Research Note On The Incremental Value Of Knowledge Workers

As firms seek to manage knowledge, they rely increasingly on knowledge workers. The assumption is often that the incremental value from hiring these knowledge workers accrues to firms, but theory indicates that it may not. In this research note, we examine this question.  We perform a cross-sectional study of 30 investment banks in the period 1992-96.  We use gross value of mergers and acquisitions business as a proxy for gross performance, and pre-tax operating income as a proxy for net performance.  The dependent variable and measure of knowledge workers is the number of “star” analysts, as measured by Wall Street Journal/Zacks rankings.  Our results strongly support the hypothesis that the number of star analysts in investment banking is positively associated with gross performance, and weakly support the hypothesis that they are not positively associated with net performance. If future research could generalize these conclusions, they could have implications for design of compensation systems in industries significantly employing knowledge workers

Willingness to pay for WASH education services: a case study in Honduras

Many organizations provide education and training services to improve the sustainability of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions; however, it can be challenging to develop financially sustainable models for delivering such services. To address this, the University of Cambridge, the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, and Agua Pura Para el Mundo (APPM) completed a Willingness to Pay (WTP) study for WASH education services in Honduras. Rural community members had some WTP for education services, despite low income levels, and preferred when a product, e.g. a water filter, was provided as well. Individual WASH practitioners had moderate WTP (~25% of cost) for short courses. Organisations had relatively high WTP, compared with the other two groups (~50% of cost). The results were used to investigate potentially sustainable business models for APPM’s education services. The methodology presented can support other organizations to develop sustainable business approaches for their capacity development services

Simulação direta de Monte Carlo de ondas de choque com base no potencial ab initio

Orientador: Felix SharipovDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física. Defesa: Curitiba, 19/02/2016Inclui referências : f. 78-82Resumo: Neste trabalho foram obtidas as estruturas de ondas de choque unidimensionais em gases monoatômicos diluídos, utilizando a simulação direta de Monte Carlo, para um amplo espectro de números de Mach. Foram realizados cálculos para os potenciais de interação intermolecular de esferas rígidas e para os potenciais ab initio para o hélio e o argônio. Os potenciais ab initio são potenciais realísticos, obtidos a partir de princípios físicos básicos, que não fazem uso de dados experimentais para sua resolução. Resultados para a inclinação máxima dos perfis das propriedades termodinâmicas do gás são apresentados, para números de Mach do escoamento supersônico entre 1, 1 e 10. O uso do potencial ab initio permitiu que os resultados fossem obtidos sem o uso de parâmetros de ajuste a dados experimentais, com um erro estatístico menor que 0, 5%.Abstract: In this work the structure of one-dimensional shock waves in monatomic dilute gases were computed applying the direct simulation Monte Carlo method for a wide range of Mach number. Calculations were carried out for hard spheres interatomic potential and ab initio potential for argon and helium. The ab initio potential are realistic potentials obtained from basic physical principles, without any data from experiments. Results for the maximum slope of the thermodynamic properties of the gas are given for upstream Mach numbers between 1.1 and 10. The ab initio potential allows the results to be obtained without the use of any experimental data with the numerical error less than 0.5%

Recent advances in household biosand filter design

The biosand filter is an intermittent-flow adaptation of slow sand filtration technology. Developed over 20 years ago and now with 15+ years’ operating experience in households, it has established a reputation for effectiveness, durability, and sustained use. Research, field evaluations, and understanding of the nature of intermittent filter operation have led to advances in the design of the biosand filter as well as the specifications for the hydraulic loading rate, filtration sand, and pause period and requirements for maintenance and cleaning. Different methods of fabricating the filter body and diffuser basin are providing more alternatives for implementing biosand filter projects. As of December 2013, 500 organizations have reported implementing biosand filter projects in 59 countries, for a total of over 650,000 filters, impacting more than four million people (CAWST 2014)

A methodology for evaluating education and training activities: a case study in Ethiopia

Organizations that provide capacity development services within the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector aim to improve access to water and sanitation through improved implementation of WASH projects. A key challenge for these organizations is a lack of clarity on how their results should be measured. Through a series of university research partnerships, the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology has developed an evaluation methodology to enable organizations to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of their education and training activities in WASH. In 2014, CAWST and the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Program Water Expertise and Training Centre applied the methodology to evaluate their WASH Awareness training program to health workers in Ethiopia. The evaluation methodology was found to be practical and useful in gathering rich information on program outcomes and for program improvement. It is recommended that the methodology be further developed, and applied widely by capacity development organizations

Simulação direta de Monte Carlo de ondas de choque com base em potenciais ab initio para gases monoatômicos

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Felix SharipovTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física. Defesa : Curitiba, 13/02/2020Inclui referências: p. 143-155Resumo: Neste trabalho, ondas de choque planas propagando-se atraves de gases monoatomicos foram estudadas por meio da simulacao direta de Monte Carlo (DSMC, sigla em ingles para Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) com o uso de potenciais ab initio, aplicando-se as teorias classica e quantica nas colisoes intermoleculares. As misturas binarias dos gases He e Ar para uma temperatura de equilibrio do escoamento antes da onda de choque de 300K foram estudadas atraves do uso das colisoes classicas. Diversos valores de numeros de Mach e de fracoes molares dos gases foram considerados. Foram estudadas as distribuicoes de densidade, temperatura, fracao molar, velocidade de difusao, tensor pressao e fluxo de calor dentro das ondas de choque. O fenomeno conhecido por overshoot de temperatura foi analisado em detalhes. As inclinacoes das curvas de densidade e temperatura foram calculadas e os resultados comparados aos resultados para gases unicos, assim como com os resultados experimentais e teoricos da literatura. Foi verificado que as inclinacoes das curvas de densidade das misturas sao sempre menores do que nos gases unicos. Ondas de choque atraves dos isotopos 3He e 4He e do Ne foram estudadas considerando-se o processo de espalhamento quantico entre as particulas do gas. A aproximacao quantica permite o estudo de ondas de choque em um amplo intervalo de temperaturas de equilibrio do escoamento antes da onda de choque. Os calculos foram realizados para os numeros de Mach 2, 5 e 10 e diferentes temperaturas no intervalo de 1 a 5000K. Para temperaturas altas, a aproximacao quantica exige menor esforco computacional do que a aproximacao classica. Nao foi detectada influencia de efeitos quanticos dentro do erro numerico para temperaturas iguais ou maiores do que 300K. Para temperaturas menores, a influencia dos efeitos quanticos no He excede o erro numerico e atinge 67% para a temperatura de 1K. No caso do Ne, os efeitos quanticos nao ultrapassaram 2% em todo o intervalo de temperatura considerado neste trabalho. A analise comparativa de escoamentos com ondas de choque em diversas temperaturas indica que ha uma forte influencia da temperatura do escoamento antes da onda de choque na sua estrutura interna. As estruturas de ondas de choque planas atraves do Ar, Xe e Kr foram calculadas atraves da simulacao direta de Monte Carlo para os numeros de Mach 2, 5 e 10 e temperaturas do escoamento antes da onda de choque entre 50K e 8000K, dependendo do gas e do numero de Mach. Os calculos foram realizados considerando-se interacoes intermoleculares quanticas e classicas com o uso dos potenciais ab initio. As distribuicoes de densidade e temperatura na onda de choque foram obtidas. Foi avaliada a dependencia das inclinacoes dos perfis de densidade com a temperatura do escoamento antes da onda de choque. Foi demonstrado que o comportamento das inclinacoes dos gases pesados e qualitativamente similar, mas e completamente diferente das inclinacoes obtidas para o He. As inclinacoes dos perfis de densidade foram calculadas como funcao da temperatura do escoamento antes da onda de choque e do numero de Mach com erro numerico inferior a 0, 5%. Palavras-chave: Simulacao direta de Monte Carlo. Ondas de choque. Gases monoatomicos. Potenciais ab initio. Espalhamento quantico.Abstract: In the present work, shock waves propagating through monatomic gases were modelled by the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method based on ab initio potentials, applying both classic and quantum theories to elastic collisions. The binary mixtures of He and Ar, for a supersonic uniform flow at 300K, were studied based on classic collisions. Various values of the Mach number and of the molar fractions were considered. The density, temperature, molar fraction, diffusion velocity, pressure tensor and heat flow profiles inside of the shock wave were calculated. The temperature overshoot phenomenon was discussed in detail. The slopes of density and temperature were calculated and the results were compared to single gases results, as well as with experimental and theoretical results from the literature. It was pointed out that the slopes for mixture are always smaller than those for a single gas. Shock waves through the isotopes 3He and 4He and through Ne were studied by means of the quantum scattering between particles. The quantum approach allows us to do the calculations over a wide supersonic temperature range. The calculations were carried out for the Mach numbers 2, 5 and 10 and different temperatures in the range from 1 to 5000K. For high temperatures, the quantum approach requires less computational effort than the classical one. No influence of the quantum effects were detected within the numerical error for the temperature 300K and higher. For lower temperatures, the influence of the quantum effects in He exceeds the numerical error and reaches 67% at the temperature of 1K. In case of Ne, the quantum effect does not exceed 2% in the whole temperature range considered in the present work. A comparative analysis of flow-fields in shock waves at various temperatures points out a strong influence of the supersonic temperature ahead a shock wave on its structure. The structures of planar shock waves propagating through Ar, Xe and Kr were calculated using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method for Mach numbers 2, 5 and 10 and upstream temperatures from 50K to 8000K, depending on the gas species and Mach number. Both quantum and classical approaches to the intermolecular interaction collisions based on ab initio potentials were used. The distributions of density and temperature inside the shock wave were reported. The dependence of the density slopes on the upstream temperature was studied. It was shown that the slope behaviour for heavy gases is qualitatively similar to each other, but they are completely different from that for He. The density slopes were calculated as a function of the upstream temperature and Mach number with the numerical error less than 0.5%. Key-words: Direct simulation Monte Carlo. Shock waves. Monatomic gases. Ab initio potentials. Quantum scattering

Overcoming capacity gaps in fecal sludge management through education and training

2.7 billion people around the world are in need of Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) services, and this number is expected to rise to 4.9 billion by 2030. Key FSM challenges include the gap in knowledge related to the science behind FSM, the lack of skills and experience in viable implementation models, and the absence of policy to ensure an enabling environment. The Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technologies (CAWST) is working toward filling the capacity gaps in FSM through developing and delivering education and training activities to sanitation implementers. This paper describes the systematic program development process that CAWST undertook to plan and develop the education materials, pilot the FSM workshop to sanitation implementers in Nepal, and use the feedback to improve and finalize the education materials. Results and feedback from the pilot workshop are discussed, and next steps are explained

Motivation and sorting of human capital in open innovation

This paper studies how business models can be designed to tap effectively into open innovation labor markets with heterogeneously motivated workers. Using data on open source software, we show that motivations are diverse, and demonstrate how managers can strategically influence the flow of code contributions and their impact on project performance. Unlike previous literature using survey data, we exploit the observed pattern of project membership and code contributions-the "revealed preference" of developers-to infer the motivations driving their decision to contribute. Developers strongly sort along key dimensions of the business model chosen by project managers, especially the degree of openness of the project license. The results indicate an important role for intrinsic motivation, reputation, and labor market signaling, and a more limited role for reciprocity

Оценка устойчивости грунтовых толщ Одинцовского района к воздействию строительства и эксплуатации промышленных и гражданских сооружений

Based on the lithological structure cuts a classification of groundwater thickness. By three criteria: lithological structure, hydrogeological conditions and the degree of compressibility, a ranking, selected criteria for sustainability and a systematization. There are highly resistant, resistant and low resistant types.На основании литологического строения разрезов проведена типизация грунтовых толщ. По трем критериям - литологическому строению, гидрогеологическим условиям и степени сжимаемости - проведено ранжирование, выбраны критерии устойчивости и проведена систематизация. Выделены высокоустойчивые, устойчивые и низкоустойчивые типы

Training on WASH in the transition from emergency to development in earthquake affected areas of Nepal

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015 caused extensive damage to water and sanitation networks, resulting in a high risk of negative health impacts from diarrhoeal diseases. In response to the disaster, the Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) collaborated with the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), to develop two training programs to educate volunteers on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs. The first training focused on acute response, and the second focused on longer term recovery. Using these programs, ENPHO trained over 470 community volunteers during the acute phase and has since trained another 226 volunteers during the recovery phase. Through training these volunteers, ENPHO has reached many communities, providing services in 11 of 14 earthquake-affected districts. CAWST plans to assess the feasibility of decontextualizing the training and support materials so they can be widely disseminated and used in the emergencies