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Carbon emissions cost is a potential effective measure to restrict hydrocarbon pollution in the international shipping trade. The minimization of the total cost is pursued by ship operators, whereas voyage cost is increasingly involving the replacement of clean fuel and changing the cost of the shipping route. A flexible optimization method focusing on maximizing the total profit is developed in terms of sailing speed optimization and single port skips integrate carbon emission influence. An actual ocean shipping route from Shanghai to Rotterdam is applied to validate the effectiveness of the proposed models. The results have shown that the shipping route profit is volatile along with the sailing speed and the number of port calls. However, the profit will be maximized when applying the single port skip and will slow down the sailing speed at the same time. The demand of planned skip port can be supported by a short line container. A system composed of ocean container liner and short line container can improve the profit by 4.05% and reduce the carbon emission by 19.70%. Furthermore, sensitive results show that the profit is less affected by the changing of the carbon emission cost. A small size container has enough ability to solve the short transportation demand in adjacent ports and convert extraberthing cost into profit. These findings can provide reliable support for the shipping route decision process considering future carbon emission costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Various studies that analyze long-term records of surface radiation measurements have noted a widespread decrease in the downward surface solar radiation ( SSR) between the 1950s and 1980s and a more recent partial recovery at many locations. However, few studies have assessed the relative contribution of diffuse and direct radiation to the variations in air temperature. To examine the phenomenon in which varying direct/diffuse radiation contributes to the warming trend in Shanghai, the daily radiation and air temperature data for Shanghai region were collected and analyzed. Our results indicated that the variation in SSR in the Shanghai region was mainly induced by the variation in direct radiation during 1961-2013. Global dimming occurred in the Shanghai region in all four seasons before the 1980s; however, brightening only occurred in the Shanghai region during spring after the 1990s due to the decreasing cloud coverage. Direct radiation was negatively correlated to cloud coverage in all four seasons and was significantly negatively correlated to human activities (air pollution), while diffuse radiation was strongly positively correlated to human activities and only related to cloud coverage in spring. These results suggest that moderate air pollution might lead to maximized diffuse radiation in the Shanghai region. Direct radiation was the major contributor to the air temperature in spring, summer and autumn before the 1980s. However, since the 1980s, the contribution of diffuse radiation to air temperature has exceeded that of direct radiation. In addition, direct radiation has only slightly mediated the minimum air temperature at night, particularly in spring and autumn. We infer that the contribution of diffuse radiation to the air temperature in the Shanghai region might occur through the warming effects of aerosols (e.g., black carbon), a type of air pollution caused by human activities, such as traffic, wood-based cooking and biomass burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2) is a crucial swine pathogen and considered a primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVADs), posing a serious economic threat to the swine industry across globe. The world's biggest agricultural conglomerates have teamed up to create giant commercial pig farms across Shanghai due to the proximity of this region to more affluent lean-pork markets. Since its discovery, PCV2 has displayed extraordinary genetic diversity, and its genome is swiftly evolving through a series of mutations and recombinations. However, limited information on epidemiology, molecular characteristics, vaccine cross-protection, and the co-infection rate of PCV2 with other lethal swine diseases can adversely impact the pig production in the region. To investigate the molecular epidemic characteristics and genetic evolution of PCV2, pigs with doubtful symptoms of PCVADs were sampled from various commercial pig farms with a history of PWMS and/or PDNS across Shanghai from 2014 to 2018. Our results revealed the coexistence of multiple PCV2 genotypes (PCV2b, PCV2e, and PCV2d) among Shanghai pig herds and dominance of PCV2d among them. We also found critical amino acid substitutions in epitope regions of important capsid proteins in PCV2 isolates involved in viral replication and host immune escape. Spotted mutations may favor the prevalence and survival of various PCV2 genotypes despite availability of commercial vaccines. This study also provides insight into the co-infection status of PCV2 with major lethal swine viral diseases such as PPV and PPRSV. Collectively, these investigations will contribute to understanding the molecular epidemiology and evolution of PCV2 across the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the AIS data in 2017, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of five ECA policies on pollutant emissions from merchant ships in Shanghai Port waters. Results show that the estimated annual emissions from merchant ships including cargo ships, container ships and tankers are 3.4029 × 104 tons for NO x , 2.1037 × 104 tons for SO 2 , 2.291 × 103 tons for PM 2.5 , and 2.921 × 103 tons for PM 10 in 2017, respectively. Impact analysis results highlight the fact that effects of each ECA policy vary significantly among different merchant ship types and different water areas. The amount of pollutant emissions from cargo ships (e.g., SO 2 and PM 2.5) is most affected by the ECA policy. However, the NO x emissions are not significantly changed under different ECA policies. Results also show that future ECA policies could cause a much greater decrease of pollutant emissions in water areas of Yangshan and Wusong. • Examine effects of five ECA policies on merchant ship emissions • The ECA policy effects vary with different merchant ship types and water areas. • The emissions from cargo ships are more sensitive with the ECA policy. • The NO x emissions are not significantly changed under different ECA policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]