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The purpose of this paper is to propose a yard allocation model via objective programming. This is initially postulated based on a rolling‐horizon strategy, which aims at allotting outbound containers into yard.

To resolve the NP‐hard problem regarding the yard allocation model, a hybrid algorithm, which applies heuristic rules and distributed genetic algorithm (DGA), is then employed.

It could be observed from the case study that this proposed approach is proven effective for resolving the container yard allocation problem. The total loading time onto vessels, the total horizontal transportation distance and the imbalance among blocks are improved.

This paper does not deal with equipment scheduling.

This approach helps to minimize turnaround time; handling cost of vessels; the workloads among blocks are balanced for each vessel; and the total distance of container transportation.

This paper designs a hybrid algorithm, which integrates heuristic rules and DGA. In details, the heuristic rules are developed for generating feasible solutions, while the DGA was applied for optimizing these solutions.

Discusses the building of a prototype decision‐support system for a container transport company in the light of constraining factors which affect scheduling of trucks and vehicle routeing problems of various kinds. Considers the prototype’s data requirements and describes the information flow analysis, drawing conclusions and offering suggestions, before proceeding to model the problem as a vehicle routeing problem. Describes the development of an heuristic procedure and how it was tested and validated. Summarizes the benefits of the analysis and the prototype’s construction.

The decision to own or lease is complicated by the varying descriptions alloted to the container as an entity in itself and as an instrument of physical distribution … up to the point of acceptance in many quarters as part of the ship itself. The variety of descriptions is reminiscent of the old tale resulting from an examination of an elephant by three blind men.

The purpose of this paper is to prepare a dual-encapsulated halloysite nano-container to release the capsuled inhibitor as an additive for corrosion protection of epoxy coating.

Halloysite nano-containers (HNT) were prepared by simultaneously implanting inhibitor benzotriazole (BTA) into the inside and outside of the halloysite using reduced pressure and layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly, respectively. The microstructure and morphology of treated HNT were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the anti-corrosion behaviors of the composite polyepoxy coating with inhibitor-loaded nano-containers BTA@HNT-2 were investigated using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and neutral salt spray test.

Test results showed that the LBL assembly structure of the halloysite nano-container makes the BTA@HNT-2 nano-container be controlled and sustained to release BTA, relying on the pH. Very importantly, the obtained nano-container is also responsive to temperature, owing to the thermosensitivity polyelectrolyte out-shell of the HNT. The result showed R_ct of the composite polyepoxy coating can be sufficient to maintain higher than 8.510E+7 Ω·cm² over 72 h of immersion test. Moreover, the artificial induced defects on the coating surface were sufficiently inhibited in the presence of BTA@HNT-2 nano-container in the polyepoxy coating.

Use of the BTA@HNT-2 as corrosion inhibitor nano-container, with good anti-corrosion property and dual-responsive to pH and temperature, offers a significant rout to prepare smart anti-corrosion coating for protecting metal substrate.

There is significant amount of literature tackling different issues related to the port industry. The present chapter focuses on a single business unit of seaports aiming at the documentation of works related to container terminals.

An effort to review, collect and present the majority of the works present in the last 30 years, between 1980 and 2010, has been made in order to picture the problems dealt and methods used by the authors in the specific research field. To facilitate the reader, studies have been grouped under five categories of addressed problems (productivity and competitiveness, yard and equipment utilization, equipment scheduling, berth planning, loading/unloading) and four modelling methodologies (mathematics and operations research, management and economics, simulation, stochastic modelling).

The analysis shows that most works focus on productivity and competitiveness issues followed by yard and equipment utilisation and equipment scheduling. In reference to the methodologies used managerial and economic approaches lead, followed by mathematics and operations research.

In reference to future research, two fields have been identified where there is scope of significant contribution by the academic community: container terminal security and container terminal supply chain integration.

The present chapter provides the framework for researchers in the field of port container terminals to picture the so far works in this research area and enables the identification of gaps at both research question and methodology level for further research.

This chapter examines the impact of information digitization on the rise of misinformation, and the broader implications that this has for democracy. It is based on the Researching Students Information Choices (RSIC) project, which looks at how students evaluate scientific information on the internet.¹ Part of this study looked at container collapse.

In previous decades, information was contained in a physical book, newspaper, journal, magazine, or the like. These containers offered important contextual information about the origin and validity of the information. With information digitized, this context is lost. This can facilitate misinformation, as people might make incorrect judgments about information credibility because of the lack of context.

It is vital that citizens have the information literacy skills to initially evaluate information correctly. One possibility for misinformation being pervasive is that, once encoded, it becomes resistant to correction. This underscores the importance of teaching students to evaluate the credibility of information prior to the point of encoding.

To combat misinformation, librarians can teach students to evaluate containers and the indicators of credibility that they provide. Information containers can be evaluated prior to consuming information within a resource, while fact-checking only can happen after. Because of this, container evaluation can help prevent misinformation from being encoded. Our research demonstrates that this requires thoughtful engagement with the information resources and critical evaluation of the sources that produced them, and that students cannot accurately identify containers when they rely on heuristics like the URL and Google snippet.

This chapter explores the potential economic advantages and disadvantages of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) in the transport of fresh produce from growers to retail stores. The empirical research linking packaging to quantifiable economic and social benefits is reviewed. This study answers the question – what are the economic and social impacts of increased standardization of bulk packaging in the North American fresh produce supply chains? Implications for the potential use of RPCs and its impact on sustainability are explored.

The chapter describes data from grocery retailers who have implemented both one-way and reusable plastic containers for fresh produce distribution. A Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TD-ABC) analysis was conducted to capture and evaluate process times and product damage associated with the typical deployment of bulk containers in the grocery retailers’ distribution centers (DC), retail stores, and asset recovery centers of the supply chain. Economic measures were implemented and together with the social dimensions provided insights about sustainability-based implications.

Fresh produce shipments using the RPC technology had significantly less waste and damage representing potential social and economic benefits. The empirical findings included results about the economic impact of RPCs on the sustainability level of a typical supply chain for fresh food products.

The quantification of the economic and potential social sustainability for the explored packaging types constitutes an important contribution. Much of the previous research did not contain comprehensive assessments. The impact of technological change – the introduction and use of RPC in packaging – is examined. In addition, the supply chain scope for this research included most of the major activities that involve the packaging of fresh produce commodities in its practical dynamics.

This chapter explains the impact containerisation has on the various partners of the global supply chain and the challenges companies encounter and the solutions they use in dealing with empty container repositioning.

The phenomenon of imbalanced container flows and its impact on shipping lines, shippers, container haulage companies, port development and the economy are presented. Special attention is given to explain the many solutions companies use to reduce the impact of empty container repositioning, hence tracing out the past research that led to these solutions and pointing to potentially new research directions in the future.

Because of the widespread use of containerisation and the imbalanced container flows that results from globalisation, empty container repositioning will be an ongoing issue for the maritime logistics industry. Many solutions are being used, but there is room for improvement and more research is needed.

Empty container repositioning is an important issue but has not been deemed as such in the literature. This chapter explains the reasons it is important and that its impact is not limited to shipping lines only but affects the whole supply chain.

Since the 2010s, market conditions for container shipping companies have been deteriorating owing to decreasing container cargo trade and increasing supply capacity. This study aims to contribute to the empirical literature on the container shipping industry market structure. Specifically, this study aims to investigate the extent of market competition.

This study analyzes the market structure and evaluates the market power of shipping companies through a non-structural test.

The H-statistic for the entire period of 2004–2018 was 0.37, which is significantly different from zero. This indicates the absence of monopoly pricing throughout the entire period. For the time-phased estimates, the H-statistic between 2004 and 2008 is 0.15, which is not significantly different from zero. On the other hand, the H-statistic from 2009 to 2018 was 0.40, which differs significantly from zero.

As the Far East Freight Conference had released tariffs and charge rates by item for container shipping routes, monopolistic pricing is said to have appeared until the European Union abolished the European Economic Community (No. 4056/86) in 2008, before the economic crisis. However, this study indicates that pricing in the container shipping industry has been distinctly non-monopolistic; further, competition seems to have intensified since 2008. Industry competitiveness is of interest not only to academics but also to practitioners, including policymakers, especially when considering competition policies.