Port competitiveness in North East Asia : an integrated fuzzy approach to expert evaluations

Despite the fact that the Northeast Asia (NEA) region, which had four of the top five and 20 of the top 30 container ports in the world in 2003, can be regarded as holding a central position in liner shipping and the handling of container cargo volumes, very little research has been done into the evaluation of its port competitiveness (EPC). For this reason, the EPC in NEA can be regarded as a problematic and urgent issue to be solved, and worthy of academic attention. From this aspect, this research set out to attempt to address the above issue by means of utilizing expert knowledge. However, the EPC contains problems of complex multipleattributes and multiple-hierarchies (CMAMH). In addition, difficulties concerning certain characteristics of evaluation such as complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity are also involved. To deal with such problems, in this research, the employment of integrated fuzzy evaluation (IFE) as a methodology was decided upon. As a result of the adaptation of the methodology, certain indications from this research to the theory and practice for container ports have emerged and are clearly identifiable. With regard to theory, this study has contributed to theoretical development significantly in four ways. First, the factors and taxonomy of port competitiveness for the container ports in NEA have been provided for the first time. Second, this is the first integrated approach for the EPC in NEA, the most competitive area in the world. Third, this research was also the first to attempt extracting critical weak points and/or influential factors affecting current port competitiveness. Finally, the adoption of IFE made it possible for the first time to uncover the interactive relationships between the competing container ports. In terms of practice, this research has also provided certain contributions of utmost importance. First of all, the study has provided a suggestion for the most recent port ranking in respect of port competitiveness. Moreover, changes in competitiveness power, which are dynamically and interactively affected by the relationship between the ports, have been successfully estimated and suggested. Thus, such changes in the competitiveness in NEA can now be easily forecasted by port actors

Transforming Biodiversity Governance

This book outlines a governance approach that prioritizes ecocentric, compassionate and sustainable development, and stresses the importance of addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss. It is ideal for academics, policy makers and practitioners. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core

In Situ Biostimulation of Uranium Reducing Microorganisms at the Old Rifle UMTRA Site

Bioremediation is a promising strategy for cleaning up heavy metal and radionuclide contamination. Nutrient or electron donor amendment is an increasingly accepted practice used to stimulate the growth of microorganisms capable of immobilizing dissolved uranium in situ, but there is scant understanding of the systematic effects of nutrient addition on indigenous microbial populations or the progress of the bioremediation. Successful implementation of metal and radionuclide bioremediation in heterogeneous environments requires an understanding of the complex microbial and geochemical interactions that influence the redox speciation and mobility of toxic metals. The major challenge in microbial ecology and biogeochemistry is to connect observed biogeochemical processes to the microbial populations responsible for carrying them out. This thesis thus investigated the effects of electron donor addition to indigenous microbial populations actively involved in uranium bioremediation. Stable Isotope Probing (SIP) technique for environmental application was developed and established. A microcosm study was designed in parallel to a field biostimulation test at the Old Rifle, UMTRA site. In the microcosm study that simulated Rifle in situ biostimulation of uranium reducing organisms, the microbial community dynamics were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively using Phospholipid Fatty-acid Analysis (PLFA) and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis combined with SIP, which was modified to accommodate low biomass environmental samples. The microcosms consisted of sediment and groundwater from the Rifle, Colorado UMTRA site and activated carbon bead microbial traps (Biosep beads). 13C labeled acetate amended and non-amended microcosms were compared. Lipid analyses showed a significant biomass increase with acetate amendment, specifically monounsaturated PLFA. The data also demonstrated a community shift in acetate-amended microcosms, mirroring the observation of DGGE analysis. The bacterial community in non-amended microcosms showed notable differences from those amended with acetate. β-proteobacterial sequences dominated the non-amended community. Furthermore, 13C DNA analysis indicated that acetate treatment encouraged the growth of Gram-negative microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, Geobacter, and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). PLFA extracted from beads and sediment also showed uptake of the 13C-acetate, mainly in 14:0, 16:1ω7c, 16:1 ω5c, 16:0, cy17:0 and 18:1 ω7c, supporting the DNA results. Geobacter and SRB sequences were not detected until day 20, while Pseudomonas sequences were prevalent by day 5 and continued to be one of the dominant sequences retrieved. The dominance of Geobacter was much more pronounced in bead samples than in sediments. GC-IRMS analysis also demonstrated the 13C enrichment in fatty acids of i15:0, i17:0, 17:0 and 18:0 extracted from beads samples, which might be indicators of Geobacter, SRB or Gram+.The SIP technique enabled an evaluation of the taxonomic and metabolic diversity of key groups of microbes actively involved in biostimulation. The microbial monitoring in microcosms can elucidate the bacterial populations responsible for uranium reduction and may indicate that SIP using 13C-acetate added to microbial traps can provide important data on ecosystem function in the field. At Rifle, Colorado, a field-scale acetate amendment experiment was performed to stimulate in situ microbial reduction of U (VI) in groundwater. Geochemical measurements indicated reduction of iron, uranium, and sulfate, which were stimulated by acetate injection. The PCR-DGGE analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed 15 major lineages in the bacterial domain, enriched during biostimulation. A temporal (T1, T2, and T3, T4) and spatial (B-02, M-03, M-08 and M-13) distribution of the bacterial community structure was demonstrated. The background well showed no significant community shift throughout the experiment, and was dominated by β-proteobacteria with no Geobacteraceae detected. The down-gradient monitoring wells, on the other hand, shared similar community structure with background wells before acetate injection, but exhibited significant enrichment of Geobacter and Desulfuromonas sequences during the injection. This enrichment disappeared after the injection of electron donor ceased and was replaced by sequences originating from organisms of Sulfuricurvum, SRB within δ- proteobacteria, and gram positives closely related to either Desulfotomaculum, or Clostridium. Consistent with the reducing activities determined by geochemical analysis, well M-13, furthest away from the injection gallery, appeared to be less similar with other down gradient monitoring wells in community composition. PLFA analysis indicated a similar trend in community shift and displayed an increase in monounsaturated PLFAs (indicative of Gram-negative bacteria), as well as terminally branched saturated LFAs (indicative of anaerobic sulfate reducing bacteria) relative to the background well. The data presented demonstrates the effects of biostimulation and bioreduction by addition of acetate, and lead to the conclusion that Geobacteraceae was initially responsible for enzymatic uranium reduction, but had no role afterwards. The sulfate reducers played an important role in reducing uranium and also maintaining the low concentration of uranium at the Old Rifle site. Nitrate reducers such as Sulfuricurvum bacteria may also had important part in maintaining the stability of reduced uranium by removing the subsurface nitrate. To evaluate the microorganisms responsible for uranium microbial reduction during the field experiment, Biosep beads baited with 13C labeled acetate were deployed into well boreholes and sampled when groundwater chemistry indicated metal and or sulfate reduction. Incorporation of the 13C into cellular DNA and PLFA biomarkers was examined. The 13C labeled DNA fraction demonstrated an enrichment of Geobacteraceae sequences in down gradient monitoring wells. Geobacter sequences dominated in wells approximately 3.7 meters from the injection gallery. Further down gradient, sequences belonging to Desulfuromonas increased. Pseudomonas sequence was also found to be stimulated. PLFA profiling of activated carbon beads suspended in the monitoring wells showed the incorporation of 13C into the bacterial cellular lipids, particularly the 16:1ω7c. A comparison among groundwater, sediment, and biotraps was performed, which indicated that the biotraps captivated the key populations of both groundwater and sediment but are probably more representative of the groundwater. The research presented in this thesis demonstrates the importance of metal reduction and sulfate reduction in stimulated uranium immobilization, also expands our knowledge of quantitatively important iron and sulfate reducing bacteria in uranium contaminated subsurface environment. The direct introduction of 13C labeled substrates into ecosystems, coupled with DNA and PLFA analyses, which combine detailed taxonomic description with a quantitative measure of metabolic diversity allowed detection and definition of the metabolically active subset of the microbial community. This study provides an effective technique and experimental model to identify particular microbial populations involved in a desired process. Future research may explore whether the sediment or groundwater has even greater diversity of uranium reducing populations than those we have identified. More focused study on sulfate reducers are needed to shed light on their involvement in uranium reduction, either biotic or abiotic, or both

Case studies: results and synthesis projet 7FP CLOSER (Connecting LOng and Short-distance networks for Efficient Transport) Rapport de recherche Deliverable 5.2 project européen CLOSER.

The CLOSER project has been set to analyse the interfaces and interconnectionsbetween long distance transport networks and local/regional transport networks of allmodes. The project is funded within the Seventh Framework Programme of theEuropean Commission, under the topic TPT-2008.0.0.13 “New mobility/organisationalschemes: interconnection between short and long-distance transport networks”.The objective of WP5 of CLOSER is to accomplish in-depth case studies to deepenand validate the understanding of results obtained in Work packages 2, 3 and 4. Thiswill be achieved by:- Developing a joint assessment and evaluation framework for the case studies,incorporating knowledge that has been obtained in WP 2, WP 3 and WP 4- Carrying out the case studies- Synthesising the results of the case studies in order to give inputs for thedevelopment of recommendations in WP 6.The deliverable at hand summarises the seven case studies that have been conductedin the CLOSER project: Leipzig-Halle airport (Germany) Armentiéres station (France) Oslo bus terminal Vaterland (Norway) Port of Helsinki (Finland) Thessaloniki port (Greece) Constantza port (Romania) Vilnius Airport (Lithuania

Enabling technologies and cyber-physical systems for mission-critical scenarios

Programa Oficial de Doutoramento en Tecnoloxías da Información e Comunicacións en Redes Móbiles . 5029P01[Abstract] Reliable transport systems, defense, public safety and quality assurance in the Industry 4.0 are essential in a modern society. In a mission-critical scenario, a mission failure would jeopardize human lives and put at risk some other assets whose impairment or loss would significantly harm society or business results. Even small degradations of the communications supporting the mission could have large and possibly dire consequences. On the one hand, mission-critical organizations wish to utilize the most modern, disruptive and innovative communication systems and technologies, and yet, on the other hand, need to comply with strict requirements, which are very different to those of non critical scenarios. The aim of this thesis is to assess the feasibility of applying emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and 4G broadband communications in mission-critical scenarios along three key critical infrastructure sectors: transportation, defense and public safety, and shipbuilding. Regarding the transport sector, this thesis provides an understanding of the progress of communications technologies used for railways since the implantation of Global System for Mobile communications-Railways (GSM-R). The aim of this work is to envision the potential contribution of Long Term Evolution (LTE) to provide additional features that GSM-R would never support. Furthermore, the ability of Industrial IoT for revolutionizing the railway industry and confront today's challenges is presented. Moreover, a detailed review of the most common flaws found in Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) based IoT systems is presented, including the latest attacks described in the literature. As a result, a novel methodology for auditing security and reverse engineering RFID communications in transport applications is introduced. The second sector selected is driven by new operational needs and the challenges that arise from modern military deployments. The strategic advantages of 4G broadband technologies massively deployed in civil scenarios are examined. Furthermore, this thesis analyzes the great potential for applying IoT technologies to revolutionize modern warfare and provide benefits similar to those in industry. It identifies scenarios where defense and public safety could leverage better commercial IoT capabilities to deliver greater survivability to the warfighter or first responders, while reducing costs and increasing operation efficiency and effectiveness. The last part is devoted to the shipbuilding industry. After defining the novel concept of Shipyard 4.0, how a shipyard pipe workshop works and what are the requirements for building a smart pipe system are described in detail. Furthermore, the foundations for enabling an affordable CPS for Shipyards 4.0 are presented. The CPS proposed consists of a network of beacons that continuously collect information about the location of the pipes. Its design allows shipyards to obtain more information on the pipes and to make better use of it. Moreover, it is indicated how to build a positioning system from scratch in an environment as harsh in terms of communications as a shipyard, showing an example of its architecture and implementation.[Resumen] En la sociedad moderna, los sistemas de transporte fiables, la defensa, la seguridad pública y el control de la calidad en la Industria 4.0 son esenciales. En un escenario de misión crítica, el fracaso de una misión pone en peligro vidas humanas y en riesgo otros activos cuyo deterioro o pérdida perjudicaría significativamente a la sociedad o a los resultados de una empresa. Incluso pequeñas degradaciones en las comunicaciones que apoyan la misión podrían tener importantes y posiblemente terribles consecuencias. Por un lado, las organizaciones de misión crítica desean utilizar los sistemas y tecnologías de comunicación más modernos, disruptivos e innovadores y, sin embargo, deben cumplir requisitos estrictos que son muy diferentes a los relativos a escenarios no críticos. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es evaluar la viabilidad de aplicar tecnologías emergentes como Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) y comunicaciones de banda ancha 4G en escenarios de misión crítica en tres sectores clave de infraestructura crítica: transporte, defensa y seguridad pública, y construcción naval. Respecto al sector del transporte, esta tesis permite comprender el progreso de las tecnologías de comunicación en el ámbito ferroviario desde la implantación de Global System for Mobile communications-Railway (GSM-R). El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la contribución potencial de Long Term Evolution (LTE) para proporcionar características adicionales que GSM-R nunca podría soportar. Además, se presenta la capacidad de la IoT industrial para revolucionar la industria ferroviaria y afrontar los retos actuales. Asimismo, se estudian con detalle las vulnerabilidades más comunes de los sistemas IoT basados en Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID), incluyendo los últimos ataques descritos en la literatura. Como resultado, se presenta una metodología innovadora para realizar auditorías de seguridad e ingeniería inversa de las comunicaciones RFID en aplicaciones de transporte. El segundo sector elegido viene impulsado por las nuevas necesidades operacionales y los desafíos que surgen de los despliegues militares modernos. Para afrontarlos, se analizan las ventajas estratégicas de las tecnologías de banda ancha 4G masivamente desplegadas en escenarios civiles. Asimismo, esta tesis analiza el gran potencial de aplicación de las tecnologías IoT para revolucionar la guerra moderna y proporcionar beneficios similares a los alcanzados por la industria. Se identifican escenarios en los que la defensa y la seguridad pública podrían aprovechar mejor las capacidades comerciales de IoT para ofrecer una mayor capacidad de supervivencia al combatiente o a los servicios de emergencias, a la vez que reduce los costes y aumenta la eficiencia y efectividad de las operaciones. La última parte se dedica a la industria de construcción naval. Después de definir el novedoso concepto de Astillero 4.0, se describe en detalle cómo funciona el taller de tubería de astillero y cuáles son los requisitos para construir un sistema de tuberías inteligentes. Además, se presentan los fundamentos para posibilitar un CPS asequible para Astilleros 4.0. El CPS propuesto consiste en una red de balizas que continuamente recogen información sobre la ubicación de las tuberías. Su diseño permite a los astilleros obtener más información sobre las tuberías y hacer un mejor uso de las mismas. Asimismo, se indica cómo construir un sistema de posicionamiento desde cero en un entorno tan hostil en términos de comunicaciones, mostrando un ejemplo de su arquitectura e implementación

The formation mechanism of entrepreneur strategy from the viewpoint of organizational evolution: Case studies of Ruimin Zhang and Jack Ma

博士（経営学）城西国際大学201

China Brand Homes: Business history and projects¿ analysis of China Vanke Co. Ltd., 1988-2016

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Housing quality and lost (public) space in Croatia

IN ENGLISH: In the post-socialist period and within the current social transition context, urban and rural Croatia has, just like other transition countries, experienced many changes in the social structure and space. One example is the housing quality which is a replica of the situation in the Croatian society and has also undergone some major changes. Socially oriented housing construction co-financed by the state and the cities is in an unfavourable position compared to private housing construction. In the last twenty years the amount of the social housing construction has been only a minor part of the total contruction work in the country. For instance, out of nine newly planned residential housing developments in Zagreb, the capital city, only three have been completed and the work on the rest of them has stopped and is unlikely to continue. Private construction work prevails especially on the edge of the city and is characterised by high density housing. This type of housing construction doesn't benefit the majority of citizens in search of accommodation (price per square meter is too high, low-quality building). There is also a big problem of the community facilities (primary and secondary infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, green areas, sidewalks, public transport etc.). The existing globalisation-transition circumstances of the Croatian society corroborate the fact which experts of various profiles often point out: ignoring the process of (urban) planning will irreparably damage the space. The city transformation shows the absence of comprehensive urban planning which results in an ever increasing number of random buildings which do not fit in the surroundings. This leads up to yet another important issue – the shrinking and, in some cases, disappearance of public space which becomes the “lost space“. In recent years there has been a lot of building in the city core and on the edge which does not quite fit in the existing urban structure, image or the skyline of the city. The current situation in the process of planning can be characterized as a conflict and imbalance between the powerful actors (mostly political and economic) and less powerful actors (mostly professional and civil). The actors who have the political power and influence and the ones who possess the capital are forming an “alliance” between two important layers of the social structure. The lack of civil and professional actors, “lost spatial actors”, and therefore of civic aggregation is also present and that is also the cause of public space “disappearance” and undermined process of public participation. --------------- IN CROATIAN: U postsocijalističkom razdoblju i trenutnom tranzicijskom kontekstu urbana i ruralna Hrvatska su, kao i ostale tranzicijske zemlje, doživjele mnoge promjene u društvenoj strukturi i samom prostoru. Na primjeru kvalitete stanovanja kao replike stanja u hrvatskom društvu mogu se vidjeti značajne promjene. Društveno usmjerena stambena izgradnja sufinancirana od strane države i gradova je stoga rjeđa i u nepovoljnijoj je situaciji prema privatnoj stanogradnji. Zadnjih dvadeset godina udjel socijalne stambene gradnje je zanemariv u ukupnoj izgradnji na razini zemlje. Primjerice, od devet planiranih stambenih naselja izgrađenih po modelu POS-a u Zagrebu samo su tri i završena. Na ostalima je proces gradnje zastao i ne čini se da će se privesti kraju. Privatna je gradnje prisutnija, posebno na rubovima grada, a obilježava je visoka gustoća gradnje. Ovakav tip gradnje ne odgovara većini stanovnika koji su u procesu potražnje stambene nekretnine (visoka cijena kvadratnog metra, a slaba kvaliteta gradnje). Postoji također i problem nedostatne opremljenosti susjedstva (primarna i sekundarna infrastruktura, škole, vrtići, igrališta, zelene površine, pješačke staze, javni transport itd.). Navedene globalizacijsko-tranzicijske okolnosti hrvatskog društva potvrđuju ono što eksperti različitih profila ističu, a to je da će ignoriranje procesa (urbanog) planiranja nepovratno uništiti prostor gradova. Ovakve transformacije pokazuju nedostatak sustavnog urbanog planiranja što rezultira sve većim brojem zgrada koje se ne uklapaju u neposrednu okolinu. To nadalje dovodi do drugog važnog aspekta – smanjivanja i u nekim slučajevima, nestanka javnog prostora koji postaje „izgubljeni prostor“. Posljednjih je godina izgrađen velik broj zgrada, i u središtu i na rubovima grada, koje se ne uklapaju u postojeću urbanu strukturu, izgled ili vizuru grada. Ovakvu situaciju obilježavaju sukob i neravnoteža između moćnijih društvenih aktera (većinom političkih i ekonomskih) i onih manje moćnih (većinom profesionalnih i civilnih). Politički i ekonomski akteri se često povezuju u „savez“ dvaju najjačih u društvenoj strukturi. S druge strane nedostatak utjecaja civilnih i profesionalnih aktera kao „izgubljenih prostornih aktera“ dovodi do „nestanka“ javnih prostora te smanjenja važnosti procesa participacije (sudjelovanja javnosti)