Abstract: Much has been said of the importance of port and terminal integration in the supply chain. Authors have stressed the importance of agility to the port environment, which involves being proactive along supply chains, facilitation of intermodal integration, as well as organizational integration and partnership between ports and users. Despite the well articulated importance of the issues, little has been offered in terms of conceptualizations and empirical evidence of what really is meant by port/terminal integration in the supply chain, how such integration can be measured and quantified as well as the extent to which different ports/terminals in the world are integrated in the supply chain and competitive performance implications arising thereof. This paper aims to make a contribution in this respect by (i) reviewing the relevant literature on supply chain integration and port integration in the supply chain, (ii) conceptualizing measures for port/terminal integration in the supply chain, (iii) empiricall...

Abstract: Changes in world trade and the shipping environment have created ever-increasing competition between ports in North-east Asia, especially Korea and China. Following intensive state investment in port developments through large-scale projects, Chinese ports now threaten to oust Busan in Korea as the regional hub. To identify and evaluate the competitiveness of major ports in the region, this paper identifies the components influencing their competitiveness and presents a structure for evaluating them. Based on the literature related to port selection and competition, a regional survey of shipping companies and owners employed factor analysis to reveal that port service, hinterland condition, availability, convenience, logistics cost, regional centre and connectivity are the determining factors in these regions.

Abstract: This paper deals with the importance of port choice and container terminal selection for deep-sea container carriers. The paper focuses on the research question: on what basis do deep-sea container operators select container ports (strategy) and container terminals (financial reasons) in the Hamburg–Le Havre range over others? In answering this research question, three dimensions are addressed in detail: the buying decision characteristics; port choice strategy; and terminal selection. The results show that strategic considerations at company level are important. For port choice the most important criteria from a carrier's perspective are: availability of hinterland connections; reasonable tariffs; and immediacy of consumers (large hinterland). In addition to these criteria, shipping lines attach great value to often neglected factors, such as feeder connectivity, environmental issues and the total portfolio of the port. The study reveals that port selection and terminal selection are not the same with te...

Abstract: A network security appliance supports definition of a security policy to control access to a network. The security policy is defined by match criteria including a layer seven network application, a static port list of layer four ports for a transport-layer protocol, and actions to be applied to packet flows that match the match criteria. A rules engine dynamically identifies a type of layer seven network application associated with the received packet flow based on inspection of application-layer data within payloads of packets of the packet flow without basing the identification solely on a layer four port specified by headers within the packets. The rules engine is configured to apply the security policy to determine whether the packet flow matches the static port lists specified by the match criteria. The network security appliance applies the actions specified by the security policy to the packet flow.

Abstract: This paper develops a conceptual framework that integrates various relevant port performance components in a way that can be used for a comprehensive port evaluation and adjustment of existing port governance models. The paper presents a synthesis of the literature on port governance models and port performance, arguing that the process of change is a dynamic one, and that the performance outcome of a reform process influences the next round of reforms. It also explores the potential for decomposing performance into two different, although related, port performances components, namely efficiency and effectiveness. Bringing into the analysis concepts like the need to integrate users’ satisfaction in port performance assessment, the paper explores the content of each of these components and their relationship. This discussion, along with empirical evidence provided by port authorities, leads to the conclusion that governance decisions, both at firm and government levels, are largely based on a very limited ...

Abstract: The Caribbean basin lies at the cross roads of major east-west and north-south liner shipping routes. A number of regional ports have been able to take advantage of their geographical position. In other ports, however, the limited scale of hinterlands and the de facto monopolistic situation of ports in Small Island States have had a detrimental effect on port development. Port infrastructure endowment varies between highly equipped global transhipment hubs and rudimentary ports with wooden quays. By the same token, the supply of regular shipping services ranges between highly interconnected routes on the one side, and Small Island States that are heavily dependent on a few limited feeder services on the other. At the same time, freight rates in the region dispose of a high variability. The paper analyses the impacts of port infrastructure and liner shipping connectivity on intra-Caribbean freight rates. The structure of liner shipping services, port infrastructure endowment and liner shipping freight rates are closely related to each other. The paper will analyse these relationships. The empirical methodology includes principal component analysis and ordinary least-squares regressions.

Abstract: This paper studies the management of a fleet of trucks providing container pickup and delivery service (drayage) to a port with an appointment-based access control system. Responding to growing access congestion and its resultant impacts, many US port terminals have implemented appointment systems, but little is known about the potential impact of such systems on drayage fleet efficiency. To address this knowledge gap, we develop a drayage operations planning approach based on an integer programming heuristic that explicitly models a port access control system. The approach determines pickup and delivery sequences for daily drayage operations with minimum transportation cost. We use the framework to develop an understanding of the potential productivity impacts of access control systems on drayage firms. Most importantly, we find that it is critical for terminal operators to provide enough access capacity for drayage, since vehicle productivity can be increased by 10–24% when total access capacity is increased by 30%. Furthermore, poor (but not unreasonable) selection of access appointment time slots by drayage firms may result in substantial customer service deficiencies, reducing the number of customers that can be served by up to 4% for a fixed level of total access capacity.

Abstract: With the progressive integration of ports in supply chains, it has become clear that shippers no longer choose a port per se, but rather a supply chain – a package or bundle of logistics services; a pathway to markets – in which a port is just an element albeit an important one of the system. Yet, surprisingly, a number of studies continue to focus on how a shipper chooses a port in isolation of the chain systems in which it is embedded. Clearly, shipper's influence on port choice decisions is diminishing, particularly now that a single shipping line, a third-party service provider or a supply chain integrator may control the freight from the origin to the final destination using various transport arrangements and multiple alternative pathways designed to minimise the total logistics cost and maximise value for both the customer and the supplier. The main purpose of this paper is to suggest a new and more effective analytical framework within which the modelling of port choice can be conducted and shipper choice decisions well understood. The proposed framework is fundamentally an operationalisation of the earlier paradigm of ports as elements in value-driven chain systems proposed by Robinson in 2002.

Abstract: An improved system and method for network switching that provides the ability to automatically and seamlessly migrate policies for network hosts under certain conditions to local or remote switch ports. The improved switch automatically migrates switch policies for virtual and physical hosts from a source port to a destination port when hosts have been physically moved or replaced. For elements that have failed, the improved switch also migrates host network policies for both physical hosts and virtual machines when the old host network policy will maintain serviceability of the element when applied to the new port.

Abstract: Countries throughout the world, and especially within Asia, are investing heavily in container port infrastructure in the hopes of capturing a larger share of global shipping activity for their economies. Many existing ports are emphasizing developing the capacity to serve as a hub port, building deepwater berths with large terminals to facilitate transfer of containers from feeder ships to mother ships for intercontinental transport. We develop a game-theoretic best response framework for understanding how competitor ports will respond to development at a focus port, and whether the focus port will be able to capture or defend market share by building additional capacity. We apply this model to investment and competition currently occurring between the ports of Busan and Shanghai.

Abstract: In the last decade, the port economics literature has given great emphasis to the Supply Chain Management approach as the new paradigm for the definition of port competitiveness. SCM supports the development of partnerships between the actors of the supply chain and considers the integration of activities and resources along business processes as source of competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the application of SCM approach to the port is particularly compiex given the traditional hostile relationships between port actors. In the effort to overcome such complexity, some authors have considered ports as Logistics Service Providers and interpreted their role within supply chains through the integrative practices undertaken by Global Players–mainly Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators–in the supply of integrated logistics services. Even tough these actors are crucial for the port competitiveness, they determine a passive role of port in the new competitive scenario. The definition of a potential and pro...

Abstract: This paper examines pricing and investment actions in a setting similar to that of European ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Le Havre. Key features of the scenario are that the ports are congestion prone, and that they serve a hinterland that they are connected to by congested transport networks. The ports compete for traffic in an oligopolistic setting. The analysis emphasizes the interaction between the duopolistic port market and hinterland congestion. Two aspects of shipments are focused on: the costs of using port services and the cost of hinterland transport toward those final destinations. The framework of the analysis is a two-stage game in capacities and prices. The governance structure is such that decisions about capacity are public, but pricing is private. Main results show that ports charge users for congestion at the port and also for the share of hinterland congestion they impose on other customers of the port. This “partial internalization” means that ports with heavily congested hinterlands will charge higher prices. A second finding is that extra investment in one port reduces congestion at both ports, but raises hinterland congestion where the port is located. Along similar lines, investment in the hinterland will lead to more congestion at the port that it serves and resulting higher port charges. A third finding is that local governments that invest to maximize welfare will invest in the local port, but the induced increase in hinterland congestion is an important factor in those actions. The results suggest that duopolistic port pricing induces public entities to invest less in port capacity. Finally, private ports do not necessarily charge higher port prices. In fact, if the country governments directly control prices of the port within their jurisdiction, they may charge even higher prices than private operators.

Abstract: The seaport-hinterland interaction plays an increasingly important role in shaping supply chain solutions of shippers and logistics service providers. Scarcity concerns combined with concerns over the reliability of transport solutions have led seaports and hinterland corridors to take up a more active role in supply chains. This contribution looks at port developments and logistics dynamics in Europe and proposes some steps towards a further integration between seaports and the hinterland. The key point put forward in this paper is that the competitive battle among ports will increasingly be fought ashore. Hinterland connections are thus a key area for competition and coordination among actors. The paper approaches port-hinterland dynamics from the perspective of the various market players involved, including port authorities, shipping lines, terminal operators, transport operators (rail, barge, road and short sea) and logistics service providers. The paper will address the impact of horizontal and vertical relations in supply chains on the structure of these chains and on the relationships between seaports and the intermodal hinterland. Who takes or should take the lead in the further integration of ports and inland ports and what actions have been taken so far by the market players in this respect, will be examined. The incentives for market players to vertically or horizontally integrate will be analyzed against the backdrop of the nature of the market in which the various players operate.

Abstract: A gateway application in a content engine multiplexes requests for real-time content to servers that, in turn, service the requests by streaming appropriate real-time content to requesting users. A software communication port of the content engine may be reserved to receive request messages from multiple client computers, at least two of which request streaming of real-time content according to different selected formats. After identifying client properties (e.g., a format for which to receive streaming real-time content) associated with the requests for real-time content, the gateway application identifies corresponding servers of the content engine to serve the real-time content according to the different selected formats. The gateway application forwards the requests for streaming of real-time content associated with the request messages to the corresponding servers which, in turn, satisfy the requests by streaming the requested real-time content to the client computers.

Abstract: Introduction * The Abduction * Barak Promises * Denial * A New Triumvirate * Going to War * The Ship Leaves Port * The Soldiers Can Wait * Bint J'Bayel, First Round * To Us, a Tie is the Same as Defeat * Floundering * The Cabinet * Casualty Count in Saluki * Not Defeat, Failure * Until the Next War

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a medical device package including a container for receiving a medical device having an area configured for storing at least one agent and a port for permitting the passage of a contact material between the outside the container and the area configured for storing the agent.

Abstract: A method and system for progressively reducing the power consumption of a serial memory device is provided, called the power control system. The power control system monitors the ports of a multi-port serial memory so that they can be enabled or disabled on a per-port basis. When data is not being transmitted or received on a port, a series of steps are taken to progressively de-power portions of the port and cause the port to enter into a low-power state. By disabling certain ports and placing ports in a low-power state, the power consumption of the overall serial port memory is significantly reduced.

Abstract: – The purpose of this study is to perform an international comparison of logistics/port operations with a main focus on India., – Using data from the transportation and freight service industry during 2000‐2005, this study first conducts revealed comparative advantage (RCA) analysis to investigate India's logistics competitiveness and then uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to analyze the efficiency of India's container port operations., – The study's findings suggest that in terms of India's logistics competitiveness, its freight industry is relatively competitive while its transportation industry is not. Overall, while the study indicates that India's largest container port (Jawaharlal Nehru) is not very efficient; the RCA analysis shows that India still has a relative comparative advantage over its industrialized counterparts except for Japan and France in the transportation service industry. Interestingly, the DEA results also indicate that the efficiency value of the container port in India is second only to the US port of Los Angeles among the ports examined in industrialized countries., – RCA indicators are only able to examine past and present industry conditions based on export results, and do not provide a detailed explanation of the reasons for changes in levels of competitiveness. As for DEA analysis, this study focused only on land and equipment as input variables primarily because of a lack of data on worker efficiency. It is suggested that there is an urgent need for an overhaul of port equipment if India wants to accommodate the growing volume of imports and exports in the future., – This paper provides a first step toward gaining insights into India's current logistics/port competitiveness position in comparison with other emerging markets and advanced economies. This paper also contributes to providing a better understanding of the competitiveness of emerging economies (BRICs & Next 11), which are viewed as rising stars and have not yet been fully investigated in the existing literature. Several recommendations are also provided.

Abstract: This article examines the current economic status of the areas surrounding major U.S. container ports. We define a "port district" as the geographic area within a 7.5-mile radius of a port. Our sample includes the 10 largest container ports in the U.S.We find that when we compare port districts to their surrounding metropolitan areas, household unemployment and poverty rates are significantly higher in port districts. Thus, the same ports that serve as "economic engines" for the region and nation may be the cause of economic decline and deterioration in the immediate areas that surround them. This presents a challenge for policy makers who want to preserve the benefits of international trade while facing increasing opposition to port expansion by local communities.

Abstract: Container port accessibility examines the potential or opportunity for the transportation of containerised cargoes within the global liner shipping network. It is also a particularly relevant aspect of port competitiveness since, as previous studies have pointed out, the level of throughput at any container port is significantly and positively correlated to its accessibility. This paper aims not only to generate quantitative estimates of individual container port accessibility, but also to provide a numerical basis for comparing the relative geographical importance of each port. For this purpose, the principal eigenvector method is described and applied to a sample of port data. By supplementing extant technical indicators that relate to port competitiveness, such as port prices and estimates of relative efficiency, with a quantitative measure of port accessibility, the results provide a better understanding of the current structure of the global liner shipping network and the ongoing status of inter-port competition.

Abstract: Introduction. Single port laparoscopic access could reduce morbidity associated with additional trocar placement and, through the development of a hybrid intermediate, facilitate the clinical adopt...

Abstract: Systems, equipment and processes involving one or more aspects such as extending the scope of automation in port container facilities, increasing port capacity within fixed land resources, increasing operational productivity, increasing safety, increasing the velocity and reliability of goods movement, increasing freight security, reducing negative environmental impacts, and/or reducing the overall cost of goods movement are disclosed. In some implementations, storage areas may be accessed by automated guided vehicles which receive and unload containerized loads.

Abstract: Container ports in Southeast Asia accounted for an estimated 30.0% of the world's transhipment traffic in 2004. The share of the region's transhipment trade was forecasted to increase to 32.5% in 2015. The potential offered by this large and expanding market encouraged major container terminal operators located in Port Klang, Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas to compete intensively for this business by attracting major container shipping lines that operated along key east–west sailing routes to hub at their terminals. This paper analyses the annual slot capacity connected to the three selected ports that was deployed by all the container shipping lines in 1999–2004. The data are computed and categorized based on shipping trade routes. The study aims to shed light on port competition in Southeast Asia for transhipment containers by an in-depth and quantitative analysis. The analysis finds that competition from Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas had a negative impact on Singapore's transhipment performance. Althoug...

Abstract: Port scanning is a phase in footprinting and scanning; this comes in reconnaissance which is considered as the first stage of a computer attack. Port scanning aims at finding open ports in a system. These open ports are exploited by attackers to carry out attacks and exploits. There are a number of tools to scan for open ports. However, very few tools are present to detect port scanning attempts. The goal of this project is to identify port scan attempts and find out information about the machine from where port scan attempts were made. If an attack takes place after the port scan, the collected information would help in bringing the criminal to justice. We hope that this work will add an additional layer of defense by identifying port scan attempts thereby indicating that an attack may follow.

Abstract: We argue that port authorities (PAs) should contribute actively to better hinterland access. We discuss different types of PA involvement as well as some reasons for such involvement. The analysis applies to landlord PAs with public goals. Landlord PAs take the initiative for the expansion and redevelopment of port infrastructure. Traditionally PAs have acted as landlords, but they are increasingly operating outside the landlord model.

Abstract: Port community systems (PCSs) can be defined as holistic, geographically bounded information hubs in global supply chains that primarily serve the interest of a heterogeneous collective of port related companies. These heterogeneous companies often include terminal operators, carriers (ocean, road, and rail), freight forwarders, enforcement agencies (i.e. customs), port authorities, and various lobby groups (including workers’ unions, environmentalists, and other policy makers). Port community systems that bring these diverse parties together in transaction recordkeeping and information sharing can serve to improve the flow of goods. Despite these potential benefits of port community systems it is challenging to find documentation on PCS implementation lessons learned. The process of designing and implementing a PCS can be roughly divided across four stages: project initiation, system analysis and design, implementation and adoption, and maintenance and growth. In this article, we document lessons learned within each life cycle stage as derived from an international scan of PCS deployments.