GLOBAL CONTAINER SHIPPING OPERATORS’ STRATEGIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAINS

The world economic and financial crisis that seriously hit the global economy and especially its trade and transport sectors in the years 2008-2009 also affected with significant force the global maritime container transport. This strategic maritime transport subsector is regarded as a driving force of smooth development of the global logistics supply chains and the backbone accelerating globalization processes. However, since 2010 effective demand and potential supply on the global container freight market are in constant state of disequilibrium, caused to a large extend by wrong tonnage investment strategies of container operators. Lack of ability to adapt the supply side to changes occurring on the demand side of the container market has brought numerous serious financial and economic consequences which not only affected the global container shipping operators but also hit other parties involved in the logistics supply chains spread within the global logistics space created in the contemporary global economy.Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the dynamics of global maritime container market, especially its demand side which fluctuates vigorously, and assess the short and medium term strategies applied by the powerful shipping operators in terms of their multi-channel impact on the other parties of the global intermodal supply chain and the global logistics system as a whole.Methodology: The traditional method of maritime freight analysis was applied based on container freight and charter indices, such as SCFI or HFI. They reflect the amplitude of freight rate per TEU fluctuations in a certain period of time (e.g. quarter, week, etc.) which is congruent with the effective demand changes confronted with the existing potential supply. Growth of tonnage capacity, determined by the global container shipping operators’ strategies aimed for further development and better utilization of the existing transport potential of container fleet acting on the very competitive global freight market, has been assessed in terms of logistics efficiency and its effects have been estimated within the global value chain.Findings: The obtained results indicate that: 1/ global maritime container transport market is still significantly unbalanced and subject to high dynamics of demand fluctuations, and consequently freight rates, 2/ applied strategies of maritime global container operators in the operational and investment area fail to bring intended results, leading to strong capital horizontal integration in the sector of maritime container transport and vertical integration within the global logistic supply chains, 3/ the situation destabilizes the operations of global supply chains and consequently the global TSL sector, preventing forwarders and shippers from taking rational decisions on a medium and short term basis, 4/ this relatively long-standing situation (from 2010) shakes the foundations of transport and logistics order worldwide, 5/ the beneficiary of this situation on the market of maritime container transport and strategic decisions of global container operators is global economy as well as consumers of goods imported by sea in containers.Originality/value: The approach proposed by the author regarding the analysis of the effectiveness of freight market operations in the context of developed and implemented operational and investment strategies of maritime container operators with an attempt to assess the effects of such decisions within global logistic supply chains has not been the subject of research until now. The obtained initial results which require further detailed analysis, provide significant values, both theoretical (enrich the market theory) and practical (as regards taking rational decisions and effective management of global supply chain)

Uwagi do pracy M. Czochańskiego i T. Kośki Dokumentowanie dna zbiorników wodnych terenów zabytkowych

Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Design at nano-scale. biomimetic block copolymers for polymer-protein hybrid materials

In this thesis, the synthesis and applications of biomimetic amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymers are discussed. Polydimethylsiloxane hydrophobic middle block was synthesized and end-functionalized. Hydrophilic poly-2-methyl-2-oxazoline blocks were polymerized onto the PDMS macroinitiator, in symmetric cationic ring opening polymerization reaction. The end-groups of the synthesized block copolymers were further functionalized with biotin and methacrylate groups. Block copolymers were designed to self-assemble into vesicular structures in dilute aqueous solutions and the properties of the resulting membranes were tuned by the molecular weight of the hydrophobic blocks and the hydrophilic to hydrophobic ratio. Membranes built from the synthesized triblock copolymers were used to mimic the properties of natural lipid bilayers providing higher stability. Block copolymer membranes were reconstituted with a number of natural membrane proteins, thus introducing biological activity and functionality to synthetic materials. Insertion of a bacterial Aquaporin-Z channel protein into water (and solutes) impermeable polymeric membrane resulted in novel hybrid materials promising great improvement in the area of water purification. High impermeability and stability of the triblock copolymer membranes provided an excellent tool to investigate the influence of environmental conditions on transport properties of Aquaporin-Z. Combining the outer membrane protein F - reconstituted polymer vesicles, encapsulating water-soluble enzymes, with receptor-ligand mediated immobilization resulted in an development of immobilized polymeric nanoreactors system. Its potential relevance is in the field of microfluidics, sensors and single molecule spectroscopy, as well as basic research on sensitive molecules and chemically/biologically active surfaces. Block copolymer membranes, in combination with a complex membrane protein, NADH: Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase, were used in the design of the electron -transfer nanodevice that allows site-specific reactions driven by redox-potential differences. Vesicular morphology of aggregates formed by triblock copolymers in dilute aqueous solutions was also utilized in the studies towards potential applications as a drug delivery platform. Interactions of block copolymers with lipids of different properties are also discussed. The structure of the thesis guides the reader through a general introduction to amphiphilic materials, their selfassembly properties and applications (Chapter 1). Polymer-protein hybrid materials are introduced together with membrane proteins used in this work (Chapter 1). The experimental part is divided into two sections: the first describing synthetic routes and characterization of the block copolymers, and the second in the form of original publications, presenting applications of the block copolymers (Chapter 2). Conclusions drawn from our experiments are presented in Chapter 3 and the outlook of our work is outlined in Chapter 4. Information about the materials and methods used and not presented in original publications is shown in Chapter 5 and literature references listed in Chapter 6

Calabi-Yau threefolds with triple points and type III contractions

W pracy zajmujemy się kontrakcjami typu III pewnych trójwymiarowych rozmaitości Calabi-Yau. Opisujemy warunki, które muszą być spełnione aby rozmaitość po kontrakcji była wygładzalna. Opisujemy zmianę liczb Hodge'a rozmaitości po kontrakcji i po wygładzeniu. Konstruujemy nowe przykłady rozmaitości Calabi-Yau otrzymane w ten sposób

Evaluation of effect of prolonged monitored obesity treatment with modified Cambridge diet on the global risk factor due to ATP III

WSTĘP. W intensywnym leczeniu otyłości opornej na terapię można zastosować chirurgiczną procedurę bariatryczną (BSP, bariatric surgical procedures) lub diety o bardzo niskiej zawartości kalorii (VLCD, very low calorie diet) (≤ 800 kcal/24 h). W wielu badaniach udokumentowano korzystny wpływ takiego leczenia na zaburzenia metaboliczne oraz obniżenie chorobowości i śmiertelności z przyczyn sercowo-naczyniowych. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie efektów przedłużonego do 9 tygodni ciągłego stosowania diety Cambridge (CD, Cambridge diet) pod kontrolą stężenia prealbuminy. MATERIAŁ I METODY. Badaniem objęto grupę 45 otyłych osób w wieku 24-78 lat (20 kobiet w wieku 53,5 ± 12,5 roku i 25 mężczyzn w wieku 51,1 ± 12,3 roku) leczonych ambulatoryjnie. Wzbogacaną w błonnik CD stosowano jako wyłączne źródło pożywienia przez 9 tygodni pod kontrolą stężenia prealbuminy. Pacjentów ze stężeniem prealbuminy niższym lub równym 0,2 g/l wykluczano z badania. Analizie poddano zmiany wybranych parametrów oraz globalnego czynnika ryzyka. WYNIKI. Po 9 tygodniach uzyskano zmniejszenie masy ciała o 15,0 kg (105,3g→90,3; 14,4%; 1,7 kg/tyg.) u kobiet, a u mężczyzn - o 17,4 kg (118,0→100,6; 14,7%; 1,9 kg/tyg.) przy zmniejszeniu BMIF o 5,6 kg/m2 (41,2→35,6 kg/m2), BMIM o 5,4 kg/m2 (37,6→32,2 kg/m2) oraz obwodu talii: u kobiet - o 15 cm (115,1→100,0 cm; 1,7 cm/tyg.), u mężczyzn - o 17,4 cm (121,8→107,2 cm; 1,93 cm/tyg.). Stężenia cholesterolu frakcji LDL, triglicerydów (TG, triglycerides), glukozy i wartości ciśnienia rozkurczowego obniżyły się. Zmniejszenie globalnego czynnika ryzyka według Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) w ciągu 10 lat spowodowało zmniejszenie ryzyka wystąpienia zawału lub zgonu z powodu choroby wieńcowej z 5% do 2% u kobiet i z 20% do 12% u mężczyzn. WNIOSKI. Metoda ciągłego intensywnego ambulatoryjnego monitorowanego leczenia otyłości (CIAMOT, continuous intensive ambulatory monitoring obesity treatment) przy pełnym i bezpiecznym wykorzystaniu właściwości CD daje lepsze efekty lecznicze niż inne diety odchudzające. Zmniejszenie globalnego czynnika ryzyka u mężczyzn spowodowało większe niż u kobiet obniżenie ryzyka wystąpienia powikłań sercowo-naczyniowych; u mężczyzn zmniejszenie to wyniosło z 20% do 12% w czasie 10 lat.INTRODUCTION. Bariatric surgical procedures or very low calorie diets (≤ 800 kcal/24 h) can be used in the treatment-resistant simple obesity treatment. The numerous clinical trials demonstrated they beneficial effect on metabolic disorders and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to present the effect of prolonged use of Cambridge diet (CD) with prealbumin level control. MATERIAL AND METHODS. 45 obese ambulatory patients aged 24–78 years (20 women aged 53.5 ± 12.5 and 25 men aged 51.1 ± 12.3) were enrolled to this study. The only source of nutrition was CD for 9 weeks. The prealbumin level were controlled. Patients with prealbumin level ≤ 0.2 g/l were excluded from the study. Selected parameters changes and the global risk factor were analyzed. RESULTS. After 9-weeks of using CIAMOT (continuous intensive ambulatory monitoring obesity treatment) method the body mass decreased by 15 kg (105.3-90.3; 14.4%; 1.7 kg/week) in women, and 17.4 kg (118.0-100.6; 14.7%; 1.9 kg/week) in men. The BMIF decreased by 5.6 kg/m2 (41.2-35.6 kg/m2) and BMIM by 5.4 kg/m2 (37.6-32.2 kg/m2). Moreover, the waist circumference in women decreased by 15 cm (115.1-100.0 cm; 1.7 cm/week) and 17.4 cm (121.8-107.2 cm; 1.93 cm/week) in men. The LDL, TG, glucose level and diastolic blood pressure reduction were observed. The global risk factor reduction decreased the myocardial infarction or coronary death risk from 5% to 2% in women and from 20% to 12% in men in 10 years time. CONCLUSIONS. The CIAMOT method, with using safely and fully therapeutic properties of CD, offers more benefits than other slimming diets. The global risk factor reduction decreased the cardiovascular risk more in male than in female patients

Inland Water Transport as a Factor Influencing Mega-Ports and Seaport Cities Development (from the European North Sea Perspective)

Inland water transport has played a significant role in the development of port cities and seaports all over the world for ages. As a dominant mode of inland transport until the rail and road have begun to prevail in the European transport systems, it has at first created and then shaped seaport hinterland in the majority of the European ports. However, its impact on these organisms, i.e. seaports and port cities has changed in many European countries in recent decades, due to the fact that it was getting weaker (logistics time constraints) and less competitive on the transport market. Consequently, in many European countries it has lost its impact on seaports hinterland and has been replaced by other less environmentally friendly modes of transport. This tendency is, however, not observed in the North Sea mega-ports as well as in many world biggest ports in Asia and North America, where inland shipping still maintains significant share in the port total turnover modal split. The reasons for such situation are analyzed in this article

Internalization of External Costs in the EU Transport Sector as an Instrument of Rationalization of the Logistics Supply Chains

Aiming at meeting the general EU transport policy objective, the EC has started promoting very actively the sustainable development of the member states transport systems. Putting into effect common framework and methodology for estimating the external costs of transport activities and specifying how external costs can be internalized in all modes of transport, the EC intends to minimize their negative impact on all spheres of human activity. This strategy needs to apply social marginal cost pricing (SMCP) for the use of transport infrastructure. It could, however, induce significant changes on the EU transport markets and subsequently affect the supply networks and logistics supply chains leading to their rationalization in terms of optimizing transport and inventory costs