Individual Competition Research Articles

ISSUES OF INDIVIDUAL CAPITALISM IN THE NARRATIVE FILM OF THANK YOU FOR SMOKING AND THE COMPANY MEN

The idea of capitalism always refers to the triumph of the U.S. giant industry. In economic field, American and British capitalism is called as individual capitalism – the contrary of communal capitalism a la Japan and Germany. This paper is intended to examine the identity of economic character of individual capitalism in two Hollywood movies Thank You for Smoking (2006) and The Company Men (2010). Exploring the theory of individual and communal capitalism stated by Lester Thurow, it can be found that through mechanistic relationship, hard individual competition and unending punishment, those all erase emotional bound between individual and corporation. In short it becomes one of the reasons why American industry perishes its superiority slowly.

Niche Partitioning among Native Ciscoes and Nonnative Rainbow Smelt in Lake Superior

AbstractSeveral species of ciscoesCoregonus, subgenusLeucichthysthat are native to the Laurentian Great Lakes are rare or extirpated. The restoration ofCoregonusfishes is being actively pursued through stocking, and success may depend on the availability of unoccupied niche space. We described the spring–summer habitat occupancy and diets of three native cisco species (BloaterCoregonus hoyi, CiscoC. artedi,and KiyiC. Kiyi) and invasive Rainbow SmeltOsmerus mordaxin Lake Superior and measured niche overlap among these species for both small and large sizes. The potential habitat area was highest for Cisco and Kiyi, followed by Bloater and Rainbow Smelt. The probability of overlap in habitat occupation, as measured by bathymetric depth, fish capture depth, distance from shore, and fish capture water temperature was highest for small Rainbow Smelt and Cisco. Trophic overlap, as measured by stomach contents and stable isotopes, was highest between small Bloater and Cisco and between large Bloater and Kiyi. All of the species showed significant ontogenetic change in both habitat occupation and diet. The overall niche overlap in spring–summer habitat and diet was greatest between small Cisco and Rainbow Smelt and between large Bloater and Kiyi; however, differences in individual niche dimensions likely limit competition for both species pairs. Synthesizing the diet and habitat niche data revealed nuanced niches that allow these seemingly similar planktivorous species to coexist. Kiyi had the least niche overlap with other cisco species and Rainbow Smelt, so from an available niche perspective Kiyi would be a strong candidate for reintroduction into lakes from which they were extirpated.

The Facets of the Enlightenment Movement from a Libertarian Perspective:

This paper pretends to explain the origins of the French Revolution, in particular in regards to its connection with the main proponents of the French Enlightenment. It argues that the Enlightenment movement was rather heterogeneous, shaped by many different thinkers with often incompatible views. The merits of Jean Jacques Rousseau in regards to conservation and education are described, while equivalently criticizing his rather collectivist ideas and his disputable views on women. It is argued that even if during the main period of the Enlightenment movement, liberal thinkers such as Montesquieu, Turgot, Lafayette and Condorcet had defined political theories based on individual freedom and competition, they were possibly “too far ahead of times” to significantly shape the French Revolution. Independently from the positive aspects of the Enlightenment movement, the actual French Revolution was often collectivist and nationalist and led to a violent phase – the ‘Reign of Terror’. Thus, this analysis allows us to understand the complexity and diversity of the Enlightenment movement and its relation to the actual French Revolution. Consequently, the revolution’s collectivist, nationalist and violent phase must be seen critically, also showing us that the implementation of democratic processes can bear risks, as the ‘majority rule’ can differ quite significantly to the concept of the ‘Rule of Law’.

Horacio Castellanos Moya’s Moronga and the narrative destabilization of neoliberal mentality

ABSTRACTHoracio Castellanos Moya’s 2018 novel Moronga gives voice to the Honduran-Salvadoran author’s disillusionment with the results of the Central American revolutionary wars of the closing decades of the twentieth century. The novel demonstrates the effects of the violent introduction of neoliberalism into Central America and draws attention to the neoliberal “structures of feeling” that undergird the triumph of this system of economic relations. Far from being apolitical, Moronga attempts to rescue the possibility of genuine political struggle from the alienating forces of globalization that exalt individual competitiveness and mobility at the expense of solidarity. Armed struggle against neoliberalism failed, yet the efforts to resist the adoption of the neoliberal mentality continue, and Moronga represents Castellanos Moya’s contribution to this effort. The novel attempts to destabilize neoliberal mentality through its exploration of the traumatic impact effect that neoliberalism has had on Central Americans. Moronga represents the author’s contribution to the ongoing resistance to the neoliberal revolution that began in the 1970s and is continuing today

Interpreter training in Japanese higher education: An innovative method for the promotion of linguistic instrumentalism?

The relevance of English communicative competence for achieving individual and corporate competitiveness influenced language policies in Japan, triggering universities’ competitive use of interpreter training as an innovative language enhancement teaching method. Through a case study of a university promoting interpreter training in Japan as a language tool, this article investigates the experiences of students and instructors on the programme, framed within a critique of linguistic instrumentalism. It argues that there is a pedagogical conflict between implementing policy education strategies and using realistic interpreting curricula that consider students’ needs. It shows that interpreter training for enhanced communicative competence is embedded into a neoliberal rhetoric of linguistic instrumentalism, promising competitive professional advantages to students. However, it paradoxically does not keep promises of language acquisition. The study reveals that instructors’ teaching methods, students’ aspirations, and the curriculum design are not pedagogically effective, as there is a mismatch between students’ skills and activities proposed.

Neoliberalism: An Ideological Barrier to Feminist Identification and Collective Action

Even though gender inequality is ubiquitous, not all women get involved in remedial collective action. We hypothesize that neoliberal ideology, which emphasizes individual responsibility, free choice, competition, and meritocracy, undermines women’s feminist identification and collective action. In the first experimental study (n = 159), and consistent with the hypotheses, women primed with meritocracy identified less as feminists, perceived remedial collective action as being less important, and were less likely to ask for information regarding these actions in comparison with women who were not primed with meritocracy. Importantly, feminist identification mediated the effect of meritocracy priming on both perceived importance of collective action and the choice to be exposed to information about feminist collective action. A second correlational study (n = 232), relying on a multi-dimensional measure of neoliberal ideology and a behavioral measure of collective action, revealed that, as hypothesized, endorsing neoliberal beliefs was related to more gender system justification, less feminist identification, and less collective action in favor of women (i.e., sending a message to their elected member of parliament asking them to denounce sexist advertisements). The mediation models of Study 1 were supported in Study 2.

Farming plant cooperation in crops.

Selection of the fittest can promote individual competitiveness but often results in the erosion of group performance. Recently, several authors revisited this idea in crop production and proposed new practices based on selection for cooperative phenotypes, i.e. phenotypes that increase crop yield through decreased competitiveness. These recommendations, however, remain difficult to evaluate without a formal description of crop evolutionary dynamics under different selection strategies. Here, we develop a theoretical framework to investigate the evolution of cooperation-related traits in crops, using plant height as a case study. Our model is tailored to realistic agricultural practices and shows that combining high plant density, high relatedness and selection among groups favours the evolution of shorter plants that maximize grain yield. Our model allows us to revisit past and current breeding practices in light of kin selection theory, and yields practical recommendations to increase cooperation among crops and promote sustainable agriculture.

A járványos gyermekbénulás elleni vakcina a politikai és szakmai harc hálójában

The discovery of the polio pathogen and the development of eradication procedures represented a giant step in the man’s history. They demonstrated clearly the diversity of scientific approaches. Infectious diseases of poliovirus like other ones follow an ever-changing pattern. Examined in the global context, these changes burdened society from the very beginning. The invention of any vaccine did not result in peace of mind, because not only its quality but the effect of variable conditions must have been constantly monitored due to the changing patterns of viruses. Polio or poliomyelitis causes paralysis and death. Its history goes back to the prehistoric times thus the first evidence was found in the era of the 18th Dynasty in Egypt BC cc 400-1365 cut in stone. Although major polio epidemics were unknown before the 20th century, minor and sporadic endemics were always emerging. But after the turn of the century in the 1900s major epidemics started in North America and Europe at the same time, instigating intensive research in a number of laboratories using different methodological approaches. First, the pathogen was identified and then the vaccine developed. Finally remained 2 different vaccines on the market. The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was the first one administered at the beginnings after the discovery by Salk, changed later by the oral polio vaccine (OPV) in many countries. Political, health policy and mainly economic struggle were launched in the production of vaccines. This study presents the historical and political background that characterized and characterizes a pandemic. Back in the Cold War era, we demonstrate the business-economic-political-institutional background of the worldwide vaccine production, without neglecting the researchers’ individual competition and envy especially through highlighting the background of the Nobel Prize struggle.

ПРОБЛЕМА ПОЛІТИЧНОГО ПРОСТОРУ В НАУКОВІЙ ПАРАДИГМІ СУЧАСНОСТІ

Розглянуто основні проблеми концептуалізації та необхідності переосмислення розуміння політичного простору в умовах сучасних трансформаційних процесів. Політичний простір показано як одну з проекцій політики на відносини, які складаються між різними суб’єктами з приводу розподілу влади. При цьому політичний простір виступає регулятором відносин груп та індивідів, областю взаємодій груп інтересів на перетині «горизонтальних» і «вертикальних» відносин. Він являє собою відкриту і нестійку систему, на функціонування якої великий вплив здійснюють зовнішні фактори.

Devaluation of cultural capital on online platforms and the changing shape of the social space

This article analyses the devaluation of work and qualifications on crowdworking platforms. It argues that - in the context of a digital reputation economy - cultural capital (formal and incorporated standards of skills and knowledge) is increasingly being devalued, informalised and replaced by symbolic capital. We argue that these changes impact on social relations and the social space. The devaluation and precariousness of crowdwork does not only reflect a crisis of social reproduction and increasing socio-economic inequalities, but also changes traditional channels of upward mobility and thus the structuring of the social space. Furthermore, increasing individual competition implies gendered and discriminatory dynamics.

Competitiveness Metrics for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises through Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods and Neural Networks

This paper aims to present a way to obtain competitiveness metrics for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a country with emerging characteristics. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were selected through a bibliographical research and fuzzy-Delphi method. Competitiveness rates were obtained modelling these KPIs through a hybrid approach between VIKOR and TODIM methods, and artificial neural networks (ANNs). A set of 18 KPIs to evaluate, monitor and control SMEs competitiveness was defined. Individual competitiveness rates (ICRs) were obtained for SMEs and an average of 78.33 with the ANN × VIKOR hybridisation and 81.61 with the ANN × TODIM hybridisation (on a scale from 0 to 100). This paper can serve as parameter for other studies related to competitiveness evaluation. Through the KPIs set, it is possible to define measurement parameters, translating into better control and optimising possibilities for SMEs competitiveness, being used for comparisons and benchmarks for other similar Brazilian or global SMEs.

A Free Country: Australians' Search for Utopia

A Free Country: Australians' Search for Utopia

Intraspecific Competition Affects Crown and Stem Characteristics of Non-Native Quercus rubra L. Stands in Germany

Accurate guidelines for silvicultural management of exotic tree species in Germany are sparse. For example, northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) is the most commonly planted exotic deciduous tree species in Germany, but its response to varying levels of competition intensity has not yet been adequately explored. Here, we used terrestrial laser scanning to non-destructively examine the responses of stem and crown characteristics of Quercus rubra to intraspecific competition. A total of 100 dominant red oak trees were investigated in ten pure red oak stands, located in five federal states of Germany. The external stem quality characteristics namely stem non-circularity and bark anomalies decreased with increasing tree competition. Also, the crown characteristics crown volume, crown surface area, maximum crown area, crown length, and branch length declined by the degree of individual tree competition. We conclude that individual tree properties can be controlled by competition intensity, resulting in improved timber quality as shown for other tree species.

Pengaruh Daya Saing, Gender, Fraud Diamond Terhadap Perilaku Kecurangan Akademik Mahasiswa

Academic fraud is something that has a devastating effect on students just for a satisfying outcome. So they forget the purpose of the actual education itself. There are factors that encourage someone to commit fraud found in the theory of diamond fraud developed by Cressey (1953), namely pressure, opportunity, rationalization and ability. In the research there are new factors that might influence academic fraud namely competitiveness. Unlike the previous research, in this study using competitiveness and gender variables. Where this competitiveness is one of the factors to encourage someone to commit academic fraud, because the competitiveness of individuals in getting the best value is very stimulating the individual to do what is desired by utilizing the situation and capabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the cause of someone doing academic fraud. From the results of the research that has been done, it is known that what affects the occurrence of fraud in the academy is opportunity and also gender differences.

Zmiany aktywności fal mózgowych pod wpływem treningu neurofeedback u zawodników judo

Cel badań. Celem niniejszego badania była analiza dynamiki zmienności wartości fal Theta i Beta w grupach eksperymentalnej i kontrolnej po kolejnych sesjach biofeedback oraz określenie optymalnej liczby jednostek treningowych wystarczających do osiągniecia celu badania, jakim była poprawa szybkości reakcji w badanej grupie zawodników judo.
 Metodologia. W badaniu wzięło udział 12 mężczyzn – zawodników kadry narodowej Polskiego Związku Judo. Zawodnicy uczestniczyli w dwóch cyklach treningowych, każdy po 15 sesji. Czas trwania treningu wynosił 4 minuty. W pierwszej sesji treningi odbywały się co drugi dzień. Druga seria badań, która odbyła się po czterotygodniowej przerwie, charakteryzowała się tym samym czasem trwania, jednak treningi odbywały się codziennie. Komputerowy test szybkości reakcji oraz wybrane próby systemu wiedeńskiego zostały wykonane przed oraz po zakończeniu każdego cyklu treningowego. Zawodnicy wykonywali trening na podstawie protokołu beta1/theta przy użyciu oprogramowania Biograf Infiniti 6.0 oraz 5 – kanałowego urządzenia dekodującego ProComp5 z sensorem EEG.
 Wyniki. Szczegółowa analiza wyników pokazuje, że zastosowanie treningu biofeedback, który przyczynił się do poprawy szybkości reakcji, znacząco wpływa na dynamikę aktywności fal mózgowych.
 Wnioski. Trening neurofeedback u zawodników judo może prowadzić do polepszenia wyników związanych z poprawą szybkości reakcji. Konieczne są jednak dalsze badania na szerszej grupie zawodników.
 Słowa kluczowe: Neurofeedback, judo, biofeedback, EEG.

Time-Loss Injuries in Karate: A Prospective Cohort Study of 4 Consecutive World Karate Championships.

Background:Prospective studies on injuries in martial arts competitions are scarce, especially those involving time-loss injuries. The upsurge of karate athletes competing in top-level karate competitions warrants elucidation of the time-loss injury risk.Purpose:To determine the time-loss injury proportion and incidence rate, describe the injury pattern among elite senior karate athletes, and compare the risk of time-loss injuries in male versus female athletes and in individual (ie, weight categories) versus team competitions (free-weight category).Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:Data were collected at 4 consecutive World Karate Championships (2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016). Injury incidence rates were calculated per 1000 athlete-exposures (IIRAE) and per 1000 minutes of exposure (IIRME), with 95% CIs. Subgroups were compared by calculating their rate ratios with 95% CIs.Results:A total of 506 injuries were recorded, of which 51 were time-loss injuries (10%). The overall time-loss injury rate was significantly lower for female versus male athletes and slightly lower for team versus individual competitions. Overall, 1.4% of all athletes sustained a time-loss injury, and the IIRAE and IIRME were 5.13 (95% CI, 3.82-6.74) and 1.98 (95% CI, 1.47-2.60), respectively. The most common type of time-loss injury was fracture (41%), followed by dislocation (20%) and concussion (12%).Conclusion:The time-loss injury incidence rate for top-level karate competitions found in this prospective study was relatively low. Comprehensive knowledge about the incidence of time-loss injuries during karate competitions represents an essential basis to develop effective strategies for injury prevention. Thus, the introduction of a uniform injury surveillance system in martial arts is of utmost importance.

Action in auctions: neural and computational mechanisms of bidding behaviour.

Competition for resources is a fundamental characteristic of evolution. Auctions have been widely used to model competition of individuals for resources, and bidding behaviour plays a major role in social competition. Yet, how humans learn to bid efficiently remains an open question. We used model‐based neuroimaging to investigate the neural mechanisms of bidding behaviour under different types of competition. Twenty‐seven subjects (nine male) played a prototypical bidding game: a double action, with three “market” types, which differed in the number of competitors. We compared different computational learning models of bidding: directional learning models (DL), where the model bid is “nudged” depending on whether it was accepted or rejected, along with standard reinforcement learning models (RL). We found that DL fit the behaviour best and resulted in higher payoffs. We found the binary learning signal associated with DL to be represented by neural activity in the striatum distinctly posterior to a weaker reward prediction error signal. We posited that DL is an efficient heuristic for valuation when the action (bid) space is continuous. Indeed, we found that the posterior parietal cortex represents the continuous action space of the task, and the frontopolar prefrontal cortex distinguishes among conditions of social competition. Based on our findings, we proposed a conceptual model that accounts for a sequence of processes that are required to perform successful and flexible bidding under different types of competition.

Run for the team: An analysis of effort gains in track and field relays

ObjectivesWe studied whether effort gains in relay as compared to individual swimming competitions generalize to 4 × 400 m track and field relays. DesignWe employed a 4 (indispensability levels) × 2 (relation of team performance and team outcomes) design. MethodGerman national squad runners (N = 23) were surveyed on their effort expenditure. In our main study, we tested within-person performance differences (N = 397) between individual and relay competitions relying on archival data from major track and field championships. We operationalized the indispensability of one’s own contribution via relay positions and the relation of team performance and outcomes via medal chance. ResultsAthletes reported effort gains in relay as compared to individual competitions. The archival study revealed effort gains for later positions if the relay had a high medal chance. These effort gains showed an unexpected quadratic pattern across the relay with smaller effort gains at the last position.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk by Season Period and Competition Segment: An Analysis of National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Data.

Although fatigue has been implicated in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, few researchers have examined the timing of injury across a competitive sport season or within a competitive session to gain insight into the potential effects of fatigue on the incidence of ACL injury. To identify the time segments across a competitive season or within an individual competition associated with the greatest ACL injury incidence. Descriptive epidemiology study. Data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program for 2004-2005 through 2015-2016 for basketball, lacrosse, and soccer were analyzed. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) compared ACL injury rates by sport, sex, season segment, and competition period. Poisson regression was used to examine the associations between each of these categories and the incidence of ACL injury as well as interaction effects. During the early regular season, the incidence rate was elevated relative to the preseason (IRR = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27, 2.74), middle regular season (IRR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.01, 2.15), late regular season (IRR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.08, 2.27), and postseason (IRR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.06, 4.56). A sport-by-season interaction indicated this effect was largely attributable to a higher incidence in the early season among lacrosse athletes. An interaction between season segment and competition period (P = .02) revealed a greater injury incidence before halftime in the early regular season (IRR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.19, 0.76), but a greater incidence after halftime in the late regular season (IRR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.15, 5.02). Fewer noncontact injuries occurred in soccer than in basketball or lacrosse. The ACL injury incidence was higher in the early part of the regular season, particularly among lacrosse athletes. Although the injury incidences before and after halftime were similar, further analyses of player time and time of injury within each half are necessary. Coaches and practitioners should be cognizant of the elevated injury incidence during the early season among lacrosse athletes. Future authors should consider more specific analyses to further elucidate the potential role of fatigue development in exacerbating the incidence of ACL injury in collegiate athletes both within games and across the season.

Quantification of Individual Tree Competition Index Taking Chinese-Fir Plantations in Subtropical Low Hilly Area as an Example

Competition among trees is a fundamental interaction process within plant community, which is the theoretical basis of thinning. Plant competitive intensity is generally measured using a competition index (CI) that can be classified into two major categories: distance-independent and distance-dependent. The current study used Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook as the test subject and used Hegyi's CI (distance-dependent), to quantify individual CI and their relationship with tree diameter at breast height (DBH). Five different criteria were used to select potential competitors for the calculation of CI. Seven basic linear and nonlinear mathematical functions were used to test and quantify the relationships between DBH of the target tree and the individual CI. Results showed that individual CI was negatively correlated with target tree DBH: as DBH increased, competition intensity weakened. The adjusted R2 with five different criteria of selection competitors simulated by seven functions ranged from 0.30 to 0.82. Considering the root mean square error (RMSE), P-value, and adjusted-R2, our results suggested that the best model to simulate the relationship between individual CI and focal tree DBH was power function (CI = 43.98 × DBH-1.08, adjusted R2 = 0.81) and with the Voronoi diagram method as the criteria for selecting competitors. These results can demonstrate a clearer understanding of the spatial structure of forests, and can be used to guide the selection of thinning trees in the process of thinning practice.