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In this paper, a blood supply chain network (BSCN) is designed to reduce the total cost of the supply chain network under demand and transportation costs. The network levels considered for modeling include blood donation clusters, permanent and temporary blood transfusion centers, major laboratory centers and blood supply points. Other goals included determining the optimal number and location of potential facilities, optimal allocation of the flow of goods between the selected facilities and determining the most suitable transport route to distribute the goods to customer areas in uncertainty conditions. This study addresses the issue of blood prishability from blood sampling to distribution to customer demand areas. Given that the model was NP-hard, the MFGO algorithm were used to solve the model with a priority-based solution. The results of the design of the experiments showed the high efficiency of the MFGO algorithm in comparison with the PSO algorithm in finding efficient solutions. Also, the mean of the objective function in robust approach is more than the one in the deterministic approach, while the standard deviation of the first objective function in the robust approach is less than the one in the deterministic approach at all levels of the uncertainty factor.

The vibrant subject of blood banking and blood distribution is addressed where lateral resupply of blood products is allowed. In this paper, we studied a blood supply chain network design consisting of four conventional levels each of which corresponding to one entity in the real world: donors, blood collection facilities, blood centers, and hospitals. The blood supply chain network considered two important properties: ABO-Rh factors and shelf lives of blood products. Moreover, an integrated inventory system for sharing hospitals’ inventory levels is considered to investigate the two performance indicators of the network in terms of cross-matching and outdated units. This type of inventory system is known as “Lateral Resupply” permitting a hospital to satisfy its demand by the other hospitals’ inventories in the absence of the required product at the blood center and its excess in any hospital. The proposed mixed-integer mathematical programming model entails three objectives referring to the three underlying concepts of sustainability, additionally, to cope with uncertainties and multi objectiveness, a scenario-based optimization approach and revised multi-choice goal programming technique were employed, respectively. Finally, the results confirmed that the lateral resupply virtue improved the performance indicators.

Primitive chain network simulations for randomly cross-linked slip-link networks were performed. For the percolated networks, the stress-strain relationship was compared to the theories by Ball et al. [Polymer, 22, 1010 (1981)] and Rubinstein and Panyukov [Macromolecules, 35, 6670 (2002)]. The simulation results were reasonably reproduced by both theories, given that the contributions from cross-links and slip-links were used as fitting parameters. However, these parameters were model dependent. Besides, the theories cannot describe the simulation results if the parameters were determined from the number of active links involved in the percolated networks. These results reveal that the fitting of experimental data to the theories does not provide a fraction of entanglements in the system unless the network only consists of Gaussian strands and it correctly reaches the state of free-energy minimum., Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures

Birefringence measurement demonstrates that the segment orientation of entangled polymers overshoots on start-up of fast shear [Pearson et al. J. Rheol. 1989 33, 517–535]. The stress-optical rule holds for those polymers, so that the overshoot of orientation results in the overshoot of shear stress. On the other hand, an opposite result was deduced from the recent molecular dynamics simulation for bead–spring chain [Lu et al. ACS Macro Lett. 2014 3, 569–573]: the evolution of segment orientation does not overshoot but the chain stretch induces the stress overshoot, even at the shear rate γ smaller than the reciprocal Rouse time, 1/τR. In this study, we performed the primitive chain network simulation to find that our simulation reproduces the overshoot of both stress and orientation and the chain stretch exhibits a slight, monotonic increase but no overshoot. Our result is thus fully consistent with the experiment.

The poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) composite attracts much attention as a material for a bone fixation device because both have bioabsorbability. However, the applications of the composite bone fixation device are limited to low-loaded regions because of lower strengths. In this study, PLA and TCP/PLA composite cylindrical billets were extruded to improve their strengths, with the aim of clarifying the molecular orientation behavior of the PLA and TCP/PLA billets in extrusion. First, the effect of the orientation behavior in the PLA billets on the extrusion ratio (ER) was calculated. Next, the TCP/PLA billets were analyzed. The molecular orientation obtained by extrusion was investigated by a combination of the finite element method and the chain network model. Consequently, the orientation function of the extruded billet was found to increase with the ER. Furthermore, the orientation function of the TCP/PLA billet was higher than that of the PLA billet, which may be due to the change in the yield stress and n value of the billet by TCP addition. The orientation distribution in the radius direction of the extruded PLA billet showed that the orientation function at the surface region was larger than that at the center region. This orientation distribution might be because the movement distance of the surface region during extrusion was longer than that in the center region. The surface region in the billet was drawn by the difference of those movement distances and might be orientated. The workability of the PLA and TCP/PLA billets was also investigated using pressure during extrusion. The results showed that the extrusion pressure increased with the TCP content and ER. Therefore, extrusion workability decreased with the TCP content and the ER.

This study examines the effect of the performance of traders in the partnership relationship between the government, the private sector, and the community which is very necessary to build a food supply chain network in order to provide stimulation for the supporting factors and reduce the inhibiting factors for the success of the merchant's business, increase profits, and maintain food availability in traditional markets. This research was conducted at Andir Market, Bandung City, Indonesia. The research sample consisted of 100 Andir market traders. The research method used was a quantitative method with survey research that uses a questionnaire as the main instrument in data collection. The results of the analysis and discussion of the researchers have identified factors that can be used to strengthen the food supply chain network in the Public-Private-Community Partnership in traditional markets, namely management, empowerment, physical market conditions, and competitive strategies. Simultaneously, the four traders' performance factors have a significant effect on the food supply chain network with an R-square value of 0.658 (65.8%) with tcount greater than 1.96 or (3.817> 1.96). This means that if the changes that occur are good in the performance of traders, the food supply chain network in traditional markets will also be good, while the remaining 0.342 (34.2%) is explained by factors other than these variables. The expected implication is that the success of the supply chain network that is built due to strong interactions within the Public-Private-Community Partnership and other supply chain actors is able to face challenges during and after the pandemic. So that the quality of traditional market products, especially products that are quickly damaged or rotten, can be superior and well guaranteed for the food needs of people throughout Indonesia.

In the recent decade, the design of green hydrogen supply chains has been highlighted by researchers. Although, nowadays, responsiveness and social responsibility of networks could also be regarded as important measures that could attract more consumers to use hydrogen. Accordingly, this paper aims to improve the reliability and social responsibility of a hydrogen supply chain along with its economic and environmental aspects. To ensure the network's responsiveness, a new objective function is extended that maximizes the reliability of products' delivery. Also, a novel reliability approach is developed to immune the network against disruptions. As a new sustainability indicator, social factors are considered in the design of the hydrogen supply chain. Finally, a mixed possibilistic flexible programming method is proposed to assure the outputs' reliability. The results illustrate that by 28.4% enhancement in cost objective, the value of environmental, social, and reliability objectives are desirably improved 39.2%, 45.6%, and 24.1%, respectively.

This paper provides an original empirical analysis of the European regional production network, making use of the interregional world input-output database. Similar to the concept of key sectors, a...

This article proposes a novel design of a disaster relief blood supply chain network with multiple echelons and multiple products. It incorporates: (1) the blood donors’ behavior and preference for the selection of facilities where the blood donation takes place, (2) an estimating the quantity of the injured people under each disaster scenario, (3) the inherent uncertainty in input parameters and (4) the remaining capacity for satisfying the demand affected by the disruption in blood facilities (i.e., both blood collection and production centers). To incorporate the utility of blood collection facilities, a utility assessment approach, called Logit model, is developed, which measures the donors’ preference. The disrupted capacity and the number of injured people under each disaster scenario are estimated based on the disaster severity, the distance from the disaster (particularly earthquake) epicenter and the civil infrastructure. The uncertainty of parameters (e.g., cost parameters as well as blood supply and demand) along with the disruption in blood facilities are two unavoidable concerns of disaster relief blood supply chain planning. Accordingly, to handle the parameters under mixed uncertainty, a new approach which is two-stage stochastic-robust is utilized. Finally, using real data of a case study in Iran, the presented formulation and its solution approach are examined. The obtained results demonstrate that the related managers should be aware of blood donors’ behavior, injured people in disaster, and the effect of disruption in the blood supply chain network design. Moreover, when it comes to the uncertainty of parameters, the obtained results from the robust model overcome those of deterministic one. Finally, based on findings, applicable managerial insights are derived for the decision-makers in blood supply chain network design for disaster relief cases.

The non-linear viscoelastic response under interrupted shear flows is one of the interesting characteristics of entangled polymers. In particular, the stress overshoot in the resumed shear has been discussed concerning the recovery of the entanglement network in some studies. In this study, we performed multichain slip-link simulations to observe the molecular structure of an entangled polymer melt. After confirming the reasonable reproducibility of our simulation with the literature data, we analyzed the molecular characteristics following the decoupling approximation. We reasonably found that the segment orientation dominates the stress overshoot even under the resumed shear with minor contributions from the segment stretch and entanglement density. We defined the mitigation function for the recovery of the stress overshoot as a function of the rest time and compared it with the relaxation of the molecular quantities after the initial shear. As a result, we have found that the mitigation of the stress overshoot coincides with the relaxation of entanglement density., ファイル公開：2021/07/28

This study is based on a real-life case study of a SCND of a single milk product (premium milk) of a leading milk producing organization in Odisha. This product is highly perishable in nature; SCND implicates decision-making at a strategic level. Network design is the basis for the efficient operation of supply chain, and consequently, one of the most important problems a supply chain manager has to solve. This study conducts a real-life case-based modeling to address the gap in the area of supply chain network design. The author investigates the milk supply chain network design under preservation technology and propose a generic mathematical model for milk supply chain network design encompassing economic objective. A customized mathematical model is also developed for a leading milk producing organization in Odisha. Both of the models are formulated and solved by using piecewise nonlinear optimization.

Viscoelastic (VE) dampers are one of the most promising techniques for reducing vibration in engineering structures caused by earthquakes and wind. This work aims to develop a kind of high-...

Blockchain is an innovation developed to encourage money exchange transactions and take out the requirement for a trusted third party to legally approve and confirm such exchanges to ensure information security and protection. New structures of blockchains have been intended to suit the requirement for this technology in different fields, for example, e-health, the travel industry, and energy. This chapter is concerned about the utilization of blockchains in overseeing and sharing electronic health and medical records to permit patients, emergency clinics, centers, and other stakeholders to share information among themselves and increment interoperability. The choice of the design of the blockchains utilized relies upon the elements chipping in the constructed chain network. In spite of the fact that the utilization of blockchains may decrease redundancy and give guardians reliable records about their patients, it accompanies a few difficulties, which could encroach patients’ security or possibly bargain the entire system of partners. In this chapter, we examine distinctive blockchain structures through various sections like blockchain in healthcare today, how it is changing the future of healthcare, and the benefits of blockchain. The chapter also deals with the implementation and challenges of blockchain in healthcare sector.

International audience; 1,1'-Biphenyl-3,3ʹ,4,4ʹ-tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride has been reacted with uranyl nitrate under solvo-hydrothermal conditions and in the presence of different counterions to give three complexes of varying periodicity. [Co(en) 3 ][UO 2 (bptc)(HCOO)]⋅2.5H 2 O ( 1 ) crystallizes as a monoperiodic coordination polymer in which the bptc 4– ligand is exclusively bound through formation of two 7-membered chelate rings. The [Co(en) 3 ] 3+ counterion is essentially a hydrogen bond donor, forming 15 hydrogen bonds with carboxylate and water oxygen atoms. In [H 2 NMe 2 ] 2 [UO 2 (bptc)]⋅0.5H 2 O ( 2 ), half the ligand forms a 7-membered chelate ring, and the other half bridges two uranium atoms, resulting in the formation of a diperiodic network with hcb topology, the H 2 NMe 2 + counterions being located between the undulating sheets. [PPh 4 ] 4 [(UO 2 ) 4 (bptc) 3 ]⋅6H 2 O ( 3 ) contains a mixture of ligands forming either four 4-membered or two 7-membered chelate rings, the latter with further bridging, which gives a triperiodic framework displaying large channels, each of which contains two rows of PPh 4 + counterions. These results are compared to those of previous studies with this ligand, and of similar studies of phthalate complexes of uranyl ion, in particular in relation to 7-membered chelate ring formation.

One of the most devastating events is earthquake. Along with planning for supply and the proper distribution of relief goods including food and cloths, one of the most vital issues is to relieve to injured people who are in need of blood. In this research, we design a blood supply chain when the earthquake takes place, should the need arises by people requesting the blood units. Based on this need, a multi-level multi-objective mathematical model is designed during several periods based on minimizing the cost of the blood supply chain network and maximizing the reliability of the selectable paths for blood transportation. This model determines the optimal number and locations for establishing the facilities as well as determining the allocation of blood to various facilities, and, on the other hand, optimal routes for blood transportation among facilities. The mathematical model presented is validated by data acquired from implemented model of Tehran city.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has attracted much attention for use in bone fixation devices, which are used for fracture treatment, because it degrades to nontoxic lactic acid through nonenzymatic hydrolytic degradation. However, the application of such device is limited to relatively low-load regions, because mechanical properties of PLA is poor than that of metal materials. The process of drawing PLA fibers has attracted much attention as an approach for improving the mechanical properties of PLA bone fixation devices. The mechanical properties and molecular orientation of drawn PLA fibers and films have been investigated. However, the optimization of drawing conditions in bulk processes in relation to bone fixation devices is difficult because a large number of potential drawing conditions exist. The purpose of this study was to analytically clarify molecular orientation behavior in drawn PLA billets. The molecular orientation obtained by extrusion in PLA billets was investigated using a combination of the finite element method (FEM) and a chain network model. As a result of the FEM, first principal plastic strain was generated, mainly in the tapered components during extrusion; this strain was in the axial direction of the rod. Radius strain distributions showed that strain in the center region was almost uniform, whereas strain peaked near the surface. The orientation function increased with extrusion ratio (ER), and the peak orientation function in the surface region increased with taper angle. Thus, the magnitude and distribution of the orientation function in extruded PLA billets may be controllable by ER and taper angle, respectively.

Soybean is one of the primary commodities of food after rice and corn. Soybean in Indonesia is one of the strategic food crops. The problem of local soybean supply chain compared to the important soybean chain is the supply of local soybeans involving many parties in soybeans. The number of distribution channels for the supply of local soybeans is also a trend for changes in price variations. More effective than efficient and efficient supply chains in local soybeans. The objectives of this study are (1) to identify conditions and protection in the soybean supply chain; (2) Analyzing the performance of the soybean agroindustry supply chain. To analyze the investment supply chain using the Food Supply Chain Network (FSCN), SCOR-AHP is used to analyze supply chain performance. The structure of soybean agroindustry supply chain in Cianjur Regency involves farmer, breeder, collector, Indonesian Tofu and Tempe Producers Cooperatives (KOPTI), agro-industry, local traders and inter-regional traders. The results of the calculation of the valuation of the market at the farmer level are 85,325%, traders are 92,926%, and agroindustry is 87,004%.

The fundamental way to reduce the risk of bird strike is to manage the ecological environment of the airport and its surrounding areas and affect the ecological chain of birds. Based on a comprehensive survey of animal and plant populations in Meizhou airport, an airport ecological chain network is established, and a improved cascading failure model in coupled map lattices is introduced to simulate the robustness and vulnerability of the network. It is found that airport ecological network will be collapsed around five time series one after another under the external attack. It also shows that the network will have a global breakdown under a very small external perturbation value when Solanum indicum L. and Callidium villosulum Fairmaire are deliberately attacked. The simulation results show that if the airport authorities give priority to governance these populations of animals and plants with higher in-degree, it may reduce bird strike risk. The analysis results provide a theoretical basis for airport bird strike prevention.

In the present paper, a new type of micro-mechanically motivated chain network model for rubber-like materials is proposed. The model captures topological constraints of polymer network chains, in particular, entanglements. The model demonstrates how the local molecular packing constraints modify under deformation and shows the impact of these changes on the macroscopic elasticity of the material. To this end, we combine concepts of a confining tube and a slip-link (reptation) model. In these models, entanglements of polymer chains play an important role. The nature of entanglements is discussed, and relationships governing entanglements are formulated in terms of molecular physics. In the context of nonlinear elasticity, we apply a non-affine concept which captures the liquid-like behavior of polymer networks at smaller scales in a more realistic way. Model predictions show good agreement with experimental results from uniaxial and biaxial tension tests.

Inspired by inorganic oligomers and their polymerization, we herein develop a heterogeneous inorganic polymerization tactic that can be used to prepare a muscle-like hybrid hydrogel by inducing the polymerization of calcium phosphate oligomers (CPO) onto a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecular chain network. In this heterogeneous process, the CPO units bond with PVA molecules via assistance from sodium alginate (SA), and then gradually polymerize along the organic chains to form ultrafine hydroxyapatite nanolines with a diameter of ∼1 nm. Because of the well integration of organic and inorganic phases from the heterogeneous polymerization, the hierarchical structured hydrogel can exhibit ultratough mechanical properties of ∼17.84 MPa in strength and ∼8.97 kJ m-2 in fracture energy, which exceed natural muscles and almost synthetic hydrogels. Moreover, the damaged hydrogel can be repaired readily by adding the precursors of CPO, PVA, and SA, which can induce in situ re-polymerization. The hydrogel also exhibits muscle-like rotational motion under aqueous conditions, which can be developed into a water-driven biomimetic motor. This study indicates that inorganic polymerization can achieve a novel organic-inorganic integration rather than conventional organic-inorganic composition, and it provides a novel tactic for design and manufacture of advanced materials.

This paper investigates the synchronization analysis of strict feedback like class of linear and non-linear systems based on contraction principle. Recursive step by step procedure based on contraction theory is used to develop coupling function to establish the synchronization of different systems in one way coupled chain network configuration. Here, systems are considered to be connected through one way coupling function in chain formation. The analytically derived procedure leads to a single control law for stabilization of strict-feedback like class of systems. The same stabilizing control function is used as coupling link to establish a synchronized chain network of N-systems. The proposed approach is verified for effectiveness using linear systems & Genesio chaotic system based network. The numerical simulations demonstrate the efficacy of proposed technique.

The frequency dependence modeling of viscoelastic (VE) materials faces the challenge of high modeling accuracy over a wide frequency range and double-objective optimization in model paramet...

Nanosized gel particles, so-called nanogels, have attracted substantial interest in different application fields, thanks to their controllable and three-dimensional physical structure, good mechanical properties and potential biocompatibility. Literature reports many technologies for their preparation and design, however a recurrent limitation remains in their broad size distributions as well as in the poor size control. Therefore, the monodisperse and size-controlled nanogels preparation by simple process –like emulsification– is a real challenge still in abeyance to date. In this study we propose an original low energy emulsification approach for the production of monodisperse nanogels, for which the size can be finely controlled in the range 30 to 200 nm. The principle lies in the fabrication of a direct nano-emulsion containing both oil (medium chain triglycerides) and a bi-functional acrylate monomer. The nanogels are thus formed in situ upon UV irradiation of the droplet suspension. Advantage of such modification of the oil nano-carriers are the potential modulation of the release of encapsulated drugs, as a function of the density and/or properties of the polymer chain network entrapped in the oil nano-droplets. This hypothesis was confirmed using a model of hydrophobic drug –ketoprofen– entrapped into the nanogels particles, along with the study of the release profile, carried out in function of the nature of the monomers, density of polymer chains, and different formulation parameters.

Business models focused on the design and development of value propositions consisting of a mix of products and services have in recent years become more common among companies. Problems related to trust issues have although led to that companies have difficulties to fully implement these new business models. This paper demonstrates and discuss how distributed ledgers, for example blockchains, can support trust and collaboration among decentralized actors in a value chain network. A demonstrator has been developed and show that decentralization of value chains is possible within certain frames.

This paper addresses a hydrogen supply chain network problem (HSCNP) with two transportation modes and replenishment cycles. For determining an optimal hydrogen supply chain network (HSCN), a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model is developed. Due to the intractability caused by non-linear terms of the MINLP model, a genetic algorithm-based matheuristic (GAM) is proposed by including a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) combined within the procedure of genetic algorithm (GA). The performance of GAM is compared with two GAs by using randomly generated instances. Then, several sensitivity analyses of demand, transportation cost, and inventory carrying cost are conducted to evaluate an effect on a configuration of HSCN. Finally, optimal network configurations and selection of transportation modes are estimated under different future demand scenarios of Jeju Island, South Korea.

Current studies reveal that the sharing economy has faced new barriers and issues in its development, such as the trust and privacy issues. By integrating theories of sharing economy and service science, in our work “Service quality management of online car-hailing based on PCN in the sharing economy”, we explored how to deal with the service issues of online car-hailing based on process chain network (PCN). We also studied services in the sharing economy at three different levels: the personal behavior, the platform’s service and the regulations. With service-dominant logic replacing product-dominant logic, we suggest that research in the sharing economy and e-commerce calls for further systematical application of important service science theories and should make use of emerging technologies to develop new research methods.

In recent years, some extreme weather and public health events have led to frequent disruptions in agri-food supply chain networks in China, and scholars recognize the importance of this problem, but there are relatively few studies on the disruption propagation. Firstly, we construct the agri-food supply chain networks and the weak tie networks, and innovatively introduce weak ties into the disruption propagation of the agri-food supply chain networks. Secondly, we analyze the impact of two strategies, strengthening existing business relationships and establishing new business relationships, on the disruption propagation of agri-food supply chain networks under extreme natural disasters or unexpected wholesale market closures. Based on the results, the impact of disruption recovery on supply–demand relationships in agri-food supply chain network is analyzed. This research provides decision-making reference against supply chain disruptions and related problems.

Due to the slow relaxation nature of polymers, attempts for the development of multi-scale simulations have been made towards the optimization of material processing concerning the molecular characteristics. However, transferability among the utilized models has not been frequently discussed. In this study, a few multi-chain simulations for entangled polymers were compared for the viscosity growth curve under fast shear flows. The multi-chain slip-spring (MCSS) simulations and the multi-chain slip-link simulations (also known as primitive chain network (PCN) simulations) were performed, and the results were compared to the data reported by Cao and Likhtman for the bead-spring model proposed by Kremer and Grest. The conversion parameters for the unit of time and stress were determined from the comparison for the linear viscoelasticity, for which the tree models are essentially transferrable. The obtained viscosity growth curve for the MCSS simulations was in good agreement with that reported for the bead-spring simulations, including the viscosity overshoot. For the PCN simulations, the magnitude of viscosity overshoot was underestimated, whereas the steady state viscosity was reasonably captured. The results demonstrate that the multi-scale strategy by the examined models would work in a certain extent.

This work considers modeling approaches to the problem of restoration decision making by supply chain managers. Specifically, we consider an oil supply chain network that has suffered a cyber attack. As a result of the attack, critical services to the supply chain are lost, and the manager has uncertain information regarding when these services will be available. We first consider a deterministic model where the supply chain manager has complete information about the restoration of damaged services. We extend this model to a stochastic programming model involving several different recovery scenarios. We present computational results for a realistic case study developed with an extensive literature survey. We compare results of the stochastic model with average deterministic results, and show that the average deterministic results do not produce good solutions for an uncertain setting. We conclude with general remarks on how supply chain managers should consider restoration decisions under uncertainty.

Although lots of coarse-grained models have been proposed to trace the long-term behaviors of entangled polymers, compatibility among the different models has not been frequently discussed. In this study, some dynamical and static quantities, such as diffusion, relaxation modulus, chain dimension, and entanglement density, were examined for the multi-chain slip-link model (primitive chain network model) and the multi-chain slip-spring model, and the results were compared with those reported for the standard bead-spring model. For the diffusion, three models are compatible with scale-conversion parameters for units of length, time and bead (segment) number (or the molecular weight). The relaxation modulus is also compatible given that the model dependence can be accommodated by the entanglement density and the additional scale-conversion for the unit of modulus. The chain dimension is reasonably coincident with small deviations due to the weak non-Gaussianity of the models. Apart from these plausible compatibilities, significant discrepancies have been found for the inter-chain cross-correlations in the relaxation modulus., ファイル公開：2019/08/07

Submerged in a solvent-containing environment and subject to applied forces, a nonaffine molecular chain network absorbs the solvent and deforms, forming an elastomeric gel. The Helmholtz free energy of the gel is separated into the contribution due to stretching the nonaffine molecular chain network and that due to mixing the polymer and the solvent. The effect of the nonaffine movement of the molecular chain on the deformation behavior of the gel is discussed.

The private sector is widely regarded as a useful element in the emergency response to disasters. Humanitarian organizations tend to cooperate with the private sector to deliver aids to affected areas and mitigate the complexity of disasters. In this paper, we propose an efficient relief chain consisting of a humanitarian organization (HO) and third-party logistics providers (3PLPs) to tackle the issue of decentralized planning and decision-making in humanitarian logistics. The relief chain is expected to benefit both the HO and the 3PLPs. To this end, we developed a novel bi-level two-stage multi-objective stochastic programming model. The robust equivalent of the proposed model is also developed to cope with uncertainty. A Benders decomposition algorithm is tailored to solve large-scale problems. An actual earthquake is investigated as case-study to test the model's real-world applicability. Finally, a number of managerial insights are inferred by analyzing the findings of this research.

This research proposes a new tri-objective mathematical model for designing blood supply chain network in emergency situations. The mathematical model aims to minimize total supply chain costs and transportation time between facilities while maximizing total testing reliability of the donated blood in the laboratories. The model considers five echelons including blood donor groups, blood collection facilities, laboratories, blood centers and hospitals. Different transportation means with variant speed and capacity are considered in the model to carry the blood between facilities. Since, most of the main parameters of the mathematical model are tainted with uncertainty in real-world applications, two robust possibilistic flexible chance constraint programming (RPFCCP) and possibilistic flexible chance constraint programming models are developed to provide risk-averse and robust solutions to the decision makers. In addition, the application of the proposed multi-objective mathematical model is investigated in a real-world case study using real data on Iran’s capital, Tehran, which is considered to be a potential place for a destructive earthquake. Using different realizations, the applicability and efficiency of the models are investigated in the case study. The results indicated that the RPFCCP model is able to handle uncertainty in the parameters of the objective function and constraints more efficiently and is able to provide robust and risk-averse solutions for the problem which are resistant to different scenarios.

Accommodation revenue and demand are affected by hotel location, leading a lot of research to perform theoretical, empirical and operational approaches to analyze and determine the ideal location of hotels. However, operational approaches such as mathematical modeling based optimization have not received sufficient interest in hotel location research while it has been widely used for various kinds of facility locations. Therefore, two mathematical models for opening of new hotels and the closing of existing hotels to a manage hotel chain network are developed using the demand estimation and existing hotel information. In this research, hotel demand is estimated based on the accessibilities to sightseeing, transportation, business points, and market share. Gaining and/or losing of demand and the agglomeration effect are introduced as the objective of two models. Proposed mathematical models are tested to design a hotel chain network with the real data in Seoul, Korea.

This research proposes a new multi-objective mathematical model to design efficient and effective blood supply chain network in earthquakes. For the first time in this field of knowledge, the devastating impact of earthquake destruction radius is considered on blood supply chain network based on its magnitude. Two different transportation means, with variant speed and capacity, are employed to carry the blood from blood collection centers to blood centers. However, the number of available conveyors is limited in each site. To solve the proposed multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model, five multi-objective decision making methods as well as the lexicographic weighted Tchebycheff method are utilized to provide the decision maker with Pareto optimal solutions. Further, the application of the proposed multi-objective mathematical model is investigated in a real-world case study using data from the latest earthquakes in one of the recent activated faults of Iran’s capital, Tehran, which is considered to be a potential place for a severe earthquake. Using different solution approaches, various Pareto optimal solutions are obtained for the case study. The results indicated that the proposed mathematical model is able to design the most cost and time efficient blood supply chain in a severe earthquake. At the end, sensitivity analyses are performed to explore the effects of any changes in main parameters of the multi-objective mathematical model on the objective functions value to demonstrate the most critical parameter.

In a natural disaster such as an earthquake, very often due to the extensive number of severe injuries, demands for blood units sharply increase in emergency hospitals. Regarding such a problem, we propose a new robust two-stage multi-period stochastic model for the blood supply network design with the consideration of a possible natural disaster. The demand for blood units from different types and their derivatives including plasma and platelets are uncertain variables. As a novel contribution, the possibility of transfusion of one blood type as well as its derivatives to other types based on the medical requirements is considered in the optimization model. The pertinent network consists of three layers including the donated areas, the collection blood centers, and the transfusion blood center, which is usually a governmental organization. The model is also constructed for considering a likely earthquake in Tehran (the capital of Islamic Republic of Iran) using a professional report prepared in the year 1999 and also updated in a next research work. The scenarios for the demands of blood units and their derivatives are generated based on these reports. The mathematical model is implemented and assessed in a proper way using the simulation method.

The impact of thermo-oxidation on the permeation process in a series of BIIR or bromobutyl compounds has been investigated. Methyl salicylate (MS) was used as the simulating chemical agent, and the permeation rate was measured gravimetrically using vapometers. Heat aged samples at 120 °C increased in stiffness with an accompanying decline in ultimate properties and network chain density. A reduction in permeability was found, driven primarily by the reduced solubility of MS in the thermo-oxidized BIIR matrix. The formation of a secondary oxidized chain network has been proposed to explain the decline in MS solubility. The loss of plasticizer during the heat aging process is responsible for the reduction of the MS diffusibility. Diffusion-limited oxidation during thermo-oxidation is also a likely factor in affecting the MS transport process.

In this paper, a physically-based constitutive model, considering the crystallization micro-mechanism at the chain-scale, is formulated within the framework of continuum thermodynamics. The stretch-induced formation of crystallized segments in the molecular chain is regarded as an irreversible thermodynamic process accompanied with energy dissipation. The microsphere-based strategy is employed to realize the transition from chain-scale to macro-scale, and to account for the crystallization anisotropy induced by the preferred network orientation. The two antagonist phenomena, i.e. the crystallization-induced softening and stiffening, are well reproduced by controlling the spatial orientation and form of the crystallized segments at the chain-scale. The micro-macro constitutive model, fully tridimensional, is implemented into a finite element program and a quantitative evaluation of the model is performed by comparisons with a few illustrative experiments. A fairly well agreement of the model is shown with tensile experiments under stretching/recovery, in terms of stress-stretch curves and crystallization kinetics, at different stretch levels and temperatures. To illustrate further the capability of the model, numerical simulations are compared to experimental non-homogeneous tensile response in terms of local crystallization/orientation fields of a specimen containing cracks.

Green innovation is an important capability for an enterprise’s sustainable development. Evaluating the green innovation efficiency of China’s industrial enterprises can greatly affect its improvement. Considering the existing research results of green innovation efficiency evaluation, this paper added the impact of environmental factors in the technology industrialization stage. Various negative environmental externality indicators produced by industrial enterprise activities were incorporated into the undesired output, and an index system and model were constructed for evaluating the green innovation efficiency of China’s industrial enterprises. Combined with the actual data, a three-stage chain network SBM (slack-based measure) model was used to dynamically evaluate and analyze the industrial enterprises in 29 Chinese provinces. The results show that the overall efficiency of green innovation in China’s industrial enterprises has an upward trend, and the rise fluctuates during the technological development, achievement transformation, and industrialization stages. In the three major regions of China, industrial enterprises in the eastern area have the highest green innovation efficiency, and the industrial enterprises in the west and central regions have lower efficiencies. Based on the evaluation results, the corresponding countermeasures are proposed.

This paper introduces a modelling environment for service design that currently supports 5 different notations (Business Model Canvas, e3value, Service Blueprint, Process Chain Network and BPMN). Besides, the tool supports the generation of partial views of models based on a particular notation from models made with another one, along with the corresponding relations model.

The purpose of this paper is designing blood supply chain network in disaster situation considering blood groups and expiration dates. In the proposed network, there are blood collection centers, labs for quality assurance and producing blood products, and hospitals. Donors refer to blood collecting centers. These centers receive blood from donors and transfer to labs. After required tests, labs send blood products to hospitals. In the proposed model of this study, a blood product, i.e. plasma is considered. The proposed model is a MIP model which minimizes the total cost of the network, including: the establishment cost of facilities, cost of transportation, and cost of holding inventory. Furthermore, uncertainty in demand has been considered using different scenarios. Moreover, in order to meet the demand, blood groups and plasma expiration date have also been investigated. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed model is investigated using random problems in different dimensions.

In reality, the risk in urban rail transit system usually happens. In this paper, we construct the risk chain network in urban rail transit system, where the different factors are considered in detail. Moreover, in order to describe the characteristic of the risk chain network, the propagation risk is proposed. Based on these, the controllability of risk chain network is calculated in four kinds of systems in urban rail transit system. In addition, we analyze the key node, which has a serious impact on the controllability. Our paper may be useful to control the risk in urban rail transit system and improve the safety of urban rail transit.