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Maritime logistics is essential to international trade, and maritime logistics alliances significantly enhance the efficiency, service quality, and competitiveness of maritime logistics through the complementary advantages and risk sharing among member enterprises. Blockchain can better solve the problems of information asymmetry and lack of trust in logistics alliances because of its decentralization and other characteristics. However, enhancing the rationality of benefit distribution of maritime logistics alliances based on blockchain is still a key issue to be addressed. In this paper, we first construct an evolutionary game model base on blockchain to analyze alliance stability among members. Through numerical simulation, we identify that the reasonable benefit distribution is the most significant influencing factor for alliance stability. Then, using the modified Shapley value method, we establish the benefit distribution model of alliance based on blockchain. Finally, based on blockchain, we design, deploy, and call a smart contract for the benefit distribution of maritime logistics alliances, which is intelligent and can be used for alliance benefit distribution. • Identify the most significant factor influencing the stability of MLA on blockchain platform innovatively. • Establish the benefit distribution model of MLA based on blockchain platform innovatively. • Design, deploy and call the MLA benefit distribution smart contract based on blockchain platform innovatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferation of co-located petrol-hydrogen fueling stations is an effective solution for widespread deployment of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. Such combined fueling stations largely rely on existing infrastructure, hence represent a low-cost option for setting up hydrogen fueling facilities. However, optimizing the layout of dual petrol-hydrogen fueling stations, and their rational site selection is critical for ensuring the efficient use of resources. This paper investigates the site selection of combined hydrogen and petrol fueling stations at the terminus of China's "West-to-East Hydrogen Pipeline" project. A weighting model based on EWM-CRITIC-Game Theory is developed, and the weight coefficients derived from game theory are used to perform the comprehensive ranking of potential sites. The combined evaluation results yield an overall ranking of A9 > A4 > A8 > A26 > A20 > A21 > A11. The effectiveness of this novel method is verified by comparing the results with those obtained from Copeland, Borda, Average, and geometric mean methods. Considering the actual distance constraints, the final site ranking is A9 > A4 > A8 > A20 > A21 > A11 > A14. This location offers optimal conditions for infrastructure integration and hydrogen fueling service coverage. The reliability analysis indicates that the proposed game theory-based method delivers strong performance across various scenarios, underscoring its reliability and versatility in consistently delivering accurate results. • Game theory is introduced to balance the weighting methods. • The new aggregated ranking method highlights the impact of key weighting methods. • Straight-line distances between the candidates are considered for site selection. • The proposed method has high reliability and versatility across various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two most significant dynamic factors in the interplay of the maritime supply chain are competition and cooperation. Shipping companies and ports must make strategic decisions to ensure progressive growth within the ever-evolving market. Game theory provides an important analytical method for examining the dynamics of co-opetition among participants of the maritime supply chain. This paper reviews 172 journal papers on the strategic use of game theory in the maritime supply chain that were published from 2004 to 2024 and proposes an integrative analytical framework based on multidimensional competition and horizontal and vertical cooperation models. The literature review indicates that internal demand drivers and external environment drivers combine to shape competition within the maritime supply chain. Simultaneously, the design of appropriate cooperation mechanisms is key to the successful formation and long-term prosperity of alliances. Finally, this paper synthesizes existing research with the current issues and latest developments within the maritime industry, providing a comprehensive summary of future research directions for the field. • The competition and cooperation dynamics within the maritime supply chain are investigated. • A comprehensive analytical framework is developed to study the application of game theory in analyzing competition and cooperation between shipping companies and ports. • Future research directions for game theory in the maritime supply chain are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestion games offer a primary model in the study of pure Nash equilibria in non-cooperative games, and a number of generalized models have been proposed in the literature. One line of generalization includes weighted congestion games, in which the cost of a resource is a function of the total weight of the players choosing that resource. Another line includes congestion games with mixed costs, in which the cost imposed on a player is a convex combination of the total cost and the maximum cost of the resources in her strategy. This model is further generalized to that of congestion games with non-additive aggregation. For the above models, the existence of a pure Nash equilibrium is proved under some assumptions, including the case in which the strategy space of each player is the base family of a matroid and the case in which the cost functions have a certain kind of monotonicity. In this paper, we deal with common generalizations of these two lines, namely weighted matroid congestion games with non-additive aggregation, and its further generalization. Our main technical contribution is a proof of the existence of pure Nash equilibria in these generalized models under a simplified assumption on the monotonicity, which provides a common extension of the previous results. We also present an extension on the existence of pure Nash equilibria in weighted matroid congestion games with mixed costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a universal process of age-dependent physiological and functional declines that are strongly associated with human diseases. Despite extensive studies of the molecular causes of aging, little is known about the overall landscape of how aging proceeds and how it is related with intrinsic and extrinsic agents. Aging is a complex trait involving a large number of interdependent factors that change over spatiotemporal scales like a complex system. We develop an interdisciplinary form of statistical mechanics to reconstruct aging-related informative, dynamic, omnidirectional, and personalized networks (idopNetworks) from experimental or clinical data. The idopNetwork model can reveal how a specific biological entity, such as genes, proteins, or metabolites, mediates the antedependence of aging (i.e., the dependence of current trait values on their previous expression), identify how spatiotemporal crosstalk across different organs accelerate or decelerate the rate of aging, and predict how an individual's chronological age differs from his biological age. We implement GLMY homology theory to dissect the topological architecture and function of aging networks, identifying key subnetworks, surface holes and cubic voids that shape the rate of aging. Aging studies can be ideally conducted by monitoring molecular, physiological, and clinical traits over the full lifecycle. However, it is both impossible and ethically impermissible to collect the kind of data from which idopNetworks are reconstructed. To overcome this limitation, we integrate an allometric scaling law into the model to extract dynamics from snapshots of static data from a population-based cross-sectional study, expanding the utility of the model to a broader domain of cohort data. We show how this model can be used to unravel and predict the biological mechanisms underlying aging by analyzing an experimental metabolic data set of multiple brain regions in the aging mouse and a cross-sectional physiological data set of the lung for smoking and nonsmoking males aged from 20 years to nearly centenarians from the China Pulmonary Health Study. The model opens up a new horizon for studying how aging occurs through intrinsic and extrinsic interactions and could be used as a generic tool to disentangle human aging using various types of molecular, phenotypic or clinical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, growing awareness of potential threats posed by near-Earth objects (NEOs) has led to increased interest in developing and implementing planetary defense measures. International cooperation and public support are crucial to ensuring the long-term success of planetary defense initiatives. However, a number of economic, political, legal, and social issues stand in the way of effective large-scale cooperation in pursuing planetary defense. This article examines the major challenges to international cooperation in planetary defense. The article begins by considering the major types of collective action problems facing international collaboration toward planetary defense. The article then examines the way in which adjacent space-related aspects of international affairs influence the arena of planetary defense. The article then analyzes the legal aspects of these cooperation problems, focusing on sources of perceived uncertainty that interfere with effective development of norms for cooperation. The article then proposes various possible strategies for avoiding cooperation problems and increasing collective buy-in. Noteworthy examples include the use of treaties as pre-commitment devices (which parties agree to undertake in order to limit their future options and commit themselves to pre-established lines of conduct) and amendments to existing legal frameworks to decrease perceived uncertainty and promote objective standards of cooperation. The article concludes by reflecting on the importance of promoting a widespread cultural perspective that emphasizes the pursuit of collective planetary welfare over competing national interests. • Numerous collective action problems can disrupt planetary defense initiatives. • Game theory principles help shed light on planetary defense challenges. • Planetary defense is sensitive to space-related international affairs. • Many strategies are needed to aligning national interests with global interests. • Legal reform and norm-building can help promote planetary defense collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residual stress(RS) at tooth root from machining significantly affects bending fatigue performance of gears. Aiming at minimizing the root RS while ensuring the gear accuracy during hobbing process, the integrated method of numerical simulation, response surface, Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II), principal component analysis, entropy weight calculation and combined weighting of game theory was adopted. Firstly, a simulation step for root RS in hobbing was proposed to obtain the incidence relation between process parameters and root RS, aiming to provide a reference for preselection process parameters in subsequent experiments. Then, the response surface experiment was designed to create regression models and analyze interaction effect of process parameters on total tooth profile deviation and root RS. Then, NSGA-II was adopted to optimize total tooth profile deviation and root RS, acquiring Pareto frontier solution set. Finally, the optimum process parameters of hobbing were determined by the method of principal component analysis, entropy weight calculation and game theory combination weighting. The research result indicates that hob speed seriously affects total tooth profile deviation and root RS. The optimal total tooth profile deviation and root RS are 10.31 µm and 131.13 MPa. The optimum hob speed, axial feed speed and radial cutting times are respectively 766.13 r/min, 1.888 mm/min and 3.58 times. The effectiveness of optimization method is verified by experiments, and the error is within 10 %. This research can effectively reduce the root RS from machining under the premise of ensuring machining accuracy, and provide a significant reference for improving the bending fatigue performance of gears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel family of node centralities in social networks, named family of position centralities , which explicitly takes into account the importance of the links to assess the centrality of the nodes that support them through the Position value (Meessen, 1988). Our proposal shares with the family of Myerson centralities (Gómez et al., 2003) that it is a game-theoretic family of measures that allows to consider the functionality of the network modelled by a symmetric cooperative game. We prove that, like the Myerson centrality measures, every Position centrality measure also satisfies essential properties expected of a centrality measure. We analyse in detail the main differences between the Myerson and the position families of centrality measures. Specifically, we study the differences regarding the connection structures that share dividends and the fairness and stability properties. Along this analysis we consider the case of hub-and-spoke clusters, a prevalent model for studying transportation networks. Finally, a characterisation of the Position Attachment centrality is given, which is the Position centrality obtained when the functionality of the network is modelled by the attachment game. Some comparisons are made with the Attachment centrality introduced by Skibski et al. (2019), which is the analogue member of the family of Myerson centralities. • It is a game-theoretic centrality based on the network's topology and functionality. • It measures the node's centrality relying explicitly on the importance of edges. • It is well supported by many desirable properties. • Three key aspects distinguish it from the Myerson centrality. • The Position Attachment centrality is axiomatically characterised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New freight routes are being planned and emerging globally, but often rely on government subsidies to enhance their competitiveness during the initial promotional phase. This study proposes a multi-stage game framework to explore the influence mechanism of behavioral strategies among three stakeholders: shipper, carrier, and government. Based on the assessment of shippers' route choice preferences, we examine the dynamic evolution of carriers' and governments' behavioral strategies in the practical context of bounded rationality and dynamic learning. We theoretically derive the evolutionary paths and stable outcomes of dynamic systems across eight scenarios encompassing all the possible practical values to be taken, which provide broader and more valuable decision support for new route promotion. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the proposed model are verified by the actual case of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. The findings indicate that government subsidies are not always effective and provide a precise subsidy range that can incentivize carriers to switch to the new route. Moreover, the study clarifies the impact of key factors such as subsidy, tax, route reliability, transportation time, and time value of cargo on the promotion of new routes through numerical simulation, and provides feasible management recommendations for government and route operations. • Investigate the interaction of behavioral strategies in the freight transport system. • Propose a multi-stage game framework for the promotion of new freight routes. • Reveal possible evolutionary paths and stabilization outcomes for the dynamic system. • Identify the impact of government policy and route features on evolutionary dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parrondo's paradox refers to the paradoxical phenomenon of combining two losing strategies in a certain manner to obtain a winning outcome. It has been applied to uncover unexpected outcomes across various disciplines, particularly at different spatiotemporal scales within ecosystems. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of recent developments in Parrondo's paradox within the interdisciplinary realm of the physics of life, focusing on its significant applications across biology and the broader life sciences. Specifically, we examine its relevance from genetic pathways and phenotypic regulation, to intercellular interaction within multicellular organisms, and finally to the competition between populations and species in ecosystems. This phenomenon, spanning multiple biological domains and scales, enhances our understanding of the unified characteristics of life and reveals that adaptability in a drastically changing environment, rather than the inherent excellence of a trait, underpins survival in the process of evolution. We conclude by summarizing our findings and discussing future research directions that hold promise for advancing the field. • Parrondo's paradox illustrates how combining two losing strategies can result in a winning outcome. • Its applications extend across various disciplines, particularly in understanding ecosystems at different scales. • The paradox is explored in multiple fields, highlighting adaptability as a key factor in evolutionary survival. • Future directions are outlined, emphasizing the potential to enhance our understanding of the natural world and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a setting where a receiver must design a questionnaire to recover a sequence of symbols known to a strategic sender, whose utility may not be incentive compatible. We allow the receiver the possibility of selecting the alternatives presented in the questionnaire, and thereby linking decisions across the components of the sequence. We show that, despite the strategic sender and the noise in the channel, the receiver can recover exponentially many sequences, but also that exponentially many sequences are unrecoverable even by the best strategy. We define the growth rate of the number of recovered sequences as the information extraction capacity. A generalization of the Shannon capacity, it characterizes the optimal amount of communication resources required while communicating with a strategic sender. We derive bounds leading to an exact evaluation of the information extraction capacity in many cases. Our results form the building blocks of a novel, non-cooperative regime of communication involving a strategic sender. • An uninformed receiver aims to recover information from an informed strategic sender • No assumption of incentive compatibility or external incentives • Information-theoretic analysis shows a fundamental limit on recovered information • Real-world setting of screening of travellers using questionnaires can be studied • Novel theory combining Shannon's information theory and Myerson's mechanism design [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]