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Although alluvial fans are widely distributed along the western margin of the Junggar basin, NW China, uncertainties in their formation age and associated environment need to be resolved. In a well-developed alluvial fan in the upper reaches of the Baiyang River, a 137 m-deep hydrogeological drilling core (ZK1) has been extracted. Paleomagnetic analysis shows that this section has been deposited since 8 Ma, during three distinct phases: (1) a lower segment of muddy facies formed during 8–5.6 Ma; (2) a middle segment of alternating muddy and sandy and gravel layers formed during 5.6–3.6 Ma, and (3) the upper layer of gray conglomerate formed from 3.6 Ma to present. The fan began to develop at ~5.6 Ma, perhaps driven by the Mediterranean Messinian salinity crisis originally. At 3.6 Ma, the deposition rate increased significantly and the climate further dried and cooled, likely due to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its far-field structural and environmental impacts. However, the direct causes of the two events recorded in this section are related to the rapid uplift of Wuerkashier Mt., and to regional and global climate cooling.

Although Matching Framework Theory (MFT) was introduced to explain inconsistencies in the port performance literature more than two decades ago, empirical studies to test its validity are absent. In this paper, we conduct an empirical study—focusing on one dimension of MFT, structure-environment-fit—and its impact on port performance. We deliberately select the Chinese container terminal industry (2004–2014) to test the proposed theory. We assume that the 2008 Financial Crisis in the middle of our observation period significantly changed the original structure-environment-fit state in the context, thereby resulting in a different impact on port performance. The event study research design also enables us to examine the influence of structure-environment-fit on port performance, while leaving other variables relatively stable. A multivariate analysis model in the truncated double bootstrapping method, median regression and a meta-frontier analysis are applied to prove our hypotheses. The results obtained based on data of 56 Chinese container terminals from 2004 to 2014 confirm that structure-environment-fit results in better port performance.

How can cargo owners be persuaded to switch their traditional offline business practices to a third-party online shipping platform? To address this question, we selected 10 representative third-party shipping Internet platforms in China and analyzed them based on grounded theory. In-depth interviews that lasted an average of 2.5 h were conducted with each company. After applying open coding and axial coding to interview transcripts that included more than 110,000 words (in Chinese), we propose three industrial characteristics that may hinder the development of Chinese third-party shipping Internet platforms. The two most popular initiating strategies adopted to address these issues are "disintermediation" and "service upgrading.” Our theoretical framework suggests that each initiating strategy should include three interconnected issues that can ensure a platform's success: value proposition, entry mode and competitive advantage. The final sections of our study describe our contributions to theoretical development and implications for practitioners.

Oil is a main driving force when it comes to the economic development of a country. But nations around the world have uneven oil distribution, which pushes them toward rapid development of petroleum trade and maritime transportation. With the rising maritime transportation volume of oil, countries around the globe are paying increasing attention to the safe transportation of oil, oil spills from tankers are thus decreasing. However, the oil spill problem still deserves attention and laws and procedures should be strengthened to prevent future accidents and spills. This paper reviews the history of world oil trade and oil spill pollution and puts forward oil spill prevention strategies. The paper looks at the data related to oil spills created by tankers in the past 50 years from 1970 to 2017 and studies the trends in oil trade and oil spill pollution, in a bid to analyze the pollution status of major oil spill accidents and the development of treatment regulations. The paper also explores key factors behind oil spills from tankers and summarizes strategies and directions for the global marine shipping industry to prevent oil tanker pollution in the future based on the aforementioned research. This study offers systematic and scientific information reference for green operation and management of the oil tanker industry and helps government departments and policymakers to adopt reasonable and effective strategies to prevent and handle oil spill accidents from tankers across the world.

Ocean-going ships are mostly driven by high‑sulfur heavy fuel oil, which poses public health and environmental concerns. Emission control areas (ECA) have been developed for the regulatory control of the sulfur content in fuel. We tracked 28 sample vessels that entered and exited Shanghai Port, to understand how air pollutants, including oxysulfides (SOx), nitric oxide (NOx), and particulate matter smaller than 10 μm (PM10), would change under the ECA regulations. Emission reductions vary with the types and sizes of the ships. In our sample pool, oil/chemical tankers and container ships have the highest decline rates of SOx emissions at 26.8%–56.4% and 17.4%–56.6%, respectively. Cruise ships, container ships, and liquefied gas carriers occupy the highest share ratios of pollutant emissions in the sample pool because of the higher average gross tonnage and correspondingly higher-rated power of the ships' main engines. As expected, SOx and PM10 emissions under hoteling conditions (operations while stationary at dock) can be considerably reduced by switching to low-sulfur fuel. Using fuel with the much lower sulfur content of 0.1% m/m in the ECA, the SOx and PM10 emissions of our sample pool could be reduced considerably by up to 94.4% and 78.3%, respectively, compared to the 0.5% m/m sulfur content used during ship hoteling.

Port State Control (PSC) means the inspections and controls that port states implement on the foreign ships visiting their own ports to aim to ensure safe shipping and prevent maritime pollution caused by ships. When shortcomings in ships that may undermine safety or cause maritime environmental damage are identified, the port states can detain the ship until the weaknesses are rectified to ensure safety and mitigate pollution risks. This paper analyzes the factors behind the detention of ships under PSC using grey rational analysis (GRA) model with improved entropy weight to understand how much the varied factors influence the decision of ship detention, and identifies key factors of detainment to guarantee shipping safety and environmental protection. To start with, this paper selects nine issues as main factors behind ship detention based on a study of previous and current data and information, then it establishes a method using GRA model with improved entropy weight and the procedural steps. In conclusion, this paper conducts empirical analysis with detention data in port states in the Asia-Pacific Region collected by Tokyo MOU in the past decade. Based on the results, this paper puts forward suggestions and countermeasures so as to reduce ship detention. The research offers advice on effective measures on ship safety inspections by the port states as well as decision-making support on maritime safety and environmental protection policies for governments and various stakeholders.

Continuous and high catalytic performance TS-1 zeolite membranes were rapidly prepared on the porous mullite support by dilute precursor synthesis solution. Influences of synthesis conditions (such as molar composition of precursor synthesis solution, crystallization time, and titanium source) on the growth and catalytic activity of TS-1 zeolite membrane for iso-propanol oxidation were systematically studied in this work. When H2O/TPAOH and H2O/SiO2 ratios of the precursor synthesis solutions were 1200 and 300, the inter-growth TS-1 zeolite membrane layer could be formed on the support surface. The TS-1 zeolite membrane was coupled with the oxidation of iso-propanol and hydrogen peroxide by pervaporation, when the reaction temperature and initial ratio of the iso-propanol and hydrogen peroxide were 343 K and 1:2, the iso-propanol conversion and flux of the TS-1 zeolite membrane were 97.62% and 2.45 kg/m2·h, respectively.

A free trade port, with elaborate logistics and prominent policy advantages, is a special zone that falls under the supervision of customs and a combination of China’s port and land region. Resembling free trade zones in form, free trade ports represent China’s institutional innovation with strategic significance. They serve as an important platform for opening up China’s economy. As a special area supervised by China’s Customs, a typical free trade port zone is currently undergoing upgradation and transitioning into a free trade zone. Its development performance is the key factor in this process. In this study, a development performance evaluation system for a typical free trade port zone was established on the basis of theoretical models and empirical research. Six typical free trade port zones were selected in China’s coastal areas: Yangshan, Yantai, Xiamen Haicang, Guangzhou Nansha, Ningbo Meishan and Tianjin Dongjiang. The development performances of these zones were evaluated using a system built by combining an analytic hierarchy process with a grey relational analysis. Additionally, empirical research was conducted for these six free trade port zones. By comparing the development levels of these zones, the main problems in each zone were identified, and upgrade measures were proposed.

Millions of tons of ballast water are released into Chinese waters annually that could contribute a significant invasion vector in the country's marine ecosystem. While some endeavors have been made to assess and mitigate the impact, a comprehensive ballast water management scheme with focus on invasive aquatic species prevention has yet to be formulated on the state level. The policy and politics behind the ballast-water management in China are empirically investigated, focusing specifically on why the scheme failed to evolve and be reformed. Kingdon's multi-stream model was applied with an analytic lens on the problem stream, policy stream, and politics stream. The analysis was aided by public and internal documents related to ballast-water issues, and interviews with people familiar with the issue or who were stakeholders in the issue. Kingdon's model enables the identification of institutional barriers to the development of a comprehensive ballast-water management scheme with focus on invasive aquatic species prevention in China. Policy implications and recommendations are proposed for policy entrepreneurs who could initiate a change to the existing policy.

To observe the change of the inflammatory factor Galectin-3 in patients with coronary heart disease, and the correlation between Galectin-3 and the severity of the disease. To observe changes of Galectin-3 in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) before and after radiofrequency ablation, and the changes of Galectin-3 before and after an interim treatment with a high dose of atorvastatin on patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Patients with coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation having normal heart function were selected, among them, the patients with AMI were given a short term treatment of 80mg atorvastatin before PCI, and patients with atrial fibrillation underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation. ELISA technique was equipped to observe the Galectin-3 changes in patients with coronary heart disease and that of patients with AF before and after radiofrequency ablation.Galectin-3 level of the AMI group was higher than that of the unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group, and its levels were higher than that of the stable angina pectoris (SAP) group, the differences were statistically significant among both groups (P0.05); Galectin-3 level of multivessel coronary disease group was higher than that of single vessel group, in which a statistically significant difference was noted (P0.05); There was no statistically significant difference associated in the drop of Galectin-3 levels in patients with AMI after PCI (P0.05); Galectin-3 of patients with AF decreased after RFCA, but no statistical significance noted (P0.05); Galectin-3 was negatively correlated with the LVEF value(r=-0.405, P0.05).Galectin-3 belongs to a class of inflammatory mediators that is associated with the degree of myocardial inflammation and fibrosis. It is related to the severity of myocardial ischemia and is negatively correlated with the cardiac ejection fraction.

This study helps understand the ballast water-mediated species spread risk dynamics in the Mediterranean and examine potential policy options for ballast water management to further reduce species spread risk in the region. Results show that Gibraltar, Suez, and Istanbul remained high-risk ports from 2012 to 2018, and they are hub ports connecting several clusters. We reveal ballast water management implications for both the Mediterranean region and individual hub ports respectively. To further reduce the risks of individual Mediterranean hub ports beyond the IMO standards, the most effective (cost-effective) regulatory method is to set more stringent regulation towards such hub ports besides the IMO regulation. To further reduce the risks of the Mediterranean as a whole, the most effective (cost-effective) regulatory scenario is to set more stringent regulation towards all Mediterranean ports besides the IMO regulation. The barge-based method is the most cost-effective technology to achieve stricter regulations.

The discharge of ballast water from ocean-going ships is a major pathway by which invasive species are introduced into coastal waters. As a global factory and trade power with extensive shipping networks, China has paid a huge ecological price for its progress. However, current endeavors to protect the nation's biodiversity are largely focused on terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, for the first time, we conducted a comprehensive risk assessment of ballast water-induced biological invasion in Chinese ports. The results showed that the ports in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Southern Taiwan Province face significantly high invasion risks, and the number of donor ports, connected ships, and arriving vessels showed a positive correlation with the invasion risk. Further, we observed that even a low efficacy disinfection of ballast water can still significantly decrease the level of invasion risk.

With the rapid development of the international shipping industry, global shipping is getting increasingly frequent and vessel-source oil pollution has become one of the significant contributors to marine environmental pollution. As a special method of oil transportation, oil tankers will do more harm if they have oil spills. The marine pollution caused by ship oil spills around the world has become an increasingly prominent concern of the international community. This paper approaches the subject from beforehand prevention, in-process response, ex-post handling, and comprehensive governance aspects. After analyzing the evolution and the characteristics of the vessel-source oil pollution governance policies worldwide, this paper identifies four crucial issues which include defects in oil tankers' fire and explosion prevention technologies, emergency response systems in oil spills, compensation mechanisms for oil pollution damage, and human factors and ship registry system governance. It then proposes strategy to improve the governance of vessel-source oil pollution, in particular refining the fire and explosion prevention technology for oil tankers, enhancing the oil spill emergency response, perfecting the oil pollution compensation system, paying more attention to the human factor, and advancing the management of flags of convenience. In the final section, this paper points out the future directions of research. The aim of this article is providing a systematic and scientific reference for government departments and concerned organizations, and so that they could take actions to tackle global vessel-source oil pollution.

The rational distribution of fleet resources is an important way to improve the productivity of maritime transport industry. With container vessels becoming increasingly large and the industrial competition becoming more intense in maritime transportation industry, shipping alliances have become the most common ways of cooperation for liner enterprises. Studying how to co-deploy the alliance fleets is of great significance for increasing the overall profits and competitiveness of an alliance. This paper mainly studies the co-deployment of liner alliance fleets under the vessel pool operation with uncertain demand. First, the definition and operation mode of a vessel pool is explained. Then, the factors influencing the co-deployment of alliance fleets are analysed. Based on this and the uncertain demand of container transport in practice, a robust-optimization-based co-deployment model for the fleets of the container shipping alliance is established, and a case analysis of the six routes of the three liner companies under the alliance is performed. The model makes the optimal decision for the plan on co-deployment of alliance fleets, and the result achieved can give full play to the resource advantages of alliance members, and allow the alliance to get maximum profits, which proves the effectiveness and practicability of the model.

Shipping has become an essential mode of cargo transportation in the world and the number of global ships is also on the rise, along with the increasing marine environment pollution caused by ship waste. Various countries and regions have attached increasing importance to the pollution caused by ship waste in recent years. How to address ship waste management from international shipping has been brought to the official agenda of the international community. This article starts with the ship waste management framework in the international maritime sector and compares and analyzes the regulatory challenges of ship waste management faced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and typical countries and regions such as China, the United States, and the European Union, by analyzing the issues in their international maritime ship waste management regulations, including inconsistent and unclear standards, inadequate law enforcement efforts, and blind spots in high seas supervision. Targeting these challenges, this article proposes measures and directions for future supervision and stresses the necessity to unify ship waste discharge standards, improve port facilities, clarify standards, strengthen supervision and law enforcement, and establish a global monitoring system. This article lists the challenges of international maritime ship waste management and proposes practical countermeasures, which will help the international community better supervise ship waste discharge and reduce marine environment pollution.