An interpretation of inter-container port relationships from the demand perspective

Container ports serve as important conduits to facilitate the efficient flow of containerized cargo. As part of value-driven chain systems that intersect between hinterlands, efficiency gains that are generated within the container port will have a direct impact on the competitive advantage of its users and affect the economic potential of both the origin and destination hinterlands. As such, the paper proposes the usage of indifference analysis propounded in microeconomic theory as a useful means to examine inter-container port competition and complementarity. The framework presented can also be combined with Porter's 'Diamond' model in order for inter-container port demand relationships to be quantified, measured and analysed in an holistic manner. Apart from analysing inter-port relationships from the standpoint of container ports, the framework can also be used to analyse inter-port relationships from the perspective of other key players in the value-driven chain system and modified accordingly to incorporate various indicators that are deemed to be relevant to these parties.     

Quantitative estimation of the influence of surface thermal fronts over chlorophyll concentration at the Patagonian shelf

Eighteen-year (1985–2002) mean monthly SST Pathfinder data with 9 km spatial resolution have been used to estimate surface gradients by finite differences. Then the seasonal climatological means have been calculated from the intensity of these gradients, and surface thermal fronts present in the Patagonian Continental Shelf (PCS) have been located. Moreover, 6 years (1998–2003) of SeaWiFS data with approximately 4 km spatial resolution have been used to estimate monthly composite images of surface chlorophyll concentration, after which seasonal climatological means distributions have been generated. Both seasonal distributions have been analyzed together and by combining the knowledge of oceanographic processes and phytoplankton responses to light and nutrient availability, regions where the presence of a thermal front affects photosynthetic activity have been identified. Subjective criteria have been applied to define eighteen areas where phytoplankton biomass is influenced by the presence of a thermal front. In these areas, the surface chlorophyll (spatial mean and total), its relationship with the surface chlorophyll of the whole region, and the seasonal evolution of this relationship have been calculated. All frontal areas cover less than 15% of the total surface, but they contribute with over 23% of the phytoplankton annual mean biomass. Considered as a group, during summer they show high chlorophyll values very similar to those in spring. During the cold period, when the water column is vertically mixed in practically the whole of PCS, the influence of physical fronts over the biological production is minimum. The frontal zone image remains clearly defined during summer, when approximately 85% of the area will have a determined mean chlorophyll concentration, while the other 15% has a 2.45 times larger value. While three pattern trends have been identified in the frontal areas, only two of them condition the pattern of the group, due to their horizontal extension.     

长江江西段渡口渡船现状调查及安全管理对策探讨

长江江西段由于地处三省交界，渡船过渡依然是沿江两岸人民群众首选的最为方便、快捷的交通方式。作为长江江西段水上安全监督管理的主管机关九江海事局，近几年来按照交通部、长江海事局的要求，一直把辖区渡船的安全监督管理作为工作重点。自2005年7月1日零时起，长江江西段水上安全监督管理职责统一由九江海事局履行，     

Using a random displacement model to simulate turbulent particle motion in a baroclinic frontal zone: A new implementation scheme and model performance tests

Numerical artifacts can limit accurate simulation of turbulent particle motion when Lagrangian particle-tracking models are implemented in hydrodynamic models with stratified conditions like fronts. Yet, modeling of individual particle motion in frontal regions is critical for understanding sediment dynamics as well as the transport and retention of planktonic organisms. The objective of this research was to develop a numerical technique to accurately simulate turbulent particle motions in a particle-tracking model embedded within a hydrodynamic model of a frontal zone. A new interpolation scheme, the ‘water column profile’ scheme, was developed and used to implement a random displacement model for turbulent particle motions. A new interpolation scheme was necessary because linear interpolation schemes caused artificial aggregation of particles where abrupt changes in vertical diffusivity occurred. The new ‘water column profile’ scheme was used to fit a continuous function (a tension spline) to a smoothed profile of vertical diffusivities at the x–y particle location. The new implementation scheme was checked for artifacts and compared with a standard random walk model using (1) Well Mixed Condition tests, and (2) dye-release experiments. The Well Mixed Condition tests confirmed that the use of the ‘water column profile’ interpolation scheme for implementing the random displacement model significantly reduced numerical artifacts. In dye-release experiments, high concentrations of Eulerian tracer and Lagrangian particles were released at the same location up-estuary of the salt front and tracked for 4 days. After small differences in initial dispersal rates, tracer and particle distributions remained highly correlated (r = 0.84 to 0.99) when a random displacement model was implemented in the particle-tracking model. In contrast, correlation coefficients were substantially lower (r = 0.07 to 0.58) when a random walk model was implemented. In general, model performance tests indicated that the ‘water column interpolation’ scheme was an effective technique for implementing a random displacement model within a hydrodynamic model, and both could be used to accurately simulate diffusion in a highly baroclinic frontal region. The new implementation scheme has the potential to be a useful tool for investigating the influence of hydrodynamic variability on the transport of sediment particles and planktonic organisms in frontal zones.     

长株潭港口体系空间结构的定量分析

运用吉尼系数法、赫佛因得指数法、港口不平衡指数法三种定量分析技术研究了长株潭港口体系空间结构的演化规律,可为合理建设长株潭港口体系提供依据。     

Eco 2000机车家族的机械设计

介绍了Ｅｃｏ２０００机车家族的机械设计原则以及组件化设计思想，并简述了该机车家族的机车类型。     

大跨度双向门机设计及在航电枢纽中的应用

介绍2×800kN/2×400kN大跨度双向门机的方案设计、主要结构设计及其在大顶子山航电枢纽工程中的应用.     

Traffic assignment by trip type using volume restraint and link restraint for application in small urban areas

This research involved the development of a new traffic assignment model consisting of a set of procedures for an urbanized area with a population of 172,000. Historical, social, and economic data were used as input to conventional trip generation and trip distribution models to produce a trip table for network assignment. This fixed table was divided into three trip types: external-external trips, external-internal trips, and internal-internal trips. The methodology used to develop the new traffic assignment model assigned each of the trip types by varying the diversion of trips from the minimum path. External-external trips were assigned on a minimum path routing and external-internal trips were assigned with a slight diversion from the minimum path. Internal-internal trips were assigned with more diversion than external-internal trips and adjusted by utilizing iterative volume restraint and incremental link restraint. A statistical analysis indicated that assigning trips by trip types using trip diversion and volume and link restraint produces a significant improvement in the accuracy of the assigned traffic volumes.     

Transport planning with multiple criteria: The analytic hierarchy process applications and progress review

Five examples of applications of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are made to illustrate the different uses of this ratio scale multicriteria decision method in transportation. They include a commuter route selection hierarchy, a best mix of routes to Pittsburgh's new International Airport, a benefits/costs hierarchy to choose the best mode to cross a river, a planning hierarchy for a transport system and a simple dependence with feedback cycle to choose a car when criteria depend on the alternatives. For a better appreciation of the use and power of the method, the examples are followed by a resume of developments in research on the (AHP) in the last few years.