Primary productivity measurements in the Ross Sea, Antarctica: A regional synthesis

Polar systems are undersampled due to the difficulty of sampling remote and challenging environments; however, these systems are critical components of global biogeochemical cycles. Measurements on primary productivity in specific areas can quantify the input of organic matter to food webs, and so are of critical ecological importance as well. However, long-term measurements using the same methodology are available only for a few polar systems. Primary productivity measurements using 14C-uptake incubations from the Ross Sea, Antarctica, are synthesized, along with chlorophyll concentrations at the same depths and locations. A total of 19 independent cruises were completed, and 449 stations occupied where measurements of primary productivity (each with 7 depths) were completed. The incubations used the same basic simulated in situ methodology for all. Integrated water column productivity for all stations averaged 1.10 ± 1.20 g C m−2 d−1, and the maximum was 13.1 g C m−2 d−1. Annual productivity calculated from the means throughout the growing season equalled 146 g C m−2 yr−1. Mean chlorophyll concentration in the euphotic zone (the 1 % irradiance level) was 2.85 ± 2.68 mg m−3 (maximum concentration was 19.1 mg m−3). Maximum photosynthetic rates at the surface (normalized to chlorophyll) averaged 0.94 ± 0.71 mg C (mg chl)−1 h−1, similar to the maximum rate found in photosynthesis/irradiance measurements. Productivity measurements are consistent with the temporal patterns of biomass found previously, with biomass and productivity peaking in late December; mixed layers were at a minimum at this time as well. Estimates of plankton composition also suggest that pre-January productivity was largely driven by the haptophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, and summer productivity by diatoms. The data set will be useful for a comparison to other Antarctic regions and provide a basis for refined bio-optical models of regional primary productivity.

Counting what counts: A researcher productivity scoring framework for South African's universities of technology

One of the three objectives of academic institutions all over the world is that of ensuring and upholding vibrant research productivity. For developing countries such as South Africa, public spending on research and development provides mechanisms for this. The South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is the custodian of government research funds. Evidence shows that DHET continues to grapple with the challenge of objectively measuring research productivity from the research funds invested in universities. The current funding framework applied by DHET has received numerous criticism one of them being its quantitative nature - it rewards quantity as opposed to quality research. This problem is more pronounced in Universities of Technology (UoTs) where, after more than ten years of operating as universities, the culture of research is not yet fully entrenched. Acknowledging the critical role played by research productivity measurements, we present a research productivity and quality measurement framework for UoTs. Using a case study of one of the UoTs, quantitative data relating to 48 aspects of the of existing research incentive system was used in determining the system’s effectiveness and efficacy in stimulating researchers’ activities. The proposed Framework consists of three components on: how to motivate researchers, what/how to measure research performance and how to incentivise researchers. Using an actual dataset of research outputs from the case study, an illustration on how to apply the framework has been provided. The results confirm our Framework’s ability to “count what counts” and proven the statement that “not everything that can be counted counts”.

Community biofilm-formation, stratification and productivity in serially-transferred microcosms

The establishment of O2 gradients in liquid columns by bacterial metabolic activity produces a spatially-structured environment. This produces a high-O2 region at the top that represents an un-occupied niche which could be colonised by biofilm-competent strains. We have used this to develop an experimental model system using soil-wash inocula and a serial-transfer approach to investigate changes in community-based biofilm-formation and productivity. This involved ten transfers of mixed-community or biofilm-only samples over a total of 10–60 days incubation. In all final-transfer communities the ability to form biofilms was retained, though in longer incubations the build-up of toxic metabolites limited productivity. Measurements of microcosm productivity, biofilm-strength and attachment levels were used to assess community-aggregated traits which showed changes at both the community and individual-strain levels. Final-transfer communities were stratified with strains demonstrating a plastic phenotype when migrating between the high and low-O2 regions. The majority of community productivity came from the O2-depleted region rather than the top of the liquid column. This model system illustrates the complexity we expect to see in natural biofilm-forming communities. The connection between biofilms and the liquid column seen here has important implications for how these structures form and respond to selective pressure.

A Promising Development for Detecting Ocean Productivity

A comparison of primary productivity measurements across the North Pacific Ocean demonstrates the potential for using autonomous instruments to discern effects of climate change on the marine food web.

THE FUNDAMENTAL PATTERNS OF COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE OF STEEL INDUSTRY IN INDONESIA

Abstrak Pengukuran produktivitas yang akurat dapat memberikan informasi yang berguna dalam meningkatkan daya saing. Oleh karena itu, penting untuk memahami perbedaan dalam produktivitas relatif antar-negara. Hal ini memungkinkan negara untuk fokus dan berspesialisasi dalam produk-produk mereka yang relatif lebih produktif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pola dasar keunggulan komparatif, dengan industri baja Indonesia sebagai fokus analisis. Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis RCA berbasis regresi dengan metode variabel instrumen (instrument variable/IV) yang menggunakan data ekspor dari 25 negara ke 35 negara tujuan dari tahun 2010-2017. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Indonesia memiliki keunggulan komparatif terkuat di industri baja di antara negara-negara ASEAN. Meskipun industri baja adalah industri ke-27 dalam peringkat nilai keunggulan komparatif dalam negeri Indonesia, ada beberapa produk yang memiliki keunggulan komparatif yang kuat dan bahkan memiliki posisi yang kuat secara internasional. Selain itu, penting untuk mengikutsertakan beberapa negara ASEAN sebagai observasi dalam mengestimasi parameter kunci produktivitas karena menghasilkan estimasi baru θ, yang masih sejalan dengan literatur yang ada. Abstract Accurate productivity measurements can provide useful information in improving competitiveness. Therefore, it is important to understand the differences in relative productivity among countries, allowing countries to focus and specialize in their relatively more productive products. This study aims to analyze the fundamental patterns of comparative advantage, with the Indonesian steel industry as the focus of analysis. This research uses the regression-based method of revealed comparative advantage (RCA) analysis with an instrument variable (IV) method that employs export data from 25 exporting countries to 35 destination countries during 2010 - 2017. The result shows that Indonesia has the strongest comparative advantage in the steel industry among the ASEAN countries. Even though the steel industry is ranked 27th in Indonesia’s comparative advantage values, several products have a strong comparative advantage and even a strong position internationally. In addition, it is worth including some ASEAN countries in the observation of estimating the key parameter of productivity, while not the main focus of the paper, yields a new estimate of θ, which is still in line with the literature. JEL Classification: F11, F13, F14

Analisis Produktivitas Produksi PT. Bapak Bakery Badung Bali

Bapak Bakery is one of the bread companies in Bali. This company has never taken productivity measurements. The company only uses the profits of sale production as a benchmark of its success achievement. PT. Bapak Bakery has problem in the field of production, namely lack of availability of raw materials which resulted in hampered production process so that consumer demand could not be fulfilled. The purpose of this study is to measure the level of production productivity, analyze the contribution of productivity ratio component and recommendation for PT. Bapak Bakery productivity improvement. The study uses the Objective Matrix (OMAX) method. In this study there are 5 ratios that are used as criteria in measuring productivity. The ratio is included in the criteria of efficiency, effectiveness and inferentiality. The productivity measurement results show that the lowest productivity index value is in March 2018 which was 175.3 and the highest value obtained was in July which was 501.6. Contribution analysis of productivity ratio component PT. Bapak Bakery who obtained the highest productivity value, namely ratio 1 with value of 830.7 and the lowest productivity value is ratio 3 and 4 with a value of 738. Recommendation of productivity improvement obtained ratio 1 in the amount of Rp. 131.724.436, ratio 2 is Rp 1.830.959 , ratio 3 is 6.471 hours, ratio 4 is Rp 600.064.834 and ratio 5 is 504 hours. Keywords: Bread production, productivity measurement, Objective Matrix (OMAX)

Analisis Pengukuran Produktivitas Menggunakan Metode Marvin E. Mundel

Competition in many companies can be measured by the level of productivity of the company. CV. Gavra Perkasa Gresik is a manufacturing company engaged in the wood processing industry, among the products produced is turning. So far, the company has never made productivity measurements so that, if output is low, the company thinks it is not good without analyzing the causes specifically and not paying attention to the efficiency of the use of resources (inputs) that are owned. Productivity measurement to find out how the condition of the company's productivity, whether experiencing an increase or decrease, is necessary to measure productivity using the model Marvin E. Mundel. This measurement is carried out on labor input, material, energy, capital and total input. The data needed for productivity analysis is taken from 2016 as the base period and 2017 as the measurement period. The results of calculation of productivity using the mundel model not all inputs have decreased, causing the company's total productivity to be 98.18% which has a good impact on the company. Keywords: Productivity, CV. Gavra Perkasa, Turning, Marvin E. Mundel

Statistical Analysis and Data Envelopment Analysis to Improve the Efficiency of Manufacturing Process of Electrical Conductors

The main focus of this research was to develop an approach using statistical tools and Data envelopment analysis (DEA) to tackling productivity measurements and benchmarking problems in electrical conductor manufacturing environment. In the present work, a tooling efficiency study was carried out with a nozzle used for the manufacture of 23-AWG wires. The efficiency of five types of tooling, four non-Mexican-manufactured types and one Mexican-manufactured type, were compared. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test were applied. Six factors were considered that influence of the performance of the tooling during the manufacturing process: productivity, quality, time, machine, operator, and color of the insulating material, but the research work focuses on the efficiency of the tooling die-nozzle. The results demonstrated that two die-nozzle models exhibited the best performance; one of them was the Mexican model, surpassed by a non-Mexican model, the capability process index Cpk = 1.26 manifested a better performance for the 3DND die-nozzle according to the statistical analysis and the tests performed. Subsequently, through a super-efficiency DEA model of inputs-oriented with non-decreasing returns to scale (NDRS). The results obtained in the statistical analysis were corroborated using this technique, its application combined with statistical tools represents an innovation for knowledge in manufacturing processes of electrical conductors. Input data were obtained at a manufacturer of electrical conductors supplier of the automotive sector in the Querétaro City of Mexico.

APPLIED PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT WITH OBJECTIVE MATRIX (OMAX) METHOD (Case Study: Service Department in PT. Astra International Tbk Auto 2000 - Kenjeran Branch)

Astra International Tbk. Auto 2000 branch Kenjeran is a company department in sales, service and spare parts services. To evaluate the productivity in the service department for this time, it is necessary to measure productivity properly and correctly because productivity measures can be used as material for consideration in carrying out an upcoming productivity planning. This research was conducted in January-December 2013. The productivity method used is the Objective Matrix (OMAX) method. From the results of productivity measurements, it is known that the best productivity occurs in July, which is equal to 768.8, well above the standard value of 300. The worst productivity occurred in February, which amounted to equal 174,8. From the achievement of the score it can be seen that the criteria that do not contribute to the productivity index are criteria 1, namely the comparison between unit handling and the use of working hours because it has the smallest score to equal 47. The strategy for increasing productivity is to evaluate the causes of decreasing productivity in the lowest criteria.