This paper describes exact and heuristic approaches for scheduling multiple cranes that service a shipyard that produces multiple ships concurrently. Cranes transport a variety of materials over a shared network of tracks; therefore, inter-crane interference is a major factor affecting makespan...

A series of interesting questions will be proposed and tried to be answered in this paper such as: Is there a limit of disaster-bearing capability in a region human-environment system (HES) when the system is hit by an extreme flood disaster? If so, what does it mean and how can it be explained?...

Purpose – This paper therefore aims at systematically estimating the agricultural trade induced farm employment effects in China. Design/methodology/approach – Using detailed agricultural trade and production data during 1994-2009, the authors estimate the “labor contents” of...

The path that the price takes during an on-line auction plays an important role in understanding and forecasting on-line auctions. Price dynamics, such as the price velocity or its acceleration, capture the speed at which auction information changes. The ability to estimate price dynamics...

Forecasting prices in online auctions is important for both buyers and sellers. With good forecasts, bidders can make informed bidding decisions and sellers can select the right time and place to list their products. While information from other auctions can help forecast an ongoing auction, it...

In the pharmaceutical industry, sales representatives visit doctors to inform them of their products and encourage them to become an active prescriber. On a daily basis, pharmaceutical sales representatives must decide which doctors to visit and the order to visit them. This situation motivates...

The study examines the relationship between trade openness and carbon dioxide emissions in the cumulative risks context for China's economic development and the European Union. Hypotheses derived from a review of the literature substantiate the following key findings: (1) A reduction in CO2...