Analyzing the volume and nature of emergency medical calls during severe weather events using regression methodologies

An effective emergency medical service (EMS) response to emergency medical calls during extreme weather events is a critical public service. Nearly all models for allocating EMS resources focus on normal operating conditions. However, public health risks become even more critical during extreme weather events, and hence, EMS systems must consider additional needs that arise during weather events to effectively respond to and treat patients. This paper seeks to characterize how the volume and nature of EMS calls are affected during extreme weather events with a particular focus on emergency preparedness. In contrast to other studies on disaster relief, where the focus is on delivery of temporary commodities, we focus on the delivery of routine emergency services during blizzards and hurricane evacuations. The dependence of emergency service quality on weather conditions is explored through a case study using real-world data from Hanover County, Virginia. The results suggest that whether it is snowing is significant in nearly all of the regression models. Variables associated with increased highway congestion, which become important during hurricane evacuations, are positively correlated with an increased call volume and the likelihood of high-risk calls. The analysis can aid public safety leaders in preparing for extreme weather events.     

Effeciency Changes at Major Container Ports in Japan: A Window Application of Data Envelopment Analysis

Container ports in Japan are not experiencing rapid cargo handling growth. Recently, however, a reorganization of port use is taking place due to a variety of factors like growing container ship size, diversified Asian shipping routes, increasing import cargo and the Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe in 1995. This paper analyzes the operational efficiency of eight major international container ports using a "window" application of data envelopment analysis for the period between 1990 and 1999. The paper shows a distinction between ports with timely development and sound demand growth and those with deferred re–planning and slow demand recovery. The Port of Tokyo has successfully redeveloped to receive large–sized container vessels and is observing increased and well–balanced incoming and outgoing traffic, and hence remains DEA efficient in our analysis. The Port of Kobe still needs to implement further measures to attract new users and previous users due to the Great Hanshin earthquake. The BCC model of the DEA takes into account small–scale operations of Yokkaichi and Shimizu Ports, and appraises their recent increasing demand for Asian routes. The appropriate design of window length is also proposed in the study.     

我国港口集疏运系统发展现状与优化分析

随着世界范围内国际贸易的扩展,港口服务功能向多元化发展,而具备畅通无阻的集疏运,就能直接影响我国各港口吞吐量的发展。因此,集疏运环节是控制港口物流服务效率与效益的关键因素之一。文中首先对港口集疏运系统进行了相关介绍,指出了港口集疏运系统中存在的优化问题,然后对我国有关港口物流系统进行了分析,概述了港口物流系统集疏运环节的发展现状,指出了我国目前在港口物流集疏运系统发展过程中的薄弱环节,并针对不足之处提出了相应的优化发展策略。     

海峡西岸经济区港口群资源整合研究

在全球经济一体化和物流业是第三利润源泉的大背景下,港口作为物流业发展中的一个重要节点,越来越受各国及各地区的重视。从海峡西岸经济区各港口发展基本情况入手,通过分析海峡西岸经济区港口群发展中存在的问题,提出海峡西岸经济区港口群资源整合的具体途径。     

Elements of manpower forecasting and scheduling

Frequent updates of planning forecasts and scheduling would permit a company to head-off impending layoffs, as well as to take advantage of changes in sales forecasts to eliminate or reduce over- and under-shoot in manning schedules. With the computer to minimize time and cost, such updates are practical.     

拓展港口企业市场边界与中国枢纽港口的发展

在经济学中,市场边界可以被解释为产品或服务可以被有效销售出去的地理区域或范围。随着经济全球化与集装箱运输技术的发展,港口企业的供需关系产生了明显的变化,国际航运企业逐渐采用了枢纽辐射式航线结构系统布局,以至于带来了枢纽港海向腹地的拓展,由此导致了枢纽港的市场边界大范围的扩展。目前,远东港口市场的发展中中国因素变得日益显著。远东各大枢纽港都面向中国大陆拓展自身的海向腹地;同时,中国大陆的枢纽港发展速度越来越快,也日趋成熟。因此,远东地区枢纽港口市场边界的拓展也日益激烈,各大港口之间产生了交叉竞争。当中国的枢纽港口逐渐成熟之后,最终会组成一个稳定的港口群和重要的航线系统。那时,远东的枢纽港口市场边界会变得日益稳定。     

新经济形势下的中国集装箱海铁联运需求分析

集装箱海铁联运具有运量大、运距长等特点,是国外大型集装箱港重要的集疏运方式,占所有集疏运方式的20%-40%。2010年世界十大集装箱港口中国内地已经有六个,但和集装箱强国不相称的是中国集装箱海铁联运只占港口集疏运量的1.5%左右,和发达国家港口相去甚远。基于我国新经济形势,分析集装箱海铁联运未来的需求情况,为进一步研究海铁联运的发展提供借鉴。     

Environmental Accounting of Eco-innovations through Environmental Input–Output Analysis: The Case of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Buses

The introduction of environmentally friendly innovations in both transport and energy sectors are included in the list of priorities of the European Union political agenda. This paper investigates the environmental consequences of the introduction of hydrogen and fuel cells technology in the European economic system by applying environmental input–output analysis and life cycle assessment tools. Hydrogen is produced through the reforming of natural gas and it is employed in fuel cells buses that offer transport services to final consumers. We have built three scenarios based on different assumptions on the final demand. We have shown the results for three impact categories: global warming, photochemical oxidation and acidification. The results suggest that the use of hydrogen in fuel cells buses is only environmentally desirable if accompanied either by the employment of renewable sources or by carbon dioxide capture, or both.     

Planning the delivery of relief supplies upon the occurrence of a natural disaster while considering the assembly process of the relief kits

Models for the distribution of relief supplies often assume immediate availability of relief items upon the occurrence of a natural disaster. However, such an assumption does not always apply in realistic settings. In some cases, at least it is necessary to assemble relief items into kits before distributing them among the affected population. This paper presents a rolling horizon methodology that considers dynamic parameters such as demand, capacities and demand priorities for the problem of distributing relief supplies after the occurrence of a natural disaster by including such assembling activities before the delivery.     

基于DEA的福建港口效率评价分析

港口作为福建省的重要战略资源,对福建省的经济发展有着至关重要的作用。作者利用DEA-CCR模型对福建省4个主要沿海港口——福州港、厦门港、泉州港、莆田港的相关港口指标（2008年）进行分析,计算出各港口的综合效率、纯技术效率和规模效率,以此判断港口当前的有效性,并分析无效港口的问题所在,在此基础上提出改进建议。     

基于江苏港口物流发展的实证对策研究

首先介绍全国港口及江苏省四大主要港口的物流现状,然后结合基于经济学效率最优的多港口模型．构造港口效率函数,对江苏省四大港口进行实证研究。根据四大港口的实际货物吞吐量,分析得出其集装箱、煤炭以及石油三大货物的边际效率值及排序,最后提出促进江苏省港口物流发展的政策措施。     

Corporate responsibility and value creation in the port sector

The paper reviews existing literature on corporate responsibility (CR) in the port sector and proposes a conceptual framework that brings together the CR drivers in port environmental strategies. The conceptual framework is derived from the existing literature and is based on institutional theory. The literature review is supported by a discussion on CR strategies in 10 major ports around the world. The paper argues that ports tend to replicate environmental strategies across regions and learn from each other, and that a competitive focus on logistics tends to strengthen the importance of CR and in particular of environmental performance in ports. For some ports CR has become an integral part of their value creation proposition mostly as a result of competitive pressure. Furthermore, the paper advances also a correspondence between the degree of port agility and the CR profile of the port. Managerial and policy implications are also discussed.     

海峡西岸经济区港口群资源整合研究

在全球经济一体化和物流业是第三利润源泉的大背景下,港口作为物流业发展中的一个重要节点,越来越受各国及各地区的重视。从海峡西岸经济区各港口发展基本情况入手,通过分析海峡西岸经济区港口群发展中存在的问题,提出海峡西岸经济区港口群资源整合的具体途径。     

陕西省商业储运总公司

陕西省商业储运总公司是省属国有大型企业。有着近六十年的综合性物流业务发展史。公司长期以来以仓储、运输、配送、装卸、分理、拣选、包装、物流加工、代购、代销等物流服务业务为主。在西安占地330亩,具备650米铁路专用线,8万平方米仓库以及相应机械作业能力,拥有一个4620平方米的三星级经济型酒店和5000平方米的合资汽车维修公司。     

欧洲海港组织的启示

本文通过对欧洲海港组织成立的背景、作用、关键目标和政策成果的阐述分析，借鉴其协调欧洲海港共同发展的经验，针对目前长江流域特别是长江三角洲各港口竞相争做枢纽港及不合理利用深水岸线，各港口分工不明确。港口群的整体功能无法有效发挥的问题，提出了初步设想和建议。     

基于第四代港口特征的重庆保税港经营模式选择

通过研究第四代港口的特征,提出了基于第四代港口特征的重庆保税港经营模式。着重探讨在港口的经营过程中引入第四代港口的特征,使保税港依靠第四代港口特征,以全局视角规划港口经营,形成稳定的港企、港区联盟,并通过供应链紧密联系经济腹地,促使重庆保税港跨入新的发展阶段。     

辽宁港口物流运作比较研究

从港口腹地经济、港口职能、吞吐货物、航线、码头、集装箱吞吐量几个方面对辽宁主要港口的运作状况进行了比较分析,提出了辽宁港口运作过程中存在的问题,对辽宁沿海经济带战略下辽宁港口投资建设,港口资源整合起到决策借鉴作用。     

Hedging gas bills with weather derivatives

Natural gas company managers concerned with customer satisfaction attempt to minimize the occurrence of extreme bills. Previously, only price fluctuations were addressed with derivative instruments; exchange-traded weather derivatives present a means of hedging exposure to increases in quantity of gas demanded during colder than expected winter months. We model a natural gas company’s ability to adjust for consumer sensitivity and exposure to extreme bills with the use of an optimal mix of weather derivatives and gas pricing derivatives. We find consumer exposure to extreme bills is minimized when the utility uses pricing and weather derivatives.(JEL G11, L51)     

Bilevel optimization for the reorganization of inland river ports: A niche perspective

To address the problems of duplicate construction, disorderly competition, small scale, and weak functionality, we examine the reorganization optimization of an inland river port group to realize its coordinated development. Considering port customers' decision-making behaviors, we propose a bilevel programming model for inland river port group reorganization based on niche theory. More specifically, an upper-level model is used to develop a reorganization plan, including the inland river port spatial layout and expansion extent, to maximize the value contributed by the port group to its region and industry and minimize the competition among the ports from the perspective of port management. More specifically, two upper-level objectives can be creatively measured by niche breadth and niche overlap. A lower-level model oriented to port customers aims to reduce their respective logistics costs by designing a transportation plan and providing feedback to the upper-level model to facilitate adjustments for port group reorganization. Since the dynamic interaction between the upper- and lower-level models significantly increases model complexity, we develop a hybrid heuristic algorithm by incorporating a genetic algorithm and an exact solution method. To verify the applicability of the proposed model and the efficiency of the developed hybrid approach, we conduct a series of numerical experiments on a real-world case study concerning Jining City, Shandong Province, China. Our case study also provides managerial insights into investment scale, land-use intensification, and the balance of planning objectives that may be useful for port managers.     

港口物流一体化研究综述

随着对外贸易的往来频繁,港口运输得到了飞速发展,进而推动了港口物流业的发展。文章对国内外港口物流理论研究相关文献进行回顾,对鹿特丹港、上海港等国内外港口物流的发展经验与模式进行归纳,这些港口都涉及了港口物流和港口供应链的理念,国外一些大型港口已经开始尝试实施港口物流一体化,取得了初步的成效。但我国港口物流一体化的研究处于空白。所以提出了港口物流一体化今后的研究方向和重点有三个方面：方法和工具分析、横向和纵向一体化整合模式研究、实施策略研究。