Searching for minimal path vectors (MPVs) is an important topic in solving network related problems, especially for the evaluation of network reliability. One of the popular approaches, namely the ...three-stage method (TSM), is influenced deeply on the efficiency of searching for minimal path vectors in multi-state networks (MSN). TSM consists of three stages, i.e., searching for all minimal path sets, searching for all MPVs, and calculating union probability on MPVs. After reviewing previous works in the literaure, this paper proposes a more efficient method based on cyclic check on the candidates of MPVs, which can do an efficient searching for MPVs in MSNs and even reduce the three-step approach to two-step approach. Benchmarking with the well-known algorithms are made in this paper, and more complicated networks are also examined for verification of the proposed method.
Abstract : Objective : In this study, an experiment was conducted to examine whether noise exposure produced acute changes in cardiovascular responses, and whether these responses differed based on ...psychoacoustic parameters to noises of low to high intensity. Methods : Thirty healthy subjects were enrolled. Three industrial noises were binaurally presented with a supraaural earphone. The sound levels of noise were<55, 75, and 90 dB, Each noise was continued for 20 min and the electrocardiogram was simultaneously recorded. Results : The results showed a statistically significant increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) at the 90 dB sound level. The study estimated a blood pressure increase of 0.85mmHg/10dB and 0.71mmHg/10dB in SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) , respectively. These results suggest that exposure to noise, particularly high-frequency noise, negatively impacts blood pressure. The tonality and fluctuation strength of noise especially impacts systolic blood pressure. Conclusions : The psycho-acoustic parameters of noise should be considered when evaluating the impact of noise exposure.
Band structure by design in 2D layered semiconductors is highly desirable, with the goal to acquire the electronic properties of interest through the engineering of chemical composition, structure, ...defect, stacking, or doping. For atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides, substitutional doping with more than one single type of transition metals is the task for which no feasible approach is proposed. Here, the growth of WS2 monolayer is shown codoped with multiple kinds of transition metal impurities via chemical vapor deposition controlled in a diffusion‐limited mode. Multielement embedment of Cr, Fe, Nb, and Mo into the host lattice is exemplified. Abundant impurity states thus generate in the bandgap of the resultant WS2 and provide a robust switch of charging/discharging states upon sweep of an electric filed. A profound memory window exists in the transfer curves of doped WS2 field‐effect transistors, forming the basis of binary states for robust nonvolatile memory. The doping technique presented in this work brings one step closer to the rational design of 2D semiconductors with desired electronic properties.
Multielement codoped monolayer WS2 is synthesized using chemical vapor deposition. No dopant clustering and phase segregation occur and WS2 retains n‐type semiconducting properties. Substantial and stable impurities states are introduced near the conduction band minimum. Through the charging/discharging of the impurity states, the doped WS2 functions as a nonvolatile memory with long charge‐retention time.
Many capacitated flow network papers treat reliability as a time‐invariant property. However, network components degrade over time suggesting that methods to quantify the time‐varying reliability of ...a network are appropriate. This paper proposes a method to compute the reliability of a multistate capacitated flow network in terms of multistate components characterized by a life distribution. The approach enables the calculation of the probability that demand can be satisfied over period of time despite component degradation. Examples are provided to clarify the steps required and to illustrate the assessments enabled. Based on the classical reliability theory, the Weibull reliability function is employed to characterize the degradation of network components. However, the approach is general and other distributions are also possible. The results indicate that the approach can assist a network supervisor determine reasonable demand rate and time constraint to satisfy demand as well as reason about alternative reliability improvement strategies.
To improve the success probability of a mission execution, scheduled checkpointing is often implemented to save completed portions of the mission task so that a system can resume the mission ...execution effectively after its restoration whenever the system failure occurs. This paper considers a repairable computing system subject to the scheduled checkpointing. The checkpointing intervals are deterministic, but can be even or uneven. The system repair time is fixed while the system time-to-failure can follow any arbitrary type of distributions. The maximum number of repairs is specified by a certain threshold value. A multi-valued decision diagram (MDD)-based analytical approach is proposed to evaluate the exact success probability of a mission execution for the considered repairable system. The proposed approach enables generating a compact mission MDD model where identical subMDD models can be merged to improve computational efficiency and reduce storage requirement. The MDD model, once being constructed, can be reused for system reliability evaluations using different input parameter values. A benchmark study is presented to show the efficiency of proposed MDD approach. A case study is performed to illustrate the application of the proposed MDD approach to facilitate decision making about proper system design and parameter selection.
As transport is a vital component in the modern tourism industry, determining reliable-performance tourism transport networks is critical for tour operators and travel agencies. The performance of a ...tourism transport network in this study is investigated by evaluating system reliability, which is the probability of successfully transporting requested passengers between multiple origins and multiple destinations within a time constraint when tardiness may occur. A stochastic multiple-origin-destination tourism transport network with tardiness (SMTNT) is formulated for system reliability evaluation. Identify all minimal travel paths (MTP) and corresponding maximum tardiness vectors that successfully connect each origin-destination pair under a time constraint. System reliability is derived from all flow vectors enabling delivery via MTPs a requested number of passengers at different tardiness levels. The proposed algorithm is successful in handling a combination of time constraints in the case of tardiness with multiple origin-destination pairs. Furthermore, it helps travel agencies obtain an insight into the performance of their SMTNT. An example describing the working of the proposed algorithm with an analysis of system reliability is provided. The results of the study can be used for improving the algorithm in the future.
•A hybrid flow shop (HFS) with stochastic capacity is studied.•A multistate hybrid flow-shop network is constructed to model the HFS with stochastic capacity.•Network reliability is a performance ...indicator to know whether demand can be met.•An efficient algorithm is proposed to derive an estimated interval for network reliability.•Two real cases show efficiency and accuracy of the proposed algorithm.
For a hybrid flow-shop (HFS), the number of machines in a stage presents multiple levels because of maintenance, partial failures, unexpected failures, etc. In other words, it is suitable that the capacity of each stage is regarded as a stochastic component. Reliability reveals the performance of an HFS under the stochastic capacity, while certain demand and due date are required. In this paper, the reliability is defined as the probability that an HFS with stochastic capacity can satisfy the makespan for the demand within the due date. We first transform the HFS with stochastic capacity into a multistate hybrid flow-shop network. An efficient algorithm is then proposed to derive an estimated interval for the reliability based on a pair of capacity vectors, which are generated from two estimated demand levels. Two practical cases, including a tile production system and a footwear production system, are presented to demonstrate how the estimated interval is obtained and to investigate efficiency and accuracy of the proposed algorithm. The reliability can be regarded as a quality indicator to understand the capability of the real-world HFS and to guarantee whether the demand can be completed within the desire due date.
Many real-world problems, such as power line transmission planning, computer network management, water pipe planning, and traffic flow planning, can be modeled using multistate network systems. One ...of the most interesting aspects of these problems is that one typically wishes to know the reliability of such a plan, namely the network reliability. To evaluate the reliability of a specific network system, the three-stage method (TSM) is typically applied. TSM consists of 1) finding all minimal paths, 2) finding all <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">d</tex-math></inline-formula>-system vectors, and 3) calculating the union probability for reliability, where 1) is one of the most challenging problems discussed in the literature. This article proposes an improved merge search method that combines the advantages of both enumeration and searching technologies. A step-by-step exploration of the proposed method is presented and several benchmark comparisons are performed using well-known algorithms to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method. The results show that the computation time of the proposed algorithm can save as much as 10 times against the well-known methods in the literature.
•Incorporate supplier sustainability into a multistate supply chain network (MSCN).•Apply two MCDM approaches (MEREC and TOPSIS) to determine supplier sustainability.•Evaluate network reliability ...while considering supplier sustainability.•Network reliability is implemented to evaluate the capability of the supply chain.•An audio production cooperation is used to demonstrate the proposed algorithm.
The United Nations’ sustainable development goals have brought attention to the pressing issue of enhancing supply chain sustainability and ensuring equitable order allocation. In contrast to the previous research, this study involves sustainability in network reliability evaluation. A new algorithm is proposed for computing network reliability, the probability that the current supply chain not only meets demand, budget, and suppliers’ production capacity but also considers the level of supplier sustainability. In the constructed multistate supply chain network (MSCN), a node represents a supplier, warehouse, assembler, or market, and a route connecting the nodes represents a carrier. The capacity of each carrier, represented by the available delivery containers, should not be deterministic as they may be partially reserved by other markets. Grounded in the Method Based on the Removal Effects of Criteria (MEREC) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), the supplier sustainability can be assessed, facilitating the selection of sustainable suppliers and the determination of feasible order allocations, which are essential for various industries. An audio production cooperation is used as a case study to demonstrate the utility of the proposed algorithm.
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