169 research outputs found
Clusters and supply chain management: challenges and obstacles
Purpose: This paper provides an insight into cluster supply chain (CSC) management by identifying
challenges and obstacles in the design, implementation and improvement of CSC. This evaluation aims to
propose future research directions for the management of CSC.
Research Approach: A systematic review of published research on CSC management between 2006 and
2013 is conducted in order to round up previous research in this area and identify the gaps in the design,
implementation and management of CSC; up on which the paper closes with a proposed agenda for future
work.
Findings and Originality: There is a limited understanding of the supply chain cluster concept and the
implementation of its practices in addition to the lack of studies that focused on how to model, manage
and improve the performance of CSC. Therefore, this paper would contribute to knowledge by providing an
insight into CSC management and identifying future research directions for developing SC cluster theories
in order to maximize the integration of supply chain and accordingly improving the performance of firms.
Research Impact: A limited number of studies have been conducted to demonstrate the potential impact of
CSC. The previous research did not provide a comprehensive review focusing on the evolution and the
development of CSC idea. The review in this paper will summarise the research up to now in CSC area in
order to identify challenges and obstacles in the design, implementation and improvement of CSC and
propose future research directions.
Practical Impact: This paper helps companies to understand benefits that can be raised from creating CSC
and gives them directions for improving their capabilities to create CSC and select SC partners, which
consequently help in increasing their competitiveness in terms of enhancing performance and increasing
sustainability
Theoretical de Haas-van Alphen Data and Plasma Frequencies of MgB2 and TaB2
The de Haas-van Alphen-frequencies as well as the effective masses for a
magnetic field parallel to the crystallographic c-axis are calculated within
the local spin density approximation (LSDA) for MgB2 and TaB2. In addition, we
analyze the plasma frequencies computed for each Fermi surface sheet. We find a
large anisotropy of Fermi velocities in MgB2 in difference to the nearly
isotropic behavior in TaB2. We compare calculations performed within the
relativistic non-full potential augmented-spherical-wave (ASW) scheme and the
scalar-relativistic full potential local orbital (FPLO) scheme. A significant
dependence for small cross sections on the bandstructure method is found. The
comparison with the first available experimental de Haas-van Alphen-data by
Yelland et al. (Ref. 19) shows deviations from the electronic structure
calculated within both L(S)DA approaches although the cross section predicted
by FPLO are closer to the experimental data. The elucidation of the relevant
many-body effects beyond the standard LDA is considered as a possible key
problem to understand the superconductivity in MgB2.Comment: Typos corrected, 3references added. Extended and corrected version of
S. Elgazzar et al., Solid State Comm. v. 121, 99 (2002). 7pages, 4figures,
AIP Conference Proc. "Correlated Electron Systems and High-Tc
Superconductors" (ed. F. Mancini) (October 2001, Salerno, Italy
Sato-Crutchfield formulation for some Evolutionary Games
The Sato-Crutchfield equations are studied analytically and numerically. The
Sato-Crutchfield formulation is corresponding to losing memory. Then
Sato-Crutchfield formulation is applied for some different types of games
including hawk-dove, prisoner's dilemma and the battle of the sexes games. The
Sato-Crutchfield formulation is found not to affect the evolutionarily stable
strategy of the ordinary games. But choosing a strategy becomes purely random
independent on the previous experiences, initial conditions, and the rules of
the game itself. Sato-Crutchfield formulation for the prisoner's dilemma game
can be considered as a theoretical explanation for the existence of cooperation
in a population of defectors.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, accepted for Int. J. Mod. Phys.
On differences between fractional and integer order differential equations for dynamical games
We argue that fractional order (FO) differential equations are more suitable
to model complex adaptive systems (CAS). Hence they are applied in replicator
equations for non-cooperative game. Rock-Scissors-Paper game is discussed. It
is known that its integer order model does not have a stable equilibrium. Its
fractional order model is shown to have a locally asymptotically stable
internal solution. A FO asymmetric game is shown to have a locally
asymptotically stable internal solution. This is not the case for its integer
order counterpart.Comment: 4 page
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