Product bundling in global ocean transportation

There are over 20 'components' in an international door-to-door transportation, ranging from warehousing and distribution, to forwarding, documentation, transportation, customs clearance, etc..As tariffs in ocean transportation tend to converge due to competition and service homogenization, carriers, in competition with third party logistics service providers, strive to integrate door-to-door services under their control. In doing so, and among others, they invest heavily in logistics rather than ships that can nowadays be easily chartered in from institutional investors.Integration efforts however have been met with varying degrees of success in the face of skeptical and suspicious shippers requiring cost break down and more transparency. With the use of game theory, this paper attempts to develop winning service bundling strategies for ocean carriers, i.e. global supply chain solutions under all-in prices. Preliminary results show that, under certain conditions, bundling can be an equilibrium strategy for one or more carriers, and despite leveraging around captive liner services and potentially enhanced profits, bundling does not necessarily lead to a loss in social welfare.bundling;integrated logistics;liner shipping;vertical integration

The Role of Ports in the Development of Mediterranean Islands

This paper examines the role of ports in the economy of Sardinia by means of the employment generated by port and port-related industries. The subject is important since Sardinia and other Mediterranean islands suff er from chronic unemployment and poor economic performance. The increase of the Europe-Asia commercial fl ows, the European Union enlargement and the renewed centrality of the Mediterranean have induced optimistic expectations on the development opportunities that may be created for the island communities by the maritime and port sectors. The employment generated by the maritime and port industry is an essential, although partial, measurement of the development impact of ports. Therefore its quantifi cation is indispensable in order to correctly estimate the impacts that a more central role of the Mediterranean might have on the local island economies. In the case of Sardinia, ports generate approximately three percent of the total island employment, and over eight percent on average of the employment of the single municipalities. This result adds to the vital role that ports have to play as transportation nodes and in creating value added

Potential and limiting factors in the use of alternative fuels in the European maritime sector

The maritime sector is a key asset for the world economy, but its environmental impact represents a major concern. The sector is primarily supplied with Heavy Fuel Oil, which results in high pollutant emissions. The sector has set targets for deacrbonisation, and alternative fuels have been identified as a short-to medium-term option. The paper addresses the complexity related to the activities of the maritime industry, and discusses the possible contribution of alternative fuels. A sector segmentation is proposed to define the consumption of each sub-segment, so to compare it with the current alternative fuel availability at European level. The paper shows that costs and GHG savings are fundamental enablers for the uptake of alternative fuels, but other aspects are also crucial: technical maturity, safety regulation, expertise needed, etc. The demand for alternative fuels has to be supported by an existing, reliable infrastructure, and this is not yet the case for many solutions (i.e. electricity, hydrogen or methanol). Various options are already available for maritime sector, but the future mix of fuels used will depend on technology improvements, availability, costs and the real potential for GHG emissions reduction.(c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Bundling Strategies in Global Supply Chains

The development of logistics has offered a wide range of new business opportunities for transport operators. Shipping lines have been taking advantage of these opportunities and have expanded their business scope beyond the movement of cargo, to include, for example, coordination among transport modes, route rationalisation and even value added logistics services. Carriers offer today transportation as part of integrated global supply chain solutions in an attempt to provide a better service to their customers as well as improve their bottom lines. This appears to be a winning strategy since an increasing number of industry players are investing in logistics operations and infrastructure. The offering of products and services jointly as a package or bundle is a common marketing strategy in a variety of industries and also appears to be a successful strategy for enhancing shipping lines’ competitiveness and profitability. Only limited research is available though to better understand under what conditions such bundled sales are possible; what attitude shippers show towards this industry trend; how bundling strategies could be developed optimally; and how they could be priced. This thesis is a contribution to research in this area and provides an analysis of the viability and the benefits of bundling strategies in the container industry, and specifically with reference to the joint provision of ocean transportation and other logistics services

Median nerve injury caused by screw malpositioning in percutaneous scaphoid fracture fixation

An unusual complication of percutaneous fixation of a schapoid fracture in a 36-year-old man is described. After this surgery, the patient complained of numbness and tingling within the median nerve distribution and thenar weakness. An Electromyography showing moderate CTS had led to carpal tunnel decompression, which resulted unsuccessful. When the patient presented to us, both sensory and motor median nerve impairment were present, interfering with his professional activity. A computed tomography scan performed to assess the scaphoid screw position, showed that the screw had been placed volar to the scaphoid, adjacent to the median nerve. Surgery confirmed median nerve compression by the screw, especially during complete wrist extension. The surgical removal of the screw led to immediate improvement of both the motor and sensory functions of the nerve, with complete clinical restoration of nerve function and resolution of the symptoms 2 months postoperatively

Management of locked volar radio-ulnar joint dislocation

Isolated volar dislocation of the distal radio-ulnar joint is an extremely rare lesion. Diagnosis is commonly missed. The authors report their experience about a case of an acute locked volar distal radio-ulnar joint dislocation. A correct clinical and radiological diagnosis was done in the Emergency Department, and a closed reduction was achieved only after an axillary block, after a first failed attempt under slight sedation. A K-wire blocking the prono-supination and a short removable forearm cast protected the reduction for 25 days. Two weeks after the removal of the immobilization, the patient presented a complete functional recovery, with full range of motion. The authors highlight the importance of the clinical and radiological findings: a dorsal dimple at the ulnar side leads to a high index of suspicion, and represent the most relevant aid in diagnosis, associated to a proper imaging assessment. Prompt management allows a minimally invasive approach and a rapid functional recovery

Upper limb traumatic injuries: A concise overview of reconstructive options

Different options for upper limb reconstruction are described in literature: advancement or rotation flaps, regional flaps and free flaps are the most common. Local and regional flaps can represent the reconstructive options for small defects while large wounds require the use of free flaps or distant pedicled flaps. In case of large wound, the use of free flaps rather than distant pedicle flaps is usually preferred. To choose the best reconstructive option, it is essential for the surgeon to have a general overview about the different methods. In this review the Authors will refer to the most commonly used methods to cover soft tissues injuries affecting the dorsum and the palm of the hand and the forearm (excluding fingers). The aim is to show all flap reconstructive options so as to support the inexperienced surgeon during the management of traumatic injuries of the upper limb

Telematic solutions in plastic surgery during COVID-19 pandemic: Liability issues and risk management

During the COVID-19 pandemic, surgical elective procedures were stopped in our plastic surgery unit. Limitations for consultations and for follow-up of previous surgical procedures were imposed in order to minimize the risk of contagion in waiting rooms and outpatient clinics. We have identified telemedicine as an alternative way to follow patients during the lockdown. Nevertheless, we have experienced different difficulties. We have not had the possibility to use a secure teleconferencing software. In our unit we had not technological devices. Surgeons in our department were not able to use remote video technology for patient management. Guidelines for an appropriate selection of patients which could be served via telemedicine had to be created.Telemedicine must be regulated by healthcare organizations for legal, ethical, medico-legal and risk management aspects.Even if we have experienced an important need to use telematic solutions during the COVID-19 lockdown, liability and risk management issues has greatly limited this possibility in our unit. The need of telemedicine in the time of COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged us to implement future virtual encounters in order to reduce unnecessary in-person visits by taking into consideration all legal, ethical and medico-legal aspects

Port Decision Maker Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Climate Adaptation Actions

Effective adaptation to climate change impacts is rapidly becoming an important research topic. Hitherto, the perceptions and attitudes of stakeholders on climate adaptation actions are under researched, partly due to the emphasis on physical and engineering aspects during the adaptation planning process. Building on such considerations, the paper explores the perceptions of port decision makers on the effectiveness of climate adaptation actions. The findings suggest that while port decision makers are aware of potential climate change impacts and feel that more adaptation actions should be undertaken, they are skeptical about their effectiveness and value. This is complemented by a regional analysis on the results, suggesting that more tailor-made adaptation measures suited to local circumstances should be developed. The study illustrates the complexity of climate adaptation planning and of involving port decision makers under the current planning paradigm