Aggressive Players Research Articles

Titans that Clash and a State that Buffers

We present a game-theoretic approach to the analysis of the emergence or survival of buffer states. We analyze a two-stage game with three players orderly located on a linear territory, where the player in the middle is passive, and the players on the two ends are aggressive with options to declare war against the others. We conduct an equilibrium analysis and characterize the conditions under which the passive player acts as a buffer state between the aggressive players. We find various equilibrium outcomes, which can be grouped into the following categories: ( i) peace with buffer, ( ii) peace without buffer, and ( iii) the last man standing. Our comparative static analyses reveal valuable insights regarding the factors affecting the existence of buffer states.

Yemen's Dilemma of Forces and the Design of Many Security-Political Scenarios

The security of activists, especially in the regional arena, is regarded in international relations studies as one of the most agreed concepts in the country's foreign policy; in particular, political security issues following the developments of the Islamic revolution in the region are a sort of interconnectedness between regional actors.
 The dilemma has led to an escalation of security issues in the Middle East. For this cause, international players with shared interests in the Middle East today have traditionally concentrated on regional security assemblies in order to ensure their existence. One of the security issues in the Middle East in this respect is the Yemen crisis, which may expand the security of the crisis to other regions. Thus, as an aggressive player and regional authority, the Islamic Republic of Iran has tried to pursue a protection and defense approach to the nation-to-state of Yemen in order to preserve its internal stability from the eruption of the crisis in Yemen. The aim of the debate on the Islamic Republic of Iran's activities was therefore on topics such as attempts to sustain the axis of resistance, to retain its theological and regional power, as well as Yemen's geopolitical stability. At the same time, the key premise of the present analysis is that, on the basis of which foreign policy strategy can be evaluated, the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the crisis in Yemen? The following theory is put forward in order to provide a reasonable answer to this question: the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken a security approach to this situation, recognising Yemen's strategic role in regional equations and strengthening its security factor in the region.

Yemen's Dilemma of Forces and the Design of Many Security-Political Scenarios

The security of activists, especially in the regional arena, is regarded in international relations studies as one of the most agreed concepts in the country's foreign policy; in particular, political security issues following the developments of the Islamic revolution in the region are a sort of interconnectedness between regional actors.
 The dilemma has led to an escalation of security issues in the Middle East. For this cause, international players with shared interests in the Middle East today have traditionally concentrated on regional security assemblies in order to ensure their existence. One of the security issues in the Middle East in this respect is the Yemen crisis, which may expand the security of the crisis to other regions. Thus, as an aggressive player and regional authority, the Islamic Republic of Iran has tried to pursue a protection and defense approach to the nation-to-state of Yemen in order to preserve its internal stability from the eruption of the crisis in Yemen. The aim of the debate on the Islamic Republic of Iran's activities was therefore on topics such as attempts to sustain the axis of resistance, to retain its theological and regional power, as well as Yemen's geopolitical stability. At the same time, the key premise of the present analysis is that, on the basis of which foreign policy strategy can be evaluated, the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the crisis in Yemen? The following theory is put forward in order to provide a reasonable answer to this question: the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken a security approach to this situation, recognising Yemen's strategic role in regional equations and strengthening its security factor in the region.

Evolutionary oligopoly games with cooperative and aggressive behaviors

We propose an oligopoly model where players can choose between two kinds of behaviors, denoted as cooperative and aggressive, respectively. Each cooperative agent chooses the quantity to produce in order to maximize her own profit as well as the profits of other agents (at least partially), whereas an aggressive player decides the quantity to produce by maximizing his own profit while damaging (at least partially) competitors’ profits. At each discrete time, players face a binary choice to select the kind of behavior to adopt, according to a proportional imitation rule, expressed by a replicator equation based on a comparison between accumulated profits. This means that the behavioral decisions are driven by an evolutionary process where fitness is measured in terms of current profits as well as a weighted sum of past gains. The model proposed is expressed by a nonlinear two-dimensional iterated map, whose asymptotic behavior describes the long-run population distribution of cooperative and aggressive agents. We show under which conditions one of the following long-run behaviors prevails: (i) all players choose the same strategy; (ii) both behaviors coexist according to a mixed stationary equilibrium; and (iii) a self-sustained (i.e. endogenous) oscillatory (periodic or chaotic) time pattern occurs. The influence of memory and that of the levels of cooperative/aggressive attitudes on the dynamics are analyzed as well.

The Sustainable Role of the E-Trust in the B2C E-Commerce of Vietnam

Vietnam, as a new emerging market, especially in e-business, has been promoting its emerging e-commerce market in Southeast Asia using aggressive players such as Lazada. Nonetheless, Vietnam has strong cultural background of risk-averse attitudes, like other developing countries, thereby deferring sustainable transformation into the e-business revolution. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the factors leading to the sustainable performance of e-commerce businesses, because highly risk-avert attitudes still cause many problems due to low levels of trust. In this perspective of trust, this research may contribute to promoting Vietnamese online shopping trends and suggesting ways for sustainable business to achieve success in B2C e-commerce. The purpose of this research is to examine whether or not the characteristics of e-service quality (usefulness, convenience, security, responsiveness, and assurance) have a positive influence on customer loyalty, one of the sustainable success factors in this growing e-commerce industry in Asian markets. Using questionnaires and structural equation modelling, we concluded that it is crucial to promote e-trust as a vital element, because it lacks, in the short-run, an initial e-trust.

Valve interstitial cell tensional homeostasis directs calcification and extracellular matrix remodeling processes via RhoA signaling.

Valve interstitial cells are active and aggressive players in aortic valve calcification, but their dynamic mediation of mechanically-induced calcific remodeling is not well understood. The goal of this study was to elucidate the feedback loop between valve interstitial cell and calcification mechanics using a novel three-dimensional culture system that allows investigation of the active interplay between cells, disease, and the mechanical valve environment. We designed and characterized a novel bioreactor system for quantifying aortic valve interstitial cell contractility in 3-D hydrogels in control and osteogenic conditions over 14 days. Interstitial cells demonstrated a marked ability to exert contractile force on their environment and to align collagen fibers with the direction of tension. Osteogenic environment disrupted interstitial cell contractility and led to disorganization of the collagen matrix, concurrent with increased αSMA, TGF-β, Runx2 and calcific nodule formation. Interestingly, RhoA was also increased in osteogenic condition, pointing to an aberrant hyperactivation of valve interstitial cells mechanical activity in disease. This was confirmed by inhibition of RhoA experiments. Inhibition of RhoA concurrent with osteogenic treatment reduced pro-osteogenic signaling and calcific nodule formation. Time-course correlation analysis indicated a significant correlation between interstitial cell remodeling of collagen fibers and calcification events. Interstitial cell contractility mediates internal stress state and organization of the aortic valve extracellular matrix. Osteogenesis disrupts interstitial cell mechanical phenotype and drives disorganization, nodule formation, and pro-calcific signaling via a RhoA-dependent mechanism.

E Commerce — An Evolving Weapon amongst Business Strategists to Capture Blue Oceans in India

Modern approach defines e-commerce as creation and maintenance of web-based relations. It is about enabling retailers, brands and cataloguers to be more consumer-centric across channels. The Asia-Pacific region is proving to be the world's ecommerce market hub in 2015. Because of the growing influence of mobile-oriented search, more online marketplaces, consumer goods and F&B organizations are focusing on bettering their digital visibility. India is witnessing a huge upsurge in the growth figures of this industry. Today Corporate and business houses are facing immense problem of competition, changing customer's tastes and preferences and rising operating costs. Moreover, with the changing lifestyle, customers' demands are also changing. They are searching for easily accessible markets, apt information, greater services and a wide range of comparable items. E-Commerce may reduce many of the disadvantages associated with an isolated location by decreasing marketing, communication, and information costs and increasing access to lower cost suppliers and services. It also facilitates easy transactions between a company and its facilitating partners. E-Commerce may be involved in the design, finance, production, marketing, inventory, distribution, and service aspects of business activities. As such, the use of e-commerce by a firm has the potential to increase revenues from sales as well as significantly decrease costs through greater efficiencies of operation. It provides opportunities to companies to cater huge market segments and at the same time fulfill the emerging requirements of customers with greater ease. Indian e commerce market is in its nascent stage and is holding a good area of untapped markets. The paper presents careful evaluation of opportunities and threats present in the industry along with organisational capabilities essential for a player to exploit the opportunities emerging in the market. A big strategy carries several tactics behind it, which can only be implemented in the direction of environmental flow. Paper focuses on the role of e–commerce as emerging strategic platform for business houses to expand their presence with increased sales, lower cost and enhanced sustainability. Aggressive players smelling the demands of industry to join as a prospector but at the same time they have be aware of environmental changes and have to make experiments in the field.

Soccer players awarded one or more red cards exhibit lower 2D:4D ratios.

Anatomical, cognitive and behavioral sex differences are widely recognized in many species. It has been proposed that some of these differences might result from the organizing effects of prenatal sex steroids. In humans, males usually exhibit higher levels of physical aggression and prowess. In this study, we analyze the relationship between second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratios-a proxy for prenatal androgen levels-and foul play and sporting performance in a sample of junior soccer players from a professional Uruguayan soccer club. Our results show that the most aggressive players (i.e., those awarded one or more red cards) have a more masculine finger pattern (lower 2D:4D ratio), while no relationship could be found between sporting performance and 2D:4D ratios. The results are discussed in the context of previous findings. Aggr. Behav. 42:417-426, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physical Forces between Humans and How Humans Attract and Repel Each Other Based on Their Social Interactions in an Online World

Physical interactions between particles are the result of the exchange of gauge bosons. Human interactions are mediated by the exchange of messages, goods, money, promises, hostilities, etc. While in the physical world interactions and their associated forces have immediate dynamical consequences (Newton’s laws) the situation is not clear for human interactions. Here we quantify the relative acceleration between humans who interact through the exchange of messages, goods and hostilities in a massive multiplayer online game. For this game we have complete information about all interactions (exchange events) between about 430,000 players, and about their trajectories (movements) in the metric space of the game universe at any point in time. We use this information to derive “interaction potentials" for communication, trade and attacks and show that they are harmonic in nature. Individuals who exchange messages and trade goods generally attract each other and start to separate immediately after exchange events end. The form of the interaction potential for attacks mirrors the usual “hit-and-run" tactics of aggressive players. By measuring interaction intensities as a function of distance, velocity and acceleration, we show that “forces" between players are directly related to the number of exchange events. We find an approximate power-law decay of the likelihood for interactions as a function of distance, which is in accordance with previous real world empirical work. We show that the obtained potentials can be understood with a simple model assuming an exchange-driven force in combination with a distance-dependent exchange rate.

Personality traits and strategic behavior: Anxiousness and aggressiveness in entry games

We demonstrate that personality has a systematic effect on strategic behavior. We focus on two personality traits: anxiousness and aggressiveness, and consider a 2-player entry game, where each player can guarantee a payoff by staying out, a higher payoff if she is the only player to enter, but a lower payoff if both players enter. We find that: anxious players enter less; aggressive players enter more; players are more likely to enter against anxious than non-anxious players; and players are less likely to enter against aggressive than non-aggressive players. We discuss the possible mechanism through which personality affects strategic behavior.

THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE IN GAMES

We propose a theory of the interaction between knowledge and games. Epistemic game theory is of course a well-developed subject but there is also a need for a theory of how some agents can affect the outcome of a game by affecting the knowledge which other agents have and thereby affecting their actions. We concentrate on games of incomplete or imperfect information, and study how conservative, moderate, or aggressive players might play such games. We provide models for the behavior of a knowledge manipulator who seeks to manipulate the knowledge states of active players in order to affect their moves and to maximize her own payoff even while she herself remains inactive, except for influencing the states of knowledge of the other players.

Are Hedge Funds Systemically Important?

Like derivatives, hedge funds are often blamed for causing or at least contributing to economic and financial disruptions, regardless of whether any factual evidence supports that conclusion. The entire financial system was affected in Fall 2008, which then raised the general question of whether hedge funds are a source of systemic risk, and more specifically, whether they engaged in predatory trading that caused or exacerbated the market crash. For example, fear of “bear raids,” presumably by large and aggressive players including hedge funds, led to a ban on short selling for over 1,000 financial stocks during that period. Hedge funds might cause systemic risk intentionally, to make profits while inflicting losses on the system, such as in a bear raid. Or, their impact could be unintentional, if hedge funds experienced forced liquidations of leveraged positions to meet customer redemptions. <b>TOPICS:</b>Mutual fund performance, risk management, financial crises and financial market history

Sex, Lies, and Video Games

This study examined video game–playing aggression among graduate and undergraduate students at Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York. The following three research questions were posed: In the context of video game playing, what differences are there in levels of aggression in relation to sex? What differences are there in levels of aggression and type of video games played? Are aggression and length of video game playing related? A nonprobability sample of students ( N = 175) was selected and electronically surveyed. The Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire, a widely used self-reported measure, was used to assess aggression. No significant difference was found between men and women with regard to levels of aggression, and no statistically significant relationship was found between aggression and length of video game playing ( r = −.05, p = .52). However, significant differences were found in levels of aggression between playing and nonplaying respondents of action role-playing ( t = −1.48, df = 175, p = .01) and role-playing video games ( t = −1.24, df = 175, p = .02). Players of role-playing games had lower levels of aggression than nonplayers. Since role-playing requires one to take the part of another person, empathy might play a role in reduced levels of aggression. Although exposure to violent video games has been related to decreased empathy, role-playing games show just the opposite. It is suggested that controversies regarding violent video games might best be explained by moral panic theory and that competitive games may attract more aggressive players.

The Citizens United Election? Or Same As It Ever Was?

In January 2010, the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. FEC overturned long-standing regulations governing the role of unions and corporations in sponsoring pro-candidate advocacy. Many predicted a deleterious effect on the electoral process. In the aftermath of the midterm elections, a number of questions deserve consideration. Was the observed level of outside spending abnormally high in 2010? What can we say about the potential effect of outside spending on the outcomes of House and Senate races? Moreover, what has the decision done to the power of parties and, most especially, their ability to compete with special interests in backing federal candidates? This paper investigates these questions using data from the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracked political ads in 2010. The initial evidence suggests that while interest groups were aggressive players in the air war, their impact may not have been as negative or as large as initially predicted.

Inevitability of Nuclear Power in the Asian Region

The Asian region, most populous and fastest growing in terms of economic growth, has countries with lowest per capita energy/electricity consumption. Barring the Middle East, the rest of the region is, by and large, modest in conventional energy resources. This is also a region where large sections of population suffer from income inequality and inadequate economic development. Economic growth and quality of life of a population depend heavily on per capita availability of energy/electricity, and thus there is an urgent need to increase the per capita electricity production/consumption in the region. Unlike in the past, it is the Asian region that is poised to dwarf the today's developed world in new capacity addition in the coming years. This fact alone asks for sensible choices to be made. Also, the Asian region is quite vulnerable to the effects of climate change, given the geography and population distribution. Today, governments must seriously consider the environmental impact of electricity generation, in order to help mitigate global warming and its consequences. Nuclear power, being environmentally benign, affords sustainability at the very outset. But that's not all. The other compelling reasons in favour of nuclear power are its compact nature as a source of energy and the promise of long-term energy security. Nuclear power is, therefore, inevitable for the region. Recognising this, the rapidly developing countries in the region – such as India and China – are pursuing ambitious nuclear power programmes, while several other countries in the region are also planning to embark on the nuclear power route for electricity generation. As nuclear power is inherently technology-intensive, there is a need for greater cooperation, to reach out to countries that presently do not have the technology base for starting nuclear power programmes on their own. Even in the countries with established commercial nuclear power programmes, there is a need to reach out to the people to demonstrate the merits, safety aspects and economic competitiveness of nuclear power, and also the role of nuclear power in the preservation of the environment. The imperatives of the current scenario warrant building confidence among the people regarding nuclear power through sharing of credible information on all its aspects to remove misconceptions. This paper describes the current scenario, key issues, challenges and possible ways to address them. The paper also briefly describes the Indian nuclear power programme for being the second-most aggressive player in the nuclear arena in this region, after China.

Unsanctioned aggression in rugby union: relationships among aggressiveness, anger, athletic identity, and professionalization

Aggressive players who intentionally cause injury to their opponents are common in many sports, particularly collision sports such as Rugby Union. Although some acts of aggression fall within the rules (sanctioned), others do not (unsanctioned), with the latter tending to be less acceptable than the former. This study attempts to identify characteristics of players who are more likely to employ unsanctioned methods in order to injure an opponent. Male Rugby Union players completed questionnaires assessing aggressiveness, anger, past aggression, professionalization, and athletic identity. Players were assigned to one of two groups based on self-reported past unsanctioned aggression. Results indicated that demographic variables (e.g., age, playing position, or level of play) were not predictive of group membership. Measures of aggressiveness and professionalization were significant predictors; high scores on both indicated a greater probability of reporting the use of unsanctioned aggressive force for the sole purpose of causing injury or pain. In addition, players who had been taught how to execute aggressive illegal plays without detection were also more likely to report using excessive force to injure an opponent. Results provide further support that highly professionalized players may be more likely to use methods outside the constitutive rules of Rugby Union in order to intentionally injure their opponents. Results are discussed within the context of the increasing win-at-all-cost attitude that is becoming more prevalent in sport and its implications for youth athletes.

Strategic resource-based view of the competitive aspects of e-learning systems

Online education is a shift in the world of education, made possible by advances in technology. Technologies such as the accessibility of PCs and the internet have made distance learning possible, practical, and profitable. Due to the general growth in knowledge-based workers, the demands for higher education and advanced degrees have skyrocketed. In addition to the skyrocketing demand, the price of tuition has been far outpacing inflation. One of the key players in the advancement of online, for-profit education is the Apollo Group, Inc. and its subsidiary the University of Phoenix Online. The University of Phoenix is the most recognised and aggressive player of any of the online schools. Through the viewpoint of the Resource-based View of the Firm, online and traditional delivery systems were strategically compared and contrasted with specific recommendations for practitioners for engaging in such e-learning initiatives.

Physical Activity Attitudes, Preferences, and Practices in African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian Girls

Physical activity levels in girls decline dramatically during adolescence, most profoundly among minorities. To explore ethnic and racial variation in attitudes toward physical activity, semistructured interviews (n = 80) and physical activity checklists (n = 130) are conducted with African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian middle school girls in six locations across the United States. Girls from all groups have similar perceptions of the benefits of physical activity, with staying in shape as the most important. Girls have similar negative perceptions of physical activity, including getting hurt, sweating, aggressive players, and embarrassment. Chores, running or jogging, exercises, and dance are common activities for girls regardless of ethnicity. Basketball, swimming, running, and dance are commonly cited favorite activities, although there are slight differences between ethnic groups. The results suggest that factors other than ethnicity contribute to girls' physical activity preferences and that distinct interventions may not be needed for each ethnic group.

Penetration of a new shop concept the case of discount in Denmark

New shop concepts are continuously developed and more or less successfully introduced. Usually, new shop concepts are perceived as threats by the established retail industry, which reacts differently to these threats. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the retail trade's behaviour in connection with the introduction of new shop concepts. In the article, the discount stores' penetration of the Danish grocery market will be used to prepare a model. The development within the discount industry in Denmark has, however, not yet come to an end. The established chains still have development plans, and a new aggressive player – Lidl – is entering the market with a shop concept that differs from the concepts of the incumbent discount chains. This has already caused reactions from competitors, suppliers, and other interested parties. It would be interesting to investigate, if it is possible to use the model prepared for the previous period, to predict future developments.

More Turmoil In Academic Medicine

More Turmoil In Academic Medicine