Primary Competitors Research Articles

Crosslinked Polydiallyldimethylammonium Chloride Adsorbent for the Selective Separation of Rhenium Ions from Pregnant Leach Solutions.

The depletion of valuable mineral reserves has rendered effluents generated from mining and industrial processing activities a promising resource for the production of precious elements. The synthesis and improvement of new adsorbents to extract valuable compounds from industrial wastes and pregnant leach solutions, besides increasing wealth, can play a significant role in reducing environmental concerns. In this work, a new and low-cost adsorbent for the selective extraction of rhenium (perrhenate ions, ReO4-) was synthesized by the free-radical polymerization (FRP) of a diallyl dimethylammonium chloride monomer (quaternary amine) in the presence of a crosslinker. Various methods were employed to characterize the polymeric adsorbent. The results revealed that the designed polymeric adsorbent had a high surface area and pores with nano-metric dimensions and a pore volume of 6.4 × 10-3 cm3/g. Four environments-single, binary, multicomponent, and real solutions-were applied to evaluate the adsorbent's performance in the selective separation of Re. Additionally, these environments were used to understand the behavior of molybdenum ions, the primary competitors of perrhenate ions in the ion exchange process. In competitive conditions, using variations in qe,mix/qe, an antagonism phenomenon (qe,mix/qe < 1) occurred due to the inhibitory effect of surface-adsorbed molybdenum ions on the binding of the perrhenate ions. However, across all conditions, the separation values for Re were higher than those for the other studied elements (Mo, Cu, Fe).

Research on the Corporate Value of Toyota Based on Multiple Valuation Method

Toyota corporation’s stock prices are determined by valuations, which are important in making a comparison between the company's financial status and stock price to its principal competitors' stock prices. The most common multiple valuation methods used by analysts include the Price-Earnings (P/E) ratio and the Enterprise Value to Adjusted EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio. This paper uses these two compelling ratios to describe the stock prices of a corporation throughout the process of analyzing the financial ratios of a financial statement. The P/E ratio and EV/EBITDA, two key multiple valuation tools, as well as the financial data from Toyota Industries Group's primary competitors, are used to determine whether the stock prices of Toyota corporation over the past three years are overvalued, undervalued, or fair. The conclusive findings that can be drawn from the enterprise values of Toyota corporation are that they are undervalued, even though the stock prices are appropriate. Besides, through stock price valuation, investors can make judgments and choose to continue to hold or sell.

The Hub Competition in Delivering Air Connectivity between China and Oceania

Aviation hubs are pivotal intermediate nodes for connecting people around the world. However, there has been limited investigation on the competitive hub landscape in the China–Oceania market. Employing an updated Connectivity Utility Model, we examine the hub connections provided by hubs in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, other Asian countries and Oceania from quantity and quality dimensions between 1997 and 2019. The results indicate that the solid growth of mainland China and Oceania hubs suppress the development of Hong Kong and other Asian hubs. The major competitions of the mainland China and Oceanian hubs have shifted from competing with hubs outside their respective regions to competing with hubs within their regions, while the primary competitors of other Asian hubs have changed from competing with each other to competing with hubs outside their region. In the monopoly market, the Oceanian hubs have always enjoyed the greatest monopoly superiority. In the overlapping market, the dominance of Hong Kong and other Asian hubs in both the quantity and quality dimensions has been challenged by mainland China hubs. In a semiregulated operating environment shaped by China’s centralized government, the coordination between airlines, airports and governments is crucial for future hub construction.

Vitality Analysis Algorithm in the Study of Plant Individuals and Populations

Background: The article presents an algorithm of the vitality analysis of plant individuals in the populations that enables the assessment of the prospects for the existence of species within certain phytocenoses and provides important information on the conditions of their growth. There are three basic stages of the algorithm: the first stage is the selection of qualitative characters, which characterize the viability of individuals; the second stage is the assessment of the vitality of specific plant individuals included in the sampling; the third stage is an integral assessment of the population vitality structure. Objective: The goal of the study is to develop the basic algorithm for vitality analysis of populations based on the assessment of the vitality of plant individuals, as well as the authors’ algorithms for vitality analysis, considering the characteristic features of species, in particular, their different life strategies (C-type and R-type). The algorithm of the vitality analysis is demonstrated on the example of populations of the annual weed Persicaria scabra Moench (Polygonaceae), which grows in the pea crop planting (Sumy Region, Ukraine). Methods: The algorithm of vitality analysis is based on the method of Yu. A. Zlobin, which includes 3 main stages. The vitality analysis of populations is carried out on the basis of the assessment of the vitality of certain individuals. The assessment of the vitality structure of populations is the third stage of vitality analysis, where the population belonging to the prosperous, equilibrium, or depressive types is determined depending on the ratio of individuals of different vitality classes (a, b, c). The calculation of the vitality analysis provides for the transformation of absolute values into unit fractions. It ensures the equivalence of the contribution of each of the features used in the assessment of the vitality of individuals and populations as a whole. Results: The article presents a basic algorithm for vitality analysis of plant populations. It also shows the algorithm for vitality analysis considering some biological and ecological characters of the studied species, which may be used in special and relatively rare cases. Some examples of analyses with a well-defined primary strategy ‒ competitors (C-type) or explerents (R-type) have been presented in the article. To calculate the morphoparameters of plant individuals and populations, the most convenient is the statistical package “Statistics”, which provides for the possibility of calculation automation via the command line. The division of populations into three types according to vitality is of general nature. The method of assessing the population vitality is inherently comparative, and this feature is considered to be its advantage. Conclusion: Vitality analysis is useful in assessing the populations of rare plant species, meadow grasses, chemical contamination on the population of plants, identifying any changes in the status populations of forest herbs in the change of forest growth conditions, as well as a number of species of forest-forming tree species. The proposed variants of the algorithm to calculate the vitality of plant species and local populations are characterized by the high biological informative value and flexibility. The incorporated information on the vitality structure of populations in quantitative PVA models to predict their dynamics will significantly increase the reliability of forecasts regarding the prospects for the existence of phytopopulations of species in various plant communities.

Evaluating Organisational Change and Employee Productivity in Nigeria: A Case Study of Union Bank, Plc

This study examined the effects of organisational change on employee productivity in the banking sector in Nigeria. Following a comprehensive literature review, the study identified technological, cultural, employee attitude to change, leadership, and change in customers’ taste as the change strategies that can facilitate competitive advantage and attainment of set organisational goals. The primary data collection method was adopted employing questionnaire strategy. 102 respondents were selected as sample size. The study used the multiple regression statistical analysis through SPSS statistical package version 25 for analysis. The overall results revealed that organisational change has a positively significant impact on employee productivity. To this effect, technological, leadership, attitudinal and cultural changes in that order highly impact employee productivity in Union Bank even though they were rarely used to implement change. As a result, Union bank is advised to embrace convergent change management so as to be better equipped to maintain excellence in productivity and overcome external challenges such as competition. On the contrary, changes especially in customer taste do not influence the productivity of employees, perhaps due to the nature of their business operations (service). The study recommends among others that while implementing firm’s improvement strategies, Union Bank managers should look at the organisation’s technological change models, cultural change, employees’ attitude to change, and leadership change against their primary competitors.

Bits and Pieces: A History of Chiptunes, by Kenneth B. McAlpine

<i>Bits and Pieces: A History of Chiptunes</i>, by Kenneth B. McAlpine

Independent Component Analysis and Sophisticated Distribution Control Algorithmsbased Improving the Efficecny of Solar Power Generation

Today, people are increasingly worried about environmental problems due to fuel shortage and generation of renewable energy sources. Among the renewable resources, wind generators and photovoltaic panels are primary competitors. For most of their applications, they have the advantages of having a load interface with different power converter circuits for maintenance and free of contamination, but their installation costs are high. Normally Photovoltaic modules also have relatively low conversion efficiency and Overall system cost of PV using Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques are high. The volume can be reduced by the use of high-performance power conditioners that allow for maximum energy consumption. Existing solar power generation systems have some disadvantages of being all day as a result of less direct exposure to true sunlight. This work is aimed at exploring the functions of a MPPT system that includes installations of sophisticated distribution control (SDC) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) methods. The duty cycle of power converter is significantly controlled using proposed SDC and ICA algorithms and guarantee MPPT operation at its highest efficiency. The function of proposed ICA and SDC has been compared with widely used in traditional algorithms in the MATLAB Simulink environment. Over 97% of capacity is achieved through the respective SDC and ICA methods.

Szakszerűség, tudományosság, kritikusság – a politikai aktivitás kezdetei az egyetemi ifjúság körében kétszáz éve

Comp etence, Erudition and Critical Thinking. The Beginnings of Political Act ivity among University Students in the Early 19th Century. The first decade of the 19th century was a period of significant change in terms of the political activity of European university students. They had come forward before in hope of achieving interest- or value-based goals, and in such cases, they exhibited a considerable ability to promote their own interests. However, their involvement and political role was entirely different in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times. From the 1810s on, the opinion and activity of university student as political actors independent from both the university and the professors were taken into account – and often even feared – by the political elite in power. The transformation of university students’ political role was the result of several, almost simultaneous changes accumulating. Due to the branching off of professional degrees and the increasing expertise of their scientific base, expectations of civic engagement based on critical thinking, and a new kind of uncertainty deriving from various sources made university students especially responsive to problems of their times. Several factors played a vital role in this growing responsiveness: the (cameralist) teachings of the Enlightenment; the strengthening of academies of science, which were the primary competitors of universities; as well as a concomitant separation of disciplines and the disappearance of the shared theological-philosophical-philological language used before. These factors were intensified by career starter graduates’ recurring fears of unemployment – triggered by processes of professionalization – which further increased university students’ interest in public affairs and their political activity.

Competition among Colleges for Students across the Nation

Colleges compete with one another for students. This article overcomes historical data limitations associated with forming a national picture of competition among colleges using the universe of SAT‐takers. We identify and measure competition by the overlap within the set of colleges to which students send their SAT scores (Score Sends). We document the competitive landscape for 1152 colleges between 1996 and 2013 including the number of competitors, the intensity of the competition, and characteristics of a college's primary competitors. For example, on average, a college has Score Send overlap with 736 other institutions and their primary competitors are located 104 miles away and have 34.2% Score Send overlap. All of the documented measures of competition vary greatly by institution type but do not change dramatically over the time period examined.

Characterizing selection in black‐throated blue warblers using a sexual network approach

Our understanding of trait evolution is built upon studies that examine the correlation between traits and fitness, most of which implicitly assume all individuals experience similar selective environments. However, accounting for differences in selective pressures, such as variation in the social environment, can advance our understanding of how selection shapes individual traits and subsequent fitness. In this study, we test whether variation in the social environment affects selection on individual phenotype. We apply a new sexual network framework to quantify each male's social environment as the mean body size of his primary competitors. We test for direct and social selection on male body size using a 10-year data set on black-throated blue warblers (Setophaga caerulescens), a territorial species for which body size is hypothesized to mediate competition for mates. We found that direct selection on body size was weak and nonsignificant, as was social selection via the body size of the males' competitors. Analysing both types of selection simultaneously allows us to firmly reject a role for body size in competitive interactions between males and subsequent male fitness in this population. We evaluate the application of the sexual network approach to empirical data and suggest that other phenotypic traits such as song characteristics and plumage may be more relevant than body size for male-male competition in this small passerine bird.

Perception of performance and importance to consumers agro-industry of family companies in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul state

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to identify the strategic direction of agroprocessing enterprises and the level of compliance with consumer requirements, as well as the position of agro-industry enterprises in relation to their primary competitors. To this end, a survey was performed, which included nine family agro-industry enterprises from the Northern region of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and their respective buyers. For this research, the Importance-Performance Matrix methodology described by SLACK (2002) was used. The strategy of the analyzed agro-industry enterprises relies on differentiation, presenting most of the items studied in accordance with consumers’ demands. Consequently, they are not at a disadvantage to their competitors in most criteria that consumers consider fundamental at the time of purchase.

Strength in Diversity: How Board Heterogeneity Influences Investment, R&D, and Product Differentiation

An exhaustive literature has analyzed the function of corporate board directors as monitors, yet analyses of the advising role of corporate directors have been rare. This study fills this gap by constructing director-specific industry expertise measures for all directors of S&P 1,500 firms from 2003-2013. I analyze both the determinants of the demand for directors with diverse industry expertise as well as the impacts of director diversity on investment and firm performance. Exploiting exogenous variation on director deaths, I show that increased diversity of the board’s industry expertises systematically impacts capital expenditures and R&D intensity. This expanded form of board heterogeneity is also shown to allow firms to better position their product by differentiating away from their primary competitors.

Going for the jugular in public diplomacy: How adversarial publics using social media are challenging state legitimacy

Traditionally, nations have viewed other nations as their primary competitors in public diplomacy (PD). In a quest to increase their effectiveness, states are applying relationship management and pursuing a more relational PD approach with publics. However, present understanding of relationships may be one-sided, focusing primarily on the state's relationship-building activities and overlooking the public's agency in defining relations. This paper uses relationalism as an analytical lens to construct a 4-quadrant model of public diplomacy based on the relational dynamics between a state and publics. The model reveals a parallel evolution of communication technology and public diplomacy initiatives that move from assumptions of no relations with publics, to favorable relations, to adversarial relations. A case study from Turkey is used to illustrate how diverse groups can use social media to form unlikely alliances to become a fluid, adversarial public capable of ‘going for the jugular’ and challenging state legitimacy. Aggressive separation tactics by the state to counter adversarial publics can inadvertently create a ‘relational paradox’ that leaves the two parties more politically divided and yet more relationally intertwined. The study implications stress the need for states to monitor their relational dynamic with publics as a precursor for developing reflective strategies.

Differential acquisition of amino acid and peptide enantiomers within the soil microbial community and its implications for carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil

l-isomeric amino acids and oligopeptides are thought to represent a key nitrogen (N) source for plants and soil microorganisms, bypassing the need to take up inorganic N, whilst self-cycling of d-enantiomers within peptidoglycan-containing bacteria may provide a further short circuit within the N cycle. Here we use stable isotope profiling (SIP) to identify the fate of organic N within soil microbial communities. We followed the incorporation of 13C-labelled d- or l-labelled amino acids/peptides into phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). l-alanine and its peptides were taken up more rapidly than d-enantiomers by Gram-positive bacteria with 13C incorporation being predominantly into anteiso- and iso-fatty acids typically associated with Gram-positive bacteria. d-enantiomer uptake was found not to differ significantly between the microbial groups, providing little support for the view that soil bacteria may self-cycle d-forms of amino acids and peptides. There was no consistent association between peptide chain length and incorporation. The concentrations of l- and d-isomeric amino acids in soil solution were 866 nM and 72 nM, respectively. We conclude that Gram-positive bacteria appear to be the primary competitors for l-enantiomeric forms of amino acids and their peptides, but that both d- and l-enantiomers are available N and C sources for bacteria and fungi.

The development of human female competition: allies and adversaries

Throughout their lives, women provide for their own and their children's and grandchildren's needs and thus must minimize their risk of incurring physical harm. Alliances with individuals who will assist them in attaining these goals increase their probability of survival and reproductive success. High status in the community enhances access to physical resources and valuable allies. Kin, a mate, and affines share a mother's genetic interests, whereas unrelated women constitute primary competitors. From early childhood onwards, girls compete using strategies that minimize the risk of retaliation and reduce the strength of other girls. Girls' competitive strategies include avoiding direct interference with another girl's goals, disguising competition, competing overtly only from a position of high status in the community, enforcing equality within the female community and socially excluding other girls.

How squid swim and fly

Squid have been studied extensively since 1982 to quantitatively measure their cost of locomotion and compare it with costs for fishes that are their primary competitors in the ocean. Early work focused on oxygen consumption in swim tunnels and led to the use of jet pressure tags to relate captive studies to behaviour in nature. Dosidicus gigas (d’Orbigny, 1835) (jumbo flying squid or Humboldt squid), which has expanded its range more than 10-fold, is used to illustrate how “live fast, die young” squid can out compete fishes in changing times by both swimming and flying. Recent work has provided quantitative data on the costs of flying and this report provides some comparisons. Costs of flight in nature require new technology, which has fortunately arrived just in time. Accelerometry tags can now provide similar and perhaps better data on travel rate in nature, both in water and in air. These work on both squid and fish, so more and better comparisons are becoming possible.

Assessing the cost competitiveness of China's shipbuilding industry

Cost has a significant impact on shipbuilding competitiveness. In China, low costs have created favourable conditions for domestic shipyards competing in the international market. However, China's shipbuilders have faced rising cost pressures in recent years, which may affect their industrial competitiveness. In this article, we assess shipbuilding costs and their impacts on the competitiveness of China's shipbuilding industry. We compare developments with China's two primary competitors, South Korea and Japan, from 2000 to 2009. First, we analyse primary factors that affect shipbuilding costs. Second, we examine how the shipbuilding costs in China have changed over time. Finally, we use shipbuilding costs and market share to evaluate the competitiveness of China's shipbuilding industry. The results reveal sources and constraints of China's cost advantage, as well as changes in its shipbuilding costs and competitiveness. This article has broad implications for shipbuilding bids, ship production and policy-making.

The Wine Distribution System In The Dominican Republic: A Qualitative Approach

This research presents a case study of the wine distribution system of the Dominican Republic (DR). It focuses on the emerging wine market which is not a wine producing region, however represents a large and growing market for export of wine. Data were collected though in-depth interviews with major representatives of the DR wine distribution system–importers, retailers, managers of restaurants, allinclusive resorts, and hotels. In addition, field observations were used as a mechanism of qualitative data collection. The findings show that almost all available wine in the DR is controlled by importers. Importers negotiate promotional costs, slot fees, and promotional budgets with the producers and provide credit to retailers. The Dominican Republic wine market operates in a highly competitive environment; Spain, Chile, Italy, and the United States are primary competitors on this market. Retail represents the biggest channel for sales of imported wines.

Responses of Spotted Hyenas to Lions Reflect Individual Differences in Behavior

AbstractCompetition among mammalian carnivores can be particularly intense and can influence population dynamics at lower trophic levels. One strategy employed by carnivores to minimize potentially costly interspecific competition is avoidance of dominant species. Recent research has highlighted the importance of consistent individual differences in behavior (i.e. temperament traits) in understanding behavioral variation during predator–prey interactions and intraspecific interactions. However, the importance of such individual differences to interspecific competition has received little attention. Here, we examined the responses of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) to their primary competitors, African lions (Panthera leo), to (1) determine whether hyenas avoid lions and (2) evaluate the potential importance of individual differences in behavior during interspecific competition. Spotted hyenas and lions co‐occur throughout much of Africa and are vigorous competitors. Whereas lions sometimes kill hyenas and steal their food, lions also represent a source of food for hyenas via scavenging. Using audio playback experiments, we found that hyenas do not uniformly avoid potential encounters with lions. Indeed, we noted considerable variation among individuals in their responses to lion roars, and this variation reflected consistent individual differences in risk‐taking and vigilance tendencies. Individual differences in vigilance behavior were specific to interactions with lions. We conclude that individual differences in behavior have the potential to play an important role in determining the nature and outcome of interspecific competition.

Advertising Competition in a Dynamic Oligopoly with Multiple Brands

A model is developed that allows the derivation of feedback Nash equilibrium advertising strategies for oligopolistic competitors. The model is an extension of a modified Vidale-Wolfe model that incorporates multiple brands per competitor. The resulting expressions of feedback advertising strategies are combined with those for sales dynamics in an empirical model that is applied to the carbonated soft drink market, which involves three primary competitors and five primary brands. The research provides the following contributions: A modification of the Vidale-Wolfe model is extended to allow dynamic analysis of an oligopoly in which the competitors each offer multiple brands. The model extension permits the derivation of a feedback Nash equilibrium. The determination of a feedback Nash equilibrium enhances empirical analysis by allowing an expanded empirical model that includes the explicit modeling of endogenous advertising along with demand relationships.