Transportation Optimization Modeling for Washington State Hay Shipments: Mode and Cost Implications Due to Loss of Container Services at the Port of Portland

A recent issue impacting hay shipments in Washington State involves the reduction of container services at the Port of Portland, Oregon. Prior to this change, containers filled with hay were shipped almost exclusively via barge on the Columbia River to the Port of Portland. After reaching Portland, the containers were then loaded onto one of three steamship lines: Hyundai, K-Line, or Hanjin and destined to markets in Japan and China. As of September 2004, Hanjin is the only carrier that calls on the Port of Portland. This research effort collected firm level data on the production, transportation and marketing of hay in Washington and utilizes this information to develop an optimization model of regional hay movements. One alternative evaluated in this study is determining industry shifts in transportation usage and modal choice in reaction to the transportation changes after September 2004. The results indicate that after all barge and hay shipments were eliminated into Portland, total transportation costs decrease initially overall, while some producers experience shipping cost increase. Both rail and truck volumes increase substantially in the absence of container shipments on barge. The total industry impact is a $6.3 million increase in transportation costs from the Base Scenario to Scenario 3. Also, once trucks rates are allowed to increase due to the shortage of trucks and the increased demand for truck services, the total transportation cost increased by$8.7 million.International Relations/Trade,

Magnetoacoustic Oscillations of a Plasma Containing Two Species of Ions

Numerical calculations of linear magnetoacoustic resonant phenomena in a plasma containing two species of ions have been made for a cylindrical plasma with a model which includes the effects of collisional damping and radial non-uniformities in temperature and number density. At sufficiently high temperatures two frequencies are predicted at which magnetoacoustic resonances for the first radial mode will occur. These are expected from considerations of the effects of the ion-ion hybrid resonance

We Are One in Christ: The Task Before Us

https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/1371/thumbnail.jp

Spatial Investigation of Mineral Transportation Characteristics in the State of Washington

This study investigates the spatial relationships between construction aggregate shipments and the per axle payload weights of trucks as they pertain to highway deterioration in the state of Washington. A previous study investigated the transportation characteristics of mined aggregates using a spatial autoregressive model, where a significant positive relationship between payload weights and shipment distances was established. This paper expands the previous study by assessing the contribution of aggregate hauling trucks to pavement deterioration using per-axle loads by truck configuration. Results showed a positive relationship between weights per axle load and several shipment distance categories. According to the well-established per axle weight and pavement damage relationship, incremental changes in per axle payload weights resulting from longer shipment distances clearly suggest that longer haulage increases the magnitude of pavement deterioration. This direct relationship between road impact and the distance hauled emphasizes the importance of the proximity of mine sites to different end users

Active Learning in Business Education with, through, and about Technology

In this paper we present a pedagogical approach used for a technology-based undergraduate business course during which students participated directly in the development of a Group Support System (GSS) facility. A GSS is a computer-based information system used to support intellectual, collaborative work and consists of personal computers connected via a local area network with software that enables group members to interactively generate, evaluate, and organize ideas, rank or vote on solutions, and perform other group tasks. This course was designed to teach students to work together within and across teams and to help them to develop and use critical thinking and applied problem-solving skills. In this paper the pedagogical approach and course structure used are described, the outcomes of the course are discussed, and recommendations are offered

Projecting Washington - British Columbia Truck Freight Border Crossings and Arterial Usage

Continuing adaptation to changing transportation needs is critical in maintaining efficiency and reducing costs of raw and manufactured goods to ensure economic stability and growth. With bilateral trade in excess of $1.4 billion per day between the U.S. and Canada and over 200 million annual crossings (passenger vehicles and freight trucks) (U.S. Embassy, Ottawa, 2006), knowledge of the composition of commodities crossing the border and the growth in the flow of those commodities is vital to future policy making. This report focuses on cross-border flows by truck between Washington and British Columbia, through decomposition of the northbound and southbound flows by industry and commodity, coupled with projection of the trade growth in those industries. By knowing expected increases in commodity flows across border port locations, policy makers can better adapt border ports to ensure efficiency in truck movements. Increased efficiency is important to trade competitiveness in the international marketplace

Debate: Do all patients with heart failure require implantable defibrillators to prevent sudden death?

Sudden death is a major cause of mortality in patients with ventricular dysfunction. The highest risk occurs among patients with less severe functional impairment. Current methods of risk stratification are inadequate, and a rational therapy for prevention of sudden death is not available. The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has proven to be more effective than drugs in reducing sudden-death risk in some subsets of patients. Empiric ICD therapy, targeting the general population with mild to moderate heart failure, will maximize the impact of such a strategy to prevent sudden death and improve long-term survival