A win-win supply chain solution using project contracts with bargaining games

For product supply chains, contractual relationships that provide win-win outcomes between the supply chain members, have been found to offer optimum results. However, for bargaining situations where time/cost is the source of the uncertainty, i.e. projects, there is limited knowledge available on how contracts can be used to establish win-win relations. This paper investigates whether cost-sharing project contracts can establish a win-win solution in project supply chains where the project manager is risk-neutral and the contractor is risk-averse. The paper examines how the theory can be extended beyond the symmetrical normal distributions to asymmetrical beta and gamma distributions that are more appropriate, and so more often used, for project completion times. Besides using the Nash bargaining approach for analyzing the bargaining process, the paper also analyzes the bargaining problems using the Kalai-Smorodinsky and Utilitarian approaches to bargaining. It was found that the solutions from cost-plus contracts dominate any other form of cost-sharing contract, and so they provide a win-win solution for both members of the supply chain for the cases of Nash and Kalai-Smorodinsky bargaining. However, this is not the case for Utilitarian bargaining. A numerical exercise was conducted to investigate the results and implications of how the models would work in practice. The research shows that from a theoretical perspective, cost-plus contracts are the optimal bargaining solution not only when using a normal distribution, but also when using more appropriate asymmetrical distributions. This optimality is robust for the Nash and Kalai-Smorodinsky bargaining approaches, but not for the Utilitarian approach whose sensitivity to noise makes it an inappropriate choice here

Theory of charging and charge transport in “intermediate” thickness dielectrics and its implications for characterization and reliability

Thin film dielectrics have broad applications, and the performance degradation due to charge trapping in these thin films is an important and pervasive reliability concern. It has been presumed since the 1960s that current transport in intermediate-thickness (IT) oxides (∼10–100 nm) can be described by Frenkel-Poole (FP) conduction (originally developed for ∼mm-thick films) and algorithms based on the FP theory can be used to extract defect energy levels and charging-limited lifetime. In this paper, we review the published results to show that the presumption of FP-dominated current in IT oxides is incorrect, and therefore, the methods to extract trap-depths to predict lifetime should be revised. We generalize/adapt the bulk FP current conduction model by including additional tunneling-based current injection. Steady state characteristics are obtained by a flux balance between contacts and the IT oxide. An analytical approximation of the generalized FP model yields a steady state leakage current J ∝ exp(−B√E)(1 − C√E − D/E), where B, C, and D are material-specific constants. This reformulation provides a new algorithm for extracting defect levels to predict the corresponding charging limited device lifetime. The validity and robustness of the new algorithm are confirmed by simulations and published experimental data

Re-appearance of the pairing correlations at finite temperature

Rotational and deformation dependence of isovector and isoscalar pairing correlations at finite temperature are studied in an exactly solvable cranked deformed shell model Hamiltonian. It is shown that isovector pairing correlations, as expected, decrease with increasing deformation and the isoscalar pairing correlations remain constant at temperature, T=0. However, it is observed that at finite temperature both isovector and isoscalar pairing correlations are enhanced with increasing deformation, which contradict the mean-field predictions. It is also demonstrated that the pair correlations, which are quenched at T=0 and high rotational frequency re-appear at finite temperature. The changes in the individual multipole pairing fields as a function of rotation and deformation are analyzed in detail.Comment: 16 pages 6 figure

Bone-to-bone and implant-to-bone impingement : a novel graphical representation for hip replacement planning

Bone-to-bone impingement (BTBI) and implant-to-bone impingement (ITBI) risk assessment is generally performed intra-operatively by surgeons, which is entirely subjective and qualitative, and therefore, lead to sub-optimal results and recurrent dislocation in some cases. Therefore, a method was developed for identifying subject-specific BTBI and ITBI, and subsequently, visualising the impingement area on native bone anatomy to highlight where prominent bone should be resected. Activity definitions and subject-specific bone geometries, with planned implants were used as inputs for the method. The ITBI and BTBI boundary and area were automatically identified using ray intersection and region growing algorithm respectively to retain the same ‘conical clearance angle’ obtained to avoid prosthetic impingement (PI). The ITBI and BTBI area was then presented with different colours to highlight the risk of impingement, and importance of resection. A clinical study with five patients after 2 years of THA was performed to validate the method. The results supported the study hypothesis, in that the predicted highest risk area (red coloured zone) was completely/majorly resected during the surgery. Therefore, this method could potentially be used to examine the effect of different pre-operative plans and hip motions on BTBI, ITBI, and PI, and to guide bony resection during THA surgery

A non-obtrusive technique to characterize dielectric charging in RF-MEMS capacitive switches

Degradation and failure due to dielectric charging has been a dominant and pervasive reliability concern for RF-MEMS switches. Traditionally, the operational lifetime dictated by this degradation phenomenon is extrapolated from a series of measurements of time-dependent shifts in Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) characteristics under accelerated stress conditions. In this paper, we explain why the classical large-signal C-V methodology may lead to a pessimistic under-prediction of device lifetime. Using both simulations and experiments, we propose and verify a new small-signal characterization technique based on resonance characteristics of MEMS cantilever beams. This new technique overcomes the limitations of the classical approaches to accurately anticipate device lifetime and opens up the possibility of non-obtrusive, in-situ runtime monitoring of degradation in RF-MEMS switches. Moreover, since the technique is amenable to `parallel\u27 implementation, it has the potential to be used both as an in-line process monitor as well as to reduce the overall time to technology qualification