When in‐plant and college‐based courses are run for supervisors and managers, it is conventional to use a U‐shaped seating arrangement in the training room to promote…
Abstract
When in‐plant and college‐based courses are run for supervisors and managers, it is conventional to use a U‐shaped seating arrangement in the training room to promote participation and discussion. However, at each class session, people will tend to sit with the same companions habitually, which may be more comfortable, but less productive than if they sat with different people each time.
Tiziano Arduini, Eleonora Patacchini and Edoardo Rainone
The authors generalize the standard linear-in-means model to allow for multiple types with between and within-type interactions. The authors provide a set of identification…
Abstract
The authors generalize the standard linear-in-means model to allow for multiple types with between and within-type interactions. The authors provide a set of identification conditions of peer effects and consider a two-stage least squares estimation approach. Large sample properties of the proposed estimators are derived. Their performance in finite samples is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations.
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Baharak Hooshyarfarzin, Mostafa Abbaszadeh and Mehdi Dehghan
The main aim of the current paper is to find a numerical plan for hydraulic fracturing problem with application in extracting natural gases and oil.
Abstract
Purpose
The main aim of the current paper is to find a numerical plan for hydraulic fracturing problem with application in extracting natural gases and oil.
Design/methodology/approach
First, time discretization is accomplished via Crank-Nicolson and semi-implicit techniques. At the second step, a high-order finite element method using quadratic triangular elements is proposed to derive the spatial discretization. The efficiency and time consuming of both obtained schemes will be investigated. In addition to the popular uniform mesh refinement strategy, an adaptive mesh refinement strategy will be employed to reduce computational costs.
Findings
Numerical results show a good agreement between the two schemes as well as the efficiency of the employed techniques to capture acceptable patterns of the model. In central single-crack mode, the experimental results demonstrate that maximal values of displacements in x- and y- directions are 0.1 and 0.08, respectively. They occur around both ends of the line and sides directly next to the line where pressure takes impact. Moreover, the pressure of injected fluid almost gained its initial value, i.e. 3,000 inside and close to the notch. Further, the results for non-central single-crack mode and bifurcated crack mode are depicted. In central single-crack mode and square computational area with a uniform mesh, computational times corresponding to the numerical schemes based on the high order finite element method for spatial discretization and Crank-Nicolson as well as semi-implicit techniques for temporal discretizations are 207.19s and 97.47s, respectively, with 2,048 elements, final time T = 0.2 and time step size τ = 0.01. Also, the simulations effectively illustrate a further decrease in computational time when the method is equipped with an adaptive mesh refinement strategy. The computational cost is reduced to 4.23s when the governed model is solved with the numerical scheme based on the adaptive high order finite element method and semi-implicit technique for spatial and temporal discretizations, respectively. Similarly, in other samples, the reduction of computational cost has been shown.
Originality/value
This is the first time that the high-order finite element method is employed to solve the model investigated in the current paper.
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As supply chain excellence matters, designing an appropriate health-care supply chain is a great consideration to the health-care providers worldwide. Therefore, the purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
As supply chain excellence matters, designing an appropriate health-care supply chain is a great consideration to the health-care providers worldwide. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to benchmark several potential health-care supply chains to design an efficient and effective one in the presence of mixed data.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this objective, this research illustrates a hybrid algorithm based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and goal programming (GP) for designing real-world health-care supply chains with mixed data. A DEA model along with a data aggregation is suggested to evaluate the performance of several potential configurations of the health-care supply chains. As part of the proposed approach, a GP model is conducted for dimensioning the supply chains under assessment by finding the level of the original variables (inputs and outputs) that characterize these supply chains.
Findings
This paper presents an algorithm for modeling health-care supply chains exclusively designed to handle crisp and interval data simultaneously.
Research limitations/implications
The outcome of this study will assist the health-care decision-makers in comparing their supply chains against peers and dimensioning their resources to achieve a given level of productions.
Practical implications
A real application to design a real-life pharmaceutical supply chain for the public ministry of health in Morocco is given to support the usefulness of the proposed algorithm.
Originality/value
The novelty of this paper comes from the development of a hybrid approach based on DEA and GP to design an appropriate real-life health-care supply chain in the presence of mixed data. This approach definitely contributes to assist health-care decision-makers design an efficient and effective supply chain in today’s competitive word.
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Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the…
Abstract
Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.
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Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to design a novel seasonal discrete grey model for forecasting monthly natural gas consumption by incorporating damping accumulation and time-polynomial term.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the principle of new information priority and nonlinear patterns in the original series of monthly natural gas consumption, we establish a novel discrete seasonal grey model by adding the damping accumulation and time-polynomial term into the existing model. In addition, the order of damping accumulation and the coefficient of time-power term can be determined by the moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm.
Findings
The empirical cases show that the proposed model has a better prediction performance when compared with other benchmark models, including six seasonal grey models, one statistical model and one artificial intelligent model. Based on forecasts, the proposed model can be considered a promising tool for monthly natural gas consumption (NGC) in US.
Originality/value
By combining the damping accumulation and the time-polynomial term, a new discrete seasonal grey model for improving the prediction performance of the existing grey model is proposed. The properties of the proposed model are given, and the newly-designed model is initially applied to predict monthly NGC in US.