Outcome Of Competition Research Articles

Spillover effects of competition outcome on future risky cooperation

There is growing evidence that risky cooperation is regulated by the experience of previous interactions with others. However, it is unclear how the evaluation of outcomes from competitive interactions can affect individuals’ subsequent cooperative behavior. To address this issue, we examined how participants cooperated with a partner having just competed with them. While competing, participants (N = 164) were randomly assigned to receive one of four types of outcome feedback regarding their performance (victory vs. defeat vs. uncertain vs. no competition (control)). We found that both the experience of defeats and of uncertainty as competitive outcomes exerted a negative impact on the extent to which participants then engaged in cooperative behavior with their recent opponents. This only occurred when such subsequent cooperative behavior involved a high potential for incurring personal costs but not when there was no risk of incurring personal costs and a positive return. Finally, mediation analysis revealed that the effect of defeat was mediated by participants’ level of interpersonal trust and the extent to which participants were willing to cooperate, while the effect of the uncertain competitive outcome was mediated only by the extent to which participants were willing to cooperate. These findings offer novel insights into how risky cooperation is modulated by previous competition.

Contextualized Display Behavior during Natural Interactions by Common Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana, Squamata, Phrynosomatidae)

Many previous studies on competition focused on outcomes of competition and less on behavioral changes during or immediately following intra- or interspecific interactions. I performed 300 h of observation of three lizard species (Side-blotched Lizards, Uta stansburiana; Sagebrush Lizards, Sceloporus graciosus; Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis) and recorded 1,045 natural encounters, 403 of which were unconfounded by presence of another individual lizard. Despite potential competition amongst these species, I found little evidence that Uta modify perch characteristics or engage in aggressive interactions toward either of the heterospecific lizards. However, Uta do alter interspecific display behavior depending on whether interactions are intrasexual or intersexual. Moreover, Uta move shorter distances following interactions with S. graciosus but greater distances after interactions with S. occidentalis. Uta appear to reserve aggressive or more-intense interactions for intersexual intraspecific encounters, most of which are initiated by males. Together these findings suggest that these three lizard species are not broadly engaged in competitive interactions and that habitat characteristics or microhabitat preferences enable co-occurrence.

Abstract 139: Exploiting interactions between ploidy and host physiology

Abstract Whole-genome doubling facilitates rapid tumor evolution and is a hallmark of many cancers, including Glioblastoma (GBM) where it has an incidence of ~14%. GBM remains uniformly lethal, with a median overall survival of 14-16 months, despite aggressive therapy. In people aged 65 and above, prognosis is even more dismal, with median survival of less than 7 months. While comorbidities explain some of the increased age-related risk, age-related changes in the tumor microenvironment likely also contribute. Aging brains have higher incidence of polyploidy (Pearson r=0.80; P=0.031; Nandakumar et al., 2021), hypoxia related gene expression (Pearson r =0.22, P =0.008) and Glucose levels (Ding et al., 2021) as well as decreased stiffness (Hiscox et al., 2018). The average ploidy of 20 different cancer types correlates with the Oxygen levels recorded in their respective tissue of origin (Spearman r = 0.66, P = 0.002). Together these results suggest that availability of metabolic substrates in the GBM environment drives different cell fate decisions in cancer cells of different ploidy and shapes GBM disease initiation. We address this hypothesis with integrated in-vitro and in-silico experiments and multi-omic and imaging analysis of primary and recurrent GBM. We genetically engineered cell lines to obtain diploid and tetraploid lineages for each and tested how exposure to variable gradients of glucose, hypoxia and phosphate affect their migratory patterns. We performed RNA-seq and WGS of multiple regions obtained from two patient-matched primary and recurrent GBM. Pre- and post-surgery MRI data was available from both surgeries and registered to a T1 map Atlas to quantify stiffness and oxygenation in the brain. This data was used to calibrate a Stochastic State-Space Model (S3MB) we developed to recapitulate re-growth of enhancing primary tumor margins into the respective recurrent tumor. The model domain is initiated from MRI data and consists of 4mm3 voxels. Each voxel state is defined by 8+ variables that are updated over time: Stiffness, Oxygen, Phosphate, Glucose, Vasculature, Dead cells, migrating cells and proliferating cells of various ploidies. In-vitro results, multi-omics results and similarity between observed and simulated recurrent tumors were used to infer model parameters (resource consumption-, migration-, death and proliferation rates). Running the model backwards in time, we predict the local point of origin (LPO) of each GBM. We found that resource availability in the predicted LPO was correlated to WGD status, suggesting conditions in the local environment in which a GBM originates shape the outcome of an early competition between diploid and tetraploid cells. Citation Format: Noemi Andor. Exploiting interactions between ploidy and host physiology [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 139.

Expert Views on Evidence-Based Classification for Goalball: A Delphi Study.

Para sport classification aims to minimize the impact of impairments on the outcome of competition. The International Paralympic Committee requires classification systems to be evidence based and sport specific, yet the sport of goalball uses a structure that is not supported by evidence demonstrating its legitimacy for competition. This study aimed to establish expert opinions on how a sport-specific system of classification should be structured in the sport of goalball. Using a three-round Delphi survey, 30 international experts expressed their views across topics linked to goalball classification. Participants were divided as to whether the current system fulfills the aim to minimize the impact of impairment on competition. Most felt that less impairment should be required to compete but that the one-class structure should remain. Experts identified measures of visual function that should be considered and 15 core components of individual goalball performance. Findings constitute a crucial first step toward evidence-based classification in goalball.

Sperm competition experiments reveal low prezygotic postmating isolation between parasitic and nonparasitic lamprey ecotypes.

The role of postmating sexual selection as a potential reproductive barrier in speciation is not well understood. Here, we studied the effects of sperm competition and cryptic female choice as putative postmating barriers in two lamprey ecotypes with a partial reproductive isolation. The European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis is anadromous and parasitic of other fish species, whereas the brook lamprey Lampetra planeri is freshwater resident and nonparasitic. We measured sperm traits in both ecotypes and designed sperm competition experiments to test the occurrence of cryptic female choice. We also performed sperm competition experiments either at equal semen volume or equal sperm number to investigate the role of sperm velocity on fertilization success. We observed distinct sperm traits between ecotypes with a higher sperm concentration and a lower sperm velocity for L. planeri compared with L. fluviatilis. The outcomes of sperm competition reflected these differences in sperm traits, and there was no evidence for cryptic female choice irrespective of female ecotype. At equal semen volume, L. planeri males had a higher fertilization success than L. fluviatilis and vice versa at equal sperm number. Our results demonstrate that different sperm traits between ecotypes can influence the male reproductive success and thus gene flow between L. planeri and L. fluviatilis. However, postmating prezygotic barriers are absent and thus cannot explain the partial reproductive isolation between ecotypes.

Squid Game Optimizer (SGO): a novel metaheuristic algorithm

In this paper, Squid Game Optimizer (SGO) is proposed as a novel metaheuristic algorithm inspired by the primary rules of a traditional Korean game. Squid game is a multiplayer game with two primary objectives: attackers aim to complete their goal while teams try to eliminate each other, and it is usually played on large, open fields with no set guidelines for size and dimensions. The playfield for this game is often shaped like a squid and, according to historical context, appears to be around half the size of a standard basketball court. The mathematical model of this algorithm is developed based on a population of solution candidates with a random initialization process in the first stage. The solution candidates are divided into two groups of offensive and defensive players while the offensive player goes among the defensive players to start a fight which is modeled through a random movement toward the defensive players. By considering the winning states of the players of both sides which is calculated based on the objective function, the position updating process is conducted and the new position vectors are produced. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed SGO algorithm, 25 unconstrained mathematical test functions with 100 dimensions are used, alongside six other commonly used metaheuristics for comparison. 100 independent optimization runs are conducted for both SGO and the other algorithms with a pre-determined stopping condition to ensure statistical significance of the results. Statistical metrics such as mean, standard deviation, and mean of required objective function evaluations are calculated. To provide a more comprehensive analysis, four prominent statistical tests including the Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Mann–Whitney, and Kruskal–Wallis tests are used. Meanwhile, the ability of the suggested SGOA is assessed through the cutting-edge real-world problems on the newest CEC like CEC 2020, while the SGO demonstrate outstanding performance in dealing with these complex optimization problems. The overall assessment of the SGO indicates that the proposed algorithm can provide competitive and remarkable outcomes in both benchmark and real-world problems.

Interactions between native and invasive species: A systematic review of the red squirrel-gray squirrel paradigm

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) has been labeled as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species by the IUCN. In Europe, the species has been introduced to Britain, Ireland and Italy, and its subsequent spread has resulted in wide-scale extinction of native Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from the areas colonized by the gray squirrel. This replacement of a native by an alien competitor is one of the best documented cases of the devastating effects of biological invasions on native fauna. To understand how this replacement occurs, we present a systematic review of the literature on competition and interactions between red and gray squirrels. We describe the patterns of red and gray squirrel distribution in those parts of Europe where gray squirrels occur and summarize the evidence on the different processes and mechanisms determining the outcome of competition between the native and alien species including the influence of predators and pathogens. Some of the drivers behind the demise of the red squirrel have been intensively studied and documented in the past 30 years, but recent field studies and mathematical models revealed that the mechanisms underlying the red-gray paradigm are more complex than previously thought and affected by landscape-level processes. Therefore, we consider habitat type and multi-species interactions, including host-parasite and predator-prey relationships, to determine the outcome of the interaction between the two species and to better address gray squirrel control efforts.

Impact of larvae of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus on larvae of the Culex pipiens complex from Germany in laboratory co-breeding studies.

Since the first detection of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs in Germany in 2007, several populations of this species have established in Germany. Although colloquially Ae. albopictus is called an 'invasive species', it is not considered 'invasive' and therefore to be controlled according to the European Union (EU) Environmental and Nature Protection Act since evidence of displacement of native species is missing. To test the competitive potential of Ae. albopictus towards mosquito species native to Germany, laboratory experiments were conducted with larvae of this species and indigenous Cx. pipiens complex species/biotypes. First instar larvae of Ae. albopictus and of one of the native taxa were exposed to different temperatures and fed with different food sources. The ratio of individuals developing into adults as well as the time the larvae needed for development were taken as a measure of competitive outcome. In addition, the size of emerging adults was compared between control and experimental groups. Regarding developmental time, no significant differences were found between treatments and controls while significant differences were found regarding developmental rate and average wing size of individuals. Because no evidence of competitive repression of the native species was found, Ae. albopictus cannot be included in the EU list of invasive species.

Heat stress can change the competitive outcome between fungi: insights from a modelling approach

Under a changing climate, soil fungal communities will increasingly be subject to periods of heat stress. These periods can affect the performance of individual fungi and their competition for space and resources. Competition between fungi is strongly controlled by the exudation of inhibitory compounds, resulting in different competitive outcomes that range from overgrowth of the inferior competitor to a deadlock, where the competing fungi inhibit each other. As heat stress can alter the competitive outcome between fungi, the community composition can also change strongly. So far, a general understanding of the mechanisms that drive the competitive outcome between fungi under heat stress is still missing. However, this understanding is essential to assess important community functions, such as decomposition or mediation of plant nutrition, which strongly depend on the fungal community composition.Here, we used a partial differential equation (PDE) model simulating two fungal competitors in a two‐dimensional space, to mechanistically explain the observed change of fungal competition under heat stress. The model describes mycelial growth, the production and secretion of antifungal compounds and the synthesis of heat shock proteins of interacting colonies. We found a heat stress‐induced lag phase favouring the accumulation of antifungal compounds and the build‐up of inhibitor fields. This led to a qualitative change of the competitive outcome, reducing the occurrence of overgrowth by two thirds. The changes in competitive outcome favoured slower growing species, which benefit more strongly from the additional time during a stress‐induced lag to build up a defence or block territory that would otherwise be quickly claimed by faster competitors.Our work is an important step towards understanding how environmental changes may lead to qualitative changes in competitive outcomes. Our results show the importance of explicitly including species interactions into studies of climate change effects.

COMPETITIVENESS: REGIONAL ASPECT

The modern development of the economy is characterized by the strengthening of competitive relations at various levels. Competition and competitive relations are the basis for the functioning of the market economy and are its main manifestation. Competition is the rivalry that arises between the participants of competitive relations, the best operating conditions in the market. The regional aspect of the development of competition is of increasing interest among modern scientists. It is especially strengthened in conditions of decentralization and the growing role of regions. The level of competitiveness of the region is one of the most important comprehensive indicators characterizing its social and economic development. Competitiveness is the main economic category that reflects the level of development of the subject of competition. Regional aspects of competitiveness research are of particular interest in the context of the processes of decentralization, globalization and the strengthening of the role of regions in the formation of a competitive economy at both the national and international levels. The high level of socio-economic development of each region is the basis of strengthening the country’s economy. The region is the subject for the formation of competitiveness of which efforts should be directed both at the national and regional levels. The purpose of the article is to analyze approaches to determining the essence of the region and its competitiveness, to clarify their content. The article summarizes the main approaches of scientists to the interpretation of such economic categories as «region» and «competitiveness», defines the role of regions in competitive relations. Manifestations of competitiveness at the regional level, interdependence of competitiveness at different levels are studied. The essence of the category «economy of the region» and its role in the development of the region are determined. Competitiveness is an important outcome of economic competition at the regional level. Rivalry arises in various directions: regarding the attraction of qualified labor, the production of competitive products based on the effective use of regional natural resources and conditions, the attraction of investments, the effective distribution and exchange of material goods. Competitiveness is one of the most important comprehensive characteristics of the region’s development, as it includes indicators of an economic and social nature.

Ranking parameters driving siring success during sperm competition in the North African houbara bustard

Sperm competition is a powerful force driving the evolution of ejaculate and sperm traits. However, the outcome of sperm competition depends on many traits that extend beyond ejaculate quality. Here, we study male North African houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) competing for egg fertilization, after artificial insemination, with the aim to rank the importance of 14 parameters as drivers of siring success. Using a machine learning approach, we show that traits independent of male quality (i.e., insemination order, delay between insemination and egg laying) are the most important predictors of siring success. Traits describing intrinsic male quality (i.e., number of sperm in the ejaculate, mass motility index) are also positively associated with siring success, but their contribution to explaining the outcome of sperm competition is much lower than for insemination order. Overall, this analysis shows that males mating at the last position in the mating sequence have the best chance to win the competition for egg fertilization. This raises the question of the importance of female behavior as determinant of mating order.

Nutrients and flow shape the cyclic dominance games between Escherichia coli strains.

Evolutionary game theory has provided various models to explain the coexistence of competing strategies, one of which is the rock-paper-scissors (RPS) game. A system of three Escherichia coli strains-a toxin-producer, a resistant and a sensitive-has become a classic experimental model for studying RPS games. Previous experimental and theoretical studies, however, often ignored the influence of ecological factors such as nutrients and toxin dynamics on the evolutionary game dynamics. In this work, we combine experiments and modelling to study how these factors affect competition dynamics. Using three-dimensional printed mini-bioreactors, we tracked the frequency of the three strains in different culturing media and under different flow regimes. Although our experimental system fulfilled the requirements of cyclic dominance, we did not observe clear cycles or long-term coexistence between strains. We found that both nutrients and flow rates strongly impacted population dynamics. In our simulations, we explicitly modelled the release, removal and diffusion of toxin. We showed that the amount of toxin that is retained in the system is a simple indicator that can predict competition outcomes across broad parameter space. Moreover, our simulation results suggest that high rates of toxin diffusion might have prevented cyclic patterns from emerging in our experimental system. This article is part of the theme issue 'Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.

Tree canopy cover affects basal resources and nutrient profiles of Aedes and Culex larvae in cemetery vases in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

Cemetery vases are important habitat for vector mosquito production, yet there is limited understanding on their food web dynamics and how they vary across environmental gradients. Tree cover is one factor that varies widely across cemeteries, and influence food webs by means of detrital inputs, temperature mediation, and light availability. Such information can be important for determining mosquito adult body size, fecundity, and competition outcomes, all of which may influence mosquito population and disease risk. This study evaluates the relationship between tree canopy cover and indicators of basal resources for Aede aegypti (L.), Aedes albopictuss (Skuse), and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) larvae, such as stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) and nutrient stoichiometry in cemeteries of New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). Stable isotope values suggest that larvae feed directly on the Particulate Organic Matter (POM) suspended in the vase's water, and that POM composition influence the nutrient profiles of mosquito larvae. The POM of open canopy vases had higher δ13C values, than that of closed canopy vases indicating differences in relative proportion of basal carbon sources, with open canopy POM having a lower proportion of allochthonous carbon, and a higher proportion of authoctonous carbon. Accordingly, mosquito larvae collected from open canopy vases had higher δ13C values, and higher C:N than larvae from closed canopy vases. The results of this study show a shift in food web dynamics driven by canopy cover in cemetery vases that directly influence the nutrient profiles of mosquito larvae. The implications for mosquito ecology, and vector management are discussed.

Democratizing effects of digital ledger technologies: Implications for economic mobility

There is a large body of empirical and theoretical literature on the effects of technological change on individuals, labor markets, and overall economic activity. Theories of skill-biased technical change (SBTC) suggest that technology increases the earnings power of skilled workers, but substitutes for less skilled workers. Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) provide a new context for examining and understanding the impact of technology change on labor, competition, and economic outcomes. This paper explores the theoretical frameworks through which DLTs could enhance economic mobility and provides examples from several areas, including: i) the creation of new jobs and higher value-added jobs, and the modularization of complex tasks; ii) improvements in the way people learn and acquire human capital; iii) increased competition in the marketplace; and iv) more inclusive access to financial services with fewer intermediaries.

Evaluating the Motivations Driving Fantasy Football Participants in Selecting Fantasy Football Analysts for Information Consumption

Abstract: The fantasy sport industry has experienced substantial growth, with a value of $22.3 billion in 2021 (Research and Markets, 2021), which has facilitated an increase in both fantasy sport participation and media-content consumption. With the sustained growth across these two areas, fantasy sport participants are relying on a key stakeholder in the industry for information across a number of communication media: fantasy sport analysts. To date, limited research has investigated the role of these analysts within fantasy sport, especially in the context of the motivations that influence participants to engage with these key stakeholders. Therefore, using the uses and gratifications (U&G) theoretical foundation, the current study examined which participation motivations have a direct effect in driving fantasy football participants to identify fantasy football analysts for information consumption. Through a questionnaire, the results found that competition and financial outcomes had a strong positive relationship with analyst selection, while social interaction yielded a moderate relationship. Entertainment, however, demonstrated no relationship with the reliance on fantasy sport analysts. This research helps advance the understanding of U&G within the fantasy sport context and provides a guidepost for analysts looking to meet the specific needs of participants relying on them for content.

Competition in a changing world: invasive aquatic plant is limited by saltwater encroachment

AbstractCompetitive interactions between native and nonindigenous species occur under conditions of ongoing environmental alterations related to urbanization and climate change, presenting a challenge to understanding invasiveness. Indigenous submerged aquatic vegetation species have been negatively impacted by nutrient enrichment and saltwater intrusion, while simultaneously experiencing a rapid spread in nonindigenous competitors. To better predict future shifts in freshwater macrophyte community dominance, investigations need to consider how these multiscale disturbances influence competitiveness of nonindigenous macrophytes. Using an outdoor greenhouse mesocosm setup for approximately 19 weeks over the course of subtropical winter, we experimentally examined how nutrient enrichment, salinity, and the interaction of both factors influence the competitive interactions between a native macrophyte with moderate salinity tolerance, wild celery (Vallisneria americana), and a highly invasive macrophyte with lower salinity tolerance, hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata). We tested the factors of macrophyte composition (hydrilla monoculture, wild celery monoculture, or biculture), salinity (0, 4, or 8), and fertilization (ambient or fertilized) on biomass production, biomass allocation, and morphological metrics as responses to environmental condition and interspecific competition. Fertilizer enhanced wild celery leaf area (more than twofold) and shifted allocation toward aboveground biomass, but did not enhance hydrilla competitiveness. Salinity negatively affected wild celery leaf area (by 7.5%–67.8%) and biomass (by 4%–15%) and also reduced hydrilla belowground biomass production (by 6%–25%) but did not influence competition. An interaction effect of fertilizer and salinity negatively influenced hydrilla growth, however the combined factors did not influence competitive outcomes. The lack of evidence for a competitive advantage by hydrilla in this study demonstrates that salinity exposure sufficiently limits a highly invasive plant's competitive abilities and subsequent suppression of a native species.

Croatian Combat Athletes’ Attribution Patterns for Their Successes and Failures

Successes and failures are integral outcomes to the sport experience. Based on decades of research, how athletes process both outcomes influence their thoughts, emotions, and subsequent achievement endeavors. Attribution theory details three dimensions as to the causes of success and failure. Since the 1980s, attribution theory has found a home in sport psychology literature. However, research across countries requires valid and reliable questionnaires. One such country is Croatia where attribution research is scant. Thus, in a Croatian combat athlete sample, we examined athletes’ attributions for the most and least successful performances via retrospection. Croatian athletes (N = 154) from three combat sports (judo, karate, and taekwondo) who all competed at least once on an international stage completed the Croatian Causal Dimension Scale-II, answered in reference to a specific reason for their best and worst competitive experience. Results showed that the combat sport athletes attributed their most and least successful competitive achievement to psychological reasons more than other reasons (i.e., general preparation and physical preparation). Furthermore, based on a series of two-tailed paired samples t-tests and the nonparametric equivalent, Wilcoxon signed rank test, the participants made, from small to medium in meaningfulness (Cohen’s d), more internal (d = 0.30), stable (d = 0.56), personal (d = 0.30), and external (d = 0.21) controllable attributions for success than for failure (all t-test p-values < 0.01). Our results suggest the athletes made the self-serving attribution bias across both the success and failure competitive events. Our results contribute to better understanding of specific reasons for success and failure and the attribution dimensions explaining the competitive outcomes in competitive combat sport. Specific to Croatian sport, our results provide Croatian combat sport with theory driven research applicable to improving development of Croatian combat athletes on the international stage.

Complex economic effects of balanced nutrition for athlete-schoolchildren in ethno-intellectual sports

The present research conducts an intricate economic analysis on targeted nutritional interventions for a specific demographic: 60 athlete-schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 13 in Central Asia. These children are actively engaged in the ethno-intellectual sport of Togyz Kumalak which from an ethnohistorical perspective is a part of the socio-cultural heritage of the nomadic societies of Central Asia. Spanning a timeframe of 12 months, this multi-faceted study was articulated in a three-stage design framework. The initial stage involved a baseline assessment of the children’s nutritional statuses, utilizing anthropometric measurements and dietary recall surveys as empirical tools. Medical experts and biologists collaborated to identify the economic implications of nutrient imbalances that could lead to metabolic disorders and subsequent healthcare costs. The second stage encompassed the formulation and execution of nutritional interventions that were economically vetted for sustainability and impact. These interventions were derived from the baseline data and involved dietary supplementation, counseling, and a well-balanced nutritional regimen designed in consultation with coaches, trainers, and parents. During this stage, economic considerations were central to the discourse as experts across disciplines expounded on the optimal ratio of vital macro- and micronutrients, adequate caloric content, and even distribution of nutrients throughout the day. Such a comprehensive approach to diet structuring amplifies the economic viability by elucidating how a balanced nutritional intake can enhance athletic and intellectual performance, impact competition outcomes positively, and improve post-training recovery – thereby potentially mitigating of long-term healthcare expenditures. The study culminated in a rigorous post-intervention assessment that employed both cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) methodologies. The results revealed not only a statistically significant improvement in the nutritional statuses of the children but also confirmed the cost-effectiveness and scalability of the interventions implemented. The economic aspects were augmented by metrics that interlinked the immediate benefits of the interventions with broader economic considerations, such as the potential reduction in healthcare-related costs over time. Research contributes profoundly to public health dialogues, offering insights into the optimization of resources to heighten the general well-being and performance, particularly in the specialized arena of ethno-intellectual sports like Togyz Kumalak. It successfully straddles the crossroads of health economics, cultural sports, and public health, emphasizing the potential for integrative approaches in the amelioration and proliferation of community-centered health programs. This multifaceted economic analysis thus serves as a robust model for scalable and economically viable public health strategies that satisfy both individual health and community development needs.

Activation Function Dependence of Data‐Driven Spectra Prediction of Nanostructures

AbstractAccompanied by the fast growth of data and computing power, Deep Learning has developed at a tremendous speed. Other related areas including material science, physics, chemistry, medical science, and engineering also benefit from this well‐proven powerful tool. Activation function is an essential part of Deep Neural Networks, which has attracted a lot of attention, but there are few researches based on nanophotonics problems. In this work, comprehensive research is made on the effectiveness of several widely used activation functions. This research shows that among those fancy activation functions that are investigated, Tanhshrink performs the best, which can predict the spectra with a Root Mean Square Error <0.005 for over 99% of these randomly generated instances. Other traditional activation functions like Tanh and Sigmoid also show excellent outcomes in competition with novel ones. This work shows that although deep learning has already been a powerful tool to solve physics problems, there is still a lot of fundamental work to be done to achieve its maximum potential.

Monitoring mood state to improve performance in soccer players: A brief review.

Psychological aspects of sport are key in maintaining athlete motivation and make a difference in competitive outcomes. Adjustments to training may be necessary according to athletes' emotional state. Therefore, it is important to assess and quantify mood states throughout the season in team sports, including among soccer players. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) is a widely used questionnaire that assesses emotional states characterized by positive or negative feelings and can be administered repeatedly to assess changes in mood state. This review aims to assess and summarize the current literature on mood state variation in soccer players with a specific focus on training loads, training modalities, and competitive performance. A literature search was systematically conducted and resulted in 156 records. After removing duplicates, items with irrelevant titles and abstracts were screened out, and full texts were then screened for relevance and compared with inclusion and exclusion criteria. The remaining 37 articles were included in the final qualitative synthesis. POMS scores were related to variability in training load, intensity of the training period, modality of training exercises, competitive performance and time of day in soccer players. Common recommendations include monitoring the mood state of soccer players during training sessions, matches, and throughout training periods to detect early signs of psychological disturbance and aid in optimizing high-level training performance. The POMS allows for monitoring of players' psychological state, providing coaches with data to aid in adjusting acute program variables according to players' psychological states and improve performance. Results offer practical support for the use of a simple POMS measurement as part of an overall program to monitor the players' psychological states. Results also highlight how training choices (i.e., load and exercise modality) and competitive performance are related to mood states (i.e., tension, anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, and vigor).