Supply Chain Network Equilibrium with Revenue Sharing Contract under Demand Disruptions

Contract is a common and effective mechanism for supply chain coordination,which has been studied extensively in recent years.For a supply chain network model,contracts can be used to coordinate it because it is too ideal to obtain the network equilibrium state in practical market competition.In order to achieve equilibrium,we introduce revenue sharing contract into a supply chain network equilibrium model with random demand in this paper.Then,we investigate the influence on this network equilibrium state from demand disruptions caused by unexpected emergencies.When demand disruptions happen,the supply chain network equilibrium state will be broken and change to a new one,so the decision makers need to adjust the contract parameters to achieve the new coordinated state through bargaining.Finally,a numerical example with a sudden demand increase as a result of emergent event is provided for illustrative purposes.

A Transportation Network Equilibrium Reformulation of Eco-Industry Chain Network

In this paper, we demonstrate that the eco-industrial network equilibrium model of link flow version previously introduced can be reformulated as a transportation network equilibrium problem of path flow version. Then, some methodological tools mainly applied in the field of transportation science can be used to discuss the eco-industrial chain network problem. What the highlighted contribution lies in is that the paper not only expands theory of supply chain model with reducing path flow but also generalizes the traditional transportation network equilibrium problem by new applications.

Closed-loop supply chain network equilibrium strategy model with environmental protection objectives

With the increasing popularity of ecological civilization and sustainable development,enterprises should consider environmental protection measures in their operations in addition to pursue their economic interests.This paper establsihes a closed-loop supply chain network model composed of multiple suppliers,manufacturers,retailers,recyclers,and demand markets—regarding their dual goals of the profit maximization and the minimization of carbon emissions.The conditions necessary for establishing overall equilibrium and an equilibrium model of the entire closed-loop supply chain network are determined by applying variational inequality and dual theory.A modified projection contraction algorithm is used to design a model-solving program.Finally,using numerical examples,the paper conducts a comparative static analysis on important parameters such as the weight coefficients of environmental protection objectives and consumers'awareness of low-carbon environmental protection and attains some beneficial enlightenment on management.The results indicate that when the environmental protection objectives of a certain type of enterprise increases,both the economic benefits and environmental protection performance will improve;when the environmental protection objectives of all enterprises increases simultaneously,environmental protection performance improves significantly,but the changes in economic benefits of different enterprises are inconsistent and profit coordination is more complex.Although consumers’awareness of low-carbon preference could improve environmental performance,it reduces the overall profits of network members and the entire closed-loop supply chain network as a whole.The above conclusions can be used as a reference for the government in designing low-carbon environmental protection policy and in closed-loop supply chain research.

Remanufacturing closed-loop supply chain network design based on genetic particle swarm optimization algorithm

As the huge computation and easily trapped local optimum in remanufacturing closed-loop supply chain network (RCSCN) design considered, a genetic particle swarm optimization algorithm was proposed. The total cost of closed-loop supply chain was selected as fitness function, and a unique and tidy coding mode was adopted in the proposed algorithm. Then, some mutation and crossover operators were introduced to achieve discrete optimization of RCSCN structure. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can gain global optimal solution with good convergent performance and rapidity. The computing speed is only 22.16 s, which is shorter than those of the other optimization algorithms.

A closed-loop Supply Chain Network Equilibrium Model with Fuzzy Demand under Production Capacity Constraints and Price Rigidities

A closed-loop supply chain network equilibrium problem is examined,which consists of mutual competitive manufacturers with production capacity constraints and retailers with fuzzy market demands,mutual competitive collectors as well as a binding price ceiling of the commodities.By utilizing the credibility measure of fuzzy event,variational inequality and Lagrange dual theory,the optimum behaviors of manufactures,retailers,collectors and consumers are described.Therefore,the supply chain network equilibrium model is established.Numerical examples were given to illustrate the impact of production capacity constraints and price ceiling on the network equilibrium pattern.The results show that the shortage of commodities in consumer market will be more serious,the wholesale price of product and purchase price of waste products rise,the profits of retailers decrease,the profits of manufacturers and collectors increase as the government gradually reduce the binding price ceiling on competitive markets,and the trend will be more obvious in the existence of production capacity constraints at same time.

Detecting and Classifying Darknet Traffic Using Deep Network Chains

The anonymity of the darknet makes it attractive to secure communication lines from censorship.The analysis,monitoring,and categorization of Internet network traffic are essential for detecting darknet traffic that can generate a comprehensive characterization of dangerous users and assist in tracing malicious activities and reducing cybercrime.Furthermore,classifying darknet traffic is essential for real-time applications such as the timely monitoring of malware before attacks occur.This paper presents a two-stage deep network chain for detecting and classifying darknet traffic.In the first stage,anonymized darknet traffic,including VPN and Tor traffic related to hidden services provided by darknets,is detected.In the second stage,traffic related to VPNs and Tor services is classified based on their respective applications.The methodology of this paper was verified on a benchmark dataset containing VPN and Tor traffic.It achieved an accuracy of 96.8%and 94.4%in the detection and classification stages,respectively.Optimization and parameter tuning were performed in both stages to achieve more accurate results,enabling practitioners to combat alleged malicious activities and further detect such activities after outbreaks.In the classification stage,it was observed that the misclassifications were due to the audio and video streaming commonly used in shared real-time protocols.However,in cases where it is desired to distinguish between such activities accurately,the presented deep chain classifier can accommodate additional classifiers.Furthermore,additional classifiers could be added to the chain to categorize specific activities of interest further.

Supply chain network design under uncertainty with new insights from contracts

In this paper, the classical problem of supply chain network design is reconsidered to emphasize the role of contracts in uncertain environments. The supply chain addressed consists of four layers: suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, and customers acting within a single period. The single owner of the manufacturing plants signs a contract with each of the suppliers to satisfy demand from downstream. Available contracts consist of long-term and option contracts, and unmet demand is satisfied by purchasing from the spot market. In this supply chain, customer demand, supplier capacity, plants and warehouses, transportation costs, and spot prices are uncertain. Two models are proposed here: a risk-neutral two-stage stochastic model and a risk-averse model that considers risk measures. A solution strategy based on sample average approximation is then proposed to handle large scale problems. Extensive computational studies prove the important role of contracts in the design process, especially a portfolio of contracts. For instance, we show that long-term contract alone has similar impacts to having no contracts, and that option contract alone gives inferior results to a combination of option and long-term contracts. We also show that the proposed solution methodology is able to obtain good quality solutions for large scale problems.

Parameterless Pruning Algorithms for Similarity-Weight Network and Its Application in Extracting the Backbone of Global Value Chain

Purpose:With the availability and utilization of Inter-Country Input-Output(ICIO)tables,it is possible to construct quantitative indices to assess its impact on the Global Value Chain(GVC).For the sake of visualization,ICIO networks with tremendous low-weight edges are too dense to show the substantial structure.These redundant edges,inevitably make the network data full of noise and eventually exert negative effects on Social Network Analysis(SNA).In this case,we need a method to filter such edges and obtain a sparser network with only the meaningful connections.Design/methodology/approach:In this paper,we propose two parameterless pruning algorithms from the global and local perspectives respectively,then the performance of them is examined using the ICIO table from different databases.Findings:The Searching Paths(SP)method extracts the strongest association paths from the global perspective,while Filtering Edges(FE)method captures the key links according to the local weight ratio.The results show that the FE method can basically include the SP method and become the best solution for the ICIO networks.Research limitations:There are still two limitations in this research.One is that the computational complexity may increase rapidly while processing the large-scale networks,so the proposed method should be further improved.The other is that much more empirical networks should be introduced to testify the scientificity and practicability of our methodology.Practical implications:The network pruning methods we proposed will promote the analysis of the ICIO network,in terms of community detection,link prediction,and spatial econometrics,etc.Also,they can be applied to many other complex networks with similar characteristics.Originality/value:This paper improves the existing research from two aspects,namely,considering the heterogeneity of weights and avoiding the interference of parameters.Therefore,it provides a new idea for the research of network backbone extraction.

Strategy Selection of Production Technical Standards in a Manufacturing Supply Chain Network： The Role of Partnership Density

This paper presents the game of production technical standards between downstream and upstream suppliers on a manufacturing supply chain network when the two parties have different partnership densities, namely, the numbers of replaceable and mature manufacturing partners. We firstly constructed a manufacturing chain network and analyzed its three relationship structures among suppliers with the presence of different relationship densities, and found that all the three relationships brought about the game of production technical standards between partnership-rich and partnership-scanty suppliers. Then we built a two-party payoff matrix, and analyzed the two-party game and evolutionary stable strategy, based on replication dynamic equation and asymmetric evolutionary game theory. The evolutionary stable strategies of two parties under varying payoff parameters were validated through numerical simulation. Finally, we proposed some suggestions for both those manufacturers with more partners and fewer partners, respectively.

A case study on sample average approximation method for stochastic supply chain network design problem

This study aims to solve a typical long-term strategic decision problem on supply chain network design with consideration to uncertain demands. Existing methods for these problems are either deterministic or limited in scale. We analyze the impact of uncertainty on demand based on actual large data from industrial companies.Deterministic equivalent model with nonanticipativity constraints, branch-and-fix coordination, sample average approximation(SAA) with Bayesian bootstrap, and Latin hypercube sampling were adopted to analyze stochastic demands. A computational study of supply chain network with front-ends in Europe and back-ends in Asia is presented to highlight the importance of stochastic factors in these problems and the efficiency of our proposed solution approach.

Empirical topological investigation of practical supply chains based on complex networks

The industrial supply chain networks basically capture the circulation of social resource, dominating the stability and efficiency of the industrial system. In this paper, we provide an empirical study of the topology of smartphone supply chain network. The supply chain network is constructed using open online data. Our experimental results show that the smartphone supply chain network has small-world feature with scale-free degree distribution, in which a few high degree nodes play a key role in the function and can effectively reduce the communication cost. We also detect the community structure to find the basic functional unit. It shows that information communication between nodes is crucial to improve the resource utilization. We should pay attention to the global resource configuration for such electronic production management.

Function chain neural network prediction on heat transfer performance of oscillating heat pipe based on grey relational analysis

As for the factors affecting the heat transfer performance of complex and nonlinear oscillating heat pipe (OHP),grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to deal with the relationship between heat transfer rate of a looped copper-water OHP and charging ratio,inner diameter,inclination angel,heat input,number of turns,and the main influencing factors were defined.Then,forecasting model was obtained by using main influencing factors (such as charging ratio,interior diameter,and inclination angel) as the inputs of function chain neural network.The results show that the relative average error between the predicted and actual value is 4%,which illustrates that the function chain neural network can be applied to predict the performance of OHP accurately.

Chain-type wireless sensor network node scheduling strategy

In order to reduce power consumption of sensor nodes and extend network survival time in the wireless sensor network （WSN）, sensor nodes are scheduled in an active or dormant mode. A chain-type WSN is fundamental y different from other types of WSNs, in which the sensor nodes are deployed along elongated geographic areas and form a chain-type network topo-logy structure. This paper investigates the node scheduling prob-lem in the chain-type WSN. Firstly, a node dormant scheduling mode is analyzed theoretical y from geographic coverage, and then three neighboring nodes scheduling criteria are proposed. Sec-ondly, a hybrid coverage scheduling algorithm and dead areas are presented. Final y, node scheduling in mine tunnel WSN with uniform deployment （UD）, non-uniform deployment （NUD） and op-timal distribution point spacing （ODS） is simulated. The results show that the node scheduling with UD and NUD, especial y NUD, can effectively extend the network survival time. Therefore, a strat-egy of adding a few mobile nodes which activate the network in dead areas is proposed, which can further extend the network survival time by balancing the energy consumption of nodes.

Construction of Network Management Information System of Agricultural Products Supply Chain Based on 3PLs

The necessity to construct the network management information system of 3PLs agricultural supply chain is analyzed,showing that 3PLs can improve the overall competitive advantage of agricultural supply chain.3PLs changes the homogeneity management into specialized management of logistics service and achieves the alliance of the subjects at different nodes of agricultural products supply chain.Network management information system structure of agricultural products supply chain based on 3PLs is constructed,including the four layers (the network communication layer,the hardware and software environment layer,the database layer,and the application layer) and 7 function modules (centralized control,transportation process management,material and vehicle scheduling,customer relationship,storage management,customer inquiry,and financial management).Framework for the network management information system of agricultural products supply chain based on 3PLs is put forward.The management of 3PLs mainly includes purchasing management,supplier relationship management,planning management,customer relationship management,storage management and distribution management.Thus,a management system of internal and external integrated agricultural enterprises is obtained.The network management information system of agricultural products supply chain based on 3PLs has realized the effective sharing of enterprise information of agricultural products supply chain at different nodes,establishing a long-term partnership revolving around the 3PLs core enterprise,as well as a supply chain with stable relationship based on the supply chain network system,so as to improve the circulation efficiency of agricultural products,and to explore the sales market for agricultural products.

Sensor deployment strategy for chain-type wireless underground mine sensor network

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are very important for monitoring underground mine safety. Sensor node deployment affects the performances of WSNs. In our study, a chain-type wireless underground mine sensor network (CWUMSN) is first pre- sented. A CWUMSN can monitor the environment and locate miners in underground mines. The lowest density deployment strate- gies of cluster head nodes are discussed theoretically. We prove that the lifetime of CWUMSN with a non-uniform deployment strategy is longer than with a uniform deployment strategy. Secondly, we present the algorithm of non-uniform lowest density de- ployment of cluster head nodes. Next, we propose a dynamic choice algorithm of cluster head nodes for CWUMSN which can im- prove the adaptability of networks. Our experiments of CWUMSN with both non-uniform lowest density and uniform lowest den- sity deployments are simulated. The results show that the lifetime of CWUMSN with non-uniform lowest density deployment is almost 2.5 times as long as that of the uniform lowest density deployment. This work provides a new deployment strategy for wire- less underground mine sensor networks and then effectively promotes the application of wireless sensor networks to underground mines.

Optimization Model of Cold-Chain Logistics Network for Fresh Agricultural Products —Taking Guangdong Province as an Example

Cold-chain demand of fresh agricultural products is increasing in China, while network layout of cold-chain logistics is in disorder and its cost is huge. To address this problem, this paper casts an optimal model of cold-chain logistics network and tackles it with genetic algorithms. This optimal model takes running total cost of logistics network as the objective, and embeds a nonlinear mixed integer programming including two assignment issues. The model determines optimal layout and logistics management for pre-cooling stations and logistics center for fresh agricultural products. Our main contribution is to consider construction cost and operation cost of cold chain logistics simultaneously. Case study illustrates the effectiveness of the model.

Literature Review on Network Design Problems in Closed Loop and Reverse Supply Chains

The productivity of an organization is very much affected by non-value adding activity like logistics, which moves the resources from suppliers to factory, raw materials/semi-finished items within the factory and finished goods from factory to customers via a designated distribution channel called as forward logistics. In some cases, parts of the products such as automobiles, computers, cameras, mobile phones, washing machines, refrigerators, garments, footwear and empty glass bottles of beverages, etc. will be brought back to the factories as a product recovery strategy through reverse logistics network which is integrated in a sustainable closed loop supply chain network. So, it is highly essential to optimize the movement of the items in the reverse logistics network. This paper gives a comprehensive review of literature of the design of networks for the reverse logistics as well as for the reverse logistics coupled with forward logistics. The contributions of the researchers are classified into nine categories based on the methods used to design the logistics network.

A new grey forecasting model based on BP neural network and Markov chain

A new grey forecasting model based on BP neural network and Markov chain was proposed. In order to combine the grey forecasting model with neural network, an important theorem that the grey differential equation is equivalent to the time response model, was proved by analyzing the features of grey forecasting model(GM(1,1)). Based on this, the differential equation parameters were included in the network when the BP neural network was constructed, and the neural network was trained by extracting samples from grey system’s known data. When BP network was converged, the whitened grey differential equation parameters were extracted and then the grey neural network forecasting model (GNNM(1,1)) was built. In order to reduce stochastic phenomenon in GNNM(1,1), the state transition probability between two states was defined and the Markov transition matrix was established by building the residual sequences between grey forecasting and actual value. Thus, the new grey forecasting model(MNNGM(1,1)) was proposed by combining Markov chain with GNNM(1,1). Based on the above discussion, three different approaches were put forward for forecasting China electricity demands. By comparing GM(1, 1) and GNNM(1,1) with the proposed model, the results indicate that the absolute mean error of MNNGM(1,1) is about 0.4 times of GNNM(1,1) and 0.2 times of GM(1,1), and the mean square error of MNNGM(1,1) is about 0.25 times of GNNM(1,1) and 0.1 times of GM(1,1).

Network topology optimization of supply chain information systems

Network topology optimization has been widely researched. Since market competition has gradually developed into competition among the supply chain information systems, the network to- pology optimization of supply chain information systems has been in urgent need. However, the net- work topology optimization of supply chain information systems is still in its early stages and still has some challenges. So a description of typical seven network topologies for various supply chain infor- mation systems has been given. The generic characteristics of each network topology can be summa- rized. To analyze the optimization of network topology optimization of supply chain information sys- tems, a numeric model has been established based on these general characteristics. A genetic algo- rithm is applied in the network topology optimization of supply chain information systems model to a- chieve the minimum cost and shortest path. Finally, our experiment results are provided to demon- strate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed model.

An efficient algorithm for solving supply chain network equilibria and equivalent supernetwork based traffic network equilibria

This paper is concerned with the algorithm of the supply chain network equilibrium model and its equivalent supernetwork based traffic network equilibrium model with elastic demands. Both models are further written as nonlinear complementarity problems. Semismooth least squares reformulations of the complementarity problems are presented and their convergence properties are investigated. Considering the drawbacks of Quasi-Newton method (using the Fischer-Burmeister function), a semi-smooth Levenberg-Marquardt-type method is proposed to solve the problems. Numerical examples show that the Levenberg-Marquardt-type method can solve the supply chain network equilibrium model and its equivalent supernetwork based traffic network equilibrium model significantly, and is more efficient than the Quasi Newton method and the modified projection method. Furthermore, the Levenberg-Marquardt-type method with the equivalent supernetwork based complementarity formulation can be implemented faster than with the supply chain network equilibrium complementarity formulation.