• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.5-14
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• 2013

Purpose - We live in a world of constant change and competition. Many airports have specific competitiveness goals and strategies for achieving and maintaining them. The global economic recession, financial crises, and rising oil prices have resulted in an increasingly important role for facility investment and renewal and the implementation of appropriate policies in ensuring the competitive advantage for airports. It is thus important to analyze the factors that enhance efficiency and productivity for an airport. This study aims to determine the efficiency levels of 20 major airports in East Asia, Europe, and North America. Further, this study also suggests suitable policies and strategies for their development. Research design, data, and methodology - This paper employs the DEA-CCR, DEA-BCC, and DEA-Malmquist production index analysis models to determine airport efficiency. The study uses data on the efficiency and productivity of the world's leading airports between 2006 and 2010. The input variables include the airport size, the number of runways, the size of passenger terminals, and the size of cargo terminals. The output variables include the annual number of passengers and the annual cargo volume. The study uses basic data from the 2010 World Airport Traffic Report (ACI). The world's top 20 airports (as rated by the ACI report) are investigated. The study uses the expanded DEA Model and the Super Efficiency Model to identify the most effective airports among the top 20. The Malmquist productivity index analysis is used to measure airport effectiveness. Results - This study analyzes longitudinal and cross-sectional data on the world's top 20 airports covering 2006 to 2010. A CCR analysis shows that the most efficient airports in 2010 were Gatwick Airport (LGW), Zurich Airport (ZRH), Vienna Airport (VIE), Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA), San Francisco Airport (SFO), HongKong Airport (HKG), Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), and Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG). We find that changes in airport productivity are affected more by technical factors than by airport efficiency. Conclusions - Based on the study results, we offer four airport development proposals. First, a benchmark airport needs to be identified. Second, inefficiency must be reduced and high-cost factors need to be managed. Third, airport operations should be enhanced through technical innovation. Finally, scientific demand forecasting and facility preparation must become the focus of attention. This paper has some limitations. Because the Malmquist productivity index is based on the hypothesis of the, the identified production change could be over- or under-estimated. Further, as DEA estimates the relative efficiency. It also cannot generalize to include all airport conditions because the variables are limited. To measure airport productivity more accurately, other input variables and environmental variables such as financial and policy factors should be included.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2010

Follicular cystic ovary (FCO) is one of the major causes of reproductive failure in cattle. Genetic alterations affect the function of diverse cells and/or tissues, which could be present in cystic ovaries. A microarray analysis was performed to screen differential gene expressions in follicular cystic follicles of cattle. In this study, we hypothesized that follicular cysts may be induced by changes in ion- and transporter-related gene expression. Microarray data showed that fibrinogen-gamma (FGG) and low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 8 (LRP8) were up-regulated, while choline transporter-like protein 4 (SLC44A4), very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase homolog 2 (SLC27A5), annexin 8 (ANXA8), and aquaporin 4 were down-regulated in follicular cystic follicles. A semi-quantitative RT-PCR was carried out to validate DEGs altered in follicular cystic follicles. Of six DEGs, three DEGs (FGG, SLC44A4, and aquaporin 4) showed a positive correlation between microarray and semi-quantitative PCR data. We focused on FGG, among three DEGs, which was highly up-regulated in follicular cystic follicles. The FGG mRNA was upregulated by 8.4-fold and by 1.7-fold in the bovine follicular cystic follicles as judged by microarray and RT-PCR analysis, respectively. However, there was no significant changes in the expression level of FGG protein in both follicular cystic follicles and granulosa cells isolated from follicular cystic follicles by Western blot analysis. Although this study does not reveal a positive correlation between the mRNA and protein level, FGG appears to be an important biomarker in the discrimination of follicular cyst from normal ovary.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.4 s.50
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• pp.337-346
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• 2006

The Jinwon Pb-Zn deposit is located within the Precambrian Youngnam Massif. Ore mineralization at the Jinwon deposit occurred in quartz veins that filled fractures in the Hongjesa granite. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages(stage I and II). Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore minerals occurred, is further divided into two substages with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: substage la is characterized by pyrite, arsenopyrite ($28.4{\sim}30.3$ atomic % As), pyrrhotite, magnetite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite ($13.1{\sim}16.0$ mole % FeS) assemblages; substage $I_a$ is represented by main precipitation of Zn, Pb minerals and is characterized by sphalerite ($15.1{\sim}19.0$ mole % FeS), galena, miargyrite, argentile assemblages. Stage II is economically barren quartz veins. Thermodynamics study is used to estimate changes in chemical conditions of the hydrothermal fluids during stage I mineralization, the main ore deposition period at the Jinwon hydrothermal system. The range of estimated sulfur fugacity ($fs_2$) was from $10^{-7}\;to\;10^{-16}$ atm and oxygen fugacity ($fo_2$) was in the range of $10^{-32.8}{\sim}10^{-38.5} atm$. Carbon dioxide fugacity ($fco_2$) was $<10^{-0.6} atm$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.233-238
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• 2010

The phase transformations and the shape memory effect in In-rich Pb alloys and In rich-Sn alloys have been studied by means of X-ray diffractometry supplemented by metallographic observations. The alloys containing 12~15 at.%Pb transform from the ${\alpha}_2$ (fct) phase to the ${\alpha}_1$ (fct) phase by way of an intermediate phase (m phase) on cooling. The results of X-ray diffraction show that the metastable intermediate phase is observed both on cooling and heating, and has a face-centered orthorhombic (fco) structure. It is concluded that the ${\alpha}_1{\rightleftarrows}{\alpha}_2$ transformation is expressed by the ${\alpha}_1{\rightleftarrows}m{\rightleftarrows}{\alpha}_2$ transformation both on usual cooling and heating with the rate more than $8{\times}10^{-3}$ K/s. The $m{\rightleftarrows}{\alpha}_2$ transformation takes place with a mechanism involving macroscopic shear and are of diffusionless (martensitic) type. The temperature hysteresis in the two transformations is 10~13 K between the heating and cooling transformations. The alloys containing 0~11 at.%Sn are -phase solid solutions with a face centered tetragonal structure (c/a > 1) at room temperature, the axial ratio increasing continuously with tin content. The In-(11~15) at.%Sn alloys are mixtures of ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ phases, the ${\beta}$ phase having a f. c. tetragonal structure (c/a < 1). The alloys containing more than 15 at.%Sn are ${\beta}$-phase solid solutions. The In-(12.9~15.0) at.%Sn alloys show a shape memory effect only when quenched to the temperature of liquid nitrogen, although their effect becomes weak and finally disappears after keeping at room temperature for a long time. The ${\beta}{\rightarrow}{\alpha}^{\prime}$ phase transformation is of the diffusionless (martensitic) type, and takes place between 330 K at 12.9 at.%Sn and 150 K at 14.5 at.%Sn. The hysteresis of transformation temperatures on heating and cooling is considerably large (29~40 K), depending on the composition. Both In-Pb and In-Sn alloys showed distinct the shape memory effects.