Over the past decade the South African forestry industry has gradually experienced the ramifications of labour scarcity, increases in labour costs, the effect of HIV and AIDS and increasing timber demand. Consequently, this has led to an increase in the mechanisation rate, especially in timber harvesting operations. Due to the labour challenges in South Africa, mechanised forestry equipment has increasingly been required to operate in complex forest conditions, such as coppiced compartments, where they have not operated before. It therefore occurs that harvesters are either used in certain coppiced compartments with uncertain productivity expectations, or the harvesters are not used in these compartments due to a lack of productivity knowledge. The influence that certain factors have on harvester productivity and stump volume loss – factors such as coppice regeneration practices and stem form – is poorly understood and has not been quantified. No scientific research exists regarding the effects of coppice compartments on the productivity of a harvester and the amount of stump volume waste. This research aimed at determining the influence of tree volume, tree form, stem felled first and distance between stems on the productivity of an excavator based harvester in coppiced double, coppiced single and planted Eucalyptus grandis pulpwood compartments. Furthermore, the research determined whether there was any stump volume waste, and quantified how much of it was due to excessive stump heights by the harvester. Through regression analysis, productivity equations were derived to make productivity predictions in both coppiced and planted compartments. All stumps were evaluated for waste and the average stump volume waste in coppiced double, coppiced single and planted trees was determined. The research results showed that planted trees had the highest productivity across all tree sizes, followed by coppiced single trees and then coppiced double stems. When harvesting a 0.2 m3 tree, the mean harvester productivity was 8.7 m3 per PMH in coppiced double trees, 13.8 m3 per PMH in coppiced single trees and 16.1 m3 per PMH in planted trees. In coppiced double stems the productivity was not significantly influence by the distance between stems. However, the productivity was significantly influenced by the stem felled first. The regression results showed that if the smaller stem was felled first, the productivity would increase if the larger stem’s volume was less than 0.18 m3; however where the larger stem was greater than 0.18 m3, the relationship was reversed. In addition, the productivity for both coppiced single trees and coppiced double stems were significantly influenced by stem form. The poorly formed trees had low productivity compared to the trees with good form. The stump volume findings showed that coppiced double stems had the highest average stump volume waste per stump, with 0.00307 m3 waste, followed by coppiced single trees (0.001954 m3) and planted trees (0.001650 m3). The average stump volume waste per stump with waste for the planted trees was negligible. This research provides forestry companies and harvesting contractors with information on the effect of tree volume, tree form and stem felled first on harvester productivity in E. grandis coppiced double, coppiced single and planted compartments. This information will assist in making equipment and system selection decisions and improve operational management and control. In addition, they will also be aware of stump volume losses that will occur in the three scenarios.

This study explores the research productivity of Addis Ababa University (AAU) faculty. AAU was established in 1950 and is the oldest modern higher educational institution in Ethiopia. Recently AAU took steps to transform itself to become a pre-eminent African research university. One of the characteristics of a research university is the focus on the amount of research conducted by the institution's faculty. Academic institutions measure research productivity primarily based on published work. The purpose of this study was to analyze the research productivity of AAU faculty, and to examine the differential predictive effects of individual and environmental variables on faculty research productivity. This quantitative study used a theoretical framework and instrument, Faculty at Work. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed to Addis AAU faculty in person and 298 questionnaires were returned resulting in a 74.5% response rate. After exclusion of 12 cases with missing information, 286 cases (71.5% response rate) were analyzed. Most of the respondents were men (M = 92.1%, F = 7.9%). The average age of AAU faculty was 44. A hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the ability of six sets of independent variables (sociodemographic, career, self-knowledge, social knowledge, behavior, and environmental response) to predict research productivity (publication output). Results indicated that there are productive researchers at AAU, and the theoretical framework explained 67.6% of the variance in publication output.

Orientador: Carlos Eduardo Angeli Furlani / Resumo: Visto que a demanda de produção de alimentos é crescente no mundo, surge a necessidade de se utilizar melhor os recursos disponíveis nas áreas de cultivo agrícola. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o efeito da interação entre declividades do terreno e exposição à radiação solar no desenvolvimento e produtividade da cultura do milho em cada uma das condições de superfície e, além disso, avaliar o índice de estresse hídrico da cultura. O experimento foi conduzido na safra 2018/2019 no município de Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil, na FCAV/UNESP, em estrutura que simula diferentes condições de exposições e declividades. No primeiro, o delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema 6x4 com cinco repetições, sendo seis declividades (0,10,20,30,40 e 50%) e quatro exposições (Norte, Sul, Leste e Oeste). Foram avaliados componentes fitotécnicos da cultura: altura e massa de matéria seca de planta, massa de mil grãos, produtividade. No segundo trabalho, foram utilizadas três declividades (0, 30 e 50%) e duas exposições (Norte e Sul). Após verificação da normalidade dos dados, usou-se análise de variância pelo Teste F e, quando necessário, aplicou-se o teste de Tukey (p<0,05) para comparação das médias. A exposição da cultura do milho influenciou no desenvolvimento das variáveis diâmetro do colmo, massa de grãos, número de fileiras por espiga e produtividade. O índice de estresse hídrico varia de acordo com a exposição a que as plantas estão submetidas aos raios solares. / Abstract: Since the demand for food production is growing in the world, there is a need to make better use of the resources available in agricultural cultivation areas. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the interaction between land slopes and exposure to solar radiation on the development and productivity of the corn crop in each of the surface conditions and, in addition, to evaluate the water stress index of the crop. The experiment was conducted in the 2018/2019 harvest in the municipality of Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, at FCAV / UNESP, in a structure that simulates different conditions of exposures and declivity. In the first, the design used was completely randomized, in a 6x4 scheme with five repetitions, six slopes (0.10,20,30,40 and 50%) and four exposures (North, South, East and West). Crop phytotechnical components were evaluated: height and dry matter of plant, mass of a thousand grains, productivity. In the second study, three slopes (0, 30 and 50%) and two exposures (North and South) were used. After verifying the normality of the data, analysis of variance was used by the F Test and, when necessary, the Tukey test (p <0.05) was applied to compare the means. The exposure of the corn crop influenced the development of the stem diameter, grain mass, number of rows per ear and productivity variables. The water stress index varies according to the exposure to which the plants are exposed to sunlight. / Mestre

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Natural selection should favor selective foraging in deer to choose among nutrients in plant communities to meet their physiological requirements. I designed a two-tier cafeteria-style experiment where I measured plant nutritional quality and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use on 1) 15 species of herbaceous plants, and 2) 2 species of plants of manipulated nutrient concentrations. I tested the hypotheses: 1) deer use across plants would be influenced by plant nutrients, and 2) soil nutrients would influence plant selection by deer. My analyses indicated deer selected plants of low neutral detergent fiber and sulfur concentrations. However, deer selected for crude protein. I also confirmed soil nutrients indirectly influenced diet selection. Nutrient augmentation altered phosphorus concentrations within plants, and plant phosphorus concentration explained 47% of the variation in diet selection. My data indicated deer use both nutrient maximization and avoidance to balance diet selection and plants mediate the indirect effects of soil nutrients availability on herbivore diet selection.

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The objective of this paper is to analyze methods of measurement of labor productivity and introduce them to real business. The object of this paper is to investigate methods of measuring performance. The subject of this paper is the process of implementing methods to increase productivity. Methods (procedures) of the study. Pattern during the writing of this work was used by scientists articles information about the measurement and implementation of systems productivity. Recommendations for the use of this work. Since this work was written with the use of different methods and examples, not all of them before writing the work was known to me, I want to present a certain part to improve the productivity of some companies in my country.

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The workplace and workforce have evolved and taken on a different personality than in the past. For employees the office environment has moved from a place where you must work, to a place where you want to work, to a place where you do your most productive work. Advances in technology continue to blur the lines between home and work. Although mobile devices had suggested they could set us free to work from anywhere, the reality is technology necessitates proximity. Employees need to be together to share ideas, to innovate and to collaborate. Although employees can work from anywhere, people are working together in closer proximity to each other. Additionally, the workplace environment is not as orderly and procedural as it was in the past. Today it's creative, innovative and collaborative. This thesis explores the intersection of health and wellness within one's workplace, as a means to create a more productive, collaborative and healthy environment through a design intervention located in Alexandria, VA. The key drivers of the design include natural light, active design, biophilic elements and circadian lighting. Access to natural light creates happier and more productive employees. Staircases are readily accessible and inviting, encouraging occupants to walk up and down. Nature is brought indoors offering psychological benefits, connecting employees to the outside as well as recharging mood and focus. Lighting design works in line with our internal body clock, enabling our body to perform at the right time. This workplace improves the well-being of people by placing health and wellness at the center of the design. / Master of Architecture / The workplace and workforce have evolved and taken on a different personality than in the past. For employees the office environment has moved from a place where you must work, to a place where you want to work, to a place where you do your most productive work. Advances in technology continue to blur the lines between home and work. Although mobile devices had suggested they could set us free to work from anywhere, the reality is technology necessitates proximity. Employees need to be together to share ideas, to innovate and to collaborate. Although employees can work from anywhere, people are working together in closer proximity to each other. Additionally, the workplace environment is not as orderly and procedural as it was in the past. Today it’s creative, innovative and collaborative. This thesis explores the intersection of health and wellness within one’s workplace, as a means to create a more productive, collaborative and healthy environment through a design intervention located in Alexandria, VA. The key drivers of the design include natural light, active design, biophilic elements and circadian lighting. Access to natural light creates happier and more productive employees. Staircases are readily accessible and inviting, encouraging occupants to walk up and down. Nature is brought indoors offering psychological benefits, connecting employees to the outside as well as recharging mood and focus. Lighting design works in line with our internal body clock, enabling our body to perform at the right time. This workplace improves the well-being of people by placing health and wellness at the center of the design.