Stable, Low Power and Bit-Interleaving Aware SRAM Memory for Multi-Core Processing Elements

The machine learning and convolutional neural network (CNN)-based intelligent artificial accelerator needs significant parallel data processing from the cache memory. The separate read port is mostly used to design built-in computational memory (CRAM) to reduce the data processing bottleneck. This memory uses multi-port reading and writing operations, which reduces stability and reliability. In this paper, we proposed a self-adaptive 12T SRAM cell to increase the read stability for multi-port operation. The self-adaptive technique increases stability and reliability. We increased the read stability by refreshing the storing node in the read mode of operation. The proposed technique also prevents the bit-interleaving problem. Further, we offered a butterfly-inspired SRAM bank to increase the performance and reduce the power dissipation. The proposed SRAM saves 12% more total power than the state-of-the-art 12T SRAM cell-based SRAM. We improve the write performance by 28.15% compared with the state-of-the-art 12T SRAM design. The total area overhead of the proposed architecture compared to the conventional 6T SRAM cell-based SRAM is only 1.9 times larger than the 6T SRAM cell.

A Study on Supply Chain Management and Characteristics of Container Port Operation Efficiency in Vietnam by Emerging Measure Tools

Seaport services are an important and decisive focal point in improving the logistics process's efficiency. Several prerequisites such as productivity and customer satisfaction are considered to be mandatory measures of port performance. Therefore, the determination of the characteristics and the evaluation of the effects of those important factors on the efficient operation of the port has always attracted much attention from scholars. This work aims to identify and evaluate the factors of port characteristics affecting container port operation efficiency. As a result, the port operation is more efficient. The competitiveness is enhanced in the context of fierce competition in seaport business in general and container ports and container terminals in particular. With qualitative methods combined with quantitative, using a 5-point width scale, analysis according to the linear structure model (SEM) with 530 samples. The research results show that 6 factors belong to the characteristics of container ports: infrastructure, location, inland connectivity, dynamism, logistics services, attractiveness impact the performance of container port operation. As meaningful, the study can bring benefits to port and container terminal businesses to build the right policies and decisions in competitiveness enhancement and help policymakers and port planning have an overview when implementing the plan.

The Role of Emerging ICT in the Ports: Increasing Utilities According to Shared Decisions

Geographical location, infrastructures, and services are the main consolidated pillars of a port in terms of its capacity to compete and cooperate with other ports. In the last years, a new pillar was identified: emerging technologies. Ports’ issues were initially solved with individual ICT solutions adopted by each decision-maker, which generated efficiencies in the three main port flows: cargo, information, and financial. However, new benefits and challenges are connected with the introduction of shared emerging ICT among decision-makers inside ports. The crucial issue concerns the fact that several decision-makers could share a decision about a single-port operation. Therefore, the effectiveness and efficiency of ports depend on how the interactions between the decision-makers are solved. Port operations are associated with movements (cargo) and transactions (information and financial) in a synchronic graph, which allows highlighting the role of emerging technologies in the modification of port operation generalized cost, considering the different decision-makers. The focal point concerns the building of a theoretical model using the formal equations of Transport System Models (TSMs) for the estimation of the cost for a Unit of Load (UL), e.g., a container traveling along a path, composed of a sequence of port operations, inside a port with and without emerging technologies. The proposed theoretical model provides the possibility of estimating ex ante the reduction of cost (port time of UL) given by introducing new technologies and a Port Community System (PCS). Different scenarios, considering some cases, ranging from the absence of ICT to the presence of a PCS, are compared, considering the different situations from a non-congested port to a congested one. The main results of the study and its novelty concern, on the one hand, the extension of TSMs to port systems, highlighting the problem of a non-single decision-maker (two or more) in some port operations and, on the other hand, the possibility of reducing the generalized cost (e.g., time) in the same operations in which there are concurrent decision-makers, through the use of an advanced PCS. The reported numerical example confirms the theoretical results. The work can be useful for researchers for port planners (e.g., port authorities) because it permits evaluating the utility for introducing shared emerging technologies using advanced PCS in a unified view.

Evaluating Port Operation Managers’ Competencies Related to the Port Environmental Sustainability Performance

The competency characteristics of managers affect decisions that identifying the strategies in an organization. Similarly, the strategies for sustainability issues are also related to the managers’ competency on sustainability. Thus, for better sustainability performance, the managers are expected to possess competencies in this direction. In this context, this study is aimed to evaluate the operations managers’ competencies in terms of environmental sustainability in ports, which have huge effects on the physical and biological environment. For this purpose, one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods, Analytic Network Process (ANP) was used to evaluate the priority weights of 15 competencies. Within a framework of container ports/terminals, the findings of this study show that “management skill”, “emergency procedures”, and “safety management” are the most primary competencies of port operations manager (POM) in terms of port environmental sustainability performance (PESP). The model used in this study can contribute to human resourcing and personnel training processes of ports.

Comparison Analysis of the Effect of High and Low Port Activity Seasons on Air Quality in the Port of Heraklion

Emissions from port operation and shipping have a significant impact on climate risk, affecting the environment and human health in coastal regions (UNEP). The port of Heraklion, located on the island of Crete over the eastern Mediterranean, plays a key role in the sustainability of Southeast Europe. The impact on its operation affects the socio-economic life and development of the region because Heraklion is not just a tourist destination but also a significant trade and transportation center for the eastern Mediterranean. This study investigates the impact of port operation on the air quality of Heraklion between two representative periods. The first, which is considered as the high port activity season, was from 02 August 2018 to 08 August 2018, while the second period was between 11 May 2018 and 16 May 2018. For the air quality measurements, a low-cost sensor was used, while the recordings were initially compared and finally evaluated based on the available data of the monitoring station of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. To investigate the air quality differences between the two studied periods, the correlation analysis, the hourly evolution of pollutants, and the mean differences between high and low periods for gaseous pollutants and particulate matter are studied. Moreover, the effect of meteorology on air quality is investigated. The results indicate that the high season is characterized by significantly higher concentrations of pollutants compared to the other period. In both seasons studied, the air pollution level increases during hours of high port-activity, indicating the impact of port activity on air quality in Heraklion. The analysis shows that meteorology affects the air quality. In particular, strong wind speeds are associated with lower concentrations of gaseous pollutants other than ozone, which is affected by atmospheric circulation. Finally, the analysis emphasizes the importance of further investigation of the impact of port operations on coastal air quality in the context of sustainable development.

Enhancing productivity of ship chandlers’ trucks at the port for sustainability

Purpose Ship chandlers’ trucks are now facing challenges owing to their job characteristics, which will lead to low productivity of trucks, congestions and pollutions at the port. The aim of this paper is to identify important causes and the effects of low truck productivity at the port under the demand of sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach Based on the literature review, potential causes and relevant analysis are developed and carried out by using a systematic approach, incorporating in-depth interviews with experts, cause analysis and risk management process. Findings Results from the research framework showed that a lack of communication with the port, late arrival of ships, truck congestion and fragmented deliveries are the most important factors that led to low truck productivity at the port. A solution that combines an integrated system that shares real-time information with the port, a consolidation hub and a truck-pooling platform is proposed to comply with green port concepts, together with factors considerations. Originality/value Although the operation of ship chandlers’ trucks is a derived business in overall port operations, it is an indispensable element at the port. The findings present a new insight to the relationship between ship chandlers’ trucks productivity and port operation efficiency for industry practitioners and port policymakers.

COVID-19: Chittagong Port and aftermath

After first unveiled in China, by March 2020, the wide spreading episode of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) spread over Europe and the rest of the world. Besides the public health crisis, not only the Chinese economy but also the global economy as well as the supply chain faced a significant slowdown. Port is not apart from this. Chittagong Port is considered the economic nerve of Bangladesh. A significant segment of export-import moved through Chittagong Port. Like the entire globe, the outbreak of coronavirus affects the country’s prime seaport adversely. This study examines the issues concerning port operation. This study has a qualitative approach that depended on data collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected from field surveys using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with government agencies, policymakers, researchers, businessmen, port users and entrepreneurs. Secondary data were sourced from different policy documents, scholarly articles, reports and the internet. This study provides an overview of COVID-19 impacts on the port and shipping activities in Chittagong Port, which include impacts on port of call, warehouse and distribution activities, hinterland connections and port employees. Therefore, this study discussed those issues to date, identify impacts and authority response to address the impacts. Finally, this study put forward strategies for their mitigation.

ANALISIS PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN BONGKAR MUAT BARANG DI PELABUHAN PROBOLINGGO (Studi Kasus PT Delta Arta Bahari Nusantara Cabang Probolinggo)

PT Delta Arta Bahari Nusantara is a regional-owned company owned by the East Java region as a loading and unloading operator for the Probolinggo port trying to improve port operation services, one of the efforts that has been made is building port facilities. There is an increase in loading and unloading activities of superior commodities, it is necessary to increase the quality. Efforts to maintain service quality of a company must analyze and serve data and information accordingly from data and measurements, in this case, product suitability and customer satisfaction levels. The purpose of this research is to measure the service quality of PT Delta Arta Bahari Nusantara uses 5 service quality dimensions, the measurement results (gap) between customer perceptions and expectations are evaluated by the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method. Furthermore, based on the policy (gap) and QFD, strategies are formulated that must be carried out. The results of the analysis showed that all dimensions resulted in a satisfaction level of "less satisfied" (Gap value between -1.5 to -2.25) which means that in all dimensions of satisfaction, customer service ratings provided by PT Delta Arta Bahari Nusantara is not satisfied with meeting expectations. There are 5 indicators that require immediate improvement. Indicators that require the main priority for improvement are the condition and capacity of the dumping yard as well as the facilities and infrastructure, the layout of the stacking field facilities. Recommendations that can be given by the management are evaluating the maximum capacity with the number of storage for goods to determine the addition of the storage area, making improvements to the layout of the facilities and completing if there are lack of public facilities.

Comparative Analysis of Two Seaports in the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor

Ports are complex systems that have an essential role in the transportation of freight and indisputable importance for economies worldwide. Port operation requires many resources, and their performance depends on various factors. This paper focuses on the Port of Koper in the Adriatic Sea, and the Port of Gdansk in the Baltic Sea. Two ports located in two very different countries, yet with similar recent history, are connected by the Baltic-Adriatic corridor. The authors have compared the recent development of these ports through the analysis of five elements, and determined that better strategic measures have been taken in the Port of Gdansk, resulting in the faster development of the port and the opportunity to further improve its performance by strengthening its position on the Central European markets. Koper could learn how to further stabilize its position in the North Adriatic region from the model employed by the Port of Gdansk. Reorganization is required to make Koper more competitive and capable of attracting fresh money. Also, the state should be much more supportive of the Port of Koper.