Optimal Degree Research Articles

Strategy Analysis for Retailer-Leading Supply Chain under Buyback Contract with Focus Theory of Choice

This paper investigates a retailer-leading two-tier supply chain with a buyback contract under market demand uncertainty, where the retailer first announces a potential maximal order quantity and the supplier then provides a unit wholesale price to influence the retailer’s order quantity. In recent years, an increasing number of experimental studies have reported that even in repeated multi-turn games, the decisions of suppliers viewed as newsvendors deviate significantly from the expectation-maximizing options. In light of this observation, we employ the focus theory of choice to characterize suppliers’ behavioral tendencies and theoretically derive optimal unit wholesale prices based on suppliers’ focus preferences. With these results, we further explore how suppliers’ foci may influence the interactions between the retailer and the supplier. We find that when the supplier takes the positive evaluation system as the decision criterion, optimism degree and confidence level have a negative effect on the wholesale price and a positive effect on the final order quantity, and the final order quantity must be located between the most possible market demand and the upper limit of the market demand. This paper provides a behavioral perspective to analyze suppliers’ optimal responses and their influences on retailers’ decision-making. Theoretical and numerical analyses gain managerial insights for retailers to make decisions when faced with suppliers with different focus preferences.

Effect of branching in zwitterionic polymer brushes grafted from PES UF membrane surfaces via AGET-ATR(c)P

This research explored the relationship between the antifouling behavior of porous ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and linear or branched brushes adorning their surfaces. Polyethersulfone UF membranes were functionalized via one-pot lithiation/acylation to enable surface-initiated activators generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical (co)polymerization of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAm). Changing the SBMA/MBAm ratio and polymerization time grafted brushes at different branching and thicknesses. Surface analyses verified differences in brush architecture and that the degree of grafting increased with grafting time – it was higher for linear brushes than branched ones. Colloidal probe lateral force atomic force microscopy (LFM) showed ideal hydration–lubrication propensity of the lower branching degree poly(SBMA-co-MBAm) over pristine, linear poly(SBMA), and higher branching poly(SBMA-co-MBAm)-grafted membranes. Sharp-tip LFM predicted a critical size of <15 nm for penetrating the branched brush layers. Fouling experiments with bovine serum albumin (∼10 nm) and dextran (∼18 nm) revealed that linear and branched modifications had significantly less fouling than the pristine membrane. An optimal degree of branching can limit foulant adsorption, but fouling could be enhanced if the polymers' hydration capacity was diminished relative to a less dense network. Fouling experiments with soluble microbial products further demonstrated the branched membrane's high antifouling activity.

Optimism pessimism stability in the graph model for conflict resolution for multilateral conflicts

In this article, we introduce a new solution concept for the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) for situations where decision makers (DMs) have no information about their opponents’ preferences or act not using this information. Many classical stability concepts used in the GMCR are based on a conservative attitude of DMs. Here we propose to incorporate a degree of optimism to allow for more types of attitudes under uncertainty. More specifically, inspired by the notions of Lh stability and Maximinh stability, we present the Optimism Pessimism stability for conflicts involving any finite number of DMs considering that a DM anticipates his/her own benefits looking an arbitrary number of rounds ahead, called horizon and denoted by h, and uses his/her degree of optimism to evaluate his/her anticipated payoff according to the worst and best scenarios that can be achieved. We investigate how the degree of optimism and the conflict horizon influence the stability of states. We also analyse how the optimism pessimism stability is related to other stabilities commonly used in GMCR. Finally, this new solution concept is applied to the multilateral dispute over water export from Lake Gisborne.

Modelling of factors underlying the evolution of human language

A central question in the evolution of human language is how it emerged. Based on recent research across disciplines, we identified three processes proposed as potential driving factors behind the evolution of ‘modern’ language phenotype: i) a reduction in reactive aggression entailing a boost in prosociality and cooperation, ii) a change in early brain growth trajectory that impacted structures like the cerebellum and striatum, and thus likely impacted the (procedural) memory circuits these regions support, and iii) a demographic expansion of H. sapiens during the Middle Pleistocene. While extensively researched on their own, the interaction between these three processes has yet to be investigated systematically. We develop an abstract agent-based model to interrogate the relationship between these three factors and how they influence transmission of information within a population, which we take to be the essence of language. The model abstracts linguistic capacity to an ‘array of skills’ and investigates under what conditions the number of skills increases. The results demonstrate that there is an optimal degree of cooperation and memory capacity at which the amount of transmitted information is the highest. Our model also shows that separate linguistic communities arise under circumstances where individuals have high levels of memory capacity and there is at least a certain degree of non-cooperation. In contrast, we find no significant direct effects for population size in the process of linguistic community formation. Taken together, these results highlight the explanatory benefits of combining insights from cognitive science, archaeology, and computational modelling.

Atomic investigation on optimal interfacial bonding for enhanced fracture properties in polymer nanocomposites

Functionalization of nanofillers is known to have stiffening and strengthening effects on nanocomposites through improved interfacial bonding. However, the optimality in the interfacial bonding is generally not reported in the literature. This issue is addressed here through a series of reactive molecular dynamics simulations on carbon nanotube reinforced polymer nanocomposite. For various degrees of functionalization, uniaxial tension conditions are simulated to study the stress–strain behavior, crack propagation, and fracture toughness. The J-integral is used to quantify the fracture toughness. Through these simulations we demonstrate the existence of an optimal degree of functionalization for maximum enhancement in elastic property, tensile strength, ductility, and fracture toughness. The underlying mechanics behind this optimality is identified through careful studies on crack propagation mechanisms, including crack arresting and formation of new crack surfaces. This optimality, which might also be expected in other material systems, will help in designing efficient nanocomposites.

Ways to increase the thermal power of the convector

The necessity of improving the production of heating devices in order to ensure their nominal thermal power is substantiated. The features of the manufacture of convectors "Universal" by the burnishing method are considered. The damages of the edges of the plates that occur during the expansion of the pipe during burnishing are investigated. The most promising direction for improving the quality of convector production has been identified - cold stamping of plates. The analysis of the shortcomings of plate stamping was carried out, the main reasons for the decrease in the thermal power of convectors were identified, and measures were developed to eliminate them. To increase the objectivity of the results of the study, tests were carried out with two different casings of convectors on a test bench. The optimal degree of plate tension has been determined and confirmed experimentally.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in the identification of prostatic arterial anatomy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: prospective comparison with digital subtraction angiography

To evaluate the utility of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) for identifying prostatic artery (PA) anatomy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) before PA embolisation (PAE), using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard. A total of 176 patients underwent pelvic CE-MRA at 3 T. DSA was performed within the following 7 days. Two interventional radiologists compared the CE-MRA findings with DSA findings to assess the anatomy of the PAs. The rates of correct identification of the origins and collaterals of the PAs by CE-MRA were calculated. The utility for predicting the optimal X-ray tube angle obliquity for visualising the origins of the PAs by CE-MRA was evaluated. An exact McNemar's test was used to compare the detection rates of the PAs and the collaterals with DSA versus CE-MRA. A two-sided p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 376 PAs identified by DSA, CE-MRA correctly identified the origins of 369 vessels (98.1%), with a 1.9% false-negative rate and no false-positive results. Of the 57 total collaterals identified by DSA, CE-MRA identified 50 vessels correctly (87.7%), with a 12.3% false-negative rate and no false-positive results. No significant differences were observed between CE-MRA and DSA in the identification of the PA origins (p=0.824) and the collaterals (p=0.327). The optimal degree for an oblique projection to visualise the origins of the PAs could be predicted accurately (100%) by pre-procedural CE-MRA. CE-MRA before PAE can reliably predict the PA anatomy and facilitate procedural planning.

Optimal alignment for maximizing the uniaxial modulus of 2D anisotropic random nanofiber networks

ABSTRACT Nanofiber networks are effective structural forms to utilize the excellent nanoscale properties of nanofibers in macro scale. Properly tuning the anisotropic degree of fiber orientation distribution can maximize the macroscopic mechanical properties of random nanofiber networks in a specific direction. However, the reinforcing mechanism of the anisotropic orientation distribution to the elastic behavior has not been fully understood. In this paper, the effect of anisotropic orientation distribution of nanofibers on the elastic behavior of network is studied based on the modulus-density scaling relation and stiffness thresholds. The uniaxial modulus of network is determined by both the orientation angle of each fiber and interconnectivity of the random fiber network. With the increase of anisotropic degree, the contribution of fiber orientation angle to the network modulus of the preferential direction increases and gradually tends to a constant, while the interconnectivity of the networks decreases, which may reduce the loadability of network. Therefore, at a given network density, the uniaxial modulus along the preferential direction first increases to a maximum value and then decreases with the increase of the anisotropic degree. Furthermore, an expression to predict the optimal anisotropic degrees corresponding to the maximum uniaxial moduli at different network densities is established.

Route Optimization of Customized Buses Based on Optimistic and Pessimistic Values

To further study the impact of passenger personality on customized bus route selection, this paper takes into account passengers’ degree of optimism and studies their psychological expectation of bus arrival time and their tolerance of its untimely arrival. On this foundation, the study obtains the operation schemes of customized buses under different optimism coefficients. The results show that the operation schemes and passengers’ choice will always strike a balance under different optimism coefficients, and with increasing optimism coefficients, the number of buses, operation time, operation cost and travel distance will all decrease, but the untimely rate of the buses will consequently increase. To solve the proposed model, the corresponding particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is designed. In view of the former mode, in which buses can never provide service to the drop-off stations until the boarding stations are completely serviced, the proposed coding rule can provide service to the boarding stations and the drop-off stations alternately. Furthermore, based on the local road network and the actual travel demand of passengers in Lanzhou, China, the paper finds that 0.4 is the optimum value of the optimism coefficient; the operation cost associated with this value is reduced effectively, and the capacities of buses are fully utilized, with acceptable delays.

Robot positioning and target collaborative control in unknown complex environments

The role of target coordination problem in robot control is very important, but there is a problem of low collaborative control. The goal coordination problem cannot solve the problem of pairing teachers and classrooms in robot control, and it is reasonably Lower. Therefore, this paper proposes a complex algorithm to construct an optimization model for target collaboration problems. First, the management standard is used to divide the robot control data, and the robot control data is carried out according to the management requirements to realize robot control Preprocessing. Then, the management standards are divided according to the teaching standards, forming an optimized set of robot control and digging deeper into the Japanese time. MATLAB simulation shows that complex algorithms' optimization degree and stability are better than those of online control methods because the teaching standards are consistent.

Peculiarity of cultural transfer in literary translation (on the material of the Russian and Armenian translations of the British classic literature)

The article is the first attempt to analyze in a comparative way the situation of the transfer of British literary classics to Russia and Armenia in the 19th–20th centuries on the basis of the Armenian and Russian translations of Dickens’ novel “The Adventures of Oliver Twist”. The article outlines the range of issues related to the study of the specifics of artistic translation in the light of the paradigm of cultural transfer. The idea of “translation as violence” and the concept of translation “skopos” are analyzed as closely related to the paradigm of cultural transfer. The Armenian national culture is characterized as predominantly focused on cultural transfer and the phenomenon of translation. The article sketches the situation of “counter-movement”, which was favorable to the active reception of Dickens’s heritage in Armenia in the late 19th century as a “classic”. This favorably influenced the “intermediary” role of Russian translations in Armenia. The conclusion is made that the socio-cultural context of early Victorian England in its specificity, as well as the topicality, are rather and almost equally alien to the host context of Russia and Armenia, which articulated their own “communication request” for Dickens and formed the “reputational background” of the author in a significantly different socio-cultural and geopolitical usus. At the same time, there is the factor of Armenian national specificity, which manifests itself, among other things, in the increase in the “degree of optimism” of the translated texts, a phenomenon that is less indicative for the Russian translations.

Effect of sticky Wages on the Behavior of Economic Agents with Heterogeneous Expectations

The aim of the work is to analyze the changes and behavioral features of economic agents when wage rigidity is incorporated into the new Keynesian model in comparison with the model with flexible wages and rigid prices under cognitive constraints of agents. The relevance of the work lies in the fact that the model under study is able to describe the typical features of the movement of a real business cycle. The working hypothesis is an assumption that the forecasting of the output gap, inflation of prices and wages occurs with the help of fundamentalist and extrapolation rules. The first rule is based on the prediction of the studied variables based on their stationary values. The second rule is based on the extrapolation of the latest available data for the variables under study. The weight shares of agents applying these heuristic rules change endogenously, which is the source of endogenous waves of optimism and pessimism, and the scientific novelty of the analysis of models with an imperfect labor market. An analysis of the impulse responses of an interest rate shock and a technological shock suggests that a more flexible economy (an economy with flexible wages and rigid prices) is less prone to an abrupt economic cycle caused by waves of optimism and pessimism than a more rigid economy. These shocks cause ripple effects in the economy, meaning that a tight economy will be more prone to booms and busts driven by alternating optimism and pessimism than an agile economy. It is concluded that the difference between the degree of optimism and pessimism in the base model, as well as in the model with rigid wages and prices, is the full trust of agents in the Central Bank in targeting wage inflation in the absence of stabilization of this inflation by the bank. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the results obtained may be useful in stabilizing the considered variables under the monetary policy of the Central Bank.

Determination of patient-specific airway stent fit using novel 3D reconstruction measurement techniques: a 4-year follow-up of a patient.

Managing complex benign airway disease is a major challenge in interventional pulmonology. With the introduction of additive manufacturing in the medical field, patient-specific (PS) implants are an innovate prospect for airway management. Historically, stents were oversized to resist migration. However, the optimal degree and impact of stent oversizing remains unclear. The ability to design stents based on computed tomography (CT) invites opportunity to understand sizing. Here, we report a novel three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction tool to quantify fit repeatedly over time. Analysis of CT imaging before and after successive stent implants in a single patient with different areas of stenosis and malacia was done. Nine PS airway stents over 4 years (five left mainstem and four right mainstem) were studied. The distance between the airway model and stent was calculated. The CT images were correlated to stent designs in CloudCompare software (v2.10-alpha) for novel analysis. Heat map was exported depicting the distances between the airway and the stent to the clinician's prescribed stent model. Corresponding histograms containing distances, mean, and standard deviation were reported. It is possible to measure stent fit based on heat map quantification on patient imaging. Observation of the airway over time and stent change suggests that the airway became more open over time requiring increased stent diameters. The ability to design and measure stent fit over time can help quantify the utility and impact of PS silicone airway stent. The airway appears to display plasticity such that there is notable change in stent prescription over time.

Routing Algorithms in Optimal Degree Four Circulant Networks Based on Relative Addressing: Comparative Analysis for Networks-on-Chip

The solution of the problem of organizing optimal communications in circulant networks of degree four is considered. For a family of optimal circulant networks with the minimum diameter and average distance for any number of nodes in a graph, we propose an optimal pair routing algorithm of constant complexity based on using the relative addressing of nodes in a network. The new algorithm is an analytical extension to any number of nodes in the network of the routing method proposed for dense Gaussian networks, and it does not use division operations, which are very expensive to implement in fixed-point format. This extension is based on the proposed scheme of transformations on the plane of geometrical patterns of optimal circulant networks. The developed routing algorithm is the basis for generating the series of routing algorithms for different subfamilies of the optimal two-dimensional circulants. The general routing algorithm and its modification for a separate subclass of circulants are implemented in the HDL NoC model with circulant topology. All the algorithm parameters important for networks-on-chip, including the consumption of memory, logical resources, and execution time are comprehensively investigated. The results of a comparative analysis of the new algorithms with other routing algorithms, previously implemented in the networks-on-chip, are presented.

Fresh food supply chain coordination with competition and differentiated freshness preservation methods

For a secondary supply chain consisting of a supplier and two competing retailers, freshness spoilage rate, competitive behavior and market capacity constraint are introduced into the traditional demand-substitution model. Under different preservation methods such as chilling and freezing, the Gounod double oligopoly game and the conspiracy game competition models between retailers are constructed with the benchmark of the centralized decision-making. The optimal sales price and ordering decision are secured, and the influence of market volume, freshness deterioration rate and demand substitution rate on the optimal decision is analyzed under different competition models. Meanwhile, an optimal revenue coordination contract is constructed to maximize the benefits of each subject in the fresh supply chain. The results show that the optimal sales price and optimal order quantity are positively correlated with the respective market volume and demand substitution rate, but negatively correlated with the deterioration rate of goods. The optimal coordination degree of the proposed revenue-sharing contract is 100%, which indicates that this contract can effectively coordinate the interests of all parties in the fresh supply chain and achieve the overall optimal supply chain.

Research on Pattern Matching of Dynamic Sustainable Procurement Decision-Making for Agricultural Machinery Equipment Parts

With the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry and the diversification of production methods of agricultural machinery and equipment, external purchase, external coordination, and self-made products continue to increase. If agricultural machinery manufacturing enterprises want to maintain maximum benefits in the fierce competition, they must pay attention to the collaborative procurement decision-making model and the relationship between production, supply, and marketing, and seek a comprehensive dynamic sustainable procurement strategy under the supply chain environment. In this paper, from the manufacturers of agricultural machinery manufacturing enterprises, firstly, three procurement strategies based on line-side inventory supply, third-party logistics supply, and dynamic sustainable supply are studied respectively, while a system dynamics model of collaborative procurement strategy for the agricultural machinery supply chain is constructed and the three procurement strategy models are simulated and analyzed Secondly, the simulation results are analyzed to establish the measurement indexes for evaluating sustainable procurement model matching, and a procurement model matching measurement model based on the topological superiority of object elements combined with the topological hierarchical analysis method and CRITIC comprehensive assignment method is proposed to determine the index weights. And using the correlation function calculation, we get the comprehensive superiority ranking of procurement patterns and the correlation comparison of individual indicators and output the optimal procurement matching pattern and pattern recognition degree. Finally, an application example is given to verify the correctness and practicability of the proposed decision-making model, to provide a qualitative and quantitative dynamic sustainable procurement multi-attribute decision-making tool for the procurement management of agricultural machinery equipment manufacturing enterprises.

Эффективный алгоритм поиска кратчайших путей в плотных Гауссианских сетях

As a promising topology of networks on a chip, we consider a family of Dense Gaussian Networks, which are optimal circulant degree four graphs of the form C(D2 + (D + 1)2; D, D + 1). For this family, an algorithm for finding the shortest paths between graph vertices is proposed, which uses relative addressing of vertices and, unlike a number of the known algorithms, allows to calculate the shortest paths without using the coordinates of neighboring lattice zeros in a dense tessellation of graphs on the ℤ2 plane. This reduces the memory and execution time costs compared to other algorithms when the new algorithm is implemented on a network-on-chip with a Dense Gaussian Network topology.

Reputation Management as a part of Online Branding Infrastructure of luxury hotels on the Adriatic Coast - pre and post Covid-19 perspective

The search for optimal approaches to building the online infrastructure of luxury brands is an area that takes on an extremely dynamic dimension in times of accelerated digitization. The aim of the study is to investigate changes in online reputation levels for selected luxury hotels on the Adriatic coast, comparing their status levels before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The research sample is narrowed down to the 15 best hotels on the Adriatic coast, selected according to the ranking of the prestigious British periodical. For comparison, we use a reference study from 2019, which we follow up with an empirical analysis carried out using the same methodological procedure. Specifically, we use extended sentiment analysis in its complex TOR form. The results of the analysis and subsequent comparison indicate that there was no significant change in the level of online reputation of selected luxury brands during the pandemic. All monitored partial parameters show a high degree of optimization. Based on the findings, strategic recommendations for the field of tourism are drawn up, at the same time key reputators are identified, which must be regularly monitored in the online reputation management process. The study thus serves as a knowledge base for practice, as well as a possible methodological base for further investigation of the impact of the pandemic on the infrastructure of brand development in the online environment.

A Statistical Framework to Investigate the Optimality of Signal-Reconstruction Methods

We present a statistical framework to benchmark the performance of reconstruction algorithms for linear inverse problems, in particular, neural-network-based methods that require large quantities of training data. We generate synthetic signals as realizations of sparse stochastic processes, which makes them ideally matched to variational sparsity-promoting techniques. We derive Gibbs sampling schemes to compute the minimum mean-square error estimators for processes with Laplace, Student's t, and Bernoulli-Laplace innovations. These allow our framework to provide quantitative measures of the degree of optimality (in the mean-square-error sense) for any given reconstruction method. We showcase our framework by benchmarking the performance of some well-known variational methods and convolutional neural network architectures that perform direct nonlinear reconstructions in the context of deconvolution and Fourier sampling. Our experimental results support the understanding that, while these neural networks outperform the variational methods and achieve near-optimal results in many settings, their performance deteriorates severely for signals associated with heavy-tailed distributions.

Direct and indirect evidence of compression of word lengths. Zipf’s law of abbreviation revisited

Zipf’s law of abbreviation, the tendency of more frequent words to be shorter, is one of the most solid candidates for a linguistic universal, in the sense that it has the potential for being exceptionless or with a number of exceptions that is vanishingly small compared to the number of languages on Earth. Since Zipf’s pioneering research, this law has been viewed as a manifestation of a universal principle of communication, i.e. the minimization of word lengths, to reduce the effort of communication. Here we revisit the concordance of written language with the law of abbreviation. Crucially, we provide wider evidence that the law holds also in speech (when word length is measured in time), in particular in 46 languages from 14 linguistic families. Agreement with the law of abbreviation provides indirect evidence of compression of languages via the theoretical argument that the law of abbreviation is a prediction of optimal coding. Motivated by the need of direct evidence of compression, we derive a simple formula for a random baseline indicating that word lengths are systematically below chance, across linguistic families and writing systems, and independently of the unit of measurement (length in characters or duration in time). Our work paves the way to measure and compare the degree of optimality of word lengths in languages.