Interchange fee rate, merchant discount rate and retail prices in a credit card network: A game-theoretic analysis

We consider two game-theoretic settings to determine the optimal values of an issuer's interchange fee rate, an acquirer's merchant discount rate, and a merchant's retail price in a credit card network. In the first setting, we investigate a two-stage game problem in which the issuer and the acquirer first negotiate the interchange fee rate, and the acquirer and the retailer then determine their merchant discount rate and retail price, respectively. In the second setting, motivated by the recent US bill “H.R. 2695,” we develop a three-player cooperative game in which the issuer, the acquirer, and the merchant form a grand coalition and bargain over the interchange fee rate and the merchant discount rate. Following the cooperative game, the retailer makes its retail pricing decision. We derive both the Shapley value- and the nucleolus-characterized, and globally-optimal unique rates for the grand coalition. Comparing the two game settings, we find that the participation of the merchant in the negotiation process can result in the reduction of both rates. Moreover, the stability of the grand coalition in the cooperative game setting may require that the merchant should delegate the credit card business only to the issuer and the acquirer with sufficiently low operation costs. We also show that the grand coalition is more likely to be stable and the U.S. bill “H.R. 2695” is thus more effective, if the degree of division of labor in the credit card network is higher as the merchant, acquirer, and issuer are more specialized in the retailing, acquiring, and issuing operations, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 201

Correlation Between College Students\u27 Physical Fitness and Running Habits

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the Physical Fitness of Chinese college students and their daily Running Habits (RH). A total of 718 college students from East China Normal University participated in this study (385 boys and 333 girls). Each participant participated in the Chinese Students’ Physical Fitness Test (CSPFT) during the 2018-2019 school year. In addition, each student was also required to use the APP to record all their running results during each run during the 2018-2019 school year. Researchers queried and exported all running records through the app\u27s management platform. Correlation analysis was performed on all CSPFT results and RH using Pearson correlation. It was found that the total number of kilometers run by the students had a significant negative correlation with their Vital Capacity (VC), Sitting Body Flexion (SBF), and Long Jump (LJ) (r VC = -.08, p VC \u3c 0.05; r SBF = -. 08, p SBF \u3c 0.05; r LJ = -. 09, p LJ \u3c 0.05), and a significant positive correlation with their 50-Meter Running (50R) (r 50R = .11, p 50R \u3c 0.01); the overall number of times students run had a significant positive correlation with their endurance performance (1000-meters running for boys and 800-meters running for girls, r = .08, p \u3c 0.05); The average number of kilometers per run was significantly negatively related to the VC, SBF, and strength scores (pull-up for boys, girl sit-ups for girls) (r VC = -. 17, p VC \u3c 0.01; r SBF = -. 14, p SBF \u3c 0.01; r strength = -. 33, p strength \u3c 0.01), and showing a significant positive correlation with its 50R (r 50R = .33, p 50R \u3c 0.01); there was no significant correlation between each CSPFT results and overall running time or average running time; meanwhile, there was no significant correlation between the other CSPFT results and RH results. This study supports that there is a positive correlation between distance run by college students and their speed, and a negative correlation with flexibility, strength, and VC. students with good endurance might prefer running, but not necessarily to long distance

A fair staff allocation rule for the capacity pooling of multiple call centers

We construct a cooperative staffing game to investigate how to fairly allocate a reduced number of staff among multiple call centers that pool (centralize) their capacities. We show that this game is essential and submodular, and, thereby, convex with a non-empty core. We also propose a neat Shapley value-characterized staff-allocation rule, which exists in the core of the game

Experimental Study on the Effectiveness of Extracurricular Football Training for Improving Primary Students Physical Fitness

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of after-school football training in improving the physical fitness of primary school students, so as to provide corresponding Suggestions for carrying out after-school football training in primary schools. A total of 72 students from the experimental primary school of Mouping district, Yantai city, Shandong province, participated in this experimental study, including 36 in the experimental group and 36 in the control group.The experiment was conducted for two semesters. During the experiment period, the experimental group conducted one-hour football training after school from Monday to Thursday afternoon every week, and two hours of football training on Saturday morning every week. The control group conducted sports teaching and extracurricular activities as usual without other intervention. Before and after the experiment, both the experimental group and the control group underwent physical fitness tests according to the physical fitness test standards of Chinese students, including lung capacity, 50-meter run, one-minute skipping rope, sitting forward flexor, and one-minute sit-ups. The test results were all converted to the 100-point system according to the scoring standards. Before the experiment, there was no significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in various physical fitness indicators (p \u3e 0.05). After the experiment, the lung capacity score (T = 3.108, p \u3c 0.05), the 50-meter run score (T = 6.593, p \u3c 0.05), the skipping score (T = 9.227, p \u3c 0.05), the sitting forward flexor score (T = 3.742, p \u3c 0.05), and the sit-up score (T = 5.210, p \u3c 0.05) of the experimental group were significantly higher than that of the control group. This study shows that the physical fitness of primary school students can be improved by football training in their spare time. It is suggested to carry out after-school football training activities in primary schools so as to effectively improve the physical fitness of pupils

Experimental Study on the Influence of KDL Physical and Health Education Curriculum on Primary School Students\u27 Physical Fitness

Physical and Health Education Curriculum (KDL) is a curriculum based on China\u27s Sports and Health Curriculum Standards and China\u27s Health Sports Curriculum Model. This study aims to explore the influence of KDL on primary school students\u27 physical fitness. A total of 91 primary school students participated in this study, including 47 in the experimental group and 44 in the control group. The experiment lasted for 18 weeks. During the experiment, the PE teacher of experimental group used KDL to teach, with specific requirements: (1) The activity time of each class was more than 75%, and the intensity, measured with average heart rates, was above 140-160 beats/min; (2) Each class had about 10 minutes of physical exercise; and (3) each class focused on activities and competitions. The control group was given routine physical education lessons without intervention. Before and after the experiment, both groups participated in physical fitness tests, including 50-meter running, vital capacity, seat forward flexion, and 1-minute rope jumping. SPSS was used to analyze the physical fitness of both groups. Before the experiment, there was no significant difference in physical fitness between the two groups. After the experiment, the experiment group outperformed the control group in the 1-minute rope skipping (t = 10.77, p \u3c 0.05) and exceled in the vital capacity (t = 0.04, p \u3c 0.05). There was no significant difference in other physical fitness tests between the two groups. This study shows that KDL curriculum has a significant positive impact on physical fitness of primary school students, mainly reflected in vital capacity and 1-minute rope skipping. The effect may be related to the high time on task and appropriate intensity advocated by KDL curriculum. We recommend KDL physical curriculum to be promoted in primary and secondary schools

Investigation and Research on Physical Education and Health Curriculum of K-12 School in Guizhou Province

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situation of physical education and health curriculum in primary and secondary schools in Guizhou Province, and to provide reference for promoting the better implementation of physical education and health curriculum in Guizhou Province. In the form of questionnaires, 1549 parents\u27 questionnaires and 254 teachers\u27 questionnaires were collected and statistically analyzed in Guizhou Province, China. Use Excel to summarize and analyze the collected questionnaires. The results found the teaching content could basically meet the needs of students. The satisfaction of primary school students, junior high school students and senior high school students with physical education and health curriculum evaluation was 71.6%, 68.4% and 63.6%, respectively. Students\u27 satisfaction with the content of physical education and health curriculum in senior high school decreased; both students and teachers believed that all students had the opportunity to participate in sports activities in physical education and health classes, but the time for skill learning and physical training in PE classes in primary and secondary schools was less than 20 minutes. The intensity of classroom exercise in 60% of primary and secondary schools was less than 75%. 94.1% of teachers control exercise load according to experience, and only 3.9% of schools use intelligent monitoring devices to monitor. 50.9% of primary and junior high school physical education classes did not meet the required number of class hours. 69.6% of the students were satisfied with the elective items in the physical education courses offered, but their satisfaction with the senior high school dropped to 61.6%. Primary and secondary schools in Guizhou Province should continue to increase the construction and investment of physical education and health curriculum venues, equipment and facilities, and optimize the use and development of existing physical education curriculum resources. Physical education teachers should constantly update teaching concepts, improve teaching methods and improve course teaching ability. Schools and teachers should carry out physical education and health courses according to the requirements of physical Education and Health Curriculum Standards, and actively promote the Chinese Health physical Education Curriculum Model put forward by JI Liu professor to ensure a certain exercise load and exercise density

Regulation of Irregular Neuronal Firing by Autaptic Transmission

The importance of self-feedback autaptic transmission in modulating spike-time irregularity is still poorly understood. By using a biophysical model that incorporates autaptic coupling, we here show that self-innervation of neurons participates in the modulation of irregular neuronal firing, primarily by regulating the occurrence frequency of burst firing. In particular, we find that both excitatory and electrical autapses increase the occurrence of burst firing, thus reducing neuronal firing regularity. In contrast, inhibitory autapses suppress burst firing and therefore tend to improve the regularity of neuronal firing. Importantly, we show that these findings are independent of the firing properties of individual neurons, and as such can be observed for neurons operating in different modes. Our results provide an insightful mechanistic understanding of how different types of autapses shape irregular firing at the single-neuron level, and they highlight the functional importance of autaptic self-innervation in taming and modulating neurodynamics.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure