Weak Competition Research Articles

Effective Government and Regional Technological Innovation: Evidence From 284 Cities in China

ABSTRACTBased on the exogenous shock of incorporating environmental performance into local officials' evaluations, this paper manually collects and collates publicly available data on environmental target constraints (constraints on government environmental indicators for the coming period) from city government work reports as well as panel data from 284 cities in China from 2003 to 2018, and adopts the DID model to explore the impact of local government environmental target constraints on technological innovation after the implementation of the environmental target responsibility system. Our analysis reveals the following key aspects. First, local government environmental target constraints can significantly enhance the quantity of technological innovation, and the conclusion is robust and reliable. Second, the mechanism test shows that local government environmental target constraints can significantly increase the probability of local governments setting soft constraints on economic growth targets, increasing local investment in science and education, and improving the intensity of environmental regulation to promote regional technological innovation. Third, local government environmental target constraints can more effectively promote technological innovation in cities with low fiscal pressure, weak local government competition, and higher level of economic development. Further analysis finds that the autonomous constraint on the environmental target of local government can promote effectively green substantive innovation. This research highlights the crucial role of environmental policy in influencing sustainable technological progress by demonstrating how local government environmental target constraints can act as a stimulus for technological innovation, especially green innovation.

Analysis of Industrial Performance Indicators Effects On Enhance The Competitiveness of The Food Sector and The Possibility Of Support in The Iraqi Economy (2003-2020)

This study was aimed on analyze the competitiveness of the food industry sector, and showed the level of industrial and competitive performance of these industries, and the possibility of supporting and enhancing their competitiveness in the Iraqi economy for the period 2003-2020. Competitiveness is considered one of the most important indicators of the efficiency of the food industry tool in local and foreign markets, as competitiveness represents the ability of productive sectors of different types to distribute their products and increase their sales level. Therefore, the food industry in Iraq is considered one of the most important sectors of the manufacturing industries that suffer from problems and obstacles including a decrease in the level of competitive and industrial performance. It is believed that the problem of the research is the weak competitiveness of the food industry in Iraq due to the decline in the quality of manufactured products and the weak level of competitiveness of these products compared to imported products. The results of the study showed a decrease and fluctuation in the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Iraq. The economic policy was not providing the possibility of an investment climate to support and enhance the private sector in industrial investment. The indicators of production requirements such as labor productivity, worker productivity, and the value added index of the food industries sector began to fluctuate between decrease and increase, and to measure the extent of the reciprocal effects between all parts of the standard model and the extent of its contribution to developing the competitive capacity of this sector.

From local farms to global markets: an analysis of Indonesian tea competitiveness

Abstract Tea consumption is one of the most important needs of the people in Pakistan. Over the last 20 years, the number of tea exports to Pakistan has experienced an increasing trend. However, in contrast, the trade value of tea exports from Indonesia shows a declining trend. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the competitiveness of Indonesian tea in the Pakistani market compared to other exporting countries. The study used secondary data from the trade map in the form of tea export value data (Code HS: 0902) of four exporting countries to Pakistan in 2013-2022. The data were processed using revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and dynamic revealed comparative advantage (DRCA) analysis. The results show that Kenya and Vietnam have strong competitiveness in the Pakistan tea market, and Kenya dominates the Pakistan tea market. Indonesia and China have weak competitiveness in the Pakistan tea market, and in the two study periods, both countries were in a lost opportunity position.

Uncaria Gambir Roxb Business Development in the IM Kita Farmers Group in Boangmanalu Village, Salak District, Pakpak Bharat Regency

Gambier plants thrive in tropical regions with sloping and hilly terrain, such as North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Papua. The partners in this community service proposal are the Im Kita Farmers Group in Boangmanalu Village, Salak District, Pakpak Bharat Regency, who are gambier farmers. Over the past 7 years of running the business, the partners have faced many challenges, including the lack of digital marketing and the absence of a sharp business strategy management, resulting in weak business competitiveness. Addressing this issue urgently is necessary to improve the welfare of the partners and as a form of empowerment of our own natural resources. This community service activity has been carried out on July 27, 2024, and all stages from preparation to implementation have run smoothly. Through this activity, the partners have been trained in conducting digital marketing and business strategy management training.

Wave Speeds for a Time-Periodic Bistable Three-Species Lattice Competition System

In this paper, we consider propagation direction (which can be used to predict which species will occupy the habitat or win the competition eventually) of a bistable wave for a three-species time-periodic lattice competition system with bistable nonlinearity, aiming to address an open problem. As a first step, by transforming the competition system to a cooperative one, we study the asymptotic behavior for the bistable wave profile and then prove the uniqueness of the bistable wave speed. Secondly, we utilize comparison principle and build up two couples of upper and lower solutions to judge the sign of the bistable wave speed which partially provides the answer to the open problem. As an application, we reduce the time-periodic system to a space–time homogeneous system, we obtain the corresponding criteria and carry out numerical simulations to illustrate the availability of our results. Moreover, an interesting phenomenon we have found is that the two weak competitors can wipe out the strong competitor under some circumstances.

KINERJA DAYA SAING TEH HIJAU INDONESIA DI PASAR INTERNASIONAL

Tea commodity is one of the export commodities that can contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Indonesian plantations. Indonesia’s tea production fluctuates but tends to decline, resulting in declining tea exports. Indonesia’s tea production is dominated by 78% black tea, 20% green tea, and the remaining 2% other types of tea. Although green tea has lower exports than black tea, Indonesia’s green tea market share has a better market share. The purpose of the study was to determine the comparative and competitive competitiveness of green tea exports, as well as the position of Indonesia’s green tea export competitiveness (HS 090220) in the international market. The data used starts from 2011-2022 with 6 destination countries namely Poland, Germany, Taipei, Pakistan, Malaysia, and China. The analysis used is RCA (Revealed Comparative Advantage), EPD (Export Product Dynamic), and ISP (Trade Specialisation Index) analysis. The results of the analysis showed that Poland has the highest RCA value of 29.99 and followed by Germany, Taipei, Pakistan, and China which have strong competitiveness. While Malaysia has a weak competitiveness with an RCA value of 0.34. The results of the EPD analysis obtained that Poland is in the Rising Star position which means that Indonesian green tea has a competitive advantage and is experiencing a positive increase in market share, while China and Pakistan are in the Lost Opportunity position. Malaysia is located in the Retreat position, which means that Indonesian green tea does not have a competitive advantage, while Germany and Taipei are in the Falling Star position. ISP results obtained Indonesia as an exporter country and has a strong competitive position in Pakistan. Indonesia as an importer country and has a weak competitive position in China.

Phenology mediates direct and indirect interactions among co-occurring invasive plant species.

Why nonnative invasive plant species commonly co-occur, despite their competitive superiority and propensity to displace native species, remains a paradox in invasion biology. Negative interactions among competitively dominant invaders are potentially alleviated by two understudied mechanisms: seasonal priority effects, where phenological separation weakens the effect of competition on species with early phenology; and indirect facilitation, where competition between two species is mitigated by a third species. Although phenological separation has been speculated as a mechanism for explaining co-occurrence patterns of invasive plants, it has never been directly tested. In a greenhouse experiment, we tested the effect of phenological separation on direct and indirect interactions between three co-occurring invasive plant species found in the riparian forests of North America. These species have distinct natural phenological separation with reproduction in early spring (Ficaria verna), mid-spring (Alliaria petiolata), and late summer (Microstegium vimineum). When phenology was experimentally synchronized, direct pairwise interactions among invasive species were overwhelmingly negative, asymmetric, and unlikely to promote co-occurrence. However, increasing phenological separation generated seasonal priority effects, which weakened the effect of competition on species with early phenology. Furthermore, the addition of a third species generated indirect facilitative effects, which balanced competitive outcomes among the two weakest competitors. Based on these findings, we conclude that phenological separation modulates the strength of both seasonal priority effects and indirect facilitation within species interaction networks and may promote the co-occurrence of three common invasive species within this study system. We articulate how future studies can test the external validity of these findings in more complex environmental conditions and with a larger range of invasive plants.

The analysis of vegetable and fruit export competitiveness of the Republic of Srpska

The aim of this research is an analysis of the Republic of Srpska's export competitiveness in vegetables and fruit on international markets. Two main evaluation indices were used, namely the trade competitiveness (TC) index and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index to measure and analyze the international position of vegetables and fruit during 2015 – 2022. Both indicators were calculated based on statistical data on foreign trade in vegetables and fruit between the Republic of Srpska and the world, EU, and CEFTA countries, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Vegetables and fruit participate with 7.17% and 15.41% in the total export of the Republic of Srpska’s agri–food sector. Analysis of the export structure of this sector showed an average share of vegetables and fruit of 12.04% and 9.43% in the EU market, i.e., 1.63% and 9.65% in the CEFTA market. The results indicate strong export competitiveness of the Republic of Srpska in vegetables concerning the world and EU markets, but weak export competitiveness in relation with the CEFTA countries. The Republic of Srpska recorded strong export competitiveness in fruit on the world and CEFTA market, while poor export competitiveness in the EU market. Within these two product groups on the world market, cucumbers, apples, pears, and plums achieved strong export competitiveness. Cucumbers and plums were two leading products regarding strong export competitiveness On the EU market, while apples and pears were on the CEFTA market. Considering the favourable agroecological conditions for the production of vegetables and fruit, the Republic of Srpska should continue to promote production and foreign trade in these traditional products and improve their competitiveness on international markets.

Inter- and Intraspecific Competition in Invasive Lactuca serriola and Co-Occurring Weedy Plant Species.

While invasive success of alien plant species is often attributed to their superior competitive abilities, it is also suggested that competitive ability depends on the target species of competition and resource availability. In addition, it remains unclear whether invaders and co-occurring plants in the introduced area exhibit distinctive inter- and intraspecific competitive intensities. This study aimed to evaluate the competitive ability of a successful invader, Lactuca serriola, through a combination of field surveys and a growth chamber experiment. First, we assessed biodiversity and the biomass of co-occurring plants in both L. serriola-invaded and uninvaded plots across nine sites in South Korea. Subsequently, a pairwise competition experiment was conducted between L. serriola and three weedy plant species commonly found in the invaded plots, Chenopodium album, Erigeron canadensis, and Oenothera biennis, under differential nutrient levels. Diversity indices of plant communities and the biomass of most co-occurring plants showed no significant difference between invaded and uninvaded plots. L. serriola and testing weedy plants exhibited mutually negative effects on biomass when grown together in the same pot, with the intensity of interspecific competition being comparable across nutrient treatments. Notably, intraspecific competition of L. serriola was weaker than testing weedy plants, particularly manifest in the high-nutrient treatment. The results of both field and growth-chamber studies demonstrated that L. serriola was not a particularly strong competitor compared to its neighboring weedy plants. Its successful invasion can be partially attributed to its weak intraspecific competition intensity, which potentially facilitate successful establishment with high density.

Dilemmas of Proximity: Motives Influencing Portuguese Firms’ Internationalization to Morocco

This study aims to identify Portuguese firms’ motives for internationalizing to Morocco. To achieve this objective, we used a mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) approach, obtaining data from a questionnaire survey and interviewees from Portuguese enterprises involved in this internationalization process. From exploratory factor analysis (EFA), firms’ reasons for entering the Moroccan market were categorized into five dimensions: (a) Price and Business Infrastructure, (b) Regional Hub and Business Environment, (c) Financial Incentives and Raw Material, (d) Skilled Labour Force and (e) Weak Competition and International Business Partners. The study shows that the factors/dimensions identified are associated both with firms’ resources and capacities and with the characteristics that sometimes define the entrepreneur–manager’s perceptions. In addition, our study provides inside knowledge of this topic through small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers’ views on key aspects of their presence in Morocco, which leads to a more robust portrayal of this type of process.

Stability and Hopf Bifurcation Analysis of a Predator–Prey Model with Weak Allee Effect Delay and Competition Delay

The purpose of this paper is to study a predator–prey model with Allee effect and double time delays. This research examines the dynamics of the model, with a focus on positivity, existence, stability and Hopf bifurcations. The stability of the periodic solution and the direction of the Hopf bifurcation are elucidated by applying the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem. To validate the correctness of the theoretical analysis, numerical simulations were conducted. The results suggest that a weak Allee effect delay can promote stability within the model, transitioning it from instability to stability. Nevertheless, the competition delay induces periodic oscillations and chaotic dynamics, ultimately resulting in the population’s collapse.

Politico-economic determinants of the performance of electric cooperatives in the Philippines

In rural areas in the Philippines, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity falls mainly to electric cooperatives (ECs). While this electrification model proved successful in the United States, developing countries with weak political competition and institutions may allow rent-seeking behavior in the sector. This paper examines the politico-economic determinants of EC performance in the Philippines and finds that lower political competition within an EC franchise area is associated with poor collection efficiency and larger employee size. The study points to the need for greater regulatory scrutiny among EC franchise areas with weak political competition. It also provides insights on facilitating progress towards attaining sustainable development goals and energy transition in developing countries with similar institutional endowments.

Whether nano hydrophilic spots control the condensation pattern: The mechanism of critical wettability

Reducing hydrophilic spot size on hybrid wetting substrates can decrease droplet pinning. When spot size is reduced to that of nucleation, whether condensation is still controllable remains to be explored. This work studies condensation patterns on substrates with nano-spots using molecule dynamics. Density fluctuation results in the uneven distribution of vapor, leading to vapor nucleation at partial nano-spots first. These nucleated clusters compete with bare spots to attract vapor, resulting in different condensation patterns. If clusters dominate in attracting vapor, nucleation on bare spots is hindered, and condensation patterns are disordered. When the nano-spot wettability exceeds critical θcr, vapor preferentially nucleation at bare spots and condensation patterns become uniform. This preference is attributed to the strong attraction of solids to vapor and more hydrogen bonds formed between adsorbed water molecules. The growth of individual clusters on substrates with different condensation patterns is evaluated by the power law of temporal-evolved cluster size (Nc = C0tb). The competition between formed clusters to attract vapor molecules hinders the cluster growth, and two hindrance effects are distinguished: (I) weak competition only reduces the coefficient C0, whereas power b maintains 3/2, and (II) severe competition also reduces b, which finally shrinks to 1.

Root traits and soil legacies drive species competition outcomes

Abstract Plant competition can be affected by plant functional traits but also by differences in fitness mediated by soil microbes. Climatic conditions such as drought further influence plant competition. Yet little is known about how soil microbes and drought interact with plant species that have distinct root traits and how this influences plant competition outcomes. We grew three plant species that co‐occur in temperate grasslands in China (Stipa krylovii, Artemisia frigida, Agropyron cristatum) in monocultures and mixtures and subjected the plant combinations to five soil inocula (root‐associated soil of S. krylovii, A. frigida, A. cristatum, an equal mixture of the three root zone soils and sterilized soil) as well as to a drought treatment. The relative change in plant biomass was used to determine plant competition outcomes. The three species exhibited clear differences in competitive abilities with A. cristatum > S. krylovii > A. frigida, and soil inocula or the drought treatment did not change the order. The relative yield (RY) of plants was affected by soil inocula, drought and plant arrangement. The strongest competitor, A. cristatum, with high total root length, root surface area and root volume experienced more negative biotic feedback, and drought enhanced the magnitude of these negative effects. On the contrary, the most inferior competitor, A. frigida, with high specific root length tended to have neutral or positive biotic feedback, and drought had no effect. Furthermore, the RY and fitness difference (reflected as the competitive ability in the mixture) of the three species were differentially influenced by root traits and plant–soil feedback. RY of A. cristatum could be predicted by the feedback effect in the mixture, and the fitness difference was mainly related to root traits. Both RY and fitness differences of A. frigida (the weakest competitor) could be predicted by root trait differences and feedback effects. Differences in root traits were the best predictors of the intermediate competitor S. krylovii. Our study shows that competition outcomes of co‐existing species depend on root traits and species‐specific PSF effects in mixture. Future work should examine the mechanisms that explain how plant competition and soil microbial heterogeneity act in conjunction with climate change in influencing plant coexistence. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Larval Competition between Aedes and Culex Mosquitoes Carries over to Higher Arboviral Infection during Their Adult Stage.

The common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) is a native vector for West Nile virus (WNV). Invasive species like the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus) are rapidly spreading through Europe, posing a major threat as vectors for dengue, chikungunya (CHIKV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). These mosquitoes share a similar ecological niche as larvae, but the carry-over effects of aquatic larval interactions to the terrestrial adult stage remain largely unknown and their medical relevance requires further investigation. This study examines the context dependency of larval interactions among Aedes albopictus, Aedes japonicus, and Culex pipiens. The survival, development time, growth, and energetic storage were measured in different European populations within density-response (intraspecific) experiments and replacement (interspecific) experiments at 20 °C and 26 °C. Overall, Ae. japonicus was the weakest competitor, while competition between Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens varied with temperature. Adults emerging from this larval competition were infected as follows: Culex pipiens with WNV, Ae. albopictus with CHIKV, and Ae. japonicus with JEV. While no JEV infection was observed, mosquitoes experiencing interspecific interactions during their larval stages exhibited higher infection rates and viral RNA titers for CHIKV and WNV. This increased susceptibility to viral infection after larval competition suggests a higher risk of arbovirus transmission in co-occurring populations.

Research on the Dynamic Evaluation of the Competitiveness of Listed Seed Enterprises in China

Seed enterprises are crucial for ensuring national food security, the driving force behind the seed industry’s advancement, and the core entity in constructing a modern seed industry system. At the micro and macro levels, agricultural seed enterprises face challenges and pressures in earning excess profits, enhancing their competitive edge, and resisting the incursion of multinational seed enterprises. This article selects panel data from 49 listed seed enterprises in China from 2015 to 2022 and uses methods such as global principal component analysis (GPCA) and Q-type cluster analysis to measure and evaluate the competitiveness of Chinese seed enterprises. Research has found that: (1) From 2015 to 2022, the overall competitiveness of listed Chinese agricultural seed enterprises has shown an upward trend. The competitiveness of agricultural seed enterprises can be further decomposed into operational capabilities, growth capabilities, production efficiency, technological innovation capabilities, etc. (2) The top ten agricultural seed enterprises in China have obvious advantages in operational and technological innovation capabilities, but their growth capabilities and production efficiency are insufficient. (3) Regarding the vertical comparison of the seed industry, the ranking of the competitiveness of Chinese listed agricultural seed enterprises from strong to weak is wheat seed enterprises > other seed enterprises > melon and vegetable seed enterprises > corn seed enterprises > rice seed enterprises. (4) Compared with international seed industry giants, there are various reasons why China’s top agricultural seed enterprises have weaker competitiveness, specifically reflected in research and development investment, scale and market share, industrial layout, and other aspects. The findings of this research offer empirical evidence to bolster the competitiveness of seed enterprises and advance the seed industry, while also aiding in fortifying the nation’s strategic oversight of the seed sector, bearing profound implications for safeguarding food security.

Propagation dynamics of a three-species nonlocal dispersal predator–prey system with two weak competing aborigine preys

This paper is concerned with the propagation dynamics of a three-species nonlocal dispersal predator–prey system with two weak competing aborigine preys. Precisely, our main concern is the invading process of an alien predator into the habitat of two aborigine preys, when two preys are weak competitors in the absence of predator. This invasion process can be characterized by the spreading speed of the predator as well as the traveling wave solutions connecting the predator-free state to other states. First, by applying Schauder’s fixed point theorem with the help of two pairs of upper and lower solutions, we prove that there exists a positive number [Formula: see text], when the wave speed is large than or equals to [Formula: see text], the system admits a traveling wave solution connecting the predator-free state to the co-existence state, which indicates the occurrence of invasion-coexistence phenomenon. Then the invading speed of the predator is investigated by using the comparison argument. Our results show that (i) the weak interspecific competition between two preys will not affect the phenomenon of invasive-coexistence; (ii) the invading speed of the predator coincides with the minimal wave speed [Formula: see text].

Understanding the Competition and Cooperation between Dockless Bike-Sharing and Metro Systems in View of Mobility

The advent of dockless bike-sharing (DBS) represents an effective solution to enhance public transportation usage. However, despite growing interest in integrating DBS with metro systems, comprehensive studies on their competitive and cooperative relationships remain limited. This study aims to analyze the spatial, temporal, and mobility characteristics of metro-related DBS to explore integration opportunities. Initially, three modes of interaction between DBS and metros are identified: strong competition, weak competition, and feeder relationships. Subsequently, based on these relationships, the analysis focuses on distance, spatio-temporal patterns, and the scope of DBS activities. Results from Beijing indicate that metro-associated DBS primarily serves as “last-mile” solutions without significant short-range competition with metro systems. Strongly competitive relationships, on the other hand, are interaction patterns due to the dense overlay of metro stations and inconvenient transfer facilities and are mainly used for non-commuting purposes. Furthermore, weakly competing and feeder DBS systems exhibit similar commuting patterns, highlighting bicycling as a viable alternative to walking within metro catchment areas and that metro catchment areas should be adapted to bicycling. Mobility communities, identified as tightly integrated cycling hubs, are proposed as strategic dispatch zones to manage peak demands and reduce operational strain on DBS fleets. These findings deepen our understanding of DBS and metro system interactions, offering insights to optimize public transport operations and enhance urban mobility solutions.

Comparison of State Anxiety Levels of Strong and Weak Competitors in the Iraqi First League Basketball

Comparison of State Anxiety Levels of Strong and Weak Competitors in the Iraqi First League Basketball

Effect of microbial growth and electron competition on nitrous oxide source and sink function of hyporheic zones

The hyporheic zones (HZs) are key sites of the production of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent ozone-depleting greenhouse gas. Denitrification is the primary process of N2O production in HZs, including four reduction steps (NO3−→NO2−→NO→N2O→N2). Electron competition occurs between the four reduction steps and can significantly impact the production of N2O. However, denitrification was typically considered as simplified two step reactions for investigating the release of N2O, neglecting the electron competition among the four-step reactions. Moreover, the N2O production/consumption patterns are regulated by both hydraulic and biogeochemical conditions in HZs. Dynamic microbial growth cannot only mediate the biogeochemical reactions, but also change hydraulic properties spatiotemporally by bioclogging. But microbial growth is rarely considered for investigating N2O dynamics of HZs. To assess these effects on hyporheic N2O dynamics and source-sink function, we establish a novel numerical model of N2O dynamics of HZs, coupling porous flow, reactive transport, electron competition, microbial growth and bioclogging. The results show that the weak electron competitiveness of N2O reductase results in a less allocation of electrons to the N2O reduction process, particularly in situations with limited carbon sources, thus increasing the release of N2O into the rives. Microbial growth significantly influences N2O release from HZs into rivers, increasing by more than two orders of magnitude on average compared to the model neglecting microbial dynamics. In contrast to the classical knowledges that HZs in coarse sediments tending to short residence time cannot act as sources of N2O, dynamic microbial growth obviously increases the potential for N2O release from HZs in coarse sediments to the rivers. The global Monte Carlo regional sensitivity analyses indicate that microbial biomass is the most critical factor determined the hyporheic source-sink function for N2O, followed by carbon oxidation rate and residence time. These are significantly different from previous knowledge that the residence time and oxygen/nitrogen uptake rate are the most sensitive parameters, which may lead to misunderstanding of the key controlling factors of N2O release from HZs. In addition, we propose a new Damköhler number (DaO2∗) of dissolved oxygen by multiplying the classical DaO2 with a dimensionless microbial modification factor for identifying N2O source-sink function of HZs, with DaO2∗ < 1 for N2O sink, while DaO2∗ > 1 for N2O source.