Factors affecting cane yield and commercial cane sugar in the Tully district

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 473 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Lawes ◽  
K. E. Basford ◽  
L. M. McDonald ◽  
R. J. Lawn ◽  
M. K. Wegener

The Tully Sugar Mill has collected information about sugarcane supplied for crushing from every block in the mill district from 1970 to 1999. Data from 1988 to 1999 were analysed to understand the extent of the variation in cane yield per hectare and commercial cane sugar in the Tully mill area. The key factors influencing the variation in cane yield and commercial cane sugar in this commercial environment were identified and the variance components computed using a restricted maximum likelihood methodology. Cane yield was predominantly influenced by the year in which it was harvested, the month when the crop was ratooned (month of harvest in the previous year) and the farm of origin. These variables were relatively more important than variety, age of crop or crop class (plant crop, first ratoon through to fourth or older ratoons) and fallowing practice (fallow or ploughout-replant). The month-of-ratooning effect was relatively stable from year-to-year. Commercial cane sugar was influenced by the year of harvest, the month of harvest and their interaction, in that the influence of the month of harvest varied from year to year. Variety and farm differences were also significant but accounted for a much lower portion of the variation in commercial cane sugar. An empirical model was constructed from the key factors that influenced commercial cane sugar and cane yield to quantify their combined influence on sugar yield (t/ha). This may be used to assist mill personnel to predict their activities more accurately, for example to calculate the impact of a late finish to the current harvest season on the following year's crop.

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abu Zafar Mahmudul Haq

The impact of extension contact on crop income is examined with a view to evaluating the agricultural extension in Bangladesh. The scope of the study was ten villages of Gazipur district. The objectives of the study are to i) determine the factors influencing the benefit of extension services in terms of farm income, ii) determine the factors affecting the extension contact of farmers, and iii) suggest some policy guidelines to improve the extension services in Bangladesh. The sample of the study consists of 1000 farmers. Data came from field survey and multistage random sampling technique was used in order to collect data. The results indicated that the impact of extension contact coefficient on crop income is positive and significant. Evidence shows that the influence of extension contact coefficient is strongly positive and significant in the comparatively nearer villages to upazila headquarters, while this effect is weaker for those villages, which are comparatively away from upazila headquarters. It is found that many farmers did not receive extension contact and the effect of extension contact is weak on crop income compared to other factors such as irrigation and chemical fertilizer. It is assumed that there was enough scope to increase extension contact in the study areas. Some determinants of extension contact were also examined. The study concludes that agricultural extension is necessary to increase among the farmers. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 38(2): 321-334, June 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v38i2.15893


Author(s):  
Heike Rabe ◽  
Varsha Bhatt-Mehta ◽  
Stephen A. Bremner ◽  
Aisling Ahluwalia ◽  
Renske Mcfarlane ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective A comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to perinatal blood pressure is vital to ensure optimal postnatal hemodynamic support. The objective of this study was to review existing literature on maternal and perinatal factors influencing blood pressure in neonates up to 3 months corrected age. Methods A systematic search of published literature in OVID Medline, OVID Embase and the COCHRANE library identified publications relating to maternal factors affecting blood pressure of neonates up to corrected age of 3 months. Summary data were extracted and compared (PROSPERO CRD42018092886). Results Of the 3683 non-duplicate publications identified, 44 were eligible for inclusion in this review. Topics elicited were sociodemographic factors, maternal health status, medications, smoking during pregnancy, and cord management at birth. Limited data were available for each factor. Results regarding the impact of these factors on neonatal blood pressure were inconsistent across studies. Conclusions There is insufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions regarding the impact of various maternal and perinatal factors on neonatal blood pressure. Future investigations of neonatal cardiovascular therapies should account for these factors in their study design. Similarly, studies on maternal diseases and perinatal interventions should include neonatal blood pressure as part of their primary or secondary analyses.


Author(s):  
David Miles ◽  
Adrian Heald ◽  
Mike Stedman

Vaccination against the COVID-19 virus began in December 2020 in the UK and is now running at 5% population/week. High Levels of social restrictions were implemented for the third time in January 2021 to control the second wave and resulting increases in hospitalisations and deaths. Easing those restrictions must balance multiple challenging priorities, weighing the risk of more deaths and hospitalisations against damage done to mental health, incomes and standards of living, education outcomes and provision of non-Covid-19 healthcare. Weekly and monthly officially published values in 2020/21 were used to estimate the impact of seasonality and social restrictions on the spread of COVID-19 by age group, on the economy and healthcare services. These factors were combined with the estimated impact of vaccinations and immunity from past infections into a model that retrospectively reflected the actual numbers of reported deaths closely both in 2020 and early 2021. It was applied prospectively to the next 6 months to evaluate the impact of different speeds of easing social restrictions. The results show vaccinations are significantly reducing the number of hospitalisations and deaths. The central estimate is that relative to a rapid easing, the avoided loss of 57,000 life years from a strategy of relatively slow easing over the next 4 months comes at a cost in terms of GDP reduction of around £0.4 million/life-year loss avoided. This is over 10 times higher than the usual limit the NHS uses for spending against Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) saved. Alternative assumptions for key factors affecting give significantly different trade-offs between costs and benefits of different speeds of easing. Disruption of non-Covid-19 Healthcare provision also increases in times of higher levels of social restrictions. In most cases, the results favour a somewhat faster easing of restrictions in England than current policy implies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 630-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Parchami Jalal ◽  
Shahab Shoar

Purpose This paper aims to model different causal relations among factors interacting with labour productivity in order to recognize the most important factors influencing and influenced by it. Design/methodology/approach Top 60 factors affecting labour productivity were determined and grouped into 5 major groups by reviewing previous research and interviewing relevant experts. The interactions of factors were modelled using system dynamics (SD) approach. The resulting causal loop diagrams obtained from SD were then applied for identifying the most crucial factors influencing and influenced by labour productivity through the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The impact of factors on each other was finally determined based on the opinions of 63 experts selected from the Iranian construction industry. Findings The results indicated that factors such as fatigue, lack of labour motivation and lack of skill are the most influencing, and factors such as schedule delay and inflation in the cost of execution are the most influenced by labour productivity. In the end, a set of recommendations to improve construction labour productivity was also presented. Originality/value The main contribution of the study is proposing a novel method which is capable of providing insights into how causes and effects of construction labour productivity are interrelated. Furthermore, the proposed method makes this study distinct from previous research in the light of prioritizing factors and offering recommendations according to the interrelationships among factors.


Author(s):  
Colleen Cunningham ◽  
Il-Yeol Song

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a strategy that integrates concepts of knowledge management, data mining, and data warehousing in order to support an organization’s decision-making process to retain long-term and profitable relationships with its customers. Key factors for successfully implementing CRM (e.g., data quality issues, organizational readiness, customer strategies, selection of appropriate KPIs, and the design of the data warehouse model) are discussed with the main thrust of the chapter focusing on CRM analyses and the impact of those analyses on CRM data warehousing design decisions. This chapter then presents a robust multidimensional starter model that supports CRM analyses. Additional research contributions include the introduction of two new measures, percent success ratio and CRM suitability ratio by which CRM models can be evaluated, the identification/ classification of CRM queries, and a preliminary heuristic for designing data warehouses to support CRM analyses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 904-916
Author(s):  
Zhengyu Huang ◽  
Lingyu Chen ◽  
Lianchao Zhang ◽  
Shixun Fan ◽  
Dapeng Fan

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the key factors influencing the synchronization performance of distributed motion control system and to improve the synchronization performance for peripherals control of this system. Design/methodology/approach This paper deals with the software synchronization problems of distributed motion control system based on real-time Ethernet. First, combined with communication and control tasks, the key factors affecting synchronization performance of system are analyzed. Then, aiming at key factors and considering the synchronization of system bus, protocol conversion and task scheduling, a software synchronization method based on CANopen protocol and real-time Ethernet is proposed. Finally, the feasibility of this method is verified by establishing distributed motion control system and testing the synchronization performance of terminal control signals of slaves. Findings Based on this method, the results show that the synchronization accuracy for peripherals control of all slaves could be about 100 ns. Practical implications This research provides high-precision synchronization method, which could lay a foundation for the application of distributed motion control system in the field of assembly automation, such as multi-axis assembly robots control. Originality/value In distributed motion control system, many factors affect the synchronization performance. At present, there is no synchronization method that could comprehensively consider these factors. This paper not only analyzes the key factors influencing the synchronization performance of system but also proposes a synchronization method. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper has certain theoretical value and engineering significance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 1070-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz M. Jarkas ◽  
Milan Radosavljevic ◽  
Liu Wuyi

Purpose – An extensive search of the literature revealed a dearth of research on the demotivational factors affecting the performance and productivity level of site-based construction project managers. Following the announcement of awarding the FIFA 2022 World Cup hosting rights to the State of Qatar, the State is pledging to spend tens of Billions of Dollars on hundreds of new construction projects. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify, explore, and rank the relative importance of the demotivational factors influencing the productivity of the State's construction management force. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire survey comprising 38 potential demotivational factors, which were shortlisted based on relevant previous studies on the impact of motivation on construction productivity, and numerous interviews with local industry professionals, was distributed to a relatively large sample of site-resident project managers. Using the “Relative Importance Index” technique, the influence ranks of the factors explored were determined. Findings – The results obtained reveal the following as the prominent demotivational factors influencing the productivity of construction project managers: lack of financial incentive schemes; slow decision-making process by owners; remuneration scale; delay in responding to Requests For Information (RFI); shortage of skilled labour force; shortage of materials; clarity and completeness of technical specifications; frequent changing orders during execution; drawings quality level; and rework. Research limitations/implications – It is clear, based on the outcomes, that the cultural background of individuals, and the prevalent practices within the environment in which they operate, are two critical factors in determining their motivation drivers. Hence, it is prudent to explore the dominant culture and values of the management workforce, in addition to the characteristics of the working environment, before trying to apply relevant motivational theories, or even implement new management strategies. Practical implications – The results demonstrate that, within the geographical setting and cultural aspects of the sample surveyed, “tributes” and “pecuniary” may be interpreted to have the largest effect on the productivity of construction project managers. Originality/value – The findings not only contribute to the overall body of knowledge related to the effect of the motivation phenomenon on the productivity of the construction operation, but can also be used to provide industry practitioners with guidance for focusing, acting upon, and controlling the significant demotivational factors affecting the efficiency of the construction project management force practicing in State.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0254517
Author(s):  
Ving Fai Chan ◽  
Ai Chee Yong ◽  
Ciaran O’Neill ◽  
Christine Graham ◽  
Nathan Congdon ◽  
...  

Background This study aims to understand the key factors influencing guardians’ decisions when purchasing spectacles for their children in semi-urban and urban areas of Cross River State, Nigeria, where a spectacle cross-subsidisation scheme will be implemented. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among all consecutive guardians visiting the Calabar (urban), Ugep, Ikom and Ogoja (semi-urban) public eye clinics in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, from August 1 to October 31 2019, and whose children had significant refractive errors (myopia ≤-0.50D, hyperopia ≥1.50D, astigmatism >0.75D) and received spectacles. Guardians were interviewed using a questionnaire which included i) close-ended questions on reasons guardians choose to purchase spectacles for their children in eye clinics, ii) guardians’ perceptions of the quality and design of children’s current spectacle, iii) factors most heavily influencing their choice of spectacles for children, and iv) open-ended questions to seek guardians’ suggestions on how to improve the current spectacle range. Results All 137 eligible guardians (67.2% women [n = 92]) who visited the selected eye clinics participated in the study (response rate = 100%), with 109 (79.6%) from semi-urban and 28 (20.4%) attending urban clinics. Guardians from both urban and semi-urban clinics prioritised frame design, quality, and material as the main factors affecting their decision when purchasing spectacles for their children. Female guardians and those with higher incomes were both 1.5 times more likely to emphasise frame quality when describing selection criteria for purchasing spectacles for their children than male guardians (p = 0.01) or guardians earning less (p = 0.03). Conclusion Design, material, and frame quality are key factors influencing guardians when purchasing spectacles for their children in these setting and female guardians or those with higher income prioritise frame quality. This study could guide the planning and implementation of a novel cross-subsidisation scheme in Cross River State.


Author(s):  
Tzu-Tsung Wong ◽  
Shih-Hsuan Hung

Topcoat paint is mainly composed of resin and pigment and hence its quality highly depends on the type and proportion of these two ingredients. This study aims at testing the formula of the topcoat paint for finding one that can achieve better quality for anti-aging. Various formulas of paint are applied on boards that will be put into ultraviolet accelerated test machines to simulate weathering tests. The gloss and color, before and after the tests, are collected and numerical prediction method M5P is used to grow model trees for discovering the key factors affecting aging. Based on the structure and the linear regression models in the trees, a better topcoat paint should be composed of a high proportion of resin and generally a low proportion of pigment. Good types of resin and pigment are also identified for keeping color and gloss.


Author(s):  
Tran Thi-Kim Nhung ◽  
Nguyen Thanh Do

As academic activities and research performances become important criteria in evaluating the quality of a university, research activities have received a special concern from universities. The key questions are what prompts faculty members to do research and how to motivate them. In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to examine the factors affecting the research motivation, then measure the impact of these factors on the faculty members' research motivation. In this study, the authors employed the expansive expectancy theory proposed by Chiang & Jang to investigate key factors that motivate faculty members to conduct research. The regression results on data collected from a survey on 475 faculty members at universities in Hanoi showed that faculty members are motivated by the intrinsic instrumentality factor (INTIN), financial value factor (FINVA) and expectancy factor (EXPECT – the factor that yields controversial results in previous studies). These findings suggest that the research motivation of lecturers has a positive correlation with academic degree, administrative position and has no relationship with age and gender.  


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