238 research outputs found

    Measurement-based modelling and validation of PV systems

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    This paper presents the analysis and results of modelling of various photovoltaic (PV) systems. Two general models are discussed and presented: an analytical model and an equivalent circuit model, both formulated for main PV technologies currently available on the market. Analytical model does not require any PV system specific input data or parameter, and is formulated as a generic performance model of a considered PV technology. Equivalent circuit model, however, requires specific input data and adjustment of the model parameters, in order to provide an accurate representation of a modelled PV system. The paper provides direct comparison of models based on manufacturer’s specification data and available measurements, as well as the discussion of obtained results

    Job Satisfaction of the Employees in the Mobile Phone Corporates in Bangladesh: A Case Study

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    Optimizing employee satisfaction is a key to the success of any business that relies on a variety of organizational and psycho-economic factors. This study was conducted to identify that sort of key factors, which are responsible to influence on the overall job satisfaction in the growing mobile phone corporate in Bangladesh. The phone corporates, which are included here in the study, are Grameen Phone (GP), Bangla Link and Aktel. The factors included in the investigation as independent variables are Compensation Package, Supervision, Career Growth, Training and Development, Working atmosphere, Company Loyalty and Performance Appraisal. The result indicates that training and performance appraisal, work atmosphere, compensation package, supervision, and company loyalty are the key factors that impact on employees’ job satisfaction in these corporations. The study also finds that the employees of these three corporations possessed above of the moderate level and positive attitude towards job satisfaction, which could be nudged up to excellent status of employee satisfaction if the management takes those identified factors with a little more rigorous weight into their considerations and acts further accordingly.

    Venture capital on a shoestring: Bioventures’ pioneering life sciences fund in South Africa

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since 2000, R&D financing for global health has increased significantly, with innovative proposals for further increases. However, although venture capital (VC) funding has fostered life sciences businesses across the developed world, its application in the developing world and particularly in Africa is relatively new. Is VC feasible in the African context, to foster the development and application of local health innovation?</p> <p>As the most industrially advanced African nation, South Africa serves as a test case for life sciences venture funding. This paper analyzes Bioventures, the first VC company focused on life sciences investment in sub-Saharan Africa. The case study method was used to analyze the formation, operation, and investment support of Bioventures, and to suggest lessons for future health venture funds in Africa that aim to develop health-oriented innovations.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The modest financial success of Bioventures in challenging circumstances has demonstrated a proof of concept that life sciences VC can work in the region. Beyond providing funds, support given to investees included board participation, contacts, and strategic services. Bioventures had to be proactive in finding and supporting good health R&D.</p> <p>Due to the fund’s small size, overhead and management expenses were tightly constrained. Bioventures was at times unable to make follow-on investments, being forced instead to give up equity to raise additional capital, and to sell health investments earlier than might have been optimal. With the benefit of hindsight, the CFO of Bioventures felt that partnering with a larger fund might benefit similar future funds. Being better linked to market intelligence and other entrepreneurial investors was also seen as an unmet need.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>BioVentures has learned lessons about how the traditional VC model might evolve to tackle health challenges facing Africa, including how to raise funds and educate investors; how to select, value, and support investments; and how to understand the balance between financial and social returns. The experience of the fund suggests that future health funds targeting ailments of the poor might require investors that accept health benefits as part of their overall “return.” Learning from Bioventures may help develop health innovation funding for sub-Saharan African that has combined health, financial, and economic development impacts.</p

    Sundarban mangroves: diversity, ecosystem services and climate change impacts

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    The Bengal delta coast harboring the famous Sundarban mangroves is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Already, salinity intrusion, increasing cyclones and anomalies in rainfall, and temperature, are causing many social and livelihood problems. However, our knowledge on the diversified climate change impacts on Sundarban ecosystems services, providing immense benefits, including foods, shelters, livelihood, and health amenities, is very limited. Therefore, this article has systematically reviewed the major functional aspects, and highlights on biodiversity, ecosystem dynamics, and services of the Sunderban mangroves, with respect to variations in climatic factors. The mangrove ecosystems are highly productive in terms of forest biomass, and nutrient contribution, especially through detritus-based food webs, to support rich biodiversity in the wetlands and adjacent estuaries. Sundarban mangroves also play vital role in atmospheric CO2 sequestration, sediment trapping and nutrient recycling. Sea level rise will engulf a huge portion of the mangroves, while the associated salinity increase is posing immense threats to biodiversity and economic losses. Climate-mediated changes in riverine discharge, tides, temperature, rainfall and evaporation will determine the wetland nutrient variations, influencing the physiological and ecological processes, thus biodiversity and productivity of Sundarban mangroves. Hydrological changes in wetland ecosystems through increased salinity and cyclones will lower the food security, and also induce human vulnerabilities to waterborne diseases. Scientific investigations producing high resolution data to identify Sundarban‟s multidimensional vulnerabilities to various climatic regimes are essential. Sustainable plans and actions are required integrating conservation and climate change adaptation strategies, including promotion of alternative livelihoods. Thus, interdisciplinary approaches are required to address the future climatic disasters, and better protection of invaluable ecosystem services of the Sunderban mangroves.Fil: Neogi, Sucharit Basu. Coastal Development Partnership; Bangladesh. Osaka Prefecture University; JapĂłn. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology GmbH; AlemaniaFil: Dey, Mouri. University of Chittagong; BangladeshFil: Lutful Kabir, S. M.. Bangladesh Agricultural University; BangladeshFil: Masum, Syed Jahangir H.. Coastal Development Partnership; BangladeshFil: Kopprio, GermĂĄn Adolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂ­ficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂ­fico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - BahĂ­a Blanca. Instituto Argentino de OceanografĂ­a. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de OceanografĂ­a; Argentina. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology GmbH; AlemaniaFil: Yamasaki, Shinji. Osaka Prefecture University; JapĂłnFil: Lara, Ruben Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂ­ficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂ­fico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - BahĂ­a Blanca. Instituto Argentino de OceanografĂ­a. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de OceanografĂ­a; Argentin

    Venture funding for science-based African health innovation

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>While venture funding has been applied to biotechnology and health in high-income countries, it is still nascent in these fields in developing countries, and particularly in Africa. Yet the need for implementing innovative solutions to health challenges is greatest in Africa, with its enormous burden of communicable disease. Issues such as risk, investment opportunities, return on investment requirements, and quantifying health impact are critical in assessing venture capital’s potential for supporting health innovation. This paper uses lessons learned from five venture capital firms from Kenya, South Africa, China, India, and the US to suggest design principles for African health venture funds.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The case study method was used to explore relevant funds, and lessons for the African context. The health venture funds in this study included publicly-owned organizations, corporations, social enterprises, and subsidiaries of foreign venture firms. The size and type of investments varied widely. The primary investor in four funds was the International Finance Corporation. Three of the funds aimed primarily for financial returns, one aimed primarily for social and health returns, and one had mixed aims. Lessons learned include the importance of measuring and supporting both social and financial returns; the need to engage both upstream capital such as government risk-funding and downstream capital from the private sector; and the existence of many challenges including difficulty of raising capital, low human resource capacity, regulatory barriers, and risky business environments. Based on these lessons, design principles for appropriate venture funding are suggested.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Based on the cases studied and relevant experiences elsewhere, there is a case for venture funding as one support mechanism for science-based African health innovation, with opportunities for risk-tolerant investors to make financial as well as social returns. Such funds should be structured to overcome the challenges identified, be sustainable in the long run, attract for-profit private sector funds, and have measurable and significant health impact. If this is done, the proposed venture approach may have complementary benefits to existing initiatives and encourage local scientific and economic development while tapping new sources of funding.</p

    Occupational stress and addiction: Possible neurobiological elucidation of medical waste related individuals

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    Multiple factors contribute to the tendency to develop drug addictions, including social or psychological stressors. Most studies examining causes of and treatments for drug addiction have been conducted in Western developed nations. Here we used phenomenological research approach to explore the neurobiological explanation of drug addiction and to investigate attitudes towards drug use amongst individuals working with medical waste. Data were collected in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, using a variety of techniques based on formal representative sampling for fixed populations and adaptive sampling for roaming populations. We found that over half of participants interviewed reported using illicit substances to cope with occupational stress. Self-reported disease symptoms related to stress were reported by most of the respondents. Working with horrifying waste contributes to increased stress among the participants. These results indicate that in the case of these workers, workplace stressors along with cultural and socio-economic context uniquely contribute to, and exacerbate, tendencies toward drug addiction

    A Fuzzy ANP Based Grey Relational Approach to Evaluate CRM System in Context of Bangladesh

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    This study aims to select a suitable CRM (customer relationship management) system among different possible alternatives for organization’s in Bangladesh. Since, evaluating CRM system on the basis of lot of attributes leads us to Multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) problems. In this study, a hybrid MCDA models were used. FuzzyANP (Analytic Network Process) and GRA (Grey Relational Analysis) approaches were adopted to solve the problem. The study explored that the Hubspot CRM was optimal solution in context of Bangladesh. Our research will beneficial to the organizing for better customer support. As far our knowledge goes, this is the first attempt to select CRM softwares in context of Bangladesh. Keywords: Analytic network process; Customer relationship management system; Grey relational analysis; Multiple-criteria decision analysis DOI: 10.7176/IKM/11-4-06 Publication date:June 30th 202

    Employee Culling based on of Online Work Assessment through Machine Learning Algorithm

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    Job analysis planning employee needs recruiting the appropriate people wages and salary management are the important theme of human resource management Human resource management also includes evaluating performance resolving problems and create communication with all employees at all levels On the other hand Machine learning is a data analytics technique that teaches computers to do what comes naturally to humans So through these two sectors such as computation and business administration in this paper on employee culling based on work assessment by which machine learning algorithm such as KNN SVM The Decision tree can give the best result perfect employee We also focus on the accuracy that algorithm is performing We marked an employee through their experience language skills skills graduation etc we create e model by which we can get input through the companies and give them a perfect result through their requirement assessment and machine learning algorith
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