Let the buyer beware: how network structure can enable (and prevent) supply chain fraud

PurposeSupply chain fraud is a significant global concern for firms, consumers and governments. Evidence of major fraud events suggests the role of supply chain structures in enabling and facilitating fraud, as they often involve several parties in complicated networks designed to obfuscate the fraud. This paper identifies how the structural characteristics of supply chains can play an important role in enabling, facilitating and preventing fraud.Design/methodology/approachThe research follows a theory elaboration approach. The authors build on structural holes theory in conjunction with a multiple case study research design to identify new concepts and develop propositions regarding the role of network structure on supply chain fraud.FindingsThis research shows how structural holes in a supply chain can create advantages for unscrupulous firms, a role we call tertius fraudans, or the cheating third. This situation is exacerbated by structural ignorance, which refers to the lack of knowledge about structural connections in the network. Both structural holes and structural ignorance can create information gaps that facilitate fraud, and the authors propose solutions to detect and prevent this kind of fraud.Originality/valueThis paper extends structural holes theory into the domain of fraud. Novel concepts including tertius fraudans, structural ignorance and bridge collapse are offered, alongside a series of propositions that can help understand and manage structural supply chain fraud.

Alternative Load Path Analysis for Assessing the Geometric Agreement of a Cable-Stayed Bridge with Steel Truss Girders

The geometric agreement, commonly hailed as load-transferring paths withinbridge structures, is significantly crucial to the bridge structural mechanicalperformance, such as capacity, deformation, and collapse behavior. This paperpresents a methodology dependent on alternative load paths to investigate thecollapse behavior of a double-pylon cable-stayed bridge with steel truss girderssubjected to excess vehicle loading. The cable-stayed bridge with steel trussgirders is simplified using a series-parallel load-bearing system. This researchmanifests that the enforced vehicle loading can be transferred to alternativepaths of cable-stayed bridges in different load-structure scenarios. A 3-Dfinite element model is established utilizing computer software ANSYS to explorethe collapse path of cable-stayed bridge with steel truss girders, taking intoaccount chord failure, loss of cables together with corrosion in steel trussgirders. The results show that chord failures in the mid-portion of the mainspan result in brittle damage in truss girders or even sudden bridge collapse. Further,the loss of long cables leads to ductile damage with significant displacement.The corrosion in steel truss girders has a highly slight influence on the collapsebehavior of cable-stayed bridge. The proposed methodology can be reliably usedto assess and determine the vulnerability of cable-stayed bridge with steeltruss girders during their service lifetime, thus preventing structural collapsesin this type of bridge.

Pengaruh Produk dan Iklan Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Yamaha Jupiter MX

The purpose of this study was to determine the simultaneous and partial influence of products and advertisements and the most dominant variables on the purchase decision of Yamaha Jupiter MX motorcycles. The type of research used is explanatory research. The population is JMC Community (Jupiter MX Club) Surabaya as many as 56 people who know the Jupiter MX ad version of 'Bridge Collapse'. Saturated sampling technique is the entire population. The analysis technique used is multiple regressions with significant tests of F and t. The results of the analysis showed that products and advertisements simultaneously had a significant effect on purchasing decisions. While the results of the analysis partially, it was concluded that: (1) The product has a significant effect on purchasing decisions. (2) Advertising has a significant effect on purchasing decisions. Product variables have a dominant effect on purchasing decisions. Based on the findings of this study, Yamaha manufacturers should still pay attention to product variables and advertising because it is proven to have a large influence on consumer purchasing decisions. As per the lowest score, then the quality of Jupiter MX products needs to be improved. Keyword: Product, Advertisement, Buying Decision.

The Hintze Ribeiro Bridge Collapse and the Lessons Learned

In March 2001, a serious accident occurred in Portugal during a flood on the Douro River, next to Porto, Portugal. The collapse of the Hintze Ribeiro Bridge killed 59 people traveling in a bus and in three cars that fell into the Douro River. This bridge was built at the end of the 19th century on a curve of the Douro River, next to the mouth of the Tâmega River, approximately 50 km upstream of Porto. It was found that the combined effects of sand dredging in the 25 years prior to the accident (1975–2000) and the erosion produced by five consecutive floods between December 2000 and March 2001 were the main causes of this accident. Aiming to contribute to the prevention of occurrences such as that registered in Portugal with the collapse of the Hintze Ribeiro Bridge, a brief overview of this bridge is presented herein, as well as the causes that led to the collapse, some reflections on the processes involved, and, mainly, the lessons learned.

Stability of a suspension bridge with a localized structural damping

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>Strong vibrations can cause lots of damage to structures and break materials apart. The main reason for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse was the sudden transition from longitudinal to torsional oscillations caused by a resonance phenomenon. There exist evidences that several other bridges collapsed for the same reason. To overcome unwanted vibrations and prevent structures from resonating during earthquakes, winds, ..., features and modifications such as dampers are used to stabilize these bridges. In this work, we use a minimum amount of dissipation to establish exponential decay- rate estimates to the following nonlocal evolution equation</p><p style='text-indent:20px;'><disp-formula> <label/> <tex-math id="FE1"> \begin{document}$ u_{tt}(x,y,t)+\Delta^2 u(x,y,t) - \phi(u) u_{xx}- \left(\alpha(x, y) u_{xt}(x,y,t)\right)_x = 0, $\end{document} </tex-math></disp-formula></p><p style='text-indent:20px;'>which models the deformation of the deck of either a footbridge or a suspension bridge.</p>