Hasil untuk "Competition"

Qingfu Zhang, Aimin Zhou, Shi-Zheng Zhao et al.

F. Dobbin, Beth A. Simmons, G. Garrett

Kenneth F. Scheve, M. Slaughter

S. Marginson

O. Blanchard, N. Kiyotaki

R. Florida

M. West-Eberhard

T. Pfeiffer, Stefan Schuster, S. Bonhoeffer

J. Connell

A. Lindbeck, J. Weibull

D. Teece

H. Degryse, S. Ongena, Adam B. Ashcraft et al.

A recent string of theoretical papers has highlighted the importance of geographical distance in explaining loan rates for small firms. Lenders located in the vicinity of small firms face significantly lower transportation and monitoring costs, and hence wield considerable market power, if competing financiers are located relatively far from the borrowing firms. We study the effect on loan conditions of geographical distance between firms, the lending bank, and all other banks in the vicinity. For our study we employ detailed contract information from more than 15,000 bank loans to small firms comprising the entire loan portfolio of a large Belgian bank. We control for relevant relationship, loan contract, bank branch, firm, and regional characteristics. We report the first comprehensive evidence on the occurrence of spatial price discrimination in bank lending. Loan rates decrease with the distance between the firm and the lending bank and similarly increase with the distance between the firm and competing banks. The effect of distance on the loan rate is statistically significant and economically relevant. Robust to changes in model specifications and variable definitions, the effect is seemingly not driven by the modest changes over time in lending technology that we infer. We deduce that transportation costs cause the spatial price discrimination we observe.

B. Menge, J. Sutherland

DR. Rachael Kent

A. Tiwana

Ye Zhou, Bo Yang, Jianxin Zhao et al.

The infant gut microbiota, orchestrated by human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), forms a critical foundation for lifelong health. Despite their recognized importance, the molecular strategies through which HMOs govern microbial competition and niche establishment remain poorly understood. Moving beyond ecological observations, this review synthesizes current mechanistic evidence on the molecular machinery of HMO metabolism in microbial assembly. We explore the specialized enzymes that confer competitive advantages and the metabolic networks fueled by HMO breakdown. Furthermore, we distinguish substrate-driven effects from the hypothesized signaling roles of intact HMOs in modulating host-microbe interactions, indicating where the evidence is associative versus causal. By integrating these pathways, we provide a blueprint for leveraging HMO biology to develop targeted nutritional interventions for preventing early-life disorders.

LEILA MASOUDIYEKTA, PARNIAN REZAEIAMJAD, FARIBA ASGHARI et al.

Introduction: Physician advertising is an important topic in the medical field. It is an important tool for attracting new patients, increasing awareness of medical services, and promoting the brand of physicians and medical centers. Therefore, this study investigated the surgeons’ attitudes toward physician advertising.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 136 surgeons selected from four teaching hospitals and two private hospitals in Tehran using convenience sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to measure the surgeons’ attitudes towards physician advertising. The survey included scales validated by a group of experts, and questionnaire validation methods were performed using a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18 software. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and inferential statistical tests, including chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and independent t-tests, were used to examine the associations.Results: The mean age of the study physicians was 36.99±0.9 years. Regarding the physicians’ perceptions of advertising, 89% fully concurred that physician advertising enhanced their revenue.Conversely, 76.5% of physicians contended that advertising did not foster increased competition or enhance services. Most participants (84.6%) entirely refuted the assertion that advertising undermined the reputation of physicians. Furthermore, 86% expressed complete dissent about the prohibition of advertising by physicians. Seventy-five percent of surgeons said that paying the media to invite physicians to educational seminars was the most improper way for doctors to advertise. Conversely, 88.2 percent of them said that posting instructional information on theirvirtual profiles was the best approach. Statistical testing demonstrated that the judgment of the positive attitude toward physician advertising strongly correlated with age (p=0.002). The status of physician advertising in the community was deemed entirely proper for those under 30 years old, whereas it was deemed wholly inappropriate for those aged 30 to 45 and above.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that physicians’ attitudes towards advertisements by physicians in society were evaluated favorably in terms of ethical aspects and the dignity of the medical profession.

Chris Gaviglio, Stephen P. Bird

This case report describes the acceleration of an Olympic decathlete’s return to competition induced via high-frequency Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training. BFR has gained popularity as an innovative rehabilitation method for promoting muscle repair and adaptation through anabolic and regenerative pathways when high mechanical loading is not possible. A 26-year-old elite decathlete with nine years of international experience sustained a Grade 2b strain of the semimembranosus and semitendinosus (a 9 mm central tendon tear) during a hurdle sprint. The injury was confirmed via MRI two days post-injury. Grade 2b hamstring injuries with intramuscular tendon involvement commonly require up to 4 weeks of rehabilitation before full training can be resumed. With the athlete due to complete in an Olympic Games competition 17 days post-injury, an intensive BFR-assisted rehabilitation program was initiated. Over 12 consecutive days, the athlete completed 3–6 BFR sessions per day (20–30 min each) at 50% limb occlusion pressure, along with physiotherapy and pain-limited functional testing. BFR was applied passively for recovery, during conditioning, and in low-load strength sessions. By day 12, sprint velocity reached 95% maximum, and the athlete successfully completed the decathlon, with no adverse effects or reinjury. This case illustrates how high-frequency BFR-assisted rehabilitation may facilitate accelerated recovery from a hamstring injury, enabling an effective return to elite competition within condensed timelines.

Huanhuan Wang, Shaofeng Wang, Ahmed Tlili et al.

Abstract Self-regulated learning (SRL) has been regarded as one of the indispensable factors affecting students’ academic success in online learning environments. However, the current understanding of the mechanism/causes of SRL in online ill-structured problem-solving remains insufficient. This study, therefore, examines the configural causal effects of goal attributes, motivational beliefs, creativity, and grit on self-regulated learning. With the fuzzy sets approach (fsQCA), the proposed association was analyzed based on a sample of students (n = 88) participating in an educational design competition activity. The results uniquely revealed the predictive factors of SRL at both high and low levels. In addition, it was found that no single condition of factors leads to the prediction of high or low self-regulation. More specifically, different conditions of factors, in terms of gender, goal attributes (goal setting and achievement goals), grit, task value, creativity, and self-efficacy, can largely predict high and low self-regulated learning during ill-structured problem-solving in the context of online learning. Implications for theory and policy prescriptions were discussed to enhance self-regulated learning in online ill-structured problem-solving.

Theopoula Polina Chrysochou, Gianna Katsiampoura, Constantine Kostas Skordoulis

Abstract This article explores the historical roots and significant contributions of the Science, Technology, Society (STS) movement and its evolutionary offshoots Science, Technology, Society, Environment (STSE) and Socio-Scientific Issues (SSIs) within the context of science education. It critically assesses traditional STEM education, noting its alignment with global competition, national security, and labor market demands while frequently overlooking socio-political and ethical dimensions. The paper emphasizes the necessity of revisiting STS principles and Critical Education practices to enhance STEM education, advocating for an integrated framework that aligns with broader sociocultural and political contexts. It proposes adopting a critical and anti-oppressive perspective within integrated STEM education, focusing on the incorporation of ethical and democratic values. This approach seeks to align STEM education with students' needs, embracing a humanistic perspective and promoting equity and social justice. By fostering an integrated STEM education that prepares students to address the global challenges of the twenty-first century, science education can significantly contribute to contemporary democratic societies by providing students with the knowledge and skills to responsibly and ethically address critical social issues. Understanding and making informed decisions on scientific and technological issues with social, ethical, political, economic, and environmental dimensions are essential for the well-being and prosperity of the society as a whole.