Noraddin Mousazadeh Abbassi, Mohammad Ali Aghaei and Mahdi Moradzadeh Fard
The aim of this research is to predict the total stock market index of the Tehran Stock Exchange, using the compound method of fuzzy genetics and neural network, in order for the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to predict the total stock market index of the Tehran Stock Exchange, using the compound method of fuzzy genetics and neural network, in order for the active participants of the finance market as well as macro decision makers to be able to predict the market trend.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the prediction was done by neural network, then the output weight of optimum neural network was taken as standard to repeat this prediction using the genetic algorithm, and then the extracted pattern from the neural network was stated through discernible rules using fuzzy theory.
Findings
The main attention of this paper is investors and traders to achieve a method for predicting the stock market. Concerning the results of previous research, which confirms the relative superiority of non-linear models in price index prediction, an appropriate model has been offered in this research by compounding the non-linear method such as fuzzy genetics and neural network. The results indicate superiority of the designed system in predicting price index of the Tehran Stock Exchange.
Originality/value
This paper states its originality and value by compounding the non-linear method issues pattern to predict stock market, to encourage further investigation by academics and practitioners in the field.
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Sareh Khazaeli, Mohammad Saeed Jabalameli and Hadi Sahebi
Due to the importance of quality to customers, this study considers criteria of quality and profit and optimizes both in a multi-echelon cold chain of perishable agricultural…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the importance of quality to customers, this study considers criteria of quality and profit and optimizes both in a multi-echelon cold chain of perishable agricultural products whose quality immediately begins to deteriorate after harvest. The two objectives of the proposed cold chain are to maximize profit and quality. Since postharvest quality loss in the supply chain depends on various decisions and factors, in addition to strategic decisions, the authors consider the temperature setting in refrigerated facilities and transportation vehicles due to the unfixed shelf life of the products which is related to the temperature found by Arrhenius formula.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use bi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming to design a four-echelon supply chain. The authors integrate the supply chain echelons to detect the sources and factors of quality loss. The four echelons include supply, processing, storage and customer. The decisions, including facility location, assigning nodes of each echelon to corresponding nodes from the adjacent echelon, allocation of vehicles to transport the products from farms to wholesalers, processing selection, and temperature setting in refrigerated facilities, are made in an integrated way. Model verification and validation in the case study are done based on three perishable herbal plants.
Findings
The model obtains a 29% profit against a total cost of 71 and 93% of original quality of the crops is maintained, indicating a 7% quality loss. The final quality of 93% is the result of making a US$6m investment in the supply chain, including the procurement of high-quality raw materials; facility establishment; high-speed, high-capacity vehicles; location assignment; processing selection and refrigeration equipment in the storage and transportation systems, helping to maximize both the final quality of the products and the total profit.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed supply chain model should help managers with modeling decisions, especially when it comes to cold chains for agricultural products. The model yields these results – optimal location-allocation decisions for the facilities to minimize distances between the network nodes, which save time and maintain the majority of the products’ original quality; choosing the most appropriate processing method, which reduces the perishability rate; providing high-capacity, high-speed vehicles in the logistics system, which minimizes transportation costs and maximizes the quality; and setting the right temperature in the refrigerated facilities, which mitigates the postharvest decay reaction rate of the products.
Practical implications
Comparison of the results of the present research with those of the traditional chain (obtained through experts) shows that since the designed chain increases the profit as well as the final quality, it has benefits for the main chain stakeholders, which are customers of agricultural products. This study model is expected to have a positive impact on the environment by placing strong emphasis on quality and preventing excessive waste generation and air pollution by imposing a financial penalty on extra demand production.
Social implications
Since profit and quality of the final product are two important factors in all cultures and communities, the proposed supply chain model can be used in any food industry around the world. Applying the proposed model induces growth in local industries and promotes the culture of prioritizing quality in societies.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research on a bi-objective four-echelon (supply, processing, storage and customer) postharvest supply chain for agricultural products including that integrates transportation logistics and considers the deterioration rate of products as a time-dependent variable at different levels of decision-making.
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Ayah Mohammed Daghash, Rajaa Mohammed Daghash, Ala’ Mustafa Abuh-Odeh, Leen Bassam Fino, Manal Abdel-Kareem Ayyash and Beisan Ali Mohammad
Dietary supplements are important in improving maternal health and birth outcomes during pregnancy. This study aims to assess women’s knowledge about the benefits, sources and…
Abstract
Purpose
Dietary supplements are important in improving maternal health and birth outcomes during pregnancy. This study aims to assess women’s knowledge about the benefits, sources and proper intake of dietary supplements during pregnancy.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study was conducted among women at Jordan University Hospital in Amman, Jordan from July to October 2023.
Findings
A total of 448 women completed the questionnaire. Analysis of the results showed that among all questions, participants perceived sufficient knowledge about dietary supplements' beneficial effects. Around 50% of the participants did not recognize the importance of vitamin B12 and vitamin A. Most participants identified that iron supplements should not be taken with dairy products, coffee, tea, calcium and antacids. Most participants did not know the source of vitamin A (82.1%), and only 44% knew the correct source of vitamin B12. Less than half of the participants recognized the appropriate administration time for each dietary supplement.
Originality/value
The knowledge level of the interaction between iron and food, natural sources of vitamins and their benefits was high, less than half of the participants showed poor knowledge about the proper time to take the dietary supplement. Patient education and counseling is important to improve health outcomes.
Mohammad Reza Salimpour, Mohammad Hossein Karimi Darvanjooghi, Ali Abdollahi, Arash Karimipour and Marjan Goodarzi
A boiling surface with different initial roughness and under various nanoparticles volume fractions was studied in present work.
Abstract
Purpose
A boiling surface with different initial roughness and under various nanoparticles volume fractions was studied in present work.
Design/methodology/approach
Develop a correlation and sensitivity analysis.
Findings
The results showed that for small (7.3 nm) and much larger (about 2,000 nm) surface roughness, compared to nanoparticle size of around 25 nm, the heat transfer rate of nanofluid diminishes relative to that of base fluid. The results also demonstrated that the boiling heat transfer rate is reduced by increasing the concentration of nanoparticles. For larger boiling surface roughness (480 nm) and nanoparticles volume fractions of less than 0.1 Vol.%, the value of heat transfer increases with the increase of nanoparticles concentration; and for those of more than 0.1 Vol.%, heat transfer rate decreases by adding more nanoparticles, significantly.
Originality/value
Finally, an equation was presented for estimating the wall superheat and the Csf coefficient in terms of mentioned parameters.
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Muhammad Ahmed, Syed Ahmad Ali, Muhammad Tahir Jan and Arif Hassan
Organizations today strive to differentiate themselves from others with the help of various tools. Aaker’s brand personality model is one of them. It comprises five components…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations today strive to differentiate themselves from others with the help of various tools. Aaker’s brand personality model is one of them. It comprises five components namely, sincerity, excitement, sophistication, competence and ruggedness. This model has been tested and supported by various scholars in the past. Similarly, it also attracted a lot of criticism especially in terms of generalizability across countries and cultures. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to study Aaker’s model from an Islamic perspective; second, considering the dearth of brand personality knowledge in the services sector, to develop Islamic Banks’ Brand Personality (IBBP) model.
Design/methodology/approach
To propose IBBP model, traits in Aaker’s model have been investigated in the light of selected Quranic verses and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (ahadith). Later on, content validation was conducted as a pilot study with experts from the relevant fields.
Findings
Findings exhibit that Quran and hadith clearly elaborate and support majority dimensions of the existing model. Importantly, three new dimensions, namely, trustworthiness, justice and Shariah compliance, were added to develop a comprehensive IBBP model. Once the dimensions of IBBP model were finalized, the underlying items were content validated from 12 experts. Most of the items were approved; some were recommended for amendments and a few items were eliminated.
Practical implications
This research contributes to the branding as well as bank marketing literature as it is the first Islamic banks’ brand personality framework. With the help of IBBP model, Islamic banks can create a better brand image, use advertising strategies effectively and ultimately retain existing and attract more potential customers.
Social implications
This research elaborates the personality traits of Muslim consumer market. Following IBBP model, financial needs of Muslim consumer market can be catered effectively.
Originality/value
The IBBP model being first of its kind is significant for Islamic banking industry as it reflects dimensions that are supported by the Quran and hadith, and therefore suits Muslim customer market.
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Ali Heidari, Mohammad Khalilzadeh, Dragan Pamucar and Fatih Ecer
The purpose of this study was to address waste management in the food supply chain (FSC) through the integration of inspection processes in production and distribution centers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to address waste management in the food supply chain (FSC) through the integration of inspection processes in production and distribution centers under uncertain conditions, aiming to enhance sustainability across environmental, economic and social dimensions. The study introduces a sustainable forward and reverse FSC network using a closed-loop supply chain network approach to prevent the transfer of spoiled products, ultimately providing competitive advantages to stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
A robust multi-objective mathematical programming model is proposed, incorporating inspection processes to manage perishable products effectively. The model is solved using the Augmented Epsilon Constraint technique implemented in GAMS software, providing Pareto-optimal solutions tailored to decision-makers’ preferences. Furthermore, the methodology is applied in a real-world case study and solved with the Benders Decomposition algorithm to validate its practicality and effectiveness.
Findings
The proposed methodology effectively minimizes waste and enhances sustainability in the FSC by optimizing decision-making processes under uncertainty. The illustrative examples and real case study demonstrate the efficiency of the model and solution approach, highlighting the significant role of inspection in improving all three dimensions of sustainability.
Practical implications
The study offers valuable insights into and tools for food industry managers to make informed strategic and tactical decisions. By addressing waste management through advanced supply chain modeling, the research helps organizations reduce costs, improve sustainability and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Originality/value
This research is novel in its focus on integrating inspection into the FSC network and addressing uncertainty through robust mathematical modeling. It contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating the impact of inspection on sustainability in FSCs and providing practical solutions for real-world implementation.
Details
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Ali Heidari, Din Mohammad Imani and Mohammad Khalilzadeh
This paper aims to study the hub transportation system in supply chain networks which would contribute to reducing costs and environmental pollution, as well as to economic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the hub transportation system in supply chain networks which would contribute to reducing costs and environmental pollution, as well as to economic development and social responsibility. As not all customers tend to buy green products, several customer groups should be considered in terms of need type.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a multi-objective hub location problem is developed for designing a sustainable supply chain network based on customer segmentation. It deals with the aspects of economic (cost reduction), environment (minimizing greenhouse gas emissions by the transport sector) and social responsibility (creating employment and community development). The epsilon-constraint method and augmented epsilon-constraint (AEC) method are used to solve the small-sized instances of this multi-objective problem. Due to the non-deterministic polynomial-time hardness of this problem, two non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) and multi-objective grey wolf optimizer (MOGWO) metaheuristic algorithms are also applied to tackle the large-sized instances of this problem.
Findings
As expected, the AEC method is able to provide better Pareto solutions according to the goals of the decision-makers. The Taguchi method was used for setting the parameters of the two metaheuristic algorithms. Considering the meaningful difference, the MOGWO algorithm outperforms the NSGA-II algorithm according to the rate of achievement to two objectives simultaneously and the spread of non-dominance solutions indexes. Regarding the other indexes, there was no meaningful difference between the performance of the two algorithms.
Practical implications
The model of this research provides a comprehensive solution for supply chain companies that want to achieve a rational balance between the three aspects of sustainability.
Originality/value
The importance of considering customer diversity on the one hand and saving on hub transportation costs, on the other hand, triggered us to propose a hub location model for designing a sustainable supply chain network based on customer segmentation.
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Zhe Tian, Seyed Amin Bagherzadeh, Kamal Ghani, Arash Karimipour, Ali Abdollahi, Mehrdad Bahrami and Mohammad Reza Safaei
This paper aims to propose a new nonlinear function estimation fuzzy system as a novel statistical approach to estimate nanofluids’ thermal conductivity.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a new nonlinear function estimation fuzzy system as a novel statistical approach to estimate nanofluids’ thermal conductivity.
Design/methodology/approach
A fuzzy system having a product inference engine, a singleton fuzzifier, a center average defuzzifier and Gaussian membership functions is proposed for this purpose.
Findings
Results indicate that the proposed fuzzy system can predict the thermal conductivity of Al2O3/paraffin nanofluid with appropriate precision and generalization and it also outperforms the classic interpolation methods.
Originality/value
A new nonlinear function estimation fuzzy system was introduced as a novel statistical approach to estimate nanofluids’ thermal conductivity for the first time.
Details
Keywords
Masoud Mozaffari, Annunziata D’Orazio, Arash Karimipour, Ali Abdollahi and Mohammad Reza Safaei
The purpose of this paper is to improve the lattice Boltzmann method’s ability to simulate a microflow under constant heat flux.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the lattice Boltzmann method’s ability to simulate a microflow under constant heat flux.
Design/methodology/approach
Develop the thermal lattice Boltzmann method based on double population of hydrodynamic and thermal distribution functions.
Findings
The buoyancy forces, caused by gravity, can change the hydrodynamic properties of the flow. As a result, the gravity term was included in the Boltzmann equation as an external force, and the equations were rewritten under new conditions.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current study is the first attempt to investigate mixed-convection heat transfer in an inclined microchannel in a slip flow regime.
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Soroush Sadripour, Mohammad Estajloo, Seyed Abdolmehdi Hashemi, Ali J. Chamkha and Mahmoud Abbaszadeh
The purpose of this study is to reduce energy consumption in bakeries. Due to fulfill this demand, quite a few parameters such as energy and exergy efficiency, energy waste and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to reduce energy consumption in bakeries. Due to fulfill this demand, quite a few parameters such as energy and exergy efficiency, energy waste and fuel consumption by different traditional flatbreads bakeries (Sangak, Barbari, Taftun and Lavash should be monitored and their roles should not be neglected.
Design/methodology/approach
In the present study, experimental measurements and mathematical modeling are used to scrutinize and investigate the effects of the aforementioned parameters on energy consumption by bakeries.
Findings
The results show that by doing reported methods in this paper, the wasted energy of the walls can be decreased by about 65 per cent; and also, by controlling the combustion reaction to perform with 5 per cent excess air, the wasted energy of excess air declines by about 90 per cent. And finally, the energy and exergy efficiency of bakeries is increased, and as a result, the annual energy consumption of Sangak, Barbari, Taftun and Lavash bakeries diminish about 71, 59, 57 and 40 per cent, respectively.
Originality/value
As evidenced by the literature review, it can be observed that neither numerical studies nor experimental investigations have been conducted about energy and exergy analyses of Iranian machinery traditional flatbread bakeries. It is clear that due to a high preference of Iranians to use the traditional bread and also the popularity of baking this kind of bread in Iran, if it is possible to enhance the traditional oven conditions to decrease the loss of natural gas instead of industrializing the bread baking, the energy consumption in the country can be optimized.