scholarly journals The rich get richer and the poor get poorer - the Matthew mechanism as an approach to explain selection effects and the occurrence of multiple medalists in the "production" of international success in alpine ski racing

Author(s):  
Michael Barth ◽  
Arne Güllich ◽  
Eike Emrich

The study addresses two questions that are under debate in the literature and exemplifies their examination in alpine ski racing. Firstly, are successful athletes the product of a long-term continuous intervention and/or socialization process or do they rather emerge via repeated selection processes? Secondly, to which extent is a nations’ collective success composed of many athletes’ singular successes or of a few athletes’ multiple successes?The study involved the national squad of the Austrian Ski Federation. Data collection comprised membership in a national squad and World or Olympic medal success and was carried out via document analysis (seasons: 1986-2016).The mean annual athlete turnover rate ranged from 24-57% across squad levels while the turnover rate varied substantially over time within each squad level. Among all national squad athletes, the incidence of being a successful (i.e., medal winning) National Team athlete was 8.9% (95% CI: 6.0%; 12.5%). Twenty-eight athletes won a total of 112 medals, 21 athletes achieved winning two or more medals. The six most successful athletes won 56 medals, comprising 50% of all medals won.The study suggests that successful elite athletes emerge from repeated selection and filtering processes. The observation of multiple medalists and a high concentration of exceptional success among a few athletes is reflected with regard to potential causes that rest on characteristics of the individual athlete, on social mechanisms (e.g., Matthew mechanism) of the elite sports system, or both.

Open Biology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 170050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo ◽  
Carlos Briones ◽  
Andrés de la Escosura

In recent years, an extension of the Darwinian framework is being considered for the study of prebiotic chemical evolution, shifting the attention from homogeneous populations of naked molecular species to populations of heterogeneous, compartmentalized and functionally integrated assemblies of molecules. Several implications of this shift of perspective are analysed in this critical review, both in terms of the individual units, which require an adequate characterization as self-maintaining systems with an internal organization, and also in relation to their collective and long-term evolutionary dynamics, based on competition, collaboration and selection processes among those complex individuals. On these lines, a concrete proposal for the set of molecular control mechanisms that must be coupled to bring about autonomous functional systems, at the interface between chemistry and biology, is provided.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Nurul Dalimunte ◽  
Ratna Sari Dewi Harahap

There are many reasons behind teenage smoking behavior where smoking behavior is a dysfunction of the individual itself and the environment. This can be seen from the study of the development of adolescents who started smoking associated with the crisis of psycho-social aspects experienced during development, when a teenager is looking for identity. The efforts to find that identity, not all can go according to the desired expectations. Some adolescents do smoking as a compensatory method because there are some parties that have a big influence in the socialization process. Smoking behavior usually begins in adolescence even though the process of becoming a smoker has started since childhood. Adolescence is also an important period of risk for the development of long-term smoking behavior. In addition, smoking behavior is the entrance to other negative behaviors such as drug abuse and drinking alcohol. In this study researchers sought the influence of smoking behavior on the risk of drug abuse. The data in this study were obtained by distributing evaluation questionnaires to students. The results of this study obtained information about the effect of smoking behavior on the risk of drug abuse. The benefit of this research is to provide information to students about the dangers of smoking and the risk of drug abuse. The aim of this research is to produce information about the dangers of smoking and the risk of drug abuse. The results of this study indicate that smoking behavior among students at the Indonesian Community Development University (UPMI) majority has moderate smoking behavior. both of these studies see the risk of drug abuse in students at the Indonesian Community Development University (UPMI), the majority is not at risk. third, this study found a significant effect between smoking behavior and the risk of drug abuse on students at UPMI.Keywords: Smoking, Behavior, Drug, Abuse. 


1960 ◽  
Vol 4 (01) ◽  
pp. 031-044
Author(s):  
George Y. Shinowara ◽  
E. Mary Ruth

SummaryFour primary fractions comprising at least 97 per cent of the plasma proteins have been critically appraised for evidence of denaturation arising from a low temperature—low ionic strength fractionation system. The results in addition to those referable to the recovery of mass and biological activity include the following: The high solubilities of these fractions at pH 7.3 and low ionic strengths; the compatibility of the electrophoretic and ultracentrifugal data of the individual fractions with those of the original plasma; and the recovery of hemoglobin, not hematin, in fraction III obtained from specimens contaminated with this pigment. However, the most significant evidence for minimum alterations of native proteins was that the S20, w and the electrophoretic mobility data on the physically recombined fractions were identical to those found on whole plasma.The fractionation procedure examined here quantitatively isolates fibrinogen, prothrombin and antithrombin in primary fractions. Results have been obtained demonstrating its significance in other biological systems. These include the following: The finding of 5 S20, w classes in the 4 primary fractions; the occurrence of more than 90 per cent of the plasma gamma globulins in fraction III; the 98 per cent pure albumin in fraction IV; and, finally, the high concentration of beta lipoproteins in fraction II.


2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-296
Author(s):  
G. W. Kolodko

Equity issues in policymaking are difficult to resolve because they are linked not only to the economic situation but also to social constraints and political conflicts within a country. This is even more true in the case of post-socialist economies during their transition to a market system in the era of globalisation. The historical and irreversible process of liberalisation and integration of capital, goods and services, and labour markets into one world market, as well as the gradual construction of new institutions and the process of privatisation cause a significant shift in the income pattern of post-socialist emerging markets. Contrary to expectations, inequality increases affecting the standard of living and long-term growth. While globalisation contributes to the long-term acceleration of economic growth and offers a chance for many countries and regions to catch up with more advanced economies, it results in growing inequality both between the countries and within them. On average, the standard of living increases, but so does the gap between the rich and the poor. Therefore, equality issues should always be of concern to policymakers, especially in the early years of the change of regime in post-socialist transition economies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobeth Mmabyala Louisa Malesela

Women bring into the birthing unit values which include preferences, concerns and expectations that are involved in decision-making during intrapartum care. When midwives fail to meet the women’s values, they experience such care as being inhumane and degrading, thus affecting the childbirth outcomes. The inhumane and degrading care includes a lack of sympathy and empathy, as well as a lack of attention to privacy and confidentiality. Midwives’ possession of the required personal values and the ability to integrate women’s values are vital to enhance ethical best practice during intrapartum care. The aim of the study was to explore and to describe the midwives’ personal values that are required for ethical best practice during intrapartum care. The birthing unit at a public hospital in the Gauteng province of South Africa formed the context of the study. A qualitative research design that was explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was used. The following personal values emerged: (1) respect, trust and dignity; (2) justice, equality and fairness; (3) freedom of choice and autonomy; (4) integrity, honesty and consistency; (5) good character and personality; (6) self-control and rapport; and (7) open-mindedness and flexibility. The midwives’ personal values form a strong precursor that is crucial for ethical best practice during intrapartum care. The individual midwives, nursing education institutions and health facilities can use the study findings in areas such as reflective midwifery practice, the midwifery curriculum, recruitment and selection processes, and as part of key performance areas and indicators in performance reviews.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-138
Author(s):  
Dr. Bilal Ahmad Khan

Islamic economics based on specific concept of universe and the creation of man is contradictory to the concept adopted and accepted by modern science. Islamic economics postulates although ability and expertise is required for progress and growth but distribution of resources completely dependent on it would be cruel, inhuman and bereft of kindness, and lead to oppression. Islamic economics does not favor making human ability and expertise the fulcrum of resource distribution. It should be kind, considerate and based on justice and fairness. This is because according to Islamic philosophy, ownership is considered to be a trust from Allah which has been bestowed on the rich so that they may utilize it correctly. In Islamic economics the role of the individual, has inclinations and his aims and objectives occupy a central position and are vitally important. He is definitely a rational being but his level of rationality is not confined to the calculations of cost and profit. An individual does not want merely to obtain monetary profit and physical pleasure and leisure but he also wants and aims for something beyond what the material world has to offer. The main aim of the study is to find out the relationship between Islam and economics. In Islamic economics the comprehensive moral training of the individual, his technical and educational ability, his aims and his priorities are of primary importance. According to Islamic economics the means of acquiring wealth has the same importance as wealth itself. Dishonesty, abuse of trust and earning of wealth through fraudulent ways and means may perhaps increase the status of an individual but the society suffers because of it on the whole. This leads to an unjust and oppressive economic system.


Author(s):  
Yan Zhen ◽  
Zuraina Dato Mansor

Objective – High voluntary turnover rate has become the focus of most employers and scholars in related fields. Although employers have attempted to use a variety of retention strategies to retain qualified and skilled employees, the turnover rate remains high in the vast majority of industries around the world. Methodology/Technique – Past studies are concerned mostly with employees’ external demands such as salaries, fringe benefits, work conditions and less focus has been given on the importance of employees’ internal needs based on psychological capital. Therefore, there is a need to perform a study on the turnover from this perspective as it is crucial not only to retain the individual but also to ensure their contentment and satisfaction are fulfilled by their organizations. Findings – This paper undertakes a review of existing literature which specifically addresses the perspectives of individual psychology, and simultaneously explains the relationship between the two psychological factors (namely psychological capital and person-environment fit) and the turnover intention with the mediating effect of job satisfaction. Novelty – The arguments are presented to emphasize the needs to carry out this study. Type of Paper: Review. Keywords: Psychological Capital; Person-organization Fit; Job Satisfaction; Turnover Intention. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Zhen, Y; Mansor, Z.D. 2020. A Review on Employee’s Voluntary Turnover: A Psychological Perspective, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review 5(2) 107 – 112 https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2020.5.2(3) JEL Classification: M54, Z32.


Author(s):  
David M. Willumsen

The central argument of this book is that voting unity in European legislatures is not primarily the result of the ‘disciplining’ power of the leadership of parliamentary parties, but rather the result of a combination of ideological homogeneity through self-selection into political parties and the calculations of individual legislators about their own long-term benefits. Despite the central role of policy preferences in the subsequent behaviour of legislators, preferences at the level of the individual legislator have been almost entirely neglected in the study of parliaments and legislative behaviour. The book measures these using an until now under-utilized resource: parliamentary surveys. Building on these, the book develops measures of policy incentives of legislators to dissent from their parliamentary parties, and show that preference similarity amongst legislators explains a very substantial proportion of party unity, yet alone cannot explain all of it. Analysing the attitudes of legislators to the demands of party unity, and what drives these attitudes, the book argues that what explains the observed unity (beyond what preference similarity would explain) is the conscious acceptance by MPs that the long-term benefits of belonging to a united party (such as increased influence on legislation, lower transaction costs, and better chances of gaining office) outweigh the short-terms benefits of always voting for their ideal policy outcome. The book buttresses this argument through the analysis of both open-ended survey questions as well as survey questions on the costs and benefits of belonging to a political party in a legislature.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2110036
Author(s):  
Qian Xu ◽  
Chan Lu ◽  
Rachael Gakii Murithi ◽  
Lanqin Cao

A cohort case–control study was conducted in XiangYa Hospital, Changsha, China, which involved 305 patients and 399 healthy women, from June 2010 to December 2018, to evaluate the association between Chinese women’s short- and long-term exposure to industrial air pollutant, SO2 and gynaecological cancer (GC). We obtained personal and family information from the XiangYa Hospital electronic computer medical records. Using data obtained from the air quality monitoring stations in Changsha, we estimated each woman’s exposure to the industrial air pollutant, sulphur dioxide (SO2), for different time windows, including the past 1, 5, 10 and 15 years before diagnosis of the disease. A multiple logistic regression model was used to assess the association between GC and SO2 exposure. GC was significantly associated with long-term SO2 exposure, with adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.56 (1.10–2.21) and 1.81 (1.07–3.06) for a per interquartile range increase in the past 10 and 15 years, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that different groups reacted in different ways to long-term SO2 exposure. We concluded that long-term exposure to high concentration of industrial pollutant, SO2 is associated with the development of GC. This finding has implications for the prevention and reduction of GC.


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