Competitive Balance Research Articles

Determining the Relative Structural Relevance of Halogen and Hydrogen Bonds in Self-Assembled Monolayers

Although hydrogen bonds have long been established as a highly effective intermolecular interaction for controlling the formation of self-assembled monolayers, the potential utility of the closely related halogen bonds has only recently emerged. The synergistic use of both halogen and hydrogen bonds provides a unique, multitiered strategy toward controlling the morphology of self-assembled structures. However, the interplay between these two interactions within monolayer systems has been little studied. Here, we have systematically investigated this interplay in self-assembled monolayers formed at the solid–liquid interface, with a specific attention on determining the structural relevance of the two interactions in the formation of 2D supramolecular structures. A single molecule that can simultaneously act as both a halogen and a hydrogen bond donor was paired with molecules that are effective acceptors for both of these interactions. The bimolecular networks that result from these pairings were studied by using scanning tunneling microscopy coupled with density functional theory calculations. Additional measurements on similar networks formed by using structural analogues in which halogen-bonding interactions are no longer possible give significant insight into the structure-determining role of these interactions. We find that in some monolayer systems the halogen bonds serve no significant structure-determining role, and the assembly is dominated by hydrogen bonding; however, in other systems, effective cooperation between the two interactions is observed. This study gives clear insight into the synergistic and competitive balance between halogen and hydrogen bonds in self-assembled monolayers. This information is expected to be of considerable value for the future design of monolayer systems using both halogen and hydrogen bonds.

The multi-dimensionality of competitive balance: evidence from European football

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the problem of designing league regulatory mechanisms given the multi-dimensionality of competitive balance and the proliferation of empirical measures.Design/methodology/approachA three-stage approach is adopted. Firstly, a taxonomy of empirical measures of competitive balance is proposed, identifying two fundamental dimensions – win dispersion and performance persistence. Secondly, a simple two-team model of league competitive balance is used to explore the dispersion–persistence relationship. Third, correlation and regression analysis of seven empirical measures of competitive balance for the 18 best-attended top-tier domestic football leagues in Europe over the 10 seasons, 2008–2017, are used to (1) validate the proposed categorisation of empirical measures into two dimensions; and (2) investigate the nature of the dispersion–persistence relationship across leagues.FindingsThe simple model of league competitive balance implies a strong positive dispersion–persistence relationship when persistence effects increase for big-market teams relative to those for the small-market teams. However, the empirical evidence indicates that while leagues such as the Spanish La Liga exhibit a strong positive dispersion–persistence relationship, other leagues show little or no relationship, and some leagues, particularly, the English Premier League and top-tier divisions in Belgium and Netherlands, have a strong negative dispersion–persistence relationship. The key policy implication for leagues is the importance of understanding the direction and impact of dispersion and persistence effects on the demand for league products.Originality/valueThe variability in the strength and direction of the dispersion–persistence relationship across leagues is an important result that undermines the “one-size-fits-all” approach to designing league regulatory mechanisms.

Formalization of Regional Strategies with Allowance for the Long-Term Consequences of the Interaction between Internal and External Components of Regional Socio-Economic Systems

Aim. The presented study aims to define a methodological approach to the formalization of regional strategies with allowance for the prospective benefits from the interaction between internal and external components of regional socio-economic systems for the national economy.Tasks. The authors determine the essence of strategic management of regional development by analyzing the internal processes of the interaction between subsystems, components, and elements of the region as a complex socio-economic system; compare the specific features of the functioning and interaction of administrative divisions in a planned and market economy; substantiate the principles of mutually beneficial interregional interaction and the need to improve supra-regional economic efficiency in view of the allowance made for the projected effects of interregional interaction in rational strategic planning; define the concept of strategic management of regional socio-economic systems and formulate an approach to the formation of the management process.Methods. This study use general scientific methods, including systems analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, detalization and generalization, modelling.Results. The process of formation and coordination of regional strategies is conceptualized as a basic element of the organizational mechanism of strategic management of the functioning and development of regional socio-economic systems. A system diagram is provided that makes allowance for three hierarchical levels of management (federal, interregional, regional), each acting on the appropriate level of abstraction and introducing its inherent critical aspects of rational planning of national spatial development. It is shown that strategic planning of interregional interaction at the supra-regional level makes it advisable to develop multi-regional, multi-sectoral computer models that would help to achieve a state of interaction close to economic equilibrium, thus ensuring future functioning of the national economy based on the planning principle applied in a brand new way.Conclusions. The system of strategic management of regional development and interregional interaction should be a multilevel, hierarchically ordered mechanism for the formation and implementation of a strategic plan for the spatial development of the country. Such a system should be aimed at functionally maintaining social and economic, planned and competitive balance between national expediency determined by state strategic priorities and independent regional development guidelines without degenerating into bureaucratic formalism when creating regional development concepts on the one hand and without turning into a constant competitive struggle of divergent interests of the regions on the other. It is advisable to develop an integrated (supra-regional) approach to the strategic management of regions as regional socio-economic systems based on the conceptual organizational-managerial mechanism for their functioning and development. This approach should be aimed at achieving the planned supra-regional efficiency (socio-economic balance) using not-yet-manifested projected interregional synergetic and agglomeration effects from the use of interregional (national) infrastructure, scientifically based implementation of absolute and relative regional advantages in the process of determining and planning future regional specialization at the federal level, deployment and development of the territorial cores of intersectoral clusters serving as the starting points of growth for an optimally balanced crystal lattice of spatial development on the national scale, implementation of interregional interaction of expected quantity and quality, mathematically justified with allowance for the needs of interregional and intersectoral exchange, intra- and intersystem structures, elements, communicative relationships, dynamics and stages of the life cycle of industries, organizations, the ability to adapt to changes in the external environment of the regions included in the system.

Dominance criteria on grids for measuring competitive balance in sports leagues

The paper proposes a dominance criterion that assesses whether a seasonal outcome of a sports league is more balanced than another. This criterion is based on a novel third-order stochastic dominance defined on finite sets of evenly spaced seasonal points (seasonal grids), called downward seasonal balance (DSB). The DSB criterion makes the same assessments as the well-known Lorenz criterion. However, the converse is not true: The DSB criterion makes assessments even in cases where the Lorenz criterion cannot. The former is then less incomplete than the latter. The assessments of the DSB criterion reflect the unanimity of a class of competitive balance indices. A seasonal outcome is more balanced than another according to the DSB criterion if and only if every index of the class agrees. Such a class is axiomatically characterized so that the indices place at least as much emphasis on the balance between leading competitors as on the balance occurring among the nonleading competitors. An empirical application provides comparisons of seasonal outcomes of the five most competitive soccer leagues in Europe from 2014–2015 to 2018–2019.

Domestic League Competitive Balance and UEFA Performance

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between European football league competitive balance and the performance of that league’s participants in UEFA competitions. The evidence suggests that competitive balance measured using performance points fits the performance coefficients of countries participating in the Champions League and Europa League and that a reciprocal model fits the data best. The evidence suggests that marginal improvements in competitive balance can lead to increase of one-third a win for a league’s participants in the Champions League. The increased rewards for UEFA success suggest policies that promote competitive balance have both public and private benefits for clubs.

Moments of Competitive Balance in Major League Soccer

In this paper, we investigate competitive balance in Major League Soccer and compare balance across talent acquisition policy regimes with a bias-corrected measure from 1996 to 2019. We evaluate multiple moments of the league talent distribution, and we add to past work by using multiple levels of aggregation that reveal heterogeneous results with respect to the distribution of talent within and across seasons. We show that there has been little improvement in competitive balance over the league's history, though there has been an increase in year-to-year stability in balance and a lower propensity for teams at the extremes of performance.

Molecular dynamics simulation of mass transfer characteristics of DMSO at the hexane/water interface in the presence of amphiphilic Janus nanoparticles

Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) have drawn significant attention due to their unique surfaces with dual character. Herein, molecular dynamics simulation was conducted to investigate the molecular transfer characteristics across the hexane/water interface with amphiphilic JNPs, to elucidate the interfacial mass transfer enhancement mechanisms. The results manifested that the enhancement by JNPs first increases and then decreases with the rise of alkyl chain length, which is up to the biggest improvement under the C4H9 alkyl chain (JNPs-4). The enhancement can be ascribed to the competitive balance between solute diffusion behaviors and molecule interaction energy. The self-diffusion coefficient of solute and the interaction between the solute and oil phases decreases, while the interaction between the solute and water phases increases with the rise of alky chain length. Moreover, maximum enhancement can be obtained by 5 vol% concentration JNPs-4 with 13.4 Å particle diameter, in which the mass transfer resistance is reduced by 36.8%.

The Owners Phony Proposal Will Not Address Competitive Balance

The owners of major league baseball are once again negotiating with the MLB Players Association to draft a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, as the current agreement expires on December 1, 2021. This article dissects the opening “pitch” that the owners have recently made to the players at the beginning of this negotiating process, locating the owner-player battle in the context of how revenue is distributed within the business of baseball.

Soil Water Availability Changes in Amount and Timing Favor the Growth and Competitiveness of Grass Than a Co-dominant Legume in Their Mixtures.

The grasslands on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China are expected to be particularly responsive to the size and frequency changes of extreme precipitation events because their ecological processes are largely driven by distinct soil moisture pulses. However, the plant growth and competitiveness of co-dominant species in response to the changes in the amount and timing of soil water are still unclear. Thus, two co-dominant species, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Lespedeza davurica, were grown in seven mixture ratios under three watering regimes [80 ± 5% pot soil capacity (FC) (high watering), 60 ± 5% FC (moderate watering), and 40 ± 5% FC (low watering)] in a pot experiment. The soil water contents were rapidly improved from low to moderate water and from moderate to high water, respectively, at the heading, flowering, and maturity stages of B. ischaemum, and were maintained until the end of the growing season of each species. The biomass production of both species increased significantly with the increased soil water contents, particularly at the heading and flowering periods, with a more pronounced increase in B. ischaemum in the mixtures. The root/shoot ratio of both species was decreased when the soil water availability increased at the heading or flowering periods. The total biomass production, water use efficiency (WUE), and relative yield total (RYT) increased gradually with the increase of B. ischaemum in the mixtures. The relative competition intensity was below zero in B. ischaemum, and above zero in L. davurica. The competitive balance index calculated for B. ischaemum was increased with the increase of the soil water contents. Bothriochloa ischaemum responded more positively to the periodical increase in soil water availability than L. davurica, indicating that the abundance of B. ischaemum could increase in relatively wet seasons or plenty-rainfall periods. In addition, the mixture ratio of 10:2 (B. ischaemum to L. davurica) was the most compatible combination for the improved biomass production, WUE, and RYTs across all soil water treatments.

Saltwater spawning grounds of sea-run brown trout (Salmo trutta) in tidal waters of a major Norwegian river

Sea-run brown trout (Salmo trutta) have a highly phenotypically plastic life history that allows them to be effective colonizers and competitors in freshwater. This paper documents a previously unknown spawning behaviour in a brackish, tidally influenced estuary 14 km from the mouth of the Vosso River, a major Atlantic salmon- and sea-run brown trout–producing river in western Norway. Putative spawning gravel was observed, and sea-run brown trout deposited eggs that hatched in April. Survival of recruits was high (> 95%) in the tidal spawning gravel. These areas are strongly tidally influenced with a peak of 23.17 psu recorded at the lowest spawning ground. The observation of spawning so far from the river mouth may be unique in such a system with a long estuary but provides important insight into the biology of sea trout. Invasion of pink salmon, also known to spawn in estuaries, may negatively affect the competitive balance of sea trout with other salmonids in rivers where sea trout populations rely on recruitment from these relatively extreme spawning areas. Restoration of estuaries that have been modified by dredging or channelization may be important to ensure quality and heterogenous habitat for sea trout spawning given that haline spawning grounds could contribute to population resilience.

On skill and chance in sport

AbstractThis work studies outcome uncertainty and competitive balance from a broad perspective. It considers four sports with varying scoring rates, from soccer with typically three goals per match to netball with one hundred goals per match. Within a general modelling framework for a two-competitor contest, we argue that outcome uncertainty, the extent to which the outcome of a contest is unpredictable, depends on scoring rate, on strength variation and on score dependence. Score dependence is essentially the tendency for scores to alternate because possession alternates and possession is advantageous. We regard competitive balance as lack of variation in strength or skill, so that when strength variation is large competitive balance is low and vice versa. Thus, we argue that the outcome of a contest depends on skill, scoring rate, score dependence and chance. This description of outcome is useful because it informs policy-making in sport about the design of scoring systems and the control of competitive imbalance. Broadly, we find that: soccer is relatively competitively unbalanced but outcomes are uncertain because the scoring rate is low; the Australian football league is competitively balanced and so outcomes are uncertain in spite of the high scoring rate in this sport; international rugby matches are relatively neither competitive nor uncertain so that little is left to chance; and netball matches have uncertain outcomes because scores are positively dependent.

Single-Cell Imaging Reveals That Staphylococcus aureus Is Highly Competitive Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Surfaces.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus frequently occur together in polymicrobial infections, and their interactions can complicate disease progression and treatment options. While interactions between P. aeruginosa and S. aureus have been extensively described using planktonic batch cultures, little is known about whether and how individual cells interact with each other on solid substrates. This is important because both species frequently colonize surfaces to form aggregates and biofilms in infections. Here, we performed single-cell time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, combined with automated image analysis, to describe interactions between P. aeruginosa PAO1 with three different S. aureus strains (Cowan I, 6850, JE2) during microcolony growth on agarose surfaces. While P. aeruginosa is usually considered the dominant species, we found that the competitive balance tips in favor of S. aureus on surfaces. We observed that all S. aureus strains accelerated the onset of microcolony growth in competition with P. aeruginosa and significantly compromised P. aeruginosa growth prior to physical contact. Upon direct contact, JE2 was the most competitive S. aureus strain, simply usurping P. aeruginosa microcolonies, while 6850 was the weakest competitor itself suppressed by P. aeruginosa. Moreover, P. aeruginosa reacted to the assault of S. aureus by showing increased directional growth and expedited expression of quorum sensing regulators controlling the synthesis of competitive traits. Altogether, our results reveal that quantitative single-cell live imaging has the potential to uncover microbial behaviors that cannot be predicted from batch culture studies, and thereby contribute to our understanding of interactions between pathogens that co-colonize host-associated surfaces during polymicrobial infections.

Competitive balance measures and the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis in European football

AbstractCompetitive balance is an important issue in professional sport in general and European football in particular. However, competitive balance is difficult to quantify because competitiveness is multi-dimensional and particular sports are distinctive. We aim to identify the most appropriate index for a holistic view of competitive balance in European football. We use data from eight domestic European football leagues over a time span of 60 years. The indices we consider are specifically designed to capture competitiveness at different levels of performance and in this way reflect the peculiarities of European football leagues. Our findings support the longstanding uncertainty of outcome hypothesis. A bivariate index that captures competitiveness in the top K places is shown to have the highest association with attendance. A seasonal index of champions’ domination is also found to have a large association with attendance. Finally, ranking mobility is found to have a slightly higher association with attendance than seasonal performance. These results imply that sports policy makers should use these indices to assess strategic decisions that may influence competitive balance.

The future of women's football in Asia: a look at competitive balance in top 5 domestic football leagues from 2010 to 2019

PurposeThis paper analyses competitive balance in the “big five” women's football leagues in Asia longitudinally between 2010 and 2019.Design/methodology/approachCompetitive balance has been measured using recognised measures of concentration, HICB and NHICB, alongside recognised measures of dominance, i.e., identification of top teams. A time-trend analysis has been employed to identify trends of CB in the respective leagues followed by ANOVA and relevant post-hoc tests to identify difference in concentration measures. A multiple linear regression analysis has been conducted to identify the impact of external economic factors on CB.FindingsSome significant differences were detected in the levels of concentration between leagues. There was also some variation in terms of some leagues being dominated by a fewer number of teams. However, these two measures of competitive balance (concentration and dominance) were not necessarily correlated with each other. The paper also tries to find the optimum number of teams to maintain CB in the women's football leagues in Asia, but an exact figure could not be found.Research limitations/implicationsSome significant differences were detected in the levels of concentration between leagues. There was also some variation in terms of some leagues being dominated by a fewer number of teams. However, these two measures of competitive balance (concentration and dominance) were not necessarily correlated with each other. External economic factors were found to have negative impact on CB.Originality/valueThe paper is an original research and aims to add to the growing body of CB research in world through analysis of competitive balance (ACB).

한국 프로축구의 관중 수에 영향을 주는 결정 요인분석 - k-리그의 전력균형을 중심으로 -

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze whether the key variable of the competitive balance in the K-league in Korea influences the mobilization of audiences. The results are expected to help the K-League teams secure self-sustaining, promote the competitiveness of professional soccer, and improve the financial status of Korean soccer teams.<BR> Method: The following data and research methods were used to achieve the study objective. Data ranging from 2016 to 2019, four seasons of K-League, were collected from the Korean K-League website, K-League official Yearbooks for each year, the Bank of Korea, and Official Korean Government Statistics. The data were processed and used in empirical analysis. Stata 15.0 was used for the statistical, reliability, validity, correlation, and regression analyses.<BR> Results: The results are as follows. 1) The competitive balance index such as SD and RSD had a significant influence on the increase of the total audiences. However, the results from my study were only weakly supportive of this theory. 2) The winning rate of the home teams of the league and the winning rate of the home stadium had a significant influence on the increase of the total audiences. 3) The population of home team cities had a significant influence on the increase of the total audience, while customer transactions, private profits and stadium capacity had no significant influence on the increase of the total audiences.<BR> Conclusion: The K-League and Professional soccer teams have to make active efforts and implement sui-table plans at the practical level to reinforce the league’s competitiveness and perform successfully by analyzing various factors that can increase the total audiences including the competitive balance system.

Effect of different levels of urea and herbicide application on the yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in competition with Sinapis arvensis and Avena ludoviciana Durieu

Understanding the interaction between crop-weed competition and herbicide doses may, in many cases, result in a recommendation to reduce the consumption of the herbicide, which is both environmentally and economically important. Nitrogen fertilizer also influences the competitive balance through changes in weed density and biomass, and also contributes to environmental pollution. Hence, the evaluation of the interaction of herbicide doses and nitrogen fertilizer application is necessary for proper management of weeds and achieving acceptable economic yield along with minimizing environmental negative impacts.Therefore, in order to Quantify wheat-weed competition to levels of urea and reduced dose of herbicide (mesosulfuron methyl + iodosulfuron methyl sodium + diflufenican + mefenpyr-diethyl) brand (othello OD) this experiment was conducted during 2019–20 at Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran. The experiment was laid out in split plots under randomized complete block design wherein urea fertilizer included five levels of 0, 45, 90, 180 and 330 kg/ha as the main plot and the herbicide dose of “othello OD” in six levels of 0, 0.32, 0.64, 0.96, 1.28 and 1.6 L/ha (1.6 L/ha the recommended dose) was considered as the sub plot. The results showed that wheat grain yield and weed biomass response to herbicide doses of sigmoid response and response dosage models, and developed in response to an increase in urea fertilizer consumption. Based on the prediction of the combined model, The achieving a yield of about 500 g/m2 with the application of 140 kg of urea fertilizer per hectare with 1.04 L/ha of Othello OD herbicide or the application of 265 kg of urea fertilizer per hectare and 0.64 L/ha. Hectare of herbicide or application of 330 kg urea fertilizer per hectare with 0.72 L/ha of herbicide was possible.

Sports viewing behaviour with loss aversion and competition balance

ABSTRACT We develop a model based on sports viewer with either uncertainty of outcome hypothesis (UOH) or loss aversion and investigate the level of loss aversion on the effect of league competition balance and team profit. We obtained the following two major results. Firstly, we showed that cases, where the spectators have loss aversion, have better league competition balance than cases when UOH applies. Moreover, we clarified that cases, where the preference for winning is different between the teams, have a poorer league competition balance. Secondly, it became clear that there is greater profit for both teams in cases where the spectators have loss aversion compared to cases where UOH is applied. Moreover, we showed that in cases where spectators have loss aversion, teams with a relatively strong preference for winning have greater profits, but for spectators where UOH is applied, teams with a relatively weaker preference for winning obtain greater profit.

COMPETITIVE BALANCE IN THE AZERBAIJAN PREMIER LEAGUE AZERBAIJAN STATE ACADEMY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT

In terms of numbers of both spectators and players, football – or soccer as it is called mainly in North America – is probably one of the most popular sport games around the world. According to some figures of the international governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), there are nearly 250 million football players and 1,3 billion fans interested in football all around the world in the 21st century [3]. Parts of its global success might come from the fact that football can be played almost everywhere from professional football pitches to streets, schools, parks, and playgrounds. Moreover, it follows simple rules and requires only modest equipment. Likewise, many people in Azerbaijan are interested in football. The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) is the governing body of football and Azerbaijan has a national football championship, called Azerbaijan Premier League. Since 2016, eight clubs are competing in the league with Qarabag FK being the dominating team of the league during the last decade [11].&#x0D; In general, such dominance might be a problem for spectators and fans. At the same time, it might hinder the development of other clubs in the country. Remarkably in this regard, the performance in UEFA’s international club competitions, i.e. the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, of all clubs beyond Qarabag FK is rather poor yet.&#x0D; This thesis will deal with the situation of competitive balance (CB) and its development over time in the Azerbaijan Premier League. Moreover, it will explore whether and to what extent a lack of balance might (at least to some extent) be one reason for the lack of success in the international club competitions. As such, the thesis intends to answer two research questions:&#x0D; 1) What is the situation as well as the development of CB over time in the Azerbaijan Premier League?&#x0D; 2) Is dominance in the Azerbaijan Premier League (at least to some extent) a problem for clubs playing internationally?

Competitive Balance and the Away Goals Rule During Extra Time

The Union of European Football Associations is currently reviewing the away goals rule during extra time in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. We model extra time as a two-stage contest. Assuming a home-field advantage we analyze the effect of the away goals rule on the competitive balance between teams. Our analysis suggests that the away goals rule levels the competitive imbalance introduced by the home-field advantage in the quarter and semi-finals and that in the round of 16 weaker teams should play first home and then away so that they benefit from the away goals rule during extra time.

Coupling anammox with heterotrophic denitrification for enhanced nitrogen removal: A review

Anammox has been recognized as the current most cost-effective nitrogen removal process. However, the issue of excess nitrate residue from its effluent remains to be addressed in order to meet the increasingly stringent discharge standard. Other than nitrogen, certain types of wastewater have organic matter that also needs to be removed. Within this context, denitrification can be introduced to reduce nitrate produced in anammox process and improve effluent quality. Meanwhile, the organic content of wastewater can be also controlled. In such integrated system, maintaining the predominant role of anammox is of supreme importance in achieving the stable operation. This study reviews the strategies to establish a competition balance between anammox and denitrification processes by analyzing the kinetics of anammox and denitrifying microorganisms, discussing the favorable conditions in establishing the coupled process, and evaluating the system recovery approaches. Moreover, the dynamics of the microbial communities in response to the organic matters are also presented in order to better understand the complex interactions inside the system and provide a molecular insight in regulating the growth of the two functional bacteria for the stable coexistence. This review offers a guide for future engineering application on anammox coupled denitrification technology for advanced nitrogen removal.