Effects Of Competition Research Articles

Does soil nutrient heterogeneity affect the competition and adaptation of Vernicia montana?

Plants respond to variations in soil nutrient distribution and the presence of neighboring plants, yet consensus is lacking on the impact of naturally heterogeneous soil nutrient environments on plant competition. This study employs pot experiments to simulate homogeneous and heterogeneous forest soil nutrient environments and designs neighbor competition experiments for Vernicia montana, Cunninghamia lanceolata, and Phoebe bournei, to assess the impact of neighbor competition on these seedlings from the perspective of root morphology and foraging ability in different nutrient environments. The results reveal that when faced with heterogeneous nutrient environments or competitive settings, V. montana primarily utilized morphological and physiological plasticity, such as increasing root morphological indicators and concentrating more nutrients in the underground part, to enhance its adaptability and achieve competitive advantages. C. lanceolata and P. bournei mainly depended on physiological plasticity, like increased root nutrient concentration, when they were co-planted with other species. Compared to interspecific competition, intraspecific competition had a significant inhibitory effect on V. montana, especially under heterogeneous nutrient conditions, with notable reductions in root morphological indicators and root N, P concentration in mono-culture. Nutrient heterogeneity also altered the effects of interspecific competition on C. lanceolata and P. bournei. When mixed-planted with C. lanceolata or P. bournei, V. montana exhibited stronger competitive ability in both nutrient environments. The effects of mixed planting on C. lanceolata and P. bournei were significantly different between the two nutrient environments, in that homogeneous nutrient environment favored the growth and nutrient absorption of C. lanceolata, while heterogeneous nutrients generally benefited P. bournei. Most research on seedling competition is conducted under homogenous nutrient environments, and the results may not accurately reflect in-situ competition, potentially obscuring the scientific implementation of forestry management. Taking into account competition under unevenly distributed soil resources will help in optimizing tree species selection and cultivation methods, thereby improving the adaptability and ecological benefits of forests.

The Effects of Vertical Separation and Competition: Evidence from US Electric Utility Restructuring

Competition usually increases firm productivity; but in network industries, effective competition requires vertical separation, which might reduce productivity and lead to a potential trade-off. We analyze the combined effect of competition and vertical separation on inefficient costs for US electricity industry restructuring. We estimate firm-level inefficiencies with the use of different nonparametric models of the technology and calculate net benefits with the use of difference-in-differences. The results depend on how we model the production technology and the length of the post-treatment horizon. The more flexible is the production frontier, the greater is the net benefit from divestiture and competition. Across our models the combined effect of divestiture and competition is positive.

Resource diversity mitigates the effects of intraspecific competition in co-occurring cryptic nematode species

Intraspecific competition and resource diversity are considered major drivers of niche differentiation, which are expected to promote population niche expansion by driving individuals to feed on alternative resources and/or by enhancing individual diet specialization. Nevertheless, experimental studies on the interaction effects of both factors on animal behavior and population dynamics remain scant. Here, we investigate how resource diversity alters the impact of intraspecific competition on resource preference and fitness of three co-occurring cryptic species of the marine nematode complex Litoditis marina (Pm I, Pm III and Pm IV). For each cryptic species, two competition regimes (‘low nematode density’ and ‘high nematode density’) were established in microcosms with varying resource diversity (E. coli, low-, medium- and high-diversity food). Our results show differences in resource preference and population fitness depending on intraspecific competition and resource diversity, but the response also varied considerably between cryptic species. Pm III did not exhibit resource preference under low intraspecific competition, but preferred the two most diverse food sources under high intraspecific competition. Pm IV also showed preference for medium-diversity food under high competition, whereas no resource preference was observed in Pm I regardless of competition regimes and resource diversity. Nevertheless, all cryptic species exhibited enhanced adult population growth on a more diverse food source under stronger intraspecific competition. These results indicate that resource diversity can alleviate intraspecific competition and affect niche diversification, which may impact diversity maintenance in ecological communities.

Epiphytic microbiota source stimulates the fermentation profile and bacterial community of alfalfa-corn mixed silage.

The epiphytic microbiota source on plants plays a crucial role in the production of high-quality silage. To gain a better understanding of its contribution, the microbiota of alfalfa (M1C0), corn (M0C1) and the resulting mixture (M1C1) was applied in alfalfa-corn mixed silage production system. M1C0 decreased ammonia-N levels in terms of total nitrogen (57.59-118.23 g/kg TN) and pH (3.59-4.40) values (p < 0.01), which increased lactic acid (33.73-61.89 g/kg DM) content (p < 0.01). Consequently, this resulted in higher residual water-soluble carbohydrate (29.13-41.76 g/kg DM) and crude protein (152.54-167.91 g/kg DM) contents, as well as lower NDF (427.27 g/kg DM) and ADF (269.53 g/kg DM) contents in the silage compared to M1C1- and M0C1-treated samples. Moreover, M1C0 silage showed significantly higher bacterial alpha diversity indices (p < 0.05), including the number of observed species and Chao1 and Shannon diversity indices, at the later stages of ensiling. Lactobacillus, Kosakonia and Enterobacter were the dominant bacterial species in silages, with a relative abundance of >80%. However, the abundance of Lactobacillus amylovorus in M0C1- and M1C1-treated silage increased (p < 0.01) in the late stages of ensiling. These findings confirmed that the epiphytic microbiota source exerts competitive effects during anaerobic storage of alfalfa-corn mixed silage.

Analysis of Competitiveness and Export Performance: Indonesian Crude Palm Oil (HS 15111000) Commodity against Major Competitor in Indian Market

International trade has become a key pillar in driving a country's economic growth. The stability of international trade is reflected in export-import activities. The amount of exports that exceeds the amount of imports will increase national income and positively affect the country's economic growth. Crude Palm Oil (CPO) is Indonesia's dominant export product that plays a critical role in the country's economic growth. Indonesia's CPO production in 2018 was recorded at 40.57 million tons. India is Indonesia's largest main market in exporting CPO. The purpose of this study is to determine the competitiveness and performance of Indonesia's CPO exports compared to the main competitor countries, namely Malaysia and Thailand. The data analysis process utilizes Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Constant Market Share (CMS), and the Man-Whitney Test with the period of research statistics from 2013-2022.The results show that Indonesia's RCA value has competitiveness and comparative advantage in CPO exports against Thailand, but does not show significant differences with Malaysia in the Indian market. The results of data analysis using Constant Market Shares (CMS) to measure Indonesia's CPO export performance through standard growth, commodity composition effects, market distribution effects and competitiveness effects show that the export performance of CPO commodities against major competitor countries in the Indian market tends to have a positive trend.

Understanding an ecological tug of war: Disentangling competition between native and domesticated ungulates

AbstractCompetition is a complex ecological process involving individual and community interactions at ecological and evolutionary time scales. Individuals within and between species can compete through two mechanisms: exploitative and interference competition. These mechanisms often co‐occur, making it difficult to develop a mechanistic understanding of competition. We used movement data from 19 GPS‐collared white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) associated with an experimental cattle (Bos taurus) stocking event to disentangle exploitative from interference competition between deer and cattle. We assumed any effect of exploitative competition on reduced forage availability for deer would not occur immediately, whereas interference competition would occur immediately after cattle stocking, and antagonistic interactions between deer and cattle would alter deer behavior and degrade habitat quality. We evaluated the effects of the experimental stocking event on deer for 30‐day intervals before and after the cattle stocking event as this period was assumed to be too short for cattle to reduce deer forage resources through exploitative competition. We assessed the effects of interference competition using the movement metrics of home range size, speed, and resource selection. We used home range size as a proxy for habitat quality, assuming cattle would degrade deer habitat through means other than loss of forage. We used speed and resource selection as indicators of deer behavior. We experimentally stocked cattle at densities ranging from 0 to 15.7 animal units/km2 to previously destocked pastures. Stocking densities did not influence home range sizes ( = 17.033, 85% CI: −189.471 to 235.322) of deer. However, as stocking density increased, deer decreased speed ( = −0.014, 85% CI: −0.020 to −0.008) and increased selection for woody cover ( = 0.047, 85% CI: 0.031 to 0.063) and sandier soils ( = 0.062, 85% CI: 0.033 to 0.090). Our results suggest cattle density altered deer behavior and their realized niche within our system. Our results demonstrated mechanisms by which competition with livestock could influence native wildlife populations, which can be used to inform management of multiuse working landscapes.

Reforming competitive advantages and supply chain effectiveness in South African State- Owned Enterprises

Reforming competitive advantages and supply chain effectiveness in South African State- Owned Enterprises

Effects of Pt Loading onto SnO2 Ordered Porous Thin Films on Potentiometric Hydrogen Sensing Properties

Ordered Pt/SnO2 composite porous thin films were prepared for fabrication of planar mixed-potential hydrogen sensors. Characterization of the Pt/SnO2 films revealed that Pt elements were primarily loaded in Pt° form on the SnO2 film surface and did not significantly change the morphology of the film electrodes. The potentiometric response of Pt/SnO2 thin films to hydrogen varied with the Pt loading contents. Compared to the pristine SnO2 film, the 1 at% and 2 at% Pt-loaded SnO2 composite films exhibited 1.6 and 2.0 times higher potentiometric response to 300 ppm hydrogen at 500 °C, with a similar response time of 6–10.5 s. By assembling an array of sensors composed of SnO2 films loaded with 1 at% and 2 at% Pt, and using principal component analysis, discrimination of hydrogen and four interfering gases (ammonia, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and propane) in the concentration range of 100–300 ppm was achieved. The sensing behaviors of the Pt/SnO2 composite thin films were discussed in relation to the competitive promotion effects for the heterogeneous and electrochemical catalytic activities by Pt loading.

Evaluating the competition intensity of wandering spiders feeding on Empoasca onukii under varying cicada–spider ratios in tea plantations

AbstractThis study was designed to explore differences in the competitive effects of wandering spiders under different cicada–spider ratios in tea plantations, and to provide a basis for the use of predatory wandering spiders for rational biological control. The population dynamics of Empoasca onukii and its natural enemies, the wandering spiders, were investigated in plantations of six tea cultivars, namely Anjibaicha, Huangshandayezhong, Longjing 43, Nongkangzao, Pingyangtezao and Wuniuzao, on the peak day of E. onukii emergence. Competition among wandering spiders under different cicada–spider ratios was analyzed using the gray correlation method and the competition coefficient method, and the results were then combined to derive a competition intensity index, which was then used to verify the accuracy of the results obtained. The results showed that the competition coefficients and competition intensity indices for low cicada–spider ratios were greater than those for high cicada–spider ratios on the peak day of E. onukii feeding, the differences between the two were significant at the t0.20 level, and the most competitive wandering spiders at low and high ratios were Clubiona japonicola and Clubiona reichlini, respectively, indicating that the cicada–spider ratio had some influence on the competitive effect of the wandering spiders. The results provide a scientific basis for the study of competition between species of wandering spiders and the utilization of competitive wandering spiders against E. onukii for the protection of tea crops.

Simple, sensitive, and visual detection of 12 respiratory pathogens with one-pot-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay.

Respiratory infections pose a serious threat to global public health, underscoring the urgent need for rapid, accurate, and large-scale diagnostic tools. In recent years, the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) system, combined with isothermal amplification methods, has seen widespread application in nucleic acid testing (NAT). However, achieving a single-tube reaction system containing all necessary components is challenging due to the competitive effects between recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and CRISPR/Cas reagents. Furthermore, to enable precision medicine, distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections is essential. Here, we have developed a novel NAT method, termed one-pot-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a, which combines RPA with CRISPR molecular diagnostic technology, enabling simultaneous detection of 12 common respiratory pathogens, including sixbacteria and sixviruses. RPA and CRISPR/Cas12a reactions are separated by paraffin, providing an independent platform for RPA reactions to generate sufficient target products before being mixed with the CRISPR/Cas12a system. Results can be visually observed under LED blue light. The sensitivity of the one-pot-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a method is 2.5 × 100copies/μL plasmids, with no cross-reaction with other bacteria or viruses. Additionally, the clinical utility was evaluated by testing clinical isolates of bacteria and virus throat swab samples, demonstrating favorable performance. Thus, our one-pot-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a method shows immense potential for accurate and large-scale detection of 12 common respiratory pathogens in point-of-care testing.

Revisiting the innovation-competition nexus: Evidence from worldwide manufacturing and service industries

This paper investigates the relationship between competition and innovation using a worldwide dataset of manufacturing and service industries. The sample comprises the world's top corporate R&D spenders listed in the EU 2017 industrial R&D Scoreboard, and the analysis covers the years spanning 2007 to 2016. We use an industry-year indicator, the inverse of the Lerner Index, to measure the competition level prevailing between these large R&D companies. R&D expenditures are used as a proxy for innovation. The model is estimated using two-stage least squares to control for the potential endogeneity of the competition indicator. Our contributions are three-fold. Firstly, we examine the innovation-competition nexus at the worldwide level, thus extending the geographical coverage of previous studies. Secondly, we analyze the relationship separately for manufacturing and service industries, characterized by different technological and knowledge-based regimes. Finally, we distinguish between incumbents and new entrants in the worldwide market. Our findings confirm the existence of an inverted-U shaped relationship between competition and innovation and show that this relationship differs between manufacturing and service industries. The results also reveal that the effect of competition on innovation varies between incumbents and new entrants. Our paper contributes to the existing literature by providing novel empirical evidence on the innovation-competition nexus based on a global sample and addressing previous studies' limitations.

Market Competition, Non-Interest Income and Risk-Taking of Small and Medium-Sized Banks

ABSTRACT Taking the data of 61 small and medium-sized commercial banks in China from 2014 to 2021 as a research sample, this paper conducts an empirical study on the relationship between market competition and the risk-taking of small and medium-sized banks, and further considers the moderating role of economic policy uncertainty and non-interest business income. The results show that the intensification of market competition increases the risk-taking of small and medium-sized banks. Meanwhile, economic policy uncertainty dampens the positive effect of market competition on bank risk-taking, and commission income and other non-interest income have important mediating effects in the relationship between market competition and bank risk-taking.

Does intense tax competition boost public acceptance for inter-municipal cooperation? Evidence from a survey among German citizens and local politicians

ABSTRACT Intense tax competition among local governments limits their potential for tax revenues. Inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in general and joint business parks in particular constitute a platform to coordinate local tax rates with neighboring municipalities to reduce tax competition. We ask whether local politicians and citizens are aware of this logic and whether they account for it. Using survey data from German municipalities, we find citizens’ support for joint business parks to increase in the intensity of tax competition but not for other forms of IMC. For local politicians, we do not find any effect of tax competition on IMC support.

Empirical Effects of Resale Price Maintenance: Evidence from Fixed Book Price Policies in Europe

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) agreements in Europe by studying a legally permitted form of RPM in the book market. In particular, we study the effects of such agreements on prices and sales, finding that countries which have Fixed Book Prices policies witness higher book sales, relative to countries without such a policy, with no noticeable effect on the average price of books. We suggest that the mechanism for these findings is that FBP policies promote non-price competition and a diverse network of retailers, increasing quantity, whereas a change in bargaining power reduces double marginalisation, offsetting upward pricing pressure from RPM. While these results are limited to the book sector and are based on a limited number of countries changing policy, they nonetheless highlight that RPM agreements have the ability to confer positive competition effects and absolute prohibition of such agreements may not always be warranted.

Statistical physics investigation on the simultaneous adsorption mechanism of Cd2+ and Pb2+ on amino functionalized activated carbon derived from coal gasification fine slag

In this study, a novel surface amino-functionalized activated carbon (T-AC) was synthesized from coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) and used as an adsorbent for heavy metal ions. T-AC exhibits excellent adsorption capacity for Cd2+ and Pb2+. The adsorption process of Cd2+ and Pb2+ onto T-AC was found to be spontaneous. The dominant adsorption process was chemisorption, primarily involving chelation and covalent bonding. In binary systems, as the initial concentration increases, the independent adsorption effect of Pb2+ and Cd2+ gradually becomes a competitive adsorption effect. Statistical physical models revealed that the adsorption of T-AC for Cd2+ and Pb2+ in single systems followed a multi-molecular adsorption process, whereas in binary systems, it involved a multi-anchorage process. The adsorption capacity was primarily influenced by the number of ions attached to the receptor sites and the density of the adsorbent receptor sites. Moreover, elevating temperature enhanced the thermal movement of heavy metal ions within the pore structure of the adsorbent, reducing their tendency to aggregate at the active sites. This work provides insights into the microscopic-level adsorption process of heavy metal ions by carbon-based materials and contributed to understand of the adsorption behavior.

Competitive effectiveness of Kazakhstani athletes specializing in Greco-Roman wrestling in the international sports arena

Despite the great popularity of Greco-Roman style wrestling and the success of Kazakhstan athletes in the international sports arena, there is no in-depth analysis of the competitive performance of our athletes at major sports competitions in the literature available to us. The purpose of the study was to analyze the performances of Kazakhstan Greco-Roman wrestlers at major international competitions. Such research methods as analysis of literary sources, analysis of protocols of performances of Kazakhstan athletes at international competitions, analysis of profiles of Kazakhstan athletes in the International Wrestling Database were used. Analyzing the performances of Kazakhstan Greco-Roman wrestlers at such major international competitions as the World Cup and the Olympic Games, we can conclude that their competitive performance has decreased. In recent years, the share of gold medals in the medal standings of the national team has decreased and the share of bronze medals has increased. Kazakhstan Greco-Roman wrestlers are one of the regular participants of major international sports competitions. During the entire period of participation, Kazakhstan athletes at international competitions have won 12 medals of the European Championship, 43 medals of the World Championship and 16 medals of the Olympic Games. However, in recent years there has been a decrease in the competitive effectiveness of our athletes at major international competitions, including the Olympic Games.

Examining the Blood-Feeding Interactions During Intra- and Interspecific Adult Competition between Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti -a Laboratory Study

Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti are striped mosquitoes with similar behavioral characteristics. They are known vectors of dangerous arboviruses and are expanding their reach globally. These species have established in specific areas of Türkiye, with Ae. albopictus expanding significantly than Ae. aegypti. While the larval competition of these two mosquito species has been studied, not much is known about their interactions during adulthood. We first investigated the effects of interspecific and intraspecific larval competition on the survival rate into adulthood and the wing length of females and males in containers of different sizes and food level conditions. This research also explored how females of these mosquitoes compete for blood meals in confined environments and its effects on blood feeding rates and female fecundity. Larval competition hinders Ae. aegypti emergence, Ae. albopictus remains resilient across varying resource levels. Notably, both species displayed increased blood feeding rates when housed together, suggesting potential facilitation or competitive avoidance strategies. Interspecific pressure caused a decrease in the number of eggs laid in mixed species cages for Ae. aegypti only. This study highlights the complex competitive dynamics between Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti. While larval competition appears to affect Ae. aegypti emergence. Further understanding of adult interactions is crucial for predicting their co-occurrence and effectively managing their populations, especially as Ae. albopictus shows greater adaptability and expansion within Türkiye.

Risking or de-risking? The effect of banking competition on large state-owned banks and small and medium-sized enterprise lending: Evidence from China

This study examines the effect of the expansion of small and medium-sized bank branches on large state-owned banks in China based on bank branch-level financial data and detailed loan-level data from 2008 to 2015. We find that the expansion of small and medium-sized banks favorably impacts the operating income of large state-owned banks without intensifying bank risk-taking. Large state-owned banks, used to lack competition, expand their total lending scale to achieve more operating revenue by servicing more firms, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This promotes SMEs' access to finance, while also raising the operating costs of large state-owned banks. More importantly, the lending standards and loan quality of large state-owned banks do not deteriorate, implying that they do not employ risky lending tactics to deal with increased competition.

Retraction Note: Testing the impact of sustainable environmental regulations on firm performance with mediating effect of product market competition: empirical evidence from Turkey.

Retraction Note: Testing the impact of sustainable environmental regulations on firm performance with mediating effect of product market competition: empirical evidence from Turkey.

Competition, quality and integrated health care

Integration of health care services has been promoted in several countries to improve the quality and coordination of care. We investigate the effects of such integration in a model where providers compete on quality to attract patients under regulated prices. We identify countervailing effects of integration on quality of care. While integration makes coordination of care more profitable for providers due to bundled payments, it also softens competition as patient choice is restricted. We also identify circumstances due to asymmetries across providers and/or services under which integration either increases or reduces the quality of services provided. In the absence of synergies, integration generally leads to increases in quality for some services and reductions for others. The corresponding effect on health benefits depends largely on whether integration leads to quality dispersion or convergence across services. If the softening of competition effect is weak, integration is likely to improve quality and patient outcomes.