Distant Ports Research Articles

The History of Wireless Telegraphy at the Eiffel Tower [Historically Speaking

Long after Gustave Eiffel’s famous tower had been built to celebrate the first century of the Republic, many Parisians were still offended by this <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">tour de fer</i> and sought its removal. Eiffel argued against this, saying that the unique advantages the tower’s elevation offered for scientific research justified its permanence; the height was particularly important for the transmission of the newly discovered Hertzian waves carrying telegraphic signals <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">sans fil</i> (without wires). But it was still the age of machines. Steam power and electric lights were common. Vacuum tubes were yet to come. Here we review an array of devices used to generate and detect these invisible waves. With this new mode of communication, ships at sea were no longer bereft of news from distant ports or other ships; the French military posts on distant shores were kept in constant contact. Time signals from the Paris Observatory could be shared with anyone possessing a simple antenna and crystal receiver. Here we look back at the rapidly developing state of the art in antennas and transmitters and the people involved in this exciting era. We summarize the early stages of wireless technology from a French perspective.

Response of macrofaunal assemblages to different pollution pressures of two types of ports

Pollution status and benthic ecological quality of the two types of ports were assessed based on heavy metals and macrofaunal assemblages. Macrofaunal abundance and biomass in the industrial port were significantly higher than those in the fishing port. The dominant species of the two ports were Echinocardium cordatum and Nephtys oligobranchia. The AZTI marine biotic index (AMBI), multivariate AMBI, and Shannon-Wiener diversity index demonstrated that the benthic ecological quality of the two ports was moderate to good. The benthic ecological quality of the distant port sites was better than those of the nearby port sites. The geoaccumulation index and the Hakanson potential ecological risk index indicated that mercury posed a serious threat to port sediment pollution. AMBI, multivariate AMBI, and Shannon-Wiener diversity index were not good indicators for heavy metal pollution. The dominant species and Pielou’s evenness index were significantly correlated with heavy metal pollution and were good biological indicators.

The role of the Arab Gulf and its impact on interaction Civilization with the East

The Arabian Gulf is characterized by a distinguished geographical location, as it is on the outskirts of the three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, and this strategic importance has not been erased by scientific progress in communications or progress in transportation. It is fertile for cultural communication and interaction of all kinds and openness to all civilizations, and since we are part of that site, Iraq, with its civilizations, has certainly affected those cultures and civilizations coming from distant ports, as the Arab Gulf region was affected by what these cultures benefit from, and therefore the Arabian Gulf has been throughout the ages an orbit The continuous civilizational interaction to this day, which we would like to show in this study.

Purchasing Slaves Overseas for the Business of War

Abstract Drawing on merchant letters and account books of military entrepreneurs, whose role in slave markets is still poorly understood, this article explores the Mediterranean activities of the Genoese contractors who emerged as major slave traffickers while operating galleys for the Spanish Monarchy. By examining their operations as slave buyers rather than as slave makers, this study analyzes how and why early modern military entrepreneurs mobilized forced labor beyond national borders. The article shows that in the specific context of the early 17th century, Genoese galley managers obtained most slaves by buying them in distant Mediterranean ports, and the reasons for this are explained. The study of how slaves were located, evaluated, negotiated over, paid for, and transported from a distance reveals that buying slaves internationally involved connecting the distant ports of a fragmented market characterized by a volatile local supply, localized information, unpredictable prices, and ubiquitous brokers. It is argued that, in such an imperfect market, the asentistas de galeras had no choice but to empower their galley captains and local agents. Purchasing slaves overseas increased market opportunities but involved high risks, unpredictable legal procedures, and myriad logistical issues.

South Marmara Islands as the Center of Arms Trafficking in the Marmara Sea (1890-1914)

The most important of the South Marmara Islands, namely the Paşalimanı, Avşa and Ekinlik islands are in an extremely strategic point geographically because they are close to the Kapıdağ peninsula and located at the mouth of the Dardanelles. A majority of the population of the islands being non-Muslim and Greek -particularly after Greece broke away from the Ottoman state in 1829- increased the strategic importance of the region even further. In addition to grape and distillery produce, shipping to distant ports and in particular the Greek ports constituted a significant source of the island’s income. The developments that occurred in the Balkans and lack of power since the end of the 19th century in conjunction with the Greek and Armenian movements within the Ottoman Empire gave birth to a new form of illegal economy-arms trafficking-on the Marmara Islands. We see that this illegal activity intensified significantly after the Russo-Turkish War during the reign of Abdulhamid II and the Second Constitutional era. This study will be focusing on the periods of Abdulhamid II and the Second Constitution, examining the illegal arms trade, the reasons for the Marmara Islands being the center of this illegal trade, and the political and administrative initiatives of the Ottoman State to prevent this trade.

Response of the bacterial metagenome in port environments to changing environmental conditions

Port environments are highly dynamic and hotspots for marine bioinvasion. This study investigated the bacterial diversity at two geographically distant ports (Mangalore-marine port; and Haldia-riverine port) using next-generation sequencing during southwest monsoon and non-monsoon (Pre-monsoon) seasons. During southwest monsoon, at both marine and riverine ports, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) affiliated to bacteria reported to have hydrocarbon degrading ability were observed. Whereas during pre-monsoon, a significant increase in benthic bacterial OTUs was evident at the marine port, and the riverine port was characterized by oceanic species OTUs. Results suggest that the dynamics of prevalent environmental conditions, driven by seasons, led to emergence of ecologically relevant bacteria, many of which have been observed for the first time in Indian coastal waters. Their presence could be used as indicators of prevailing environmental conditions and nature of anthropogenic influence in port ecosystems. Unravelling functional roles of such ecologically relevant species is a way forward.

Migration of container terminals as their natural process of evolution: Case study of Gdańsk and Gdynia ports

The paper proposes a theoretical model of container terminals and container port development, based on the life cycle theory, threshold theory and catastrophe theory, and in references to Kuznets' swings (interpreted as waves of infrastructural investments), and Kondratiev long economic waves.The aim of this model is to explain the development process of a container terminal and a port within one technological generation, as well as in intergenerational configuration, and relate it to the migration process of container terminals in the scale of a port-city urban area. Then, the applicability of this model was checked in the case of the container ports in Gdynia and Gdańsk (Poland). The analysed evolution process of ports of Gdynia and Gdańsk conforms with the proposed theoretical model, proving that the migration of container terminals within these ports is a part of their natural process of evolution, being a consequence of their threshold development and location splitting.Considering the physical location of development investments within the container ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia, it was noticed that there are two basic directions of migration of container terminals. One is the migration of the port's main container activity (core terminal or terminals), being a result of a generational change taking place after overcoming the maturity point. The second type of migration is connected with dispersion of port development investments in the increasingly distant port hinterland, caused by the need of the life extension of terminals within one technological generation.In an analogy to the processes of development of living organisms, we can treat the migration of terminal outsourced functions as a “vegetative” increase, being an attempt to extend the life of the terminal, while the migration of the core terminal within the port area (erecting a new generation terminal) can be treated as “generative” growth.

MAKING A LIVING ON CORAL ATOLL: CHANGING STRATEGIES AMONG MILLENNIALS ON BALOBALOANG ISLAND, SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

Beginning around 2014, some significant changes in the livelihoods among many younger men from the Island of Balobaloang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, emerged. This study describes and explains how it is that approximately 50 working-age adult men (out of a total population of about 900) have turned away from interisland shipping and trade and artisanal fishing and toward wage employment aboard tourist ships, working out of distant ports in Indonesia. This case study uses a qualitative approach to explore and describe the socio-economic life of community members on the island village of Greater Balobaloang as they continue to be affected by economic and environmental changes. Field data collection was carried out through observation, government documents, and in-depth interviews with respondents. In particular, this study focuses on the adaptive strategies of younger men as opportunities for making a living have shifted in recent years away from artisanal fishing and interisland shipping and trade to adventure travel aboard modified traditional sailing ships. It contributes to discussions of internal skilled migration, social mobility and adaptation to the domestic and international tourist industry.

Fetishizing the Foot: Mobility and Meaning in Indian Ocean Sandals

Fetishizing the Foot: Mobility and Meaning in Indian Ocean Sandals

Comparative threat from LNG and fuel oil maritime accidents

ABSTRACT The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates a 3–4% increase in U.S. production levels of natural gas in 2017 from 2016 production rates, themselves increased from 2015. While much of this increase will be used domestically or sent by pipeline to Mexico, some will need to be shipped as a cryogenic liquid to distant ports on specially designed ships. Spill responders are familiar with the hazards faced from unplanned fuel oil releases but have less experience with the threat of a large maritime liquefied natural gas (LNG) accident. Fortunately, considerable new research has been done assessing such threats. Based upon such research, it is now possible to compare expected hazards from fuel oil and LNG tanker accidents. The paper compares behavior of both fluids in no-fire and fire-involved scenarios. LNG shows significantly different behavior than traditional oil products in either situation. In the no-fire case, LNG presents less of a direct environmental chemical hazard than fuel oil since methane, its main hydrocarbon constituent, is relatively benign compared to many of the hydrocarbons in typical fuel oils. However, it offers new safety threats to crew and vessel due to (1) its cryogenic behavior and (2) over-pressure caused by rapid phase transition of liquid to gas. The fire/explosion hazards between the two fluids are also quite different. While fuel oil fires have larger footprints and can generate a large airborne particulate hazard, LNG burns relatively cleanly with little soot. However, heat radiation from LNG is much larger, increasing the risk of secondary fires and increased damage to the vessel itself. Moreover, confined natural gas or LNG undergoing rapid phase transition can lead to an internal detonation overpressure in the vessel, also expanding the damage. Experts are divided on a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) risk from LNG maritime operations.

Ships and Maritime Activities in the North-eastern Indian Ocean: re-analysis of rock art of Tham Phrayanaga (Viking Cave), southern Thailand

Tham Phrayananga is a limestone cave on Phi Phi Le Island in the Andaman Sea, off south-west Thailand. A 2010 survey recorded 80 painted figures on the cave wall, in three different panels. They include nine identifiable ship types, other unidentified ships, non-marine images and a Jawi script. They are monochrome (black, red-brown, or dark-brown), or bichrome (dark-brown with yellow-brown, or red-brown with black). The vessels portrayed can be compared with local and overseas ships from China, Europe and Indonesia. Whether local or from distant ports, all were involved in the Southeast Asian maritime trade and voyages of the 15th–20th centuries.

Port-centric logistics, dry ports and offshore logistics hubs: strategies to overcome double peripherality?

Scotland's low accessibility is reflected in the limited share of Scottish unitised freight traffic coming through Scottish ports. This paper will discuss site development strategies to overcome Scotland's double peripherality (i.e. both physically and institutionally) by restructuring transport chains of large shippers through new corridors. Three competing logistics concepts will be discussed, beginning with the existing load centre terminal that provides direct access to the distant main ports. Second, port-centric logistics based at Scottish ports, and finally, offshore port-centric logistics utilising maritime links to a port-based distribution centre in Zeebrugge. The paper has two interlinked aims. First, to provide a firm theoretical grounding for recent maritime transport geography concepts, which has been lacking in the literature. This will be achieved by examining peripherality and responses to this by states at different scales, thus exploring how the three concepts in this paper can be viewed as attempts at spatial fixes of mobile capital. The second aim develops out of the first, and will explore how the perspective of space is treated in maritime geography as compared with other areas of geography. As a result, the paper pursues a cross-disciplinary approach by utilising theory from economic geography and political geography.

Ballast water transport of non-indigenous zooplankton to Canadian ports

AbstractDiBacco, C., Humphrey, D. B., Nasmith, L. E., and Levings, C. D. 2012. Ballast water transport of non-indigenous zooplankton to Canadian ports. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 483–491. Ballast water is one of the primary transport vectors for the transfer and introduction of non-indigenous zooplankton (NIZ). Regulations require vessels from overseas to conduct mid-ocean exchange before discharging ballast in Canadian ports. Intracoastal vessels from nearby ports may be exempt from exchange, whereas intracoastal vessels from more distant ports are required to exchange. Zooplankton in the ballast water of transoceanic exchanged (TOE), intracoastal exchanged (ICE), and intracoastal unexchanged (ICU) vessels arriving at Canada's west (WC) and east (EC) coasts were examined. NIZ density, propagule pressure, taxon richness, and community composition were compared among the three shipping classes. The WC ports received greater densities of NIZ and had greater NIZ propagule pressure than EC ports. Within WC vessels, NIZ propagule pressure and density were significantly greater in ICU vessels. TOE vessels on the EC had the greatest NIZ propagule pressure and density. ICU vessels entering Vancouver ports represented the greatest invasion risk to Canadian waters. These vessels likely mediate secondary invasions by facilitating the transport of unexchanged ballast directly from ports previously invaded, whereas short ICU voyage duration enhances organism survivorship and vessels transport NIZ over natural dispersal barriers.

Self-Assembled Monopole Antennas With Arbitrary Shapes and Tilt Angles for System-on-Chip and System-in-Package Applications

The design, fabrication and measurement of self-assembled vertical and oblique monopole antennas, are presented. Vertical on-chip antennas offer advantages over conventional on-chip planar antennas, most notably potentially higher efficiency with associated superior coupling between distant and adjacent ports along the direction of the chip plane. The fabrication method enables lithographical specification of the monopole profile and its sloping angle so that the orientation and shape of monopoles can be controlled. The fabrication process uses SU-8 material and is performed under 200°C and is therefore compatible with many commercial microelectronic fabrication processes such as complementary metal-oxide silicon (CMOS) technology. This allows the integration of the antennas with CMOS front ends and other signal processing stages for communications or sensing.

Breast Reconstruction: Complication Rate and Tissue Expander Type

Limited literature exists regarding complication rates among women undergoing breast reconstruction and the association of these rates with tissue expander types (anatomic, round and Becker). A historical cohort study investigated all breast reconstructions performed at Hadassah Medical Center for 140 consecutive women. Analyses were performed using both logistic and Poisson regression multivariate methods. At least one major complication occurred in each of the following groups: anatomic (41%), round (20%), and Becker (11.7%) (p = 0.015). Women reconstructed with anatomic expanders were at increased risk for at least one complication (odds ratio [OR], 3.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-13.3; p = 0.026) and an average increase of 331% (95% CI, 102-817%; p = 0.0002) in the number of major complications. The results of this study suggest that integrated-valve expanders are associated with more complications than the distant inflation port. The benefits of an anatomic shape may perhaps be better exploited using devices with a distant port.

Battle of the bilge

Battle of the bilge

Dynamics and short-term survival of toxic cyanobacteria species in ballast water from NOBOB vessels transiting the Great Lakes—implications for HAB invasions

We measured the presence, viability and potential toxicity of cyanobacteria in ships’ ballast tanks during three domestic voyages through the North American Great Lakes. Using molecular methods, the toxin-producing forms of Microcystis and Anabaena were monitored in ballast water after ships’ ballast tanks were filled at their first port of call, and at subsequent ports as ships transited the Great Lakes. Microcystis was detected in ballast water at intermediate and final ports of call in all three experiments, but the presence of Anabaena was more variable, suggesting low abundance or patchy distribution in ballast tanks. Both species were detected in ballast water up to 11 days old. Detection of the microcystin synthetase gene, mcyE, in ballast tanks indicated entrained cells were capable of producing microcystin, and further analyses of RNA indicated the toxin was being expressed by Microcystis, even after 11 days in dark transit. These data demonstrate within-basin transport and delivery of planktonic harmful algal bloom (HAB) species to distant ports in the world's largest freshwater reservoir, with potential implications for drinking water quality. These implications are discussed with respect to management of microbial invasions and the fate of introduced phytoplankton in their receiving environment.

Simultaneous Inference of Places, Activities, and Behavioral Classes in Maritime GPS Traces

Abstract : Previous work has shown that activities and places of interest can be extracted from GPS traces of human movements using behavioral models based on conditional random fields (CRFs). In this paper, we adapt and extend this work in two ways. First, we apply the framework to analysis of a vehicle-tracking maritime environment, analyzing GPS data from a 5 day surveillance of merchant marine ships conducting exercises in the English channel. Secondly, we expand the model to perform a broader population analysis segmenting the population into several classes with distinct behavioral models. Empirical results show that our algorithm is successful in inferring locations of interest, but makes only coarse distinction in activity inference. In clustering behaviors, it successfully divides agents with highly localized activities from those servicing distant ports.

Videoscopic Thyroidectomy With Fine Needle-Type Apparatuses

A total videoscopic operation with constant CO(2) gas insufflation is ideal for performing a scarless thyroidectomy because the skin incisions at the surgical ports are made far from the neck in the axillar area. However, there are many difficulties associated with the performance of a videoscopic thyroidectomy when approaching pneumo-subcutaneously from distant ports, because the instruments are inserted tangentially toward the thyroid gland from a distant port and their range of manipulation is limited. The devices and surgical techniques used for a videoscopic thyroidectomy that does not leave a scar on the anterior chest or neck were developed. Fine needle-type cautery and forceps that could access directly to the thyroid gland from the neck were used to support the forceps. A CO(2) reservoir bag connected to the CO(2) insufflation tube contributed to the safer manipulation by the creation of a stable operation space during emitting smoke from coagulation device. A silicon ring stopper was useful to prevent dislodging of the ports. In conclusion, videoscopic neck surgery would be easier using these new devices and techniques and would produce better cosmetic results than video-assisted and conventional neck surgeries.

Convict Settlers, Seamen’s Greens, and Imperial Designs at Port Jackson: A Maritime Perspective of British Settler Agriculture

Abstract This article is a contribution to the debate over Australia’s convict beginnings and the nature of the British colonization of New South Wales. The early agriculture of the convict colony is set in the maritime context of imperial rivalries and visions of empire in the Pacific Ocean. When the Port Jackson settlement is viewed from this maritime perspective, it is apparent that agriculture was an imperial imperative of the Pitt administration. The design and early function of the settlement as a port of shelter and refreshment ensured that, despite initial despondency and drought, a bountiful and secure agricultural hinterland was in the making. Within five years after the planting of New South Wales, convict settlers, mixed agriculture, and imperial designs had transformed "a rude, wild country into a pleasant garden." As a planned, self-sufficient, maritime settlement, Port Jackson rapidly developed its capacity to produce a surplus of antiscorbutic seamen’s greens essential for a distant port and naval base to become an assured resource of refereshment, services, and supplies necessary for Britain to "effectively occupy" the oceanic territory of New South Wales and thereby integrate the development of a global empire.