Search results

Channel coordination has become an essential part of researching hotel supply chain management practices. This paper develops an improved channel coordination approach to coordinate the profit distribution between hotels and online travel agencies (OTAs) achieved through an introduction of advertising fees. This direction further improves the decentralization of cooperation and achieves Pareto improvement to achieve mutual profitability.

The methodology used in this study involves Stackelberg game theory employed for the decision-making and analysis of both the hotel and OTA. The OTA, acting as the leader, offers a hotel a contract specifying the commission rate that the hotel will pay to the respective OTA. The hotel, acting as a follower, sets a self-interested room rate as a given response. A deterministic, price-sensitive linear demand function is utilized to derive possible analytical solutions once centralized, noncooperative decentralization and cooperative decentralized channel occurs.

Results show that a new channel coordination approach is possible, namely via advertising fees. Prior to channel coordination, the OTA tends to set a higher commission rate, and the hotel sets a higher room rate in response under noncooperative decentralization. As such, this results in a lower channel-wide profit for all. One way to reduce channel-wide profit loss is to use a method of cooperative decentralization, which can, and will result in optimal profit as centralization takes place. However, the lack of incentives makes cooperative decentralization unfeasible. Further improvement is possible by using advertising fees based on a cooperative decentralization agreement, which can reach Pareto improvement.

This paper helps the OTA industry and hotel owners cooperate by way of smoother coordination. This study provides practitioners with two important practical implications. The first one is that the coordination between the hotel industry and OTA through cooperative decentralization allows for the achievement of higher profitability than that of noncooperative decentralization. The second one is that this paper solves the outstanding problem of insufficient incentives characteristic of cooperative decentralization by means of an advertising fee as a new supply chain coordination approach.

This paper offers both the problem and solution regarding the lack of incentives that hamper cooperative decentralization without the use of advertising fees. This paper is unique in that it derives analytical solutions regarding commissions levied in a typical hotel supply chain under noncooperative decentralization.

Since the performance of vehicular users and cellular users (CUE) in Vehicular networks is highly affected by the allocated resources to them. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the resource allocation for vehicular communications when multiple V2V links and a V2I link share spectrum with CUE in uplink communication under different Quality of Service (QoS).

An optimization model to maximize the V2I capacity is established based on slowly varying large-scale fading channel information. Multiple V2V links are clustered based on sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to reduce interference. Then, a weighted tripartite graph is constructed by jointly optimizing the power of CUE, V2I and V2V clusters. Finally, spectrum resources are allocated based on a weighted 3D matching algorithm.

The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can maximize the channel capacity of V2I while ensuring the reliability of V2V and the quality of service of CUE.

There is a lack of research on resource allocation algorithms of CUE, V2I and multiple V2V in different QoS. To solve the problem, one new resource allocation algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, multiple V2V links are clustered using SSA to reduce interference. Secondly, the power allocation of CUE, V2I and V2V is jointly optimized. Finally, the weighted 3D matching algorithm is used to allocate spectrum resources.

The success of online health communities (OHCs) depends on maintaining long-term relationships with physicians and preventing churn. Even so, the reasons for physician churn are poorly understood. In this study, an empirical model was proposed from a social influence perspective to explore the effects of online social influence and offline social influence on physician churn, as well as the moderating effect of their online returns.

The empirical data of 4,145 physicians from a Chinese OHC, and probit regression models were employed to verify the proposed theoretical model.

The results suggest that physicians' churn intention is influenced by online and offline social influences, and the offline social influence is more powerful. Physicians' reputational and economic returns could weaken the effect of online social influence on churn intention. However, physicians' economic returns could strengthen the effect of offline social influence on churn intention.

This research study is the first attempt to explore physician churn and divides the social influence into online and offline social influences according to the source of social relationship. The findings contribute to the literature on e-Health, user churn and social influence and provide management implications for OHC managers.

This study aims to explore the feasibility of adding Si₃N₄ nanoparticles to Sn58Bi and provides a theoretical basis for designing and applying new lead-free solder materials for the electronic packaging industry.

In this paper, Sn58Bi-xSi₃N₄ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 Wt.%) was prepared for bonding Cu substrate, and the changes in thermal properties, wettability, microstructure, interfacial intermetallic compound and mechanical properties of the composite solder were systematically studied.

The experiment results demonstrate that including Si₃N₄ nanoparticles does not significantly impact the melting point of Sn58Bi solder, and the undercooling degree of solder only fluctuates slightly. The molten solder spreading area reached a maximum of 96.17 mm², raised by 19.41% relative to those without Si₃N₄, and the wetting angle was the smallest at 0.6 Wt.% of Si₃N₄, with a minimum value of 8.35°. When the Si₃N₄ nanoparticles reach 0.6 Wt.%, the solder joint microstructure is significantly refined. Appropriately adding Si₃N₄ nanoparticles will slightly increase the solder alloy hardness. When the concentration of Si₃N₄ reaches 0.6 Wt.%, the joints shear strength reached 45.30 MPa, representing a 49.85% increase compared to those without additives. A thorough examination indicates that legitimately incorporating Si₃N₄ nanoparticles into Sn58Bi solder can enhance its synthetical performance, and 0.6 Wt.% is the best addition amount in our test setting.

In this paper, Si₃N₄ nanoparticles were incorporated into Sn58Bi solder, and the effects of different contents of Si₃N₄ nanoparticles on Sn58Bi solder were investigated from various aspects.

The purpose of this paper is to study the aerodynamic characteristics of Ahmed body in longitudinal and lateral platoons under crosswind by computational fluid dynamics simulation. It helps to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles by providing theoretical basis and engineering direction for the development and progress of intelligent transportation.

A two-car platoon model is used to compare with the experiment to prove the accuracy of the simulation method. The simplified Ahmed body model and the Reynolds Averaged N-S equation method are used to study the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles at different distances under cross-winds.

When the longitudinal distance x/L = 0.25, the drag coefficients of the middle and trailing cars at β = 30° are improved by about 272% and 160% compared with β = 10°. The side force coefficients of the middle and trailing cars are increased by 50% and 62%. When the lateral distance y/W = 0.25, the side force coefficients of left and middle cars at β = 30° are reduced by 38% and 37.5% compared with β = 10°. However, the side force coefficient of the right car are increased by about 84.3%.

Most of the researches focus on the overtaking process, and there are few researches on the neat lateral platoon. The innovation of this paper is that in addition to studying the aerodynamic characteristics of longitudinal driving, the aerodynamic characteristics of neat lateral driving are also studied, and crosswind conditions are added. The authors hope to contribute to the development of intelligent transportation.

This study aims to prepare an imprinted composite membrane with grafted temperature-sensitive blocks for the efficient adsorption and separation of rhenium(Re) from aqueous solutions.

PVDF resin membrane was used as the substrate, dopamine and chitosan (CS) were used to modify the membrane surface and temperature-sensitive block PDEA was grafted on the membrane surface. Then acrylic acid (AA) and N-methylol acrylamide (N-MAM) were used as the functional monomers, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker and ascorbic acid-hydrogen peroxide (Vc-H₂O₂) as the initiator to obtain the temperature-sensitive ReO4⁻ imprinted composite membranes.

The effect of the preparation process on the performance of CS–Re–TIICM was investigated in detail, and the optimal preparation conditions were as follows: the molar ratios of AA–NH₄ReO₄, N-MAM and EGDMA were 0.13, 0.60 and 1.00, respectively. The optimal temperature and time of the reaction were 40 °C and 24 h. The maximum adsorption capacity of CS–Re–TIICM prepared under optimal conditions was 0.1071 mmol/g, and the separation was 3.90 when MnO4⁻ was used as the interfering ion. The quasi first-order kinetics model and Langmuir model were more suitable to describe the adsorption process.

With the increasing demand for Re, the recovery of Re from Re-containing secondary resources becomes important. This study demonstrated a new material that could be separated and recovered Re in a complex environment, which could effectively alleviate the conflict between the supply and demand of Re.

This contribution provided a new material for the selective separation and purification of ReO4⁻, and the adsorption capacity and separation of CS–Re–TIICM were increased with 1.673 times and 1.219 time compared with other Re adsorbents, respectively. In addition, when it was used for the purification of NH₄ReO₄ crude, the purity was increased from 91.950% to 99.999%.

This study aims to explore the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) power and stock price crash risk in India. Furthermore, it seeks to analyse how insider trades may moderate the impact of CEO power on stock price crash risk.

A study of 236 companies from the S&P BSE 500 Index (2014–2023) have been analysed through pooled ordinary least square (OLS) regression in the baseline analysis. To enhance the results' reliability, robustness checks include alternative methodologies, such as panel data regression with fixed-effects, binary logistic regression and Bayesian regression. Additional control variables and alternative crash risk measure have also been utilised. To address potential endogeneity, instrumental variable techniques such as two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS) and difference-in-difference (DiD) methodologies are utilised.

Stakeholder theory is supported by results revealing that CEO power proxies like CEO duality, status and directorship reduce one-year ahead stock price crash risk and vice versa. Insider trades are found to moderate the link between select dimensions of CEO power and stock price crash risk. These findings persist after addressing potential endogeneity concerns, and the results remain consistent across alternative methodologies and variable inclusions.

This study significantly advances research on stock price crash risk, especially in emerging economies like India. The implications of these findings are crucial for investors aiming to mitigate crash risk, for corporations seeking enhanced governance measures and for policymakers considering the economic and welfare consequences associated with this phenomenon.

With the development of science and technology, more creators are trying to use new crafts to represent the cultural trends of the social media era, which makes cultural heritage innovative and new genres emerge. This compels the academic community to examine craft from a new perspective. It is very helpful to understand the hidden representational structure of craft more deeply and improve the craft innovation system of cultural and creative products that we deconstruct the craft based on Complex Network and discover its intrinsic connections.

The research crawled and cleaned the craft information of the top 20% products on the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products online and then performed Complex Network modeling, constructed three craft representation networks among function, material and technique, quantified and analyzed the inner connections and network structure of the craft elements, and then analyzed the cultural inheritance and innovation embedded in the craft representation networks.

The three dichotomous craft representation networks constructed by combining function, material and technique: (1) the network density is low and none of them has small-world characteristics, indicating that the innovative heritage of the craft elements in the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products is at the stage of continuous exploration and development, and multiple coupling innovation is still insufficient; (2) all have scale-free characteristics and there is still a certain degree of community structure within each network, indicating that the coupling innovation of craft elements of the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products is seriously uneven, with some specific “grammatical combinations” and an Island Effect in the network structure; (3) the craft elements with high network centrality emphasize the characteristics of decorative culture and design for the masses, as well as the pursuit of production efficiency and economic benefits, which represent the aesthetic purport of contemporary Chinese society and the ideological trend of production and life.

The Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products should continue to develop and enrich the multi-coupling innovation of craft elements, clarify and continue their own brand unique craft genes, and make full use of the network important nodes role.

Digital transformation misalignment refers to disparities in digital transformation levels between suppliers and buyers across the production and operation process. It has negatively affected supply chain stability. However, the existing research concerning the economic consequences has not been adequately addressed. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate whether such digital transformation misalignment increases supplier financial risk and to identify the factors influencing this relationship.

This paper examines binary combinations of suppliers and buyers listed on China’s A-share market between 2011 and 2021. This group constitutes a sample to empirically test the influence of digital transformation misalignment on the supplier’s financial risk, as well as the moderating effect of the geographical and organizational distances.

The paper’s findings demonstrate that digital transformation misalignment has indeed a significant increase in the supplier’s financial risk. Moreover, the impact is more intense when the geographical or organizational distance between the supplier and the buyer is relatively large.

The existing literature rarely explores the potential risks arising from digital transformation misalignment between supply chain partners. Therefore, this paper fills a notable gap as it is the first to study the impact of digital transformation misalignment on the supplier’s financial risk and the specific applied mechanisms. The contribution significantly improves the field of corporate digital transformation, particularly, within the context of supply chain management.

This research investigates how to optimize storage location assignment to decrease the order picking time and the waiting time of orders in the staging area of low-temperature logistics centers, with the goal of reducing food loss caused by temperature abuse.

The authors applied ABC clustering to the products in a simulated database of historical orders modeled after the actual order pattern of a large cold logistics company; then, the authors mined the association rules and calculated the sales volume correlation indices of the ordered products. Finally, the authors generated three different simulated order databases to compare order picking time and waiting time of orders in the staging area under eight different storage location assignment strategies.

All the eight proposed storage location assignment strategies significantly improve the order picking time (by up to 8%) and the waiting time of orders in the staging area (by up to 22%) compared with random placement.

The results of this research are based on a case study and simulated data, which implies that, if the best performing strategies are applied to different environments, the extent of the improvements may vary. Additionally, the authors only considered specific settings in terms of order picker routing, zoning and batching: other settings may lead to different results.

A storage location assignment strategy that adopts dispersion and takes into consideration ABC clustering and shipping frequency provides the best performance in minimizing order picker's travel distance, order picking time, and waiting time of orders in the staging area. Other strategies may be a better fit if the company's objectives differ.

Previous research on optimal storage location assignment rarely considered item association rules based on sales volume correlation. This study combines such rules with several storage planning strategies, ABC clustering, and two warehouse layouts; then, it evaluates their performance compared to the random placement, to find which one minimizes the order picking time and the order waiting time in the staging area, with a 30-min time limit to preserve the integrity of the cold chain. Order picking under these conditions was rarely studied before, because they may be irrelevant when dealing with temperature-insensitive items but become critical in cold warehouses to prevent temperature abuse.