During the development of the nervous system,there is an overproduction of neurons and synapses.Hebbian competition between neighboring nerve endings and synapses performing different activity levels leads to their el...During the development of the nervous system,there is an overproduction of neurons and synapses.Hebbian competition between neighboring nerve endings and synapses performing different activity levels leads to their elimination or strengthening.We have extensively studied the involvement of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor neurotrophic retrograde pathway,at the neuromuscular junction,in the axonal development and synapse elimination process versus the synapse consolidation.The purpose of this review is to describe the neurotrophic influence on developmental synapse elimination,in relation to other molecular pathways that we and others have found to regulate this process.In particular,we summarize our published results based on transmitter release analysis and axonal counts to show the different involvement of the presynaptic acetylcholine muscarinic autoreceptors,coupled to downstream serine-threonine protein kinases A and C(PKA and PKC)and voltage-gated calcium channels,at different nerve endings in developmental competition.The dynamic changes that occur simultaneously in several nerve terminals and synapses converge across a postsynaptic site,influence each other,and require careful studies to individualize the mechanisms of specific endings.We describe an activity-dependent balance(related to the extent of transmitter release)between the presynaptic muscarinic subtypes and the neurotrophin-mediated TrkB/p75NTR pathways that can influence the timing and fate of the competitive interactions between the different axon terminals.The downstream displacement of the PKA/PKC activity ratio to lower values,both in competing nerve terminals and at postsynaptic sites,plays a relevant role in controlling the elimination of supernumerary synapses.Finally,calcium entry through L-and P/Q-subtypes of voltage-gated calcium channels(both channels are present,together with the N-type channel in developing nerve terminals)contributes to reduce transmitter release and promote withdrawal of the most unfavorable nerve terminals during elimination(the weakest in acetylcholine release and those that have already become silent).The main findings contribute to a better understanding of punishment-rewarding interactions between nerve endings during development.Identifying the molecular targets and signaling pathways that allow synapse consolidation or withdrawal of synapses in different situations is important for potential therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Italian ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is typically used as a pasture crop or a cover crop along roadsides, rights-of-way, and industrial areas. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass populations have b...Italian ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is typically used as a pasture crop or a cover crop along roadsides, rights-of-way, and industrial areas. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass populations have been documented around the world, mostly in orchard and vineyard situations. The first evidence of evolved GR Italian ryegrass in row/agronomic crops was reported from Washington County, Mississippi in 2005. GR Italian ryegrass populations can jeopardize preplant burndown options in reduced-tillage crop production systems, thereby, delaying planting operations. The effects of competition of Italian ryegrass on crop growth and yield are poorly understood. A field study was conducted in the 2012 growing season and repeated in the 2013 growing season. GR and susceptible (GS) Italian ryegrass populations were established in the greenhouse and transplanted in prepared corn row beds in the fall of 2011 and 2012 at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 plants·meter> of crop row. Italian ryegrass plants overwintered and developed over the following spring-summer. Glyphosate was applied at 1.26 kg·ae/ha (1.5× of labeled rate) in the spring to burndown the Italian ryegrass plants and corn was planted into the ryegrass residue 2 - 3 wk later. Current corn production practices were followed. Corn density (early and late season), height (early season), and yield and Italian ryegrass biomass (early-mid season) measurements were recorded during both years. Corn height was greater in 2012 than that in 2013 at comparable stages of the growing season, due to a cooler and wetter early season in 2013 than that in 2012. Averaged across weed densities, corn density (both early and late season) and yield were higher in the GS than those in the GR population, but Italian ryegrass biomass was similar for both populations. Averaged across Italian ryegrass populations, corn density (both early and late season), and yield were inversely proportional to Italian ryegrass density. In summary, Italian ryegrass significantly reduced corn density and yield and reduction was greater with the GR than that with the GS population. Studies are underway to study inter population competition in Italian ryegrass and investigate allelopathic effects of Italian ryegrass on selected crops.展开更多
The deep sea holds vital resources and spatial potential for future human survival and development,reflecting the common interests and concerns of all mankind.Amidst unprecedented global transformations in a hundred y...The deep sea holds vital resources and spatial potential for future human survival and development,reflecting the common interests and concerns of all mankind.Amidst unprecedented global transformations in a hundred years,the deep sea has emerged as a critical area of international competition and serves as a new frontier for resource extraction,a strategic space for military competition,and a contested space for great power rivalry and rule-making.展开更多
In this paper, a memetic algorithm with competition(MAC) is proposed to solve the capacitated green vehicle routing problem(CGVRP). Firstly, the permutation array called traveling salesman problem(TSP) route is used t...In this paper, a memetic algorithm with competition(MAC) is proposed to solve the capacitated green vehicle routing problem(CGVRP). Firstly, the permutation array called traveling salesman problem(TSP) route is used to encode the solution, and an effective decoding method to construct the CGVRP route is presented accordingly. Secondly, the k-nearest neighbor(k NN) based initialization is presented to take use of the location information of the customers. Thirdly, according to the characteristics of the CGVRP, the search operators in the variable neighborhood search(VNS) framework and the simulated annealing(SA) strategy are executed on the TSP route for all solutions. Moreover, the customer adjustment operator and the alternative fuel station(AFS) adjustment operator on the CGVRP route are executed for the elite solutions after competition. In addition, the crossover operator is employed to share information among different solutions. The effect of parameter setting is investigated using the Taguchi method of design-ofexperiment to suggest suitable values. Via numerical tests, it demonstrates the effectiveness of both the competitive search and the decoding method. Moreover, extensive comparative results show that the proposed algorithm is more effective and efficient than the existing methods in solving the CGVRP.展开更多
This study attempts to investigate the relationship between monopoly and competition and the philosophy of progress,using the methods,models,and terms from physics.The term“progress”is a newly adopted term and is de...This study attempts to investigate the relationship between monopoly and competition and the philosophy of progress,using the methods,models,and terms from physics.The term“progress”is a newly adopted term and is defined as the value of an increase in the production rate per unit of time.It is shown that to achieve progress,it is necessary to increase the production on a non-linear basis over time.Therefore,it is enough to have many firms that interact with each other under the influence of“market forces”.It is important to have a high level of university education,a legal environment for competition and indestructible antitrust laws.Even without strong science,you can make progress by acquiring technology and creating conditions for competition in the market.A factor that strongly influences progress,of course,is technology.For the development of technology,there is a great need for science.Science is a very powerful factor that affects the non-linear change in the economic development.It is shown that during the transition period from an absolute monopoly to an imperfect monopoly the system becomes more complex,and its output characteristics become non-linear as a function of time.It was found that the relationship between monopoly and competition is very simple,and there is no contradiction between them.Initially,the market is born as a monopoly,and then with the creation of similar firms,competition,as the natural market process,begins between them.展开更多
Neighborhood competition is a critical driver of individual tree growth,and aboveground biomass(AGB)accumulation,which together play key roles in forest dynamics and carbon storage.Therefore,accurate biomass estimatio...Neighborhood competition is a critical driver of individual tree growth,and aboveground biomass(AGB)accumulation,which together play key roles in forest dynamics and carbon storage.Therefore,accurate biomass estimation is essential for understanding ecosystem functioning and informing forest management strategies to mitigate climate change.However,integrating neighborhood competition into biomass estimation models,particularly for young mixed forest stands,remains unexplored.In this study,we examined how incorporating neighborhood competition improves biomass prediction accuracy and how the influence of neighborhood competition differs between Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.)and Pyrenean oak(Quercus pyrenaica Willd.),as well as the relative contributions of intra-and interspecific competition to AGB.Our findings revealed that including neighborhood competition alongside tree size variables(DBH and total tree height)significantly improved the predictive accuracy of AGB models for Scots pine.This addition reduced the root mean square error(RMSE)by 14% and improved the model efficiency factor(MEF)by 15%.Furthermore,intraspecific competition in Scots pine slightly reduced AGB,whereas interspecific competition had a significant negative effect on AGB.In contrast,DBH alone was the best predictor of AGB for Pyrenean oak,as neighborhood competition did not improve model performance.Also,intra-and interspecific competition in Pyrenean oak had positive but nonsignificant effects on AGB.These findings highlight the important role of competition in biomass models and suggest species-specific approaches in competition dynamics to inform sustainable forest management and climate change adaptation strategies.展开更多
Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally.Effective forest management strategies,adapted to local conditions,are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts.One proposed strategy is competition r...Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally.Effective forest management strategies,adapted to local conditions,are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts.One proposed strategy is competition reduction to increase water availability and,as a result,alleviate drought stress.This study investigates the effect of competition intensity on drought stress and tree growth in European beech(Fagus sylvatica)and pedunculate oak(Quercus robur).We deployed 72 point dendrometers,placed along a competition intensity gradient,in National Park Brabantse Wouden(Belgium),to measure daily minimum tree water deficit(TWD_(min))as a drought stress proxy and daily radial growth at tree level.Our results revealed species-dependent effects of competition intensity(CI).For European beech,competition reductions positively influenced growth and alleviated(1<CI<2)or aggravated(CI<0.5)drought stress.For pedunculate oak,competition intensity did not affect drought stress or growth along the investigated gradient.Environmental variables consistently affected TWDmin and growth of both species.Precipitation reduced TWDmin and increased growth,while vapor pressure deficit led to opposite trends.Thus,environmental conditions and competition can play a critical role in forest dynamics,especially in light of climate change.However,reducing competition through increased management efforts does not seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution to alleviating drought stress.Additionally,there seems to be a trade-off between reducing drought stress and improving tree growth in European beech:tree growth continuously benefited from competition reductions,while under low competition(CI<0.5)drought stress increased.Revisiting or reviving long-term thinning intensity trials encompassing various regions,species,and soil types will be needed to gain comprehensive insights into mitigating drought stress through management interventions under different local stand conditions.展开更多
America is the only hegemonic power in the world today and is looking vigilantly at every other country that may take its hegemonic position.In Northeast Asia,America is focused on reinforcing its alliance with Japan ...America is the only hegemonic power in the world today and is looking vigilantly at every other country that may take its hegemonic position.In Northeast Asia,America is focused on reinforcing its alliance with Japan and South Korea and is working quickly to deploy the THAAD system in展开更多
Ecological variation in resources can in flue nee the distributi on and en counter rates of potential mates and competitors and, con sequently, the opport unity for sexual selection. Factors that influence the likelih...Ecological variation in resources can in flue nee the distributi on and en counter rates of potential mates and competitors and, con sequently, the opport unity for sexual selection. Factors that influence the likelihood that females mate multiply could also affect the potential for sperm competition. In Wellington tree weta (Hemideina crassidens, plural "weta"), the size of tree cavities (called galleries) used as refuges affects weta distribution and thus the opport unity for sexual selection and selection on male weaponry size. We examined the predicted effects of gallery size and male weap onry size on the potential for sperm competition. We asked if gallery size in flue need the potential for multiple mating by females and potential for sperm competition, if male weaponry size was associated with relative expected sperm competition intensity (SCI), and if estimated male mating success was correlated with pote ntial SCI. To qua ntify relative competitive envir on merits of males, we created and analyzed networks of potential competitors based on which males could have mated with the same females. We found that small galleries had higher potential for female multiple mating and higher potential for sperm competition. Size of male weaponry was not associated with expected relative SCI. Regardless of gallery size, males with more potential mates were expected to face lower expected relative sperm competition. Thus, in this system, variation in the size of available refuges is likely to in flue nee the pote ntial for sperm competiti on, in a way that we might expect to in crease variation in overall reproductive success.展开更多
Dispersal is an important area of ecological and evolutionary research.Although many studies have been conducted in mammals and birds,dispersal pattern in amphibians is still unclear.To verify dispersal patterns of am...Dispersal is an important area of ecological and evolutionary research.Although many studies have been conducted in mammals and birds,dispersal pattern in amphibians is still unclear.To verify dispersal patterns of amphibians,an endangered species the Emei Moustache Toad(Leptobrachium boringii)was selected.In this study,we analyzed six genetic parameters:inbreeding coefficient(F_(IS)),gene diversity(H_S),the mean of corrected assignment index(mAI_C),the variance of corrected assignment index(vAI_C),relatedness(r)for all three years together and each year separately based on eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci.Data in totaled across years and each year for 581 individuals captured during 2013–2015 revealed a significant female-biased dispersal pattern.Significantly higher F_(IS) and H_S in females,and lower mAI_C and r for each year separately in females support that L.boringii displays femalebiased dispersal,although r for the total dataset and vAI_C tests did not show significant differences between the sexes.Female-biased dispersal patterns may be explained by the local resource competition hypothesis.展开更多
It is hard to compute the competition number for a graph in general and characterizing a graph by its competition number has been one of important research problems in the study of competition graphs. Sano pointed out...It is hard to compute the competition number for a graph in general and characterizing a graph by its competition number has been one of important research problems in the study of competition graphs. Sano pointed out that it would be interesting to compute the competition numbers of some triangulations of a sphere as he got the exact value of the competition numbers of regular polyhedra. In this paper, we study the competition numbers of several kinds of triangulations of a sphere, and get the exact values of the competition numbers of a 24-hedron obtained from a hexahedron by adding a vertex in each face of the hexahedron and joining the vertex added in a face with the four vertices of the face, a class of dodecahedra constructed from a hexahedron by adding a diagonal in each face of the hexahedron, and a triangulation of a sphere with 3n (n≥2) vertices.展开更多
This paper addresses the coordination problem of price and quality setting insurers, arising on the health insurance market under regulated competition, as introduced, for instance, in the Netherlands in 2006. We use ...This paper addresses the coordination problem of price and quality setting insurers, arising on the health insurance market under regulated competition, as introduced, for instance, in the Netherlands in 2006. We use an experimental study to gain novel insights on the impact of the uncertainty about consumer preferences on the coordination problem. This fundamental uncertainty implies uncertainty about the identity of the payoff dominant equilibrium, while the risk dominant equilibrium is independent of the state of the world. The experimental results show that insurers are more likely to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium under incomplete information. When insurers face not only strategic but also fundamental uncertainty in the coordination problem, they delay the response to the risk dominant strategy, and persist longer in trying to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium. For the market we study, this implies that the co-ordination under incomplete information will result in consumers paying higher prices, in contrast to the original objectives of the regulated competition.展开更多
Based on China's industrial enterprises-customs matched data, this paper utilizes two-tier stochastic frontier analysis method to estimate and verify the extent to which selection effect and competition effect inf...Based on China's industrial enterprises-customs matched data, this paper utilizes two-tier stochastic frontier analysis method to estimate and verify the extent to which selection effect and competition effect influence exporting firms' markup. Our findings suggest that the interaction between selection effect and competition effect ultimately causes actual firm markup to be higher than the baseline markup by 7.11%. Exporting firms' actual markup is higher than the baseline markup by different degrees. In terms of the decomposition of selection effect, TFP explains for 28.05% of selection effect, and nonproductivity factors explain for the rest 71.95%. By controlling for the type of firms' export,the export-productivity paradox only exists for processing trade firms, which shows that with increasing trade facilitation, the policy incentives to encourage firms to export are major contributors to the low export markups.展开更多
[Objective]The paper was to understand the resistance of commonly used clinical antibiotics to avian Escherichia coli and the inhibition of lactobacillus against pathogenic E.coli.[Method]The strain was isolated and i...[Objective]The paper was to understand the resistance of commonly used clinical antibiotics to avian Escherichia coli and the inhibition of lactobacillus against pathogenic E.coli.[Method]The strain was isolated and identified by SS medium culture,microscope examination,PCR amplification and biochemical test,and the sensitivity of avian E.coli to eight antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method.Twelve strains of avian E.coli and one strain of lactobacillus were divided into five group using in vitro liquid culture method,namely simultaneous mixed culture group of lactobacillus and E.coli,first colonization group of E.coli,first colonization group of lactobacillus,E.coli control group and lactobacillus control group,for competitive inhibition test between E.coli and lactobacillus.[Result]Totally 34 strains with similar characteristics to E.coli strains were preliminarily screened;the target band amplified by PCR was 293 bp,which was consistent with the expected size.The isolated strain could decompose maltose,sucrose,lactose,glucose,arabinose,mannitol and sorbitol;the nitrate reduction test was positive,while citrate and V-P test was negative,consistent with the biochemical characteristics of E.coli.The resistance rate of the isolates to cefalexin and tylosin was over 65%,and that to enrofloxacin and doxycycline was up to 50%;the isolates were more sensitive to apramycin,tilmicosin,neomycin and colistin,and the total resistance rate was below 15%.The inhibitory effects of mixed culture of lactobacillus and E.coli against E.coli was better than first colonization of lactobacillus at 24 h;the inhibitory effects of first colonization of lactobacillus against E.coli was better than that of mixed culture of lactobacillus and E.coli at 36 h;the inhibitory effects of mixed culture of lactobacillus and E.coli against E.coli was the best at 48 h.[Conclusion]The isolated strains of E.coli were generally resistant to eight commonly used antibiotics.Lactobacillus could inhibit the growth of avian E.coli in vitro,and first colonization of lactobacillus received the best effort.展开更多
An orderly competition mechanism is used to change unexpected competition into predictable competition so as to reduce access collision during access process.The scheme is realized by learning,queuing,and accessing.Qu...An orderly competition mechanism is used to change unexpected competition into predictable competition so as to reduce access collision during access process.The scheme is realized by learning,queuing,and accessing.Queuing is the key step to reduce random and realize orderly competition.Related parameters leading to access random including the arrival rate,the delay requirements,the number of devices,and so on,are defined as queue factors in this paper.The queue factors are obtained from the improved double deep Q network(DDQN)algorithm which is proposed here by setting asynchronous weights of two target networks.By learning,the queue factors will guide the devices with diverse delay requirements to queue.Then the queued devices start the access process according to their learning optimal access slot and preamble.Different from traditional competition solutions,markov decision process of the orderly competition mechanism has only two states,which remarkably cuts down the back-off rate and reduces the access delay.The simulation results show that the access success rate of this method can be close to 100%before the system capacity approaches the maximum value.展开更多
Autosamplers are indispensable key equipment in modern laboratories,playing a pivotal role in fields such as biomedicine,environmental monitoring,food safety,and materials science.However,domestic autosampler enterpri...Autosamplers are indispensable key equipment in modern laboratories,playing a pivotal role in fields such as biomedicine,environmental monitoring,food safety,and materials science.However,domestic autosampler enterprises are facing formidable challenges,confronted by the technological barriers and brand dominance of international giants,as well as increasingly fierce homogeneous competition in the domestic market.This article aims to thoroughly analyze the current market landscape and,based on seven key dimensions—strategic positioning,product technology,sales channels,brand building,service and support,supply chain optimization,and talent development—propose a series of effective market-winning strategies.This will provide theoretical guidance and practical reference for domestic autosampler enterprises to achieve breakthroughs and sustainable development amidst fierce market competition.展开更多
The island rule,a general pattern of dwarfism in large species to gigantism in small species on islands relative to mainland,is typically seen as a macroevolutionary phenomenon.However,whether the ecological processes...The island rule,a general pattern of dwarfism in large species to gigantism in small species on islands relative to mainland,is typically seen as a macroevolutionary phenomenon.However,whether the ecological processes associated with abiotic and biotic factors generate a pattern of plant size variation similar to the island rule remains unknown.We measured plant height for 29,623 individuals of 50 common woody plant species across 43 islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago(8500 years old and yet to undergo major evolutionary adaptation)and the adjacent mainlands in China.We found pronounced variations in plant height,similar to those of the island rule.Interestingly,islands with low resource availability,such as low soil organic matter content and low precipitation,had a high degree of dwarfism;islands experiencing high environmental stress,such as high soil pH,had a high degree of dwarfism;and islands experiencing less planteplant competition had a high degree of gigantism.The magnitude of plant dwarfism was higher on small and remote islands than on larger and nearer islands.These results highlight the importance of ecological processes associated with abiotic and biotic conditions in shaping the island rule-like patterns of plant size variation.Since our studied archipelago is too young to undergo major evolution,ecological processes likely played a prominent role in generating the observed pattern,challenging the notion that the evolutionary process is the dominant factor underlying the island rule.Future studies on the island rule need to perform experiments to disentangle evolutionary from ecological mechanisms.展开更多
Considering the existence of multi-level fares in the alliance,and the existence of horizontal competition and vertical competition at the same time,this paper intends to maximize the revenue of airline alliance and f...Considering the existence of multi-level fares in the alliance,and the existence of horizontal competition and vertical competition at the same time,this paper intends to maximize the revenue of airline alliance and fairly distribute the revenue to member airlines.Firstly,a model is built under the centralized mechanism,in which all airlines in the alliance are regarded as a whole.By solving the model,the shadow price of each flight leg on the code-sharing route is gotten.It is used to calculate the proportion of the revenue distribution.Then,the centralized model is decomposed into the single airline model by the proportion.The seat allocation among airlines and distributed revenue can be gotten by solving the model.Three typical examples are designed to test it.The results show that,the model can effectively reflect the managerial principal of the airline alliance,that is maximizing total revenue and fairly distributing the revenue among member airlines.展开更多
This paper investigates Central Asia＇s oil and gas resources, special geopolitics and energy competition, and approaches, challenges and prospects in cooperation between China and Central Asia. The objective is to pr...This paper investigates Central Asia＇s oil and gas resources, special geopolitics and energy competition, and approaches, challenges and prospects in cooperation between China and Central Asia. The objective is to propose measures for oil and gas cooperation between China and Central Asia. Central Asia is rich in oil and gas resources. Its remaining recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas account for 1.9% and 10.6 %, respectively, of the world＇s total reserves. Moreover, there is great exploration and development potential. As a strategic channel connecting Eurasia, Central Asia has a prominent geopolitical status. Many powerful countries such as the United States, Russia and China, as well as Europe, have an intense energy competition in Central Asia. In the oil and gas cooperation with Central Asia, the China National Petroleum Corporation （CNPC） focuses on establishing a coordination group, promoting overall oil and gas business opportunities and sustainable development, innovating and applying specialty engineering technology and improving project economic benefits. Through its efforts over the last nearly two decades, the China National Petroleum Corporation has completed a 50-million-tonne a year oil and gas production centre in Central Asia and oil and gas pipelines passing through multiple countries, becoming an important channel for securing China＇s energy imports. If appropriate measures are taken in the ＇Thirteenth Five-Year Plan＇ period or later, the China National Petroleum Corporation will develop a 100-million-tonne p.a. oil and gas production centre in Central Asia and a strategic oil and gas import channel exceeding this amount of production. This cooperation between China and Central Asia is however faced with the following challenges： increasing multinational competition uncertainty, potential risks in the political systems of Central Asian countries, frequently occurring violence and also resource policy tightening in Central Asia. To further oil and gas cooperation with Central Asia, it is recommended that China should develop an energy acquisition strategy, assign a regional energy ambassador, enhance oil and gas supply by mergers and acquisitions, establish regional multinational subsidiaries and improve its risk prevention system.展开更多
基金supported by Catalan Government,Nos.2014SGR344(to JT),2017SGR704(to JT),2021SGR01214(to MAL)MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/by“ERDF A way of making Europe,”Nos.SAF2015-67143(to JT),PID2019-106332GB-I00(to JT and MAL)and PID2022-141252NB-I00(to MAL).
文摘During the development of the nervous system,there is an overproduction of neurons and synapses.Hebbian competition between neighboring nerve endings and synapses performing different activity levels leads to their elimination or strengthening.We have extensively studied the involvement of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor neurotrophic retrograde pathway,at the neuromuscular junction,in the axonal development and synapse elimination process versus the synapse consolidation.The purpose of this review is to describe the neurotrophic influence on developmental synapse elimination,in relation to other molecular pathways that we and others have found to regulate this process.In particular,we summarize our published results based on transmitter release analysis and axonal counts to show the different involvement of the presynaptic acetylcholine muscarinic autoreceptors,coupled to downstream serine-threonine protein kinases A and C(PKA and PKC)and voltage-gated calcium channels,at different nerve endings in developmental competition.The dynamic changes that occur simultaneously in several nerve terminals and synapses converge across a postsynaptic site,influence each other,and require careful studies to individualize the mechanisms of specific endings.We describe an activity-dependent balance(related to the extent of transmitter release)between the presynaptic muscarinic subtypes and the neurotrophin-mediated TrkB/p75NTR pathways that can influence the timing and fate of the competitive interactions between the different axon terminals.The downstream displacement of the PKA/PKC activity ratio to lower values,both in competing nerve terminals and at postsynaptic sites,plays a relevant role in controlling the elimination of supernumerary synapses.Finally,calcium entry through L-and P/Q-subtypes of voltage-gated calcium channels(both channels are present,together with the N-type channel in developing nerve terminals)contributes to reduce transmitter release and promote withdrawal of the most unfavorable nerve terminals during elimination(the weakest in acetylcholine release and those that have already become silent).The main findings contribute to a better understanding of punishment-rewarding interactions between nerve endings during development.Identifying the molecular targets and signaling pathways that allow synapse consolidation or withdrawal of synapses in different situations is important for potential therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.
文摘Italian ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is typically used as a pasture crop or a cover crop along roadsides, rights-of-way, and industrial areas. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass populations have been documented around the world, mostly in orchard and vineyard situations. The first evidence of evolved GR Italian ryegrass in row/agronomic crops was reported from Washington County, Mississippi in 2005. GR Italian ryegrass populations can jeopardize preplant burndown options in reduced-tillage crop production systems, thereby, delaying planting operations. The effects of competition of Italian ryegrass on crop growth and yield are poorly understood. A field study was conducted in the 2012 growing season and repeated in the 2013 growing season. GR and susceptible (GS) Italian ryegrass populations were established in the greenhouse and transplanted in prepared corn row beds in the fall of 2011 and 2012 at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 plants·meter> of crop row. Italian ryegrass plants overwintered and developed over the following spring-summer. Glyphosate was applied at 1.26 kg·ae/ha (1.5× of labeled rate) in the spring to burndown the Italian ryegrass plants and corn was planted into the ryegrass residue 2 - 3 wk later. Current corn production practices were followed. Corn density (early and late season), height (early season), and yield and Italian ryegrass biomass (early-mid season) measurements were recorded during both years. Corn height was greater in 2012 than that in 2013 at comparable stages of the growing season, due to a cooler and wetter early season in 2013 than that in 2012. Averaged across weed densities, corn density (both early and late season) and yield were higher in the GS than those in the GR population, but Italian ryegrass biomass was similar for both populations. Averaged across Italian ryegrass populations, corn density (both early and late season), and yield were inversely proportional to Italian ryegrass density. In summary, Italian ryegrass significantly reduced corn density and yield and reduction was greater with the GR than that with the GS population. Studies are underway to study inter population competition in Italian ryegrass and investigate allelopathic effects of Italian ryegrass on selected crops.
文摘The deep sea holds vital resources and spatial potential for future human survival and development,reflecting the common interests and concerns of all mankind.Amidst unprecedented global transformations in a hundred years,the deep sea has emerged as a critical area of international competition and serves as a new frontier for resource extraction,a strategic space for military competition,and a contested space for great power rivalry and rule-making.
基金supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China(61525304)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61873328)
文摘In this paper, a memetic algorithm with competition(MAC) is proposed to solve the capacitated green vehicle routing problem(CGVRP). Firstly, the permutation array called traveling salesman problem(TSP) route is used to encode the solution, and an effective decoding method to construct the CGVRP route is presented accordingly. Secondly, the k-nearest neighbor(k NN) based initialization is presented to take use of the location information of the customers. Thirdly, according to the characteristics of the CGVRP, the search operators in the variable neighborhood search(VNS) framework and the simulated annealing(SA) strategy are executed on the TSP route for all solutions. Moreover, the customer adjustment operator and the alternative fuel station(AFS) adjustment operator on the CGVRP route are executed for the elite solutions after competition. In addition, the crossover operator is employed to share information among different solutions. The effect of parameter setting is investigated using the Taguchi method of design-ofexperiment to suggest suitable values. Via numerical tests, it demonstrates the effectiveness of both the competitive search and the decoding method. Moreover, extensive comparative results show that the proposed algorithm is more effective and efficient than the existing methods in solving the CGVRP.
文摘This study attempts to investigate the relationship between monopoly and competition and the philosophy of progress,using the methods,models,and terms from physics.The term“progress”is a newly adopted term and is defined as the value of an increase in the production rate per unit of time.It is shown that to achieve progress,it is necessary to increase the production on a non-linear basis over time.Therefore,it is enough to have many firms that interact with each other under the influence of“market forces”.It is important to have a high level of university education,a legal environment for competition and indestructible antitrust laws.Even without strong science,you can make progress by acquiring technology and creating conditions for competition in the market.A factor that strongly influences progress,of course,is technology.For the development of technology,there is a great need for science.Science is a very powerful factor that affects the non-linear change in the economic development.It is shown that during the transition period from an absolute monopoly to an imperfect monopoly the system becomes more complex,and its output characteristics become non-linear as a function of time.It was found that the relationship between monopoly and competition is very simple,and there is no contradiction between them.Initially,the market is born as a monopoly,and then with the creation of similar firms,competition,as the natural market process,begins between them.
基金the 2019 call for the predoctoral contract at the University of Valladolid cofinanced by Banco de Santander and projects‘CLU-2019-01-Unidad de Excelencia Instituto iuFOR’,‘PID2021-126275OB-C21’and‘PID2021-126275OB-C22’-Integrated Forest Management along complexity gradients(IMFLEX)‘MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER,UE’,which received financial support from the Regional Government of Castilla and León,Spainthe European Regional Development Fund(ERDF).
文摘Neighborhood competition is a critical driver of individual tree growth,and aboveground biomass(AGB)accumulation,which together play key roles in forest dynamics and carbon storage.Therefore,accurate biomass estimation is essential for understanding ecosystem functioning and informing forest management strategies to mitigate climate change.However,integrating neighborhood competition into biomass estimation models,particularly for young mixed forest stands,remains unexplored.In this study,we examined how incorporating neighborhood competition improves biomass prediction accuracy and how the influence of neighborhood competition differs between Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.)and Pyrenean oak(Quercus pyrenaica Willd.),as well as the relative contributions of intra-and interspecific competition to AGB.Our findings revealed that including neighborhood competition alongside tree size variables(DBH and total tree height)significantly improved the predictive accuracy of AGB models for Scots pine.This addition reduced the root mean square error(RMSE)by 14% and improved the model efficiency factor(MEF)by 15%.Furthermore,intraspecific competition in Scots pine slightly reduced AGB,whereas interspecific competition had a significant negative effect on AGB.In contrast,DBH alone was the best predictor of AGB for Pyrenean oak,as neighborhood competition did not improve model performance.Also,intra-and interspecific competition in Pyrenean oak had positive but nonsignificant effects on AGB.These findings highlight the important role of competition in biomass models and suggest species-specific approaches in competition dynamics to inform sustainable forest management and climate change adaptation strategies.
基金supported by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek(FWO)[grant number 1S16824N]the Cost Action CLEANFOREST[E-COST-GRANT-CA21138-c4968ca1].
文摘Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally.Effective forest management strategies,adapted to local conditions,are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts.One proposed strategy is competition reduction to increase water availability and,as a result,alleviate drought stress.This study investigates the effect of competition intensity on drought stress and tree growth in European beech(Fagus sylvatica)and pedunculate oak(Quercus robur).We deployed 72 point dendrometers,placed along a competition intensity gradient,in National Park Brabantse Wouden(Belgium),to measure daily minimum tree water deficit(TWD_(min))as a drought stress proxy and daily radial growth at tree level.Our results revealed species-dependent effects of competition intensity(CI).For European beech,competition reductions positively influenced growth and alleviated(1<CI<2)or aggravated(CI<0.5)drought stress.For pedunculate oak,competition intensity did not affect drought stress or growth along the investigated gradient.Environmental variables consistently affected TWDmin and growth of both species.Precipitation reduced TWDmin and increased growth,while vapor pressure deficit led to opposite trends.Thus,environmental conditions and competition can play a critical role in forest dynamics,especially in light of climate change.However,reducing competition through increased management efforts does not seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution to alleviating drought stress.Additionally,there seems to be a trade-off between reducing drought stress and improving tree growth in European beech:tree growth continuously benefited from competition reductions,while under low competition(CI<0.5)drought stress increased.Revisiting or reviving long-term thinning intensity trials encompassing various regions,species,and soil types will be needed to gain comprehensive insights into mitigating drought stress through management interventions under different local stand conditions.
文摘America is the only hegemonic power in the world today and is looking vigilantly at every other country that may take its hegemonic position.In Northeast Asia,America is focused on reinforcing its alliance with Japan and South Korea and is working quickly to deploy the THAAD system in
文摘Ecological variation in resources can in flue nee the distributi on and en counter rates of potential mates and competitors and, con sequently, the opport unity for sexual selection. Factors that influence the likelihood that females mate multiply could also affect the potential for sperm competition. In Wellington tree weta (Hemideina crassidens, plural "weta"), the size of tree cavities (called galleries) used as refuges affects weta distribution and thus the opport unity for sexual selection and selection on male weaponry size. We examined the predicted effects of gallery size and male weap onry size on the potential for sperm competition. We asked if gallery size in flue need the potential for multiple mating by females and potential for sperm competition, if male weaponry size was associated with relative expected sperm competition intensity (SCI), and if estimated male mating success was correlated with pote ntial SCI. To qua ntify relative competitive envir on merits of males, we created and analyzed networks of potential competitors based on which males could have mated with the same females. We found that small galleries had higher potential for female multiple mating and higher potential for sperm competition. Size of male weaponry was not associated with expected relative SCI. Regardless of gallery size, males with more potential mates were expected to face lower expected relative sperm competition. Thus, in this system, variation in the size of available refuges is likely to in flue nee the pote ntial for sperm competiti on, in a way that we might expect to in crease variation in overall reproductive success.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.31770405)
文摘Dispersal is an important area of ecological and evolutionary research.Although many studies have been conducted in mammals and birds,dispersal pattern in amphibians is still unclear.To verify dispersal patterns of amphibians,an endangered species the Emei Moustache Toad(Leptobrachium boringii)was selected.In this study,we analyzed six genetic parameters:inbreeding coefficient(F_(IS)),gene diversity(H_S),the mean of corrected assignment index(mAI_C),the variance of corrected assignment index(vAI_C),relatedness(r)for all three years together and each year separately based on eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci.Data in totaled across years and each year for 581 individuals captured during 2013–2015 revealed a significant female-biased dispersal pattern.Significantly higher F_(IS) and H_S in females,and lower mAI_C and r for each year separately in females support that L.boringii displays femalebiased dispersal,although r for the total dataset and vAI_C tests did not show significant differences between the sexes.Female-biased dispersal patterns may be explained by the local resource competition hypothesis.
文摘It is hard to compute the competition number for a graph in general and characterizing a graph by its competition number has been one of important research problems in the study of competition graphs. Sano pointed out that it would be interesting to compute the competition numbers of some triangulations of a sphere as he got the exact value of the competition numbers of regular polyhedra. In this paper, we study the competition numbers of several kinds of triangulations of a sphere, and get the exact values of the competition numbers of a 24-hedron obtained from a hexahedron by adding a vertex in each face of the hexahedron and joining the vertex added in a face with the four vertices of the face, a class of dodecahedra constructed from a hexahedron by adding a diagonal in each face of the hexahedron, and a triangulation of a sphere with 3n (n≥2) vertices.
文摘This paper addresses the coordination problem of price and quality setting insurers, arising on the health insurance market under regulated competition, as introduced, for instance, in the Netherlands in 2006. We use an experimental study to gain novel insights on the impact of the uncertainty about consumer preferences on the coordination problem. This fundamental uncertainty implies uncertainty about the identity of the payoff dominant equilibrium, while the risk dominant equilibrium is independent of the state of the world. The experimental results show that insurers are more likely to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium under incomplete information. When insurers face not only strategic but also fundamental uncertainty in the coordination problem, they delay the response to the risk dominant strategy, and persist longer in trying to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium. For the market we study, this implies that the co-ordination under incomplete information will result in consumers paying higher prices, in contrast to the original objectives of the regulated competition.
基金Sponsorship of the National Social Science Foundation (NSSF) Youth Project (16CJL014)the China Postdoctoral Science Special Foundation (2017T100001)
文摘Based on China's industrial enterprises-customs matched data, this paper utilizes two-tier stochastic frontier analysis method to estimate and verify the extent to which selection effect and competition effect influence exporting firms' markup. Our findings suggest that the interaction between selection effect and competition effect ultimately causes actual firm markup to be higher than the baseline markup by 7.11%. Exporting firms' actual markup is higher than the baseline markup by different degrees. In terms of the decomposition of selection effect, TFP explains for 28.05% of selection effect, and nonproductivity factors explain for the rest 71.95%. By controlling for the type of firms' export,the export-productivity paradox only exists for processing trade firms, which shows that with increasing trade facilitation, the policy incentives to encourage firms to export are major contributors to the low export markups.
基金Major Science and Technology Innovation Project of Liaoning Province"Feed Quality and Safety Control and Low Protein Feed Project"(2019JH1/10200002).
文摘[Objective]The paper was to understand the resistance of commonly used clinical antibiotics to avian Escherichia coli and the inhibition of lactobacillus against pathogenic E.coli.[Method]The strain was isolated and identified by SS medium culture,microscope examination,PCR amplification and biochemical test,and the sensitivity of avian E.coli to eight antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method.Twelve strains of avian E.coli and one strain of lactobacillus were divided into five group using in vitro liquid culture method,namely simultaneous mixed culture group of lactobacillus and E.coli,first colonization group of E.coli,first colonization group of lactobacillus,E.coli control group and lactobacillus control group,for competitive inhibition test between E.coli and lactobacillus.[Result]Totally 34 strains with similar characteristics to E.coli strains were preliminarily screened;the target band amplified by PCR was 293 bp,which was consistent with the expected size.The isolated strain could decompose maltose,sucrose,lactose,glucose,arabinose,mannitol and sorbitol;the nitrate reduction test was positive,while citrate and V-P test was negative,consistent with the biochemical characteristics of E.coli.The resistance rate of the isolates to cefalexin and tylosin was over 65%,and that to enrofloxacin and doxycycline was up to 50%;the isolates were more sensitive to apramycin,tilmicosin,neomycin and colistin,and the total resistance rate was below 15%.The inhibitory effects of mixed culture of lactobacillus and E.coli against E.coli was better than first colonization of lactobacillus at 24 h;the inhibitory effects of first colonization of lactobacillus against E.coli was better than that of mixed culture of lactobacillus and E.coli at 36 h;the inhibitory effects of mixed culture of lactobacillus and E.coli against E.coli was the best at 48 h.[Conclusion]The isolated strains of E.coli were generally resistant to eight commonly used antibiotics.Lactobacillus could inhibit the growth of avian E.coli in vitro,and first colonization of lactobacillus received the best effort.
基金supported by Key Technologies R&D Program of Jiangsu(Prospective and Key Technologies for Industry)(BE2022067,BE2022067-1 and BE2022067-2)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61771255)Provincial and Ministerial Key Laboratory Open Project under Grant No.20190904.
文摘An orderly competition mechanism is used to change unexpected competition into predictable competition so as to reduce access collision during access process.The scheme is realized by learning,queuing,and accessing.Queuing is the key step to reduce random and realize orderly competition.Related parameters leading to access random including the arrival rate,the delay requirements,the number of devices,and so on,are defined as queue factors in this paper.The queue factors are obtained from the improved double deep Q network(DDQN)algorithm which is proposed here by setting asynchronous weights of two target networks.By learning,the queue factors will guide the devices with diverse delay requirements to queue.Then the queued devices start the access process according to their learning optimal access slot and preamble.Different from traditional competition solutions,markov decision process of the orderly competition mechanism has only two states,which remarkably cuts down the back-off rate and reduces the access delay.The simulation results show that the access success rate of this method can be close to 100%before the system capacity approaches the maximum value.
文摘Autosamplers are indispensable key equipment in modern laboratories,playing a pivotal role in fields such as biomedicine,environmental monitoring,food safety,and materials science.However,domestic autosampler enterprises are facing formidable challenges,confronted by the technological barriers and brand dominance of international giants,as well as increasingly fierce homogeneous competition in the domestic market.This article aims to thoroughly analyze the current market landscape and,based on seven key dimensions—strategic positioning,product technology,sales channels,brand building,service and support,supply chain optimization,and talent development—propose a series of effective market-winning strategies.This will provide theoretical guidance and practical reference for domestic autosampler enterprises to achieve breakthroughs and sustainable development amidst fierce market competition.
基金supported by the State Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32030068)the“Lump-sum System”Project of Chongqing Talent Plan(Grant No.cstc2022ycjh-bgzxm0204).
文摘The island rule,a general pattern of dwarfism in large species to gigantism in small species on islands relative to mainland,is typically seen as a macroevolutionary phenomenon.However,whether the ecological processes associated with abiotic and biotic factors generate a pattern of plant size variation similar to the island rule remains unknown.We measured plant height for 29,623 individuals of 50 common woody plant species across 43 islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago(8500 years old and yet to undergo major evolutionary adaptation)and the adjacent mainlands in China.We found pronounced variations in plant height,similar to those of the island rule.Interestingly,islands with low resource availability,such as low soil organic matter content and low precipitation,had a high degree of dwarfism;islands experiencing high environmental stress,such as high soil pH,had a high degree of dwarfism;and islands experiencing less planteplant competition had a high degree of gigantism.The magnitude of plant dwarfism was higher on small and remote islands than on larger and nearer islands.These results highlight the importance of ecological processes associated with abiotic and biotic conditions in shaping the island rule-like patterns of plant size variation.Since our studied archipelago is too young to undergo major evolution,ecological processes likely played a prominent role in generating the observed pattern,challenging the notion that the evolutionary process is the dominant factor underlying the island rule.Future studies on the island rule need to perform experiments to disentangle evolutionary from ecological mechanisms.
基金partially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(No.BK 20151479)the Central University Basic Research Fees(No.NZ2016109)
文摘Considering the existence of multi-level fares in the alliance,and the existence of horizontal competition and vertical competition at the same time,this paper intends to maximize the revenue of airline alliance and fairly distribute the revenue to member airlines.Firstly,a model is built under the centralized mechanism,in which all airlines in the alliance are regarded as a whole.By solving the model,the shadow price of each flight leg on the code-sharing route is gotten.It is used to calculate the proportion of the revenue distribution.Then,the centralized model is decomposed into the single airline model by the proportion.The seat allocation among airlines and distributed revenue can be gotten by solving the model.Three typical examples are designed to test it.The results show that,the model can effectively reflect the managerial principal of the airline alliance,that is maximizing total revenue and fairly distributing the revenue among member airlines.
文摘This paper investigates Central Asia＇s oil and gas resources, special geopolitics and energy competition, and approaches, challenges and prospects in cooperation between China and Central Asia. The objective is to propose measures for oil and gas cooperation between China and Central Asia. Central Asia is rich in oil and gas resources. Its remaining recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas account for 1.9% and 10.6 %, respectively, of the world＇s total reserves. Moreover, there is great exploration and development potential. As a strategic channel connecting Eurasia, Central Asia has a prominent geopolitical status. Many powerful countries such as the United States, Russia and China, as well as Europe, have an intense energy competition in Central Asia. In the oil and gas cooperation with Central Asia, the China National Petroleum Corporation （CNPC） focuses on establishing a coordination group, promoting overall oil and gas business opportunities and sustainable development, innovating and applying specialty engineering technology and improving project economic benefits. Through its efforts over the last nearly two decades, the China National Petroleum Corporation has completed a 50-million-tonne a year oil and gas production centre in Central Asia and oil and gas pipelines passing through multiple countries, becoming an important channel for securing China＇s energy imports. If appropriate measures are taken in the ＇Thirteenth Five-Year Plan＇ period or later, the China National Petroleum Corporation will develop a 100-million-tonne p.a. oil and gas production centre in Central Asia and a strategic oil and gas import channel exceeding this amount of production. This cooperation between China and Central Asia is however faced with the following challenges： increasing multinational competition uncertainty, potential risks in the political systems of Central Asian countries, frequently occurring violence and also resource policy tightening in Central Asia. To further oil and gas cooperation with Central Asia, it is recommended that China should develop an energy acquisition strategy, assign a regional energy ambassador, enhance oil and gas supply by mergers and acquisitions, establish regional multinational subsidiaries and improve its risk prevention system.
