputation, efficiency quadruples but is still at only a third of the first...... best. Adding more information by granting trustors access to all trustees' complete history has, somewhat surprisingly, no effect. On the other hand, we find that competition, coupled with some minimal information, eliminates the trust problem almost completely...

FLEXIBLE BUDGET OF SPORT COMPETITIONS

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Dragan Vukasović

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Manager of sport competition has right to decide and also to take responsibility for costs, income and financial results. From economic point of wiev flexible budget and planning cost calculations is top management base for analyzing success level of sport competition. Flexible budget is made before sport competition with few output level, where one is always from static plan-master plan. At the end of competition when we have results, we make report of plan executing and we also analyzing plan variances. Results of comparation between achieved and planning level of static budget can be acceptable if achieved level is approximate to budget level or if we analyzing results from gross or net income. Flexible budget become very important in case of world eco- nomic crises

Knowledge management and Competitive Intelligenge: designing competitiveness and innovation strategies to small business

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Cassia Aparecida Corsatto

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The present paper´s intention was make a presentation about the concepts and definitions of knowledge management and competitive intelligence search in the current bibliography and draw a parallel about their real possibility of application in the small business context. By the way, the main intention was bring the discussion to the relevance of the knowledge management to make and applied competitiveness strategies in this enterprise, another intention was show others elements and tools to support the application of this strategies inside the organization. This elements are: person and process. This elements are: person and process and they have a essential importance to create an internal enterprise knowledge, to create and maintain the information organized to keep the organizations with more appropriate information witch will support the way to formulated strategies and make decisions. It also intend to show tolls and methodologies to help organizations improved the competitive intelligence`s strategies as a way to increase competitiveness and value creation for customers and market.

Review of the BCI Competition IV

Science.gov (United States)

Tangermann, Michael; Müller, Klaus-Robert; Aertsen, Ad; Birbaumer, Niels; Braun, Christoph; Brunner, Clemens; Leeb, Robert; Mehring, Carsten; Miller, Kai J.; Müller-Putz, Gernot R.; Nolte, Guido; Pfurtscheller, Gert; Preissl, Hubert; Schalk, Gerwin; Schlögl, Alois; Vidaurre, Carmen; Waldert, Stephan; Blankertz, Benjamin

2012-01-01

The BCI competition IV stands in the tradition of prior BCI competitions that aim to provide high quality neuroscientific data for open access to the scientific community. As experienced already in prior competitions not only scientists from the narrow field of BCI compete, but scholars with a broad variety of backgrounds and nationalities. They include high specialists as well as students. The goals of all BCI competitions have always been to challenge with respect to novel paradigms and complex data. We report on the following challenges: (1) asynchronous data, (2) synthetic, (3) multi-class continuous data, (4) session-to-session transfer, (5) directionally modulated MEG, (6) finger movements recorded by ECoG. As after past competitions, our hope is that winning entries may enhance the analysis methods of future BCIs. PMID:22811657

Impact of CRM on the competitiveness level of ICT services in Croatian service providers

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Dražen Alerić

2007-07-01

Full Text Available This paper proves a higher competitiveness of ICT service providers who utilize CRM versus the providers who do not. The study of observed participating ICT service providers in Croatia proves that the value added of the services incorporating CRM is more competitive than the same services but without CRM. There is also stronger demand from clients for the services enriched with CRM. Increased service competitiveness generated by CRM utilization raises the company’s general competitiveness. A systematic application of CRM creates a long-lasting relationship between clients and providers and thus enables high-quality long-term term solutions to client demands. CRM represents the value added that raises the level of service competitiveness and makes the service provider unique and recognizable among numerous competitors. Consequently, the satisfaction of clients with the provider and their preference for the same provider result in higher client loyalty. A service company that incorporates CRM in its practices has a higher success rate in fulfilling its mission and attaining goals in accordance with the marketing philosophy.

Competition triggers plasmid-mediated enhancement of substrate utilisation in Pseudomonas putida.

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Hiren Joshi

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Competition between species plays a central role in the activity and structure of communities. Stable co-existence of diverse organisms in communities is thought to be fostered by individual tradeoffs and optimization of competitive strategies along resource gradients. Outside the laboratory, microbes exist as multispecies consortia, continuously interacting with one another and the environment. Survival and proliferation of a particular species is governed by its competitive fitness. Therefore, bacteria must be able to continuously sense their immediate environs for presence of competitors and prevailing conditions. Here we present results of our investigations on a novel competition sensing mechanism in the rhizosphere-inhabiting Pseudomonas putida KT2440, harbouring gfpmut3b-modified Kan(R TOL plasmid. We monitored benzyl alcohol (BA degradation rate, along with GFP expression profiling in mono species and dual species cultures. Interestingly, enhanced plasmid expression (monitored using GFP expression and consequent BA degradation were observed in dual species consortia, irrespective of whether the competitor was a BA degrader (Pseudomonas aeruginosa or a non-degrader (E. coli. Attempts at elucidation of the mechanistic aspects of induction indicated the role of physical interaction, but not of any diffusible compounds emanating from the competitors. This contention is supported by the observation that greater induction took place in presence of increasing number of competitors. Inert microspheres mimicking competitor cell size and concentration did not elicit any significant induction, further suggesting the role of physical cell-cell interaction. Furthermore, it was also established that cell wall compromised competitor had minimal induction capability. We conclude that P. putida harbouring pWW0 experience a competitive stress when grown as dual-species consortium, irrespective of the counterpart being BA degrader or not. The immediate

THE EFFECT OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AND HUMAN ADVANTAGE ON INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVE STRATEGY (Case Study: SMIs in Gorontalo Province

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Trifandi Lasalewo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Small and Medium Industries (SMIs have a strategic role in the Indonesian economy, as they earn 61.9 percent of the foreign exchange which goes to make up the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, and nationally they are able to absorb 97 percent of the workforce. The Global Competitiveness Report also notes that SMIs serve as the business units that affect every nation’s competitiveness. Considering this strategic role, the selection of a competitive strategy for these SMIs is absolutely necessary. Through an in-depth literature review, this study aims to explore what variables influence the competitive strategy of industries, particularly the SMIs. By using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR with a total of 31 main literature (articles, papers and books, this study has found two dominant factors that influence industrial competitive strategy: Competitive advantage and human advantage, which are subsequently developed into six independent variables (construct variables, i.e. cost, delivery, product quality, product variety, know-how and innovativeness, with a total of 44 indicators. The results of measurements of the sample of SMIs in Gorontalo Province, using Structural Equation Modeling, found that both competitive advantage and human advantage jointly influence 40.2 percent of the industrial competitive strategies. These results indicate that competitive strategies, such as creating products with unique features, on-time delivery, flexibility in production, and employee involvement in the innovations, are indispensable to SMIs in order for them to produce quality products and be able to maintain their advantage.

13 CFR 313.8 - Competitive process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Competitive process. 313.8 Section... § 313.8 Competitive process. (a) Applications for assistance to develop a Strategic Plan or for an implementation grant shall be reviewed by EDA in accord with a competitive process as set forth in the applicable...

TEAM-like workshops in related areas: cooperation in modeling for competitive industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, L. R.

1999-01-01

The TEAM Workshops originated from problems in fusion research. Based on recent observations regarding automotive modeling, the author asks whether TEAM-like workshops, and the accompanying cooperation among modelers, are of value in areas of economic competition

COMPETITIVENESS OF DEFENSE INDUSTRY IN TURKEY

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Hakki BILGEN

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Turkey has created some opportunities for the organisations in the defense industry to generate a suitable business and to ensure its sustainability. The domestic coverage ratio of defense system need in 2010 is aimed as 50%. To achieve this target depends on the defense industry competitiveness. In this study, the development plans, strategies and foreign trade are examined. Its contribution which has an important place in the research and development investment, is not at the level expected in Turkey’s economy. Turkey occupies 47th position in World Competitiveness Scoreboard, and 61st position in Global Competitiveness Index in 2009. The index factors are investigated to understand the competitiveness according to the Porter’s diamond model, applied in Turkey for the first time. As a result, the competitiveness analysis of Turkish defense industry is carried out and its global place and competitive advantage are exposed. Therefore, a framework is made to introduce a guide for decision-making by using a widely-accepted model, and to contribute to the plans and strategies

Energy's role in industrial competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

At a conference on the role of energy in industrial competitiveness, papers were presented on the energy consumer's perspective on energy issues in the mineral and food industries, global perspectives on the role of energy in industrial competitiveness, a supplier's perspective on energy issues in the oil/gas and electric industries, perspectives on environmental issues including climate change, and international partnerships for industrial competitiveness, notably in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe. Separate abstracts have been prepared for 15 papers from this conference

Monopolistic Competition, International Trade and Firm Heterogeneity - a Life Cycle Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jørgen Drud; Kvedaras, Virmantas; Nielsen, Jørgen Ulff-Møller

This paper presents a dynamic international trade model based on monopolistic competition, where observed intra-industry differences at a given point in time reflect different stages of the firm's life cycle. New product varieties of still higher quality enter the market every period rendering old...

Logo competition

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2013-01-01

Award of the prizes The price ceremony for the Staff Association’s new logo competition which took place on Friday 1st March at 5 p.m. was a big success. The first prize, an Ezee Suisse electric bike, was won by Paulo Rios, from Portugal. In his absence, the bike was handed to his brother Vitor. The other five winners of the competition also received their prize: Go Sport vouchers. A peize draw was then organized to award 22 other participants with prizes offered by our commercial partners (Aquaparc, BCGE, L’Occitane, Passeport Gourmand, Sephora, Theater La Comédie de Genève), whom we would like to warmly thank. After all prices were distributed the evening continued with discussions around a friendly drink.

Competitive Reactions to Advertising and Promotion Attacks

OpenAIRE

Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp; Vincent R. Nijs; Dominique M. Hanssens; Marnik G. Dekimpe

2005-01-01

How do competitors react to each other's price-promotion and advertising attacks? What are the reasons for the observed reaction behavior? We answer these questions by performing a large-scale empirical study on the short-run and long-run reactions to promotion and advertising shocks in over 400 consumer product categories over a four-year time span. Our results clearly show that the most predominant form of competitive response is passive in nature. When a reaction does occur, it is usually ...

Competitiveness in Emerging Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book presents a collection of interrelated research advances in the field of technological entrepreneurship from the perspective of competition in emerging markets. Featuring contributions by scholars from different fields of interest, it provides a mix of theoretical developments, insights...... and research methods used to uncover the unexplored aspects of competitiveness in emerging markets in an age characterized by disruptive technologies....

DISSONANCE AND CONSONANCE BETWEEN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OANA CRISTINA POPOVICI

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to identify to what extent the notions of organizational and regional competitiveness are similar, in order to be targeted by a comprehensive set of public policy measures. In this respect, we discuss the notions of organizations’ and regional competitiveness and find common factors of influence, namely innovation, networks and regulation. Based on these factors, we search for empirical evidences as regards the mutual impact between the competitiveness of organizations and competitiveness of regions. We present the results using the example of foreign direct investment companies, as their location decision making process is based on assessing both the competitiveness of organizations and the advantages of locations that point to the competitiveness of a location and, extended, to that of a region. While the dissonance is expressed in the differences of interpretation for the two notions, there is a consonant policy that can be employed for supporting both organizational and regional competitiveness: the cluster policy.

Marketing mix and competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anđelković Slobodan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Competitiveness cannot simply be viewed as a country's ability to export or generate trade surpluses, since these can be brought about at least temporarily by means of artificially lowering the exchange rate and/or compressing domestic expenditures, as has been done in recent years by many DC that have tried to adjust to diminished resource availability. Authors standpoint is that international competitiveness requires creating comparative advantage where it does not exist, and requires action on several levels including an emerging consensus on the importance of macroeconomic policy, role and accountability of the government as well as the imperative of developing and internalizing technology body of knowledge for achieving competitiveness. Particular attention is given to the role and impact of marketing instruments marketing mix.

Are high labour costs destroying the competitiveness of danish dairy farmers?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asmild, Mette; Nielsen, Kurt; Bogetoft, Peter

of e¿ciency scores in di¿erent countries to assess their relative competitiveness. To analyze the e¿ect of labour costs we apply two di¿erent DEA models; one including the labour input as hours worked and the other including labour costs. This way we capture the e¿ect of labour costs on the di......This paper analysis the competitiveness of Danish dairy farmers relative to dairy farmers in other Northern European countries. We use individual farm accounts data from the European Commission’s Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) and have an average of 1665 observations per year in the period...

Dietary Intake of Competitive Bodybuilders.

Science.gov (United States)

Spendlove, Jessica; Mitchell, Lachlan; Gifford, Janelle; Hackett, Daniel; Slater, Gary; Cobley, Stephen; O'Connor, Helen

2015-07-01

Competitive bodybuilders are well known for extreme physique traits and extremes in diet and training manipulation to optimize lean mass and achieve a low body fat. Although many of the dietary dogmas in bodybuilding lack scientific scrutiny, a number, including timing and dosing of high biological value proteins across the day, have more recently been confirmed as effective by empirical research studies. A more comprehensive understanding of the dietary intakes of bodybuilders has the potential to uncover other dietary approaches, deserving of scientific investigation, with application to the wider sporting, and potential health contexts, where manipulation of physique traits is desired. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of dietary intake practices of competitive bodybuilders, evaluate the quality and currency of the existing literature, and identify research gaps to inform future studies. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted from the earliest record until March 2014. The search combined permutations of the terms 'bodybuilding', 'dietary intake', and 'dietary supplement'. Included studies needed to report quantitative data (energy and macronutrients at a minimum) on habitual dietary intake of competitive bodybuilders. The 18 manuscripts meeting eligibility criteria reported on 385 participants (n = 62 women). Most studies were published in the 1980-1990s, with three published in the past 5 years. Study methodological quality was evaluated as poor. Energy intake ranged from 10 to 24 MJ/day for men and from 4 to 14 MJ/day for women. Protein intake ranged from 1.9 to 4.3 g/kg for men and from 0.8 to 2.8 g/kg for women. Intake of carbohydrate and fat was 6 months from competition) or immediate post-competition period and lowest during competition preparation (≤6 months from competition) or competition week. The most commonly reported dietary supplements were protein powders/liquids and amino acids. The studies failed to provide

Competition Fosters Trust

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huck, Steffen; Ruchala, Gabriele K.; Tyran, Jean-Robert

We study the effects of reputation and competition in a stylized market for experience goods. If interaction is anonymous, such markets perform poorly: sellers are not trustworthy, and buyers do not trust sellers. If sellers are identifiable and can, hence, build a reputation, efficiency quadruples...... but is still at only a third of the first best. Adding more information by granting buyers access to all sellers’ complete history has, somewhat surprisingly, no effect. On the other hand, we find that competition, coupled with some minimal information, eliminates the trust problem almost completely...

COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS - SCENARIOS METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Valeriu

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Keeping a company in the top performing players in the relevant market depends not only on its ability to develop continually, sustainably and balanced, to the standards set by the customer and competition, but also on the ability to protect its strategic information and to know in advance the strategic information of the competition. In addition, given that economic markets, regardless of their profile, enable interconnection not only among domestic companies, but also between domestic companies and foreign companies, the issue of economic competition moves from the national economies to the field of interest of regional and international economic organizations. The stakes for each economic player is to keep ahead of the competition and to be always prepared to face market challenges. Therefore, it needs to know as early as possible, how to react to others’ strategy in terms of research, production and sales. If a competitor is planning to produce more and cheaper, then it must be prepared to counteract quickly this movement. Competitive intelligence helps to evaluate the capabilities of competitors in the market, legally and ethically, and to develop response strategies. One of the main goals of the competitive intelligence is to acknowledge the role of early warning and prevention of surprises that could have a major impact on the market share, reputation, turnover and profitability in the medium and long term of a company. This paper presents some aspects of competitive intelligence, mainly in terms of information analysis and intelligence generation. Presentation is theoretical and addresses a structured method of information analysis - scenarios method – in a version that combines several types of analysis in order to reveal some interconnecting aspects of the factors governing the activity of a company.

[Risk of injury in and adolescent and junior competitive karate].

Science.gov (United States)

Müller-Rath, R; Miltner, O; Mamarvar, M; Mumme, T

2005-12-01

Increasing professionalism in competitive karate has led to a specific injury pattern. The aim of our study was to investigate the injury pattern in junior competitive karate and to evaluate the prophylactic effect of fist padding. During the 4 (th) Junior World Championships of the World Karate Confederation (WKC) 2004 235 karate fights were observed and injury-related data were recorded. Fist padding was used in 183 fights, 52 fights were carried out without. In 22 % of all fights we saw an injury. Most of them were mild injuries of the head and face: 32 bruises of the face (13 with epistaxis), 7 facial lacerations and 3 concussions (mild brain injury). 14 fights were stopped due to an injury. Only in the category male 18 - 20 years a higher rate of injuries was seen without fist padding (shobu ippon) compared to shobu sanbon (with fist padding). The injury pattern of junior competitive karate is comparable to senior karate. Fist padding does not generally reduce the incidence or severity of injuries.

INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF PORTER DIAMOND DETERMINANTS FOR COMPETITIVENESS IN MSMEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manjeet Kharub

2016-09-01

Full Text Available After the globalization of market the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs got numerous opportunities to work in integration with large-scale organizations. Competitive advantage plays a significant role in deciding how organizations can exploit theses opportunities. So, the aim of this paper is to measure the competitive advantage of MSMEs based upon the Porter's diamond model framework. A welldesigned questionnaire is used to collect data about the various determinants of the model. Based upon the frequency of responses, percent point score (PPS of each casual variable was calculated. By reviewing the result of this study, it is observed that competitiveness among MSME's sectors is mostly affected by market value. As is indicated by maximum PPS score e.g. 68%, followed by highly educated personnel, production and process technology (62%, further study results indicate that there is a need to increase clusters i.e. related and supported industries as depicted by low score (PPS=49%.

DEVELOPING AND INSTRUCTING PRE-PERFORMANCE ROUTINES FOR TENPIN BOWLING COMPETITIONS (1).

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seungmin; Lee, Keunchul; Kwon, Sungho

2015-06-01

This preliminary study developed pre-performance routines for tenpin bowlers and instructed them. To develop the routine, the situations before throwing the ball were divided into four phases; participants were examined through interviews and observations. This study used an A-B design; the A stage included the development of the routines for 3 wk., while the B stage included the instruction and two evaluations of the routine consistency. Practice was implemented for 4 hr. per day for 9 wk. The participants noted they understood the developed routine easily and experienced an atmosphere similar to that of a competition during training through the routines. They found it difficult to practice the relaxation phase, but emphasized that the relaxation phase was helpful. Consistent routines were associated with an improved mental state and performance in a competition. This study suggests that pre-performance routines stabilize the mental state of the athletes, apparently giving them a competitive advantage.

Research on Development Mode of Foreign Competitive Basketball

Science.gov (United States)

Xianjiang, Zhou; Bin, Zong; Xianwu, Wu

Adopting literature material method, survey and comparative method, the paper studies foreign competitive basketball, foreign competitive basketball on behalf of the State management system model, competitive basketball reserve personnel training and development mode system. Rely on different powers of the foreign competitive basketball from amateur to professional development; different modes of foreign competitive basketball management system; foreign competitive basketball back-up personnel training mode, the model on school training in America and other countries, mainly the club training mode in European countries; foreign model of development of competitive basketball, different from social guidance, in the combination operation mode of market regulation and government administrative intervention.

Does competition improve health care quality?

Science.gov (United States)

Scanlon, Dennis P; Swaminathan, Shailender; Lee, Woolton; Chernew, Michael

2008-12-01

To identify the effect of competition on health maintenance organizations' (HMOs) quality measures. Longitudinal analysis of a 5-year panel of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey(R) (CAHPS) data (calendar years 1998-2002). All plans submitting data to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) were included regardless of their decision to allow NCQA to disclose their results publicly. NCQA, Interstudy, the Area Resource File, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fixed-effects models were estimated that relate HMO competition to HMO quality controlling for an unmeasured, time-invariant plan, and market traits. Results are compared with estimates from models reliant on cross-sectional variation. Estimates suggest that plan quality does not improve with increased levels of HMO competition (as measured by either the Herfindahl index or the number of HMOs). Similarly, increased HMO penetration is generally not associated with improved quality. Cross-sectional models tend to suggest an inverse relationship between competition and quality. The strategies that promote competition among HMOs in the current market setting may not lead to improved HMO quality. It is possible that price competition dominates, with purchasers and consumers preferring lower premiums at the expense of improved quality, as measured by HEDIS and CAHPS. It is also possible that the fragmentation associated with competition hinders quality improvement.

Exhibitionist Eating: Who Wins Eating Competitions?

Science.gov (United States)

Wansink, Brian; Kniffin, Kevin M

2016-01-01

How and why does competition and spectator involvement influence eating behaviors? The primary objective of this article is to explore the nature of competitive eating with the goal of identifying implications for other social situations. Study 1 investigated how many chicken wings were eaten by men and women in a 30-min eating competition when cheering spectators either were or were not present (compared to a control condition). The second study sought to explain Study 1's findings through a survey of 93 students who rated male or female competitive eaters (in randomized order) based on intelligence, attractiveness, health, strength, and how romantic they expected the eaters to be. Exploratory findings show competitive eaters ate approximately four times as many chicken wings as a similar control group, and the presence of a cheering audience further increased wing consumption for males (but decreased consumption for females). Study 2 suggests part of the over-performance of males may be related to a shared positive perception that competitive male eaters are strong and virile. Even in relatively low-stakes environments, competitive visibility may dramatically increase how much males eat. These preliminary results help illuminate recent discoveries that males overeat in various social situations where there are opportunities for men to "show off." This may have relevance for dining behavior - especially among younger males - at parties, banquets, group dinners, and similar social situations.

Competition in Healthcare: Good, Bad or Ugly?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Goddard

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The role of competition in healthcare is much debated. Despite a wealth of international experience in relation to competition, evidence is mixed and contested and the debate about the potential role for competition is often polarised. This paper considers briefly some of the reasons for this, focusing on what is meant by “competition in healthcare” and why it is more valuable to think about the circumstances in which competition is more and less likely to be a good tool to achieve benefits, rather than whether or not it is “good” or “bad,” per se.

Marketing research model of competitive environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krasilya Dmitriy

2015-11-01

Full Text Available To support its competitive advantages in current market conditions, each company needs to choose better ways of guaranteeing its favorable competitive position. In this regard, considerable interest lies in the structuring and algorithmization of marketing research processes that provide the information background of such choice. The article is devoted to modeling the process of marketing research of competitive environment.

7 CFR 550.46 - Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Competition. 550.46 Section 550.46 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF...

The competition for supplier resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pulles, Niels Jaring

2014-01-01

Suppliers can have a major influence on the overall competitiveness of a firm. When firms lack certain capabilities or resources within their own organization, collaborations with suppliers can help them to acquire these resources and capabilities externally and improve competitive advantage.

International Symposium on Tick-Borne Arboviruses (Excluding Group B)

Science.gov (United States)

1963-01-01

observed relationships on which these groups, are based vary in degree. In the Ganjam , Kaisodi and Uukuniemi groups, for example, the members are distantly...estimated diameters as follows: Chen- uda and Kemerovo, about 60 to 80 mp; Bhanja, CTF, Ganjam , Hughes, Kaisodi, Mutucare, Quaranfil, Silverwater...Cal Ar 883 Ganjam IG 619 Qalyub Eg Ar 370 Grand Arbaud Argas 27 Quaranfil Eg Ar 1095 Hazara JC 280 Sawgrass TA 14-64A-1247 Hughes Dry Tortugas Seletar

Competition between bank regulators

OpenAIRE

Schindler, Dirk; Eggert, Wolfgang

2004-01-01

This paper examines competition between bank regulators in open economies. We use a model where credit demand of firms is endogenous and show any tendency for downward competition in regulation policy is limited by the effect of regulation on profits of nonfinancial firms. Moreover, perfect mobility on loans and deposit markets fully eliminates the incentives of regulators to set bank regulation at ine±cient low levels.

Aviation Competition: Challenges in Enhancing Competition in Dominated Markets

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hecker, Jayetta

2001-01-01

... reductions in fares and expansion of service. These benefits are largely attributable to increased competition--by the entry of both new airlines into the industry and established airlines into new markets...

Evidence for a synchronization of hormonal states between humans and dogs during competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Buttner, Alicia Phillips; Thompson, Breanna; Strasser, Rosemary; Santo, Jonathan

2015-08-01

Social interactions with humans have been shown to influence hormonal processes in dogs, but it is unclear how the hormonal states of humans factor into this relationship. In this study, we explored the associations between changes in the cortisol levels of dogs with humans' hormonal changes, behavior, and perceptions of their performance at an agility competition. A total of 58 dogs and their handlers (44 women, 14 men) provided saliva samples before and after competing. Dogs' saliva samples were later assayed for cortisol and humans' samples for cortisol and testosterone. Following the competition, handler-dog interactions were observed for affiliative and punitive behavior towards their dogs, and handlers completed questionnaires that included personal ratings of their performance. Structural equation modeling revealed that elevations in handlers' cortisol levels were associated with increases in their dogs' cortisol levels. Handlers' affiliative and punitive behaviors towards their dogs following competition were associated with their ratings of their performance, but these variables were unrelated to changes in their own cortisol levels and their dogs', implying their behavior did not mediate the relationship. These findings suggest that changes in the hormonal states were reflected between humans and their dogs, and this relationship was not due to handlers' perceptions of their performance or the behaviors we observed during post-competition social interactions. This study is one of the first to provide evidence for a synchronization of hormonal changes between species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk diversification and tax competition : the influence of risk correlations and tax provisions on tax competition

OpenAIRE

Berndt, Markus; Reichl, Bettina

2000-01-01

From standard-portfolio-models the authors derive demand elasticities for risky assets, and combine the results with a simple non-cooperative model of tax competition between capital importing countries. They find that tax rates resulting from tax competition depend heavily on the correlations of capital market indices. If investment alternatives are not correlated, the outcome of both tax competition and a cooperative solution of tax harmonization are identical. The results suggest regional ...

Towards a universal definition of competitive intelligence

OpenAIRE

Rene Pellissier; Tshilidzi E. Nenzhelele

2013-01-01

Background: Enterprises face intense competition caused by globalisation. Consequently, enterprises look for tools that provide a competitive advantage. Competitive intelligence (CI) provides a competitive advantage to enterprises of all sizes. There are many definitions of CI but no universally accepted one. Objectives: The purpose of this research is to review the current literature on CI with the aim of identifying and analysing CI definitions to establish the commonalities and differen...

Public health care providers and market competition: the case of Finnish occupational health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Kankaanpää, Eila; Linnosmaa, Ismo; Valtonen, Hannu

2011-02-01

As reforms in publicly funded health systems rely heavily on competition, it is important to know if and how public providers react to competition. In many European countries, it is empirically difficult to study public providers in different markets, but in Finnish occupational health services, both public and private for-profit and non-profit providers co-exist. We studied possible differences in public providers' performance (price, intensity of services, service mix-curative medical services/prevention, productivity and revenues) according to the competitiveness of the market. The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) collected data on clients, services and personnel for 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2004 from occupational health services (OHS) providers. Employers defray the costs of OHS and apply for reimbursement from the Social Insurance Institution (SII). The SII data was merged with FIOH's questionnaire. The unbalanced panel consisted of about 230 public providers, totalling 1,164 observations. Local markets were constructed from several municipalities based on commuting practices and regional collaboration. Competitiveness of the market was measured by the number of providers and by the Herfindahl index. The effect of competition was studied by ordinary least square regression analysis and panel models. The more competitive the environment was for a public provider the higher were intensity, productivity and the share of medical care. Fixed panel models showed that these differences were not due to differences and changes in the competitiveness of the market. Instead, in more competitive markets public providers had higher unit prices and higher revenues.

Sustainability and Competitiveness in Australian Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Hu

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This study injects sustainability into competitiveness to inform policy making and planning for contemporary urban development. This is built upon the recent advancement in the scholarship on urban competitiveness that demonstrates a clear deviation from an economic-centric approach to incorporate multiple dimensions of a city’s progress. This study has an explicit concern for environmental sustainability and its relationship with urban competitiveness and their conceptual and methodological articulations. Empirically, this study measures the sustainability and competitiveness in Australian cities and reveals that Australia’s urban progress is clearly associated with an environmental cost. The findings are useful to inform policy making and planning for building sustainable and competitive cities. Apart from the conventional solutions that focus on urban form change and transport infrastructure improvement, this study suggests a need to explore the opportunities deriving from the emerging smart city planning and practice.

DOE Collegiate Wind Competition (Presentation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, J.

2014-02-01

This presentation for the January Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach webinar outlines the expanded need for workers in the wind industry and provides an overview of the DOE Wind Competition (to be held in May 2014) and the guiding principles of the competition.

Dimensions of Real-World Competition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buch-Hansen, Hubert

2014-01-01

academic disciplines, with a particular focus on historical materialist political economy. Competition is conceptualised as a social relation, and the paper outlines how competition interacts with numerous other mechanisms to produce a variety of outcomes. Specifically, Roy Bhaskar’s concept of the social...

45 CFR 74.43 - Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Competition. 74.43 Section 74.43 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARDS...

45 CFR 2543.43 - Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Competition. 2543.43 Section 2543.43 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE...

Competitive Advantage through Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brem, Alexander; Maier, Maximilian; Wimschneider, Christine

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how Nespresso achieved competitive advantage through innovation by changing the rules of the game in its industry. Design/methodology/approach Nespresso was analyzed based on public available secondary data, in combination with related academic...... concepts on innovation and competitive advantage. Findings The company succeeded by the thorough application of a strategy that, through perfect alignment, allowed the company to reach a unique market position. However, as described in the case, it took a relatively long time and the company came close...... as a source for competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications Especially given the current market situation, the case offers different starting points for discussion about innovation and long-term company success. Practical implications Especially before the current market situation, the case...

Endogenous, Imperfectly Competitive Business Cycles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Whitta-Jacobsen, Hans Jørgen

We investigate how imperfect competition affects the occurrence and the properties of endogenous, rational expectations business cycles in an overlapping generations model with constant returns to scale in production. The model has explicit product and labor markets all characterized...... by monopolistic competition. An implicit assumption of barriers to entry justifies that the number of firms is fixed even when positive profits occur. It turns out that both market power of firms on the product markets and market power of unions on the labor markets make the occurrence of cycles more likely....... In particular, imperfect competition on the product markets and the positive profits associated with it may have the effect that there is a cycle even if the labor supply curve is increasing in the real-wage rate. For competitive cycles is required not only a decreasing labor supply curve, but a wage elasticity...

COMPETITIVENESS - KEY ISSUES OF THE ROMANIAN ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela-Liliana, CIOBAN

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Based on the theory that competitiveness plays an increasingly powerful role in creating prosperity, wealth, a large number of economists, researchers, scientists, highlight a number of approaches aimed, on the one hand, on the analysis of competitiveness at national or regional level, and on the other hand, on the ability of local firms to achieve competitive products and to commercialize them in the extern markets. In this context we aim to analyze and develop strategies and methods to help identify competitive areas at a national level. This is necessary because in our opinion the competitiveness of a company and / or country is more than wealth itself; it means a systematic process of wealth creation, plus a social system in which most citizens have access to material wealth. We consider in this respect that a country cannot automatically be considered competitive only if it is rich in natural resources. In our view, a competitive country creates wealth through labor, talent and organization and thus it manages to have a productive and creative potential making it independent of material resources.

Competitiveness as an Indicator of Sustainable Development of Tourism: Applying Destination Competitiveness Indicators to Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wondowossen, T.A.; Nakagoshi, N.; Yukio, Y.; Jongman, R.H.G.; Dawit, A.Z.

2014-01-01

Competitiveness can be applied to predict the economic sustainability of tourism in destinations which has been measured in terms of leakages and linkage related to employment and income generation opportunities to the destinations. This article examines destination competitiveness of Ethiopia based

Phase transitions in multiplicative competitive processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimazaki, Hideaki; Niebur, Ernst

2005-01-01

We introduce a discrete multiplicative process as a generic model of competition. Players with different abilities successively join the game and compete for finite resources. Emergence of dominant players and evolutionary development occur as a phase transition. The competitive dynamics underlying this transition is understood from a formal analogy to statistical mechanics. The theory is applicable to bacterial competition, predicting novel population dynamics near criticality

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE

OpenAIRE

PRUNEA Ana Daniela

2014-01-01

Rapid changes in market characteristics and the technological innovations are common and faster challenges, resulting in products, processes and technologies. The competitive advantage is volatile, difficult to obtain and more difficult to maintain and strengthened with consumers who through their individual choices polarization confirms the recognition performance and award competitive advantages, thus causing the competitive ranking of companies present in a particular market. The competiti...

Properties of sports competitions and relation to market value

OpenAIRE

Tribušon , Matic

2018-01-01

Sports are a very popular type of entertainment around the world. Consequently, they have become very important from a business perspective. In this thesis, we research the influence of sports competition competitive balance on its market value. The aim is to determine the competitive balance of various sports competitions and explore the correlation between competitive balance and market value of sports competitions. We propose a method for assessing competitive balance of an arbitrary team ...

Product reformulation and nutritional improvements after new competitive food standards in schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahn, Jaquelyn L; Cohen, Juliana Fw; Gorski-Findling, Mary T; Hoffman, Jessica A; Rosenfeld, Lindsay; Chaffee, Ruth; Smith, Lauren; Rimm, Eric B

2018-04-01

In 2012, Massachusetts enacted school competitive food and beverage standards similar to national Smart Snacks. These standards aim to improve the nutritional quality of competitive snacks. It was previously demonstrated that a majority of foods and beverages were compliant with the standards, but it was unknown whether food manufacturers reformulated products in response to the standards. The present study assessed whether products were reformulated after standards were implemented; the availability of reformulated products outside schools; and whether compliance with the standards improved the nutrient composition of competitive snacks. An observational cohort study documenting all competitive snacks sold before (2012) and after (2013 and 2014) the standards were implemented. The sample included thirty-six school districts with both a middle and high school. After 2012, energy, saturated fat, Na and sugar decreased and fibre increased among all competitive foods. By 2013, 8 % of foods were reformulated, as were an additional 9 % by 2014. Nearly 15 % of reformulated foods were look-alike products that could not be purchased at supermarkets. Energy and Na in beverages decreased after 2012, in part facilitated by smaller package sizes. Massachusetts' law was effective in improving the nutritional content of snacks and product reformulation helped schools adhere to the law. This suggests fully implementing Smart Snacks standards may similarly improve the foods available in schools nationally. However, only some healthier reformulated foods were available outside schools.

Identifying competitive strategies to improve the performance of hospitals in a competitive environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chuan-Hui; Chiao, Yu-Ching; Tsai, Yafang

2017-11-21

This study is based on competitive dynamics theory, and discusses competitive actions (including their implementation requirements, strategic orientation, and action complexity) that influence hospitals' performance, while also meeting the requirements of Taiwan's "global budget" insurance payment policy. In order to investigate the possible actions of hospitals, the study was conducted in two stages. The first stage investigated the actions of hospitals from March 1 to May 31, 2009. Semi-structured questionnaires were used, which included in-depth interviews with senior supervisors of 10 medium- and large-scale hospitals in central Taiwan. This stage collected data related to the types of actions adopted by the hospitals in previous years. The second stage was based on the data collected from the first stage and on developed questionnaires, which were distributed from June 29 to November 1, 2009. The questionnaires were given to 20 superintendents, deputy superintendents, and supervisors responsible for the management of a hospital, and focused on medical centers and regional hospitals in central Taiwan in order to determine the types and number of competitive actions. First, the strategic orientation of an action has a significantly positive influence on subjective performance. Second, action complexity has a significantly positive influence on the subjective and the objective performance of a hospital. Third, the implementation requirements of actions do not have a significantly positive impact on the subjective or the objective performance of a hospital. Managers facing a competitive healthcare environment should adopt competitive strategies to improve the performance of the hospital.

A multicriterial analysis of national competitiveness: Evidences for a resilient economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sima Violeta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article is structured in three parts, as follows: In the first part, we summarized the different approaches of national competitiveness in the literature on the economic performance assessment, using specific indexes: Global Competitiveness Index (GCI, Ecological Performance Index (EPI, and Human Development Index (HDI, highlighting their advantages and limitations. These variables were analyzed ante-crisis and ex-crisis, assuming that the economic recession could generate some effects. Data sources are presented at the beginning of the 'Results and discussion' paragraph. Considering the diversity of the issues and the inhomogeneity of data describing those issues, GDP was used along with the four composite indicators: GCI, EPI, HDI, and Economic Resilience Index (ERI. The third part presents the main findings and their implications. Thus, a downward trend of the evolution of Romania's economic resilience index during 2008-2014 was observed. This decline appears to be due largely to the decrease in Social development sub-index and in Governance sub-index. The low level of the Romanian economy resilience is mainly explained by the low level of competitiveness and productivity of production factors. The obtained outcomes suggest that in addition to national competitiveness assessing, ERI evaluation is important because it can reveal the hidden sources of vulnerability of the economy to external shocks.

Creation of the competition's profile of Serbia as a tourism destination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ubavić Predrag

2015-01-01

Full Text Available During the last several decades tourism has more and more significant role in economic and social development of other countries, as well as in everyday life of a contemporary man. The Republic of Serbia, also, tends to use valorization of its touristic potentials to realize numerous objectives of its economic and general social development. Number of destinations that offer their tourist products on the tourist market increases, leading to intensified competition. Competitiveness is emphasized as a crucial issue in contemporary tourism, as destinations strive to be better than competitors. Observed from today's perspective we can come to a general conclusion that Serbia as a touristic destination, still hasn't taken adequate competitive position regarding other tourist destinations in the region. The aim of this paper is to point out the necessity of repositioning the present competitive position of Serbia to make it, within as short time period as possible, an attractive tourist destination on the regional and international tourist market. With adequate implementation of theoretical concepts and chosen research methods this paper is expected to enrich domestic professional literature from this field, also to point out new possibilities of Serbian tourism development to creators and those who carry out such economic and touristic politics.

Competitive intelligence awareness in the South African property sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tshilidzi Eric Nenzhelele

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The South African property sector contributes highly to job creation, alleviation of poverty and economic growth. Although South Africa has dropped in the global competitiveness ranking, the property sector of South Africa remains very competitive. To survive in a competitive business environment firms seek for tools that offer competitive advantage. It is widely reported the competitive intelligence provide firms with competitive advantage over rivals. Although the awareness of competitive intelligence has been examined in other sectors in South Africa, no study on the awareness of competitive intelligence has yet been conducted in the property sector. This study aims at establishing the extent to which property practitioners are aware of competitive intelligence

Exhibitionist eating: Who wins eating competitions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Wansink

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: How and why does competition and spectator involvement influence eating behaviors? The primary objective of this article is to explore the nature of eating competitions with the goal of identifying implications for other social situations.Design: Study 1 investigated how many chicken wings were eaten by men and women in a 30-minute eating competition when cheering spectators either were or were not present (compared to a control condition. A second study sought to explain Study 1’s findings through a survey of 93 students who rated male or female competitive eaters (in randomized order based on intelligence, attractiveness, health, strength, and how romantic they expected the eaters to be.Results: Exploratory findings show competitive eaters ate approximately four times as many chicken wings as a similar control group, and the presence of a cheering audience further increased wing consumption for males (but decreased consumption for females. Study 2 suggests part of the over-performance of males may be related to a shared positive perception that competitive male eaters are strong and virile. Conclusions: Even in relatively low-stakes environments, competitive visibility may dramatically increase how much males eat. These preliminary results help illuminate recent discoveries that males overeat in various social situations where there are opportunities for men to show off. This may have relevance for dining behavior – especially among younger males – at parties, banquets, group dinners, and similar social situations.

22 CFR 226.43 - Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Competition. 226.43 Section 226.43 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-award Requirements Procurement Standards § 226.43 Competition. All procurement transactions...

The Power Trading Agent Competition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ketter, W.; Collins, J.; Reddy, P.; Flath, C.; De Weerdt, M.M.

2011-01-01

This is the specification for the Power Trading Agent Competition for 2012 (Power TAC 2012). Power TAC is a competitive simulation that models a “liberalized” retail electrical energy market, where competing business entities or “brokers” offer energy services to customers through tariff contracts,

The Power Trading Agent Competition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W. Ketter (Wolfgang); J. Collins (John); P. Reddy (Prashant); C. Flath (Christoph); M.M. de Weerdt (Mathijs)

2011-01-01

textabstractThis is the specification for the Power Trading Agent Competition for 2012 (Power TAC 2012). Power TAC is a competitive simulation that models a “liberalized” retail electrical energy market, where competing business entities or “brokers” offer energy services to customers through tariff

Structuring the competitive advantage of printing company

OpenAIRE

Kukharuk A. D.

2013-01-01

The nature of the concept of "competitive advantage of the company" if analyzed. The concept of "structuring a competitive advantage" is suggested. The model of structuring of printing company’s competitive advantage based on fundamentals of stakeholder theory is developed.

Utility regulation and competition policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, Colin

2002-03-01

Contents: 1. The New Electricity Trading Arrangements in England and Wales: A Review - David Currie, 2. A Critique of Rail Regulation - Dieter Helm, 3. Moving to a Competitive Market in Water - Colin Robinson, 4. The New Gas Trading Arrangements - George Yarrow, 5. A Review of Privatization and Regulation Experience in Britain - Irwin M. Stelzer, 6. Converging Communications: Implications for Regulation - Mark Armstrong, 7. Opening European Electricity and Gas Markets - Graham Shuttleworth, 8. Concurrency or Convergence? Competition and Regulation Under the Competition Act 1998 - Tom Sharpe QC, 9. Ten Years of European Merger Control - Paul Seabright. (Author)

Analysis of Structural Changes and Competitiveness of East Asian Exports after the Currency Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wangjoong Kim

1999-06-01

Full Text Available This thesis analyzed the export structure and competitive relation of Eastern Asia after the economic crisis in 1997. After the crisis, the export of Eastern Asia slowed down; especially the economic stagnation of Eastern Asia resulted in the big scale decrease in export in that area. Under this situation, Eastern Asia began more and more depending on the export of America. The competition among the Eastern Asia countries takes on a fiercer situation in American market. On the other hand, observing the export competition among the Eastern Asia countries in American market around the foreign exchange crisis period in aspects such as the market share, the extent of export competition and the index of MCA, the result is that Korea has fallen behind the other countries of Asia including China. The export-oriented economy of Korea has been pinned down. Especially considering the importance of export after foreign exchange crisis, this will be a disconcerting problem.

Competition as rational action: why young children cannot appreciate competitive games.

Science.gov (United States)

Priewasser, Beate; Roessler, Johannes; Perner, Josef

2013-10-01

Understanding rational actions requires perspective taking both with respect to means and with respect to objectives. This study addresses the question of whether the two kinds of perspective taking develop simultaneously or in sequence. It is argued that evidence from competitive behavior is best suited for settling this issue. A total of 71 kindergarten children between 3 and 5 years of age participated in a competitive game of dice and were tested on two traditional false belief stories as well as on several control tasks (verbal intelligence, inhibitory control, and working memory). The frequency of competitive poaching moves in the game correlated with correct predictions of mistaken actions in the false belief task. Hierarchical linear regression after controlling for age and control variables showed that false belief understanding significantly predicted the amount of poaching moves. The results speak for an interrelated development of the capacity for "instrumental" and "telic" perspective taking. They are discussed in the light of teleology as opposed to theory use and simulation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2000 FIRST Robotics Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Purman, Richard

2000-01-01

The New Horizons Regional Education Center (NHREC) in Hampton, VA sought and received NASA funding to support its participation in the 2000 FIRST Robotics competition. FIRST, Inc. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization which encourages the application of creative science, math, and computer science principles to solve real-world engineering problems. The FIRST competition is an international engineering contest featuring high school, government, and business partnerships.

COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS AND EARLY MOVER ADVANTAGES UNDER ECONOMIC RECESSIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Vassolo

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In light of the recent macroeconomic instability in global markets, we examine the evolution of competitive dynamics and firm profitability when industries are subject to recessions. Although ordinary intuition leads most to view recessions as harmful, we highlight conditions under which they enhance the relative value of industry-level supply-side isolating mechanisms, thereby affording early movers significant and sustainable profit advantages vis-à-vis laggards. We observe that the distribution of firm size within the industry switches from a bi-modal distribution (i.e., one dominated by both small and large firms to a right-skewed one (i.e., dominated mostly by large firms in these contexts, thereby signaling the rise of important opportunities in the form of less rivalrous competitive contexts for survivors of recessions. We derive our results from formal modeling and multiple simulation runs.

Changes in hospital competitive strategy: a new medical arms race?

Science.gov (United States)

Devers, Kelly J; Brewster, Linda R; Casalino, Lawrence P

2003-02-01

To describe changes in hospitals' competitive strategies, specifically the relative emphasis placed on strategies for competing along price and nonprice (i.e., service, amenities, perceived quality) dimensions, and the reasons for any observed shifts. This study uses data gathered through the Community Tracking Study site visits, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of 12 U.S. communities. Research teams visited each of these communities every two years since 1996 and conducted between 50 to 90 semistructured interviews. Additional information on hospital competition and strategy was gathered from secondary data. We found that hospitals' strategic emphasis changed significantly between 1996-1997 and 2000-2001. In the mid-1990s, hospitals primarily competed on price through "wholesale" strategies (i.e., providing services attractive to managed care plans). By 2000-2001, nonprice competition was becoming increasingly important and hospitals were reviving "retail" strategies (i.e., providing services attractive to individual physicians and the patients they serve). Three major factors explain this shift in hospital strategy: less than anticipated selective contracting and capitated payment; the freeing up of hospital resources previously devoted to horizontal and vertical integration strategies; and, the emergence and growth of new competitors. Renewed emphasis on nonprice competition and retail strategies, and the service mimicking and one-upmanship that result, suggest that a new medical arms race is emerging. However, there are important differences between the medical arms race today and the one that occurred in the 1970s and early 1980s: the hospital market is more concentrated and price competition remains relatively important. The development of a new medical arms race has significant research and policy implications.

Competition and quality in home health care markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Kyoungrae; Polsky, Daniel

2014-03-01

Market-based solutions are often proposed to improve health care quality; yet evidence on the role of competition in quality in non-hospital settings is sparse. We examine the relationship between competition and quality in home health care. This market is different from other markets in that service delivery takes place in patients' homes, which implies low costs of market entry and exit for agencies. We use 6 years of panel data for Medicare beneficiaries during the early 2000s. We identify the competition effect from within-market variation in competition over time. We analyze three quality measures: functional improvements, the number of home health visits, and discharges without hospitalization. We find that the relationship between competition and home health quality is nonlinear and its pattern differs by quality measure. Competition has positive effects on functional improvements and the number of visits in most ranges, but in the most competitive markets, functional outcomes and the number of visits slightly drop. Competition has a negative effect on discharges without hospitalization that is strongest in the most competitive markets. This finding is different from prior research on hospital markets and suggests that market-specific environments should be considered in developing polices to promote competition. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

COMPETITION AND QUALITY IN HOME HEALTH CARE MARKETS†

Science.gov (United States)

JUNG, KYOUNGRAE; POLSKY, DANIEL

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Market-based solutions are often proposed to improve health care quality; yet evidence on the role of competition in quality in non-hospital settings is sparse. We examine the relationship between competition and quality in home health care. This market is different from other markets in that service delivery takes place in patients’ homes, which implies low costs of market entry and exit for agencies. We use 6 years of panel data for Medicare beneficiaries during the early 2000s. We identify the competition effect from within-market variation in competition over time. We analyze three quality measures: functional improvements, the number of home health visits, and discharges without hospitalization. We find that the relationship between competition and home health quality is nonlinear and its pattern differs by quality measure. Competition has positive effects on functional improvements and the number of visits in most ranges, but in the most competitive markets, functional outcomes and the number of visits slightly drop. Competition has a negative effect on discharges without hospitalization that is strongest in the most competitive markets. This finding is different from prior research on hospital markets and suggests that market-specific environments should be considered in developing polices to promote competition. PMID:23670849

Socio-Cultural Factors and International Competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madara Apsalone

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Socio-cultural factors – shared values, norms and attitudes are significant, but less acknowledged sources of international competitiveness. Previous studies have found socio-cultural factors positively affecting various aspects of international competitiveness – entrepreneurship, innovation, productivity and international cooperation. These factors are more sustainable and less affected by external environment changes in comparison with the traditional factors. Socio-cultural factors provide an opportunity to develop competitiveness strategies based on unique advantages. This research aims to explore the impact of socio-cultural factors on international competiveness in small, open economies. Analysing relationship between 400 socio-cultural indicators and competitiveness indicators such as productivity, economic development, business and government efficiency, innovation capacity and infrastructure in 37 countries, six socio-cultural factors have emerged: Collectivism and Hierarchy; Future, Cooperation and Performance Orientation, Self-expression, Monochronism and Rationality, Economic Orientation and Social structure. The first factor – Collectivism and Hierarchy – tends to reduce the international competitiveness; the other five affect it positively.

Executive Gender, Competitive Pressures, and Corporate Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amore, Mario Daniele; Garofalo, Orsola

2016-01-01

significantly higher financial performance under low competition, they tend to underperform when competition increases. At the same time, we find that the presence of female leaders improves the capital stability of banks subject to greater competition. Overall, our study highlights strong interactions between...

Analysis of the JSF Engine Competition

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-01

development and planned production relative to the F136, the differences were not significant enough to saddle the F136 with a competitive disadvantage ... disadvantage of the F136 at the first competitive lot to be smaller than those calculated for earlier successful competition programs. Once we...SDD contracts by evaluating F135 and F136 schedule projections  Focused on Initial Flight Release ( IFR ) and Initial Service Release (ISR

Price competition among Dutch sickness funds

OpenAIRE

Varkevisser, Marco; Geest, Stéphanie

2003-01-01

textabstractIn general, competition enhances efficiency. On the market for health insurance free market competition, however, has unwanted side-effects. The existence of asymmetrical information can lead to adverse selection and cream skimming. Adequate risk-adjustment removes the incentives for cream skimming and balances the negative consequences of adverse selection. In an attempt to enhance efficiency, the Dutch government in 1992 introduced price competition between social health insurer...

Competitiveness of Halal Industry in Maghreb Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Rizki Moi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available To ensure that the countries produce halal products in order to remain in the international market, then they must make sure that they remain competitive in the market. Therefore, this study was to measure the competitiveness of the halal industry in the Maghreb countries which consist of five countries, namely Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The methodology of this study was using halal market share in the country and revealed comparative advantage (RCA. The study found that Mauritania is the most competitive country for halal industry because of it has the highest RCA value and followed by Morocco and Tunisia. While the countries that have lower competitiveness are Algeria and Libya. Therefore, the government and industry should plays a role to improve the competitiveness of their national halal industry and to ensure they remain competitive in the international halal market.

Competitive Capacity Investment under Uncertainty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

X. Li (Xishu); R.A. Zuidwijk (Rob); M.B.M. de Koster (René); R. Dekker (Rommert)

2016-01-01

textabstractWe consider a long-term capacity investment problem in a competitive market under demand uncertainty. Two firms move sequentially in the competition and a firm’s capacity decision interacts with the other firm’s current and future capacity. Throughout the investment race, a firm can

Measuring competition in civil aviation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lijesen, M.G.; Nijkamp, P.; Rietveld, P.

2002-01-01

Markets in civil aviation are characterized by large differences in the level of competition, both between time periods as between regions. To measure competition, several indicators are available, such as the number of competitors, the C4-index and the Herfindahl index. We use these measures in

Competitive Dynamics in Micro: Analysis of Perception About Competition in Unitomo Street Food Business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bambang Raditya Purnomo

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study this is to explore small and micro businesses in their connections with competitors and the competitive force in the market. This study uses the information processing approach to examine three activities, scanning the competitive environment, the interpretation of competitive actions, and reactions based on that assessment. This research is motivated by the lack of competitiveness of micro businesses, especially those engaged in the culinary field. This study uses qualitative approach with phenomenological methods, in which researchers try to explain or reveal the meaning of a concept or phenomenon of experience based on the awareness that occurs in some individuals. In this study, researchers collect, summarize and interpret the data obtained, which is then processed back in order to obtain a clear, directed and thorough pictures of the problem which become the object of research. Phenomenological approach is used to analyze the original data collected from interview with the informant. Structural interpretation of the experience described by researchers in the description of the participants.

Rates for the competitive market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ander, B.; Watson, I.; Snelson, K.

1997-01-01

The discussion panel consisted of Bruce Ander of Pamco Atlas, Ian Watson, Chair of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Energy Committee, and Ken Snelson, Principal of Snelson International Energy. Ian Watson shared his membership's views on the future supply of electric power under a competitive energy system in Ontario, stressing the need for the government to instruct Ontario Hydro to bring forward a transmission rate to the Ontario Energy Board in 1997, and for legislation to allow independent buyers and sellers to contract with one another to use that transmission rate outside the control of Ontario Hydro. He also expressed concern about Ontario Hydro's anti-competitive load retention rate which was an obvious bid to retain its major customers. Ken Snelson reported on a review of the effects of competition on Canada's long-term energy outlook. He predicted that in a competitive market with full retail access, customers can expect a lot more choice; independent producers also will have many more options for selling power

c-Myc-Dependent Cell Competition in Human Cancer Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Manish S; Shah, Heta S; Shrivastava, Neeta

2017-07-01

Cell Competition is an interaction between cells for existence in heterogeneous cell populations of multicellular organisms. This phenomenon is involved in initiation and progression of cancer where heterogeneous cell populations compete directly or indirectly for the survival of the fittest based on differential gene expression. In Drosophila, cells having lower dMyc expression are eliminated by cell competition through apoptosis when present in the milieu of cells having higher dMyc expression. Thus, we designed a study to develop c-Myc (human homolog) dependent in vitro cell competition model of human cancer cells. Cells with higher c-Myc were transfected with c-myc shRNA to prepare cells with lower c-Myc and then co-cultured with the same type of cells having a higher c-Myc in equal ratio. Cells with lower c-Myc showed a significant decrease in numbers when compared with higher c-Myc cells, suggesting "loser" and "winner" status of cells, respectively. During microscopy, engulfment of loser cells by winner cells was observed with higher expression of JNK in loser cells. Furthermore, elimination of loser cells was prevented significantly, when co-cultured cells were treated with the JNK (apoptosis) inhibitor. Above results indicate elimination of loser cells in the presence of winner cells by c-Myc-dependent mechanisms of cell competition in human cancer cells. This could be an important mechanism in human tumors where normal cells are eliminated by c-Myc-overexpressed tumor cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1782-1791, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sperm competition, immunity, selfish genes and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Z; Price, T A R; Wedell, N

2008-10-01

Sperm competition is widespread and has played an important role in shaping male reproductive characters such as testis size and numbers of sperm produced, and this is reflected in the rapid evolution of many reproductive genes. Additionally, sperm competition has been implicated in the rapid evolution of seminal fluids. However, our understanding of the molecular basis of many traits thought to be important in sperm competition is rudimentary. Furthermore, links between sperm competition and a range of issues not directly related to reproduction are only just beginning to be explored. These include associations between sperm competition and selfish genes, immunity and diseases such as cancer.We briefly review these topics and suggest areas we consider worthy of additional research.

Mating competitiveness of sterile male Anopheles coluzzii in large cages.

Science.gov (United States)

Maïga, Hamidou; Damiens, David; Niang, Abdoulaye; Sawadogo, Simon P; Fatherhaman, Omnia; Lees, Rosemary S; Roux, Olivier; Dabiré, Roch K; Ouédraogo, Georges A; Tripet, Fréderic; Diabaté, Abdoulaye; Gilles, Jeremie R L

2014-11-26

Understanding the factors that account for male mating competitiveness is critical to the development of the sterile insect technique (SIT). Here, the effects of partial sterilization with 90 Gy of radiation on sexual competitiveness of Anopheles coluzzii allowed to mate in different ratios of sterile to untreated males have been assessed. Moreover, competitiveness was compared between males allowed one versus two days of contact with females. Sterile and untreated males four to six days of age were released in large cages (~1.75 sq m) with females of similar age at the following ratios of sterile males: untreated males: untreated virgin females: 100:100:100, 300:100:100, 500:100:100 (three replicates of each) and left for two days. Competitiveness was determined by assessing the egg hatch rate and the insemination rate, determined by dissecting recaptured females. An additional experiment was conducted with a ratio of 500:100:100 and a mating period of either one or two days. Two controls of 0:100:100 (untreated control) and 100:0:100 (sterile control) were used in each experiment. When males and females consort for two days with different ratios, a significant difference in insemination rate was observed between ratio treatments. The competitiveness index (C) of sterile males compared to controls was 0.53. The number of days of exposure to mates significantly increased the insemination rate, as did the increased number of males present in the untreated: sterile male ratio treatments, but the number of days of exposure did not have any effect on the hatch rate. The comparability of the hatch rates between experiments suggest that An. coluzzii mating competitiveness experiments in large cages could be run for one instead of two days, shortening the required length of the experiment. Sterilized males were half as competitive as untreated males, but an effective release ratio of at least five sterile for one untreated male has the potential to impact the fertility of

Price competition in procurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keisler, J.M.; Buehring, W.A.

1996-07-01

When creating a private market to provide a public good, government agencies can influence the market's competitive characteristics. Markets have predictable, but often counterintuitive, behaviors. To succeed in applying available controls, and thereby reduce future costs, agencies must understand the behavior of the market. A model has been constructed to examine some issues in establishing competition for a structure in which there are economies of scale and government is obligated to purchase a fixed total quantity of a good. This model is used to demonstrate a way to estimate the cost savings from several alternative plans for a buyer exploring competitive procurement. The results are not and cannot be accurate for budgeting purposes; rather, they indicate the approximate magnitude of changes in cost that would be associated with changes in the market structure within which procurement occurs

How chimpanzees cooperate in a competitive world

Science.gov (United States)

Suchak, Malini; Eppley, Timothy M.; Campbell, Matthew W.; Feldman, Rebecca A.; Quarles, Luke F.; de Waal, Frans B. M.

2016-01-01

Our species is routinely depicted as unique in its ability to achieve cooperation, whereas our closest relative, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), is often characterized as overly competitive. Human cooperation is assisted by the cost attached to competitive tendencies through enforcement mechanisms, such as punishment and partner choice. To examine if chimpanzees possess the same ability to mitigate competition, we set up a cooperative task in the presence of the entire group of 11 adults, which required two or three individuals to pull jointly to receive rewards. This open-group set-up provided ample opportunity for competition (e.g., freeloading, displacements) and aggression. Despite this unique set-up and initial competitiveness, cooperation prevailed in the end, being at least five times as common as competition. The chimpanzees performed 3,565 cooperative acts while using a variety of enforcement mechanisms to overcome competition and freeloading, as measured by (attempted) thefts of rewards. These mechanisms included direct protest by the target, third-party punishment in which dominant individuals intervened against freeloaders, and partner choice. There was a marked difference between freeloading and displacement; freeloading tended to elicit withdrawal and third-party interventions, whereas displacements were met with a higher rate of direct retaliation. Humans have shown similar responses in controlled experiments, suggesting shared mechanisms across the primates to mitigate competition for the sake of cooperation. PMID:27551075

Attention and competition in figure-ground perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Mary A; Salvagio, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

What are the roles of attention and competition in determining where objects lie in the visual field, a phenomenon known as figure-ground perception? In this chapter, we review evidence that attention and other high-level factors such as familiarity affect figure-ground perception, and we discuss models that implement these effects. Next, we consider the Biased Competition Model of Attention in which attention is used to resolve the competition for neural representation between two nearby stimuli; in this model the response to the stimulus that loses the competition is suppressed. In the remainder of the chapter we discuss recent behavioral evidence that figure-ground perception entails between-object competition in which the response to the shape of the losing competitor is suppressed. We also describe two experiments testing whether more attention is drawn to resolve greater figure-ground competition, as would be expected if the Biased Competition Model of Attention extends to figure-ground perception. In these experiments we find that responses to targets on the location of a losing strong competitor are slowed, consistent with the idea that the location of the losing competitor is suppressed, but responses to targets on the winning competitor are not speeded, which is inconsistent with the hypothesis that attention is used to resolve figure-ground competition. In closing, we discuss evidence that attention can operate by suppression as well as by facilitation.

Can market forces and competition supplant regulation?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, D.

1998-01-01

The challenges facing regulators and governments as utilities and pipelines transform from regulated monopolies into competitive businesses were discussed. In the past, the absence of competition required that utility and pipeline companies be regulated by governments to ensure fair pricing and good performance. The question of whether or not competition can entirely replace regulation was examined. Although the focus was on the natural gas industry, the regulatory trends in other industries were also briefly considered. In 1985, the federal government agreed to allow the commodity price of natural gas to fluctuate in response to market forces. This began the process of deregulation in the Canadian natural gas industry. Direct purchasing introduced competition and ended the monopolies of local distribution companies in purchasing gas. The main benefits of the competitive market structure were that consumers could choose products and services from a range of competing companies at competitive prices. This was critical to the success of the Canadian economy since Canada is the third largest exporter of energy and the eighth largest consumer of energy. It was suggested that even in a competitive market abuse of market power is possible, therefore, there is an important role for government in ensuring the existence of a level playing field. A variety of issues involved in an effective transition to a competitive market were also discussed. 2 figs

Shared, competitive, and comparative advantages: a competence-based view of industrial-district competitiveness

OpenAIRE

César Camisón

2004-01-01

The author's aim is to construct and validate empirically a theoretical model that allows performance and competitiveness in firms located in industrial districts to be explained. From the strategic perspective adopted, economic revenues are explained by three types of advantage: shared advantages, competitive advantages, and comparative advantages. Neither integration in the district, nor its attraction due to the shared competences within it, are significant predictors of performance. Empir...

Parental social status and intrasexual competitiveness among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Buunk, Abraham P; Stulp, Gert; Ormel, Johan

2014-11-17

A study among 1,881 adolescents (52.3% girls) with a mean age of 19.1 years examined the effects of parental social status upon intrasexual competitiveness. Whereas females were consistently more intrasexually competitive the higher the socio-economic status of their parents, males with parents of the lowest socio-economic status tended to be more intrasexually competitive than those with parents of medium socio-economic status, and nearly as intrasexually competitive as those with parents of high socio-economic status. Only among adolescents with parents of low socio-economic status were males more intrasexually competitive than females. Among males and females, higher levels of intrasexual competitiveness were related to a higher family income, to a higher occupational status of the father as well as of the mother, and to a higher educational level of the mother. Only among females were higher levels of intrasexual competitiveness associated with a higher educational level of the father. Males whose fathers had only elementary education had a relatively high level of intrasexual competitiveness. The results are discussed in the context of the multifaceted nature of human status, and the potential relevance of intrasexual competitiveness for individuals of high versus low social status.

Paying Medicare Advantage plans by competitive bidding: how much competition is there?

Science.gov (United States)

Biles, Brian; Pozen, Jonah; Guterman, Stuart

2009-08-01

Private health plans that enroll Medicare beneficiaries--known as Medicare Advantage (MA) plans--are being paid $11 billion more in 2009 than it would cost to cover these beneficiaries in regular fee-for-service Medicare. To generate Medicare savings for offsetting the costs of health reform, the Obama Administration has proposed eliminating these extra payments to private insurers and instituting a competitive bidding system that pays MA plans based on the bids they submit. This study examines the concentration of enrollment among MA plans and the degree to which firms offering MA plans actually face competition. The results show that in the large majority of U.S. counties, MA plan enrollment is highly concentrated in a small number of firms. Given the relative lack of competition in many markets as well as the potential impact on traditional Medicare, the authors call for careful consideration of a new system for setting MA plan payments.

Improving powerlifters’ technical preparedness at initial training stage using a device for remote control of competitive exercises technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А. Власов

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective is to improve powerlifters’ technical preparedness at the initial training stage using a device for remote control of the competitive exercises technique. Materials and methods. The study relied on the following methods used: theoretical analysis and collation of data of scientific and methodological literature and internet; pedagogical observation; pedagogical experiment; methods of mathematical statistics. Results. We have designed an algorithmic structure for teaching squats with a barbell on shoulders in powerlifting and a device for remote control of the competitive exercises technique. We used the pedagogical experiment and pedagogical observation of the competitive activity to reveal reliable deviations (p > 0.05 in the number of mistakes made by the athletes of the reference and experimental groups during the competitive activity. The reference group powerlifters made the mistake “no straight angle between the knee and the hip joints when performing the third stage” twelve times, while the experimental group athletes — seven times. Conclusions. The results obtained allow to maintain that the experimental group athletes have more rationally mastered the competitive exercises technique and made fewer mistakes compared to the control group powerlifters. This confirms the effectiveness of the designed algorithmic structure for teaching squats with a barbell on shoulders.

Industrial Competitiveness of Pakistan (2000-10)

OpenAIRE

A. R. Kemal

2007-01-01

Though Pakistan’s exports have increased significantly, analyses have shown that Pakistan’s industrial competitiveness is limited to a narrow range of products. This paper looks at the factors affecting Pakistan’s competitiveness ranking and relates these various factors to trends in Pakistan’s total factor productivity. In addition to looking at the components of Pakistan’s competitiveness ranking, this paper details the steps required for Pakistan to increase its global industrial competiti...

COMPETITIVENESS IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: ROMANIAN STYLE

OpenAIRE

Claudia-Elena TUCLEA; Ana-Mihaela PADUREAN

2008-01-01

In this paper is presented one of the important sectors of the national economy, at least from its potential for development perspective: the hospitality industry. The research interest is related to finding out the main factors of competitiveness in this field. This research attempts to identify the essential aspects of competitiveness in the hospitality industry. The objectives pursued refer to: discovering the degree to which the concept of competitiveness is understood and capitalized on ...

Western Canada Sedimentary Basin competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millar, R.H.G.

1996-01-01

Recent dramatic expansion of the natural gas industry in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin provided ample proof of the potential of this area for further development of natural gas supply. However, the inherent competitive advantages provided by the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin were said to have been offset by low netback prices resulting in poor producer economics when competitiveness is measured by availability of opportunities to find and develop gas supply at costs low enough to ensure attractive returns. Technology was identified as one of the key elements in improving basin competitiveness, but the greatest potential lies in reduced transportation costs and increased access to North American market centres. 8 figs

WorldWide Telescope in High School Astronomy Competitions

Science.gov (United States)

Constantin, Ana-Maria; Goodman, A. A.; Udomprasert, P. S.

2014-01-01

This project aims to improve astronomy education at the high school level, and to increase awareness in astronomy for pre-university students, on an international scale. In 2013, the WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors Program began a collaboration with the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), which was held in the city of Volos, Greece in August 2013. Now at its VIIth edition, IOAA is the largest annual astronomy competition for high school students, and it consists of one team task and three individual ones - Theoretical, Data Analysis, and Observational. Each of the participating countries (35 in 2013, compared to 21 in 2007) is responsible for selecting up to five representative students for the International round. IOAA is meant to promote future collaborations between these students, and to encourage friendships inside a global scientific community. Ana-Maria Constantin, a current Harvard undergraduate student and a former medalist of IOAA, represented WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors in Greece by giving a talk on the advantages of using WWT as a tool for research and education. As a result, the President and the International Board of the Olympiad have expressed support for including WWT in the competition for future editions. WWTA is working with the Organizing Board for next year’s competition in Romania, to include WWT as a testing tool. This poster will summarize key points from the WWTA presentation in Greece, present ideas for WWT-based activities in future IOAA competitions, and outline plans for new collaborations from representatives of Sri Lanka, Poland, Bangladesh, and Colombia. Given the positive feedback we have received after the presentation in Greece, we are also considering future implementations of WWT in summer research camps for high school students, such as the Summer Science Program.