Individual Life Cycle Research Articles

Elusive adulthood and surplus life-time in Spain

Drawing on fieldwork in Madrid, I argue that the growing redundancy of living labour power in the capitalist production process has translated, since the last decades of the 20th century, into surplus portions of the individual life-cycle. Capitalism’s promise of productivity, associated with adulthood, has shrunk to become a window of opportunity. Besides sheer luck, it takes protracted preparation to seize this opportunity and inordinate effort to retain it. Adulthood is the mystified representation of structural pressures on productive activity, as an elusive personal accomplishment whose curtailment is one’s own fault. Failure to realize it is further depoliticized as either a rejection of adulthood, or acceptance of besieged adulthood as a sign of maturity.

Towards Personal Financial Sustainability Based on Human Capital Analysis in Korea

Financial sustainability for individuals has become more important due to the increase in life expectancy. In personalized lifetime financial planning, human capital is critical for incorporating the life-cycle of individuals. This study focuses on human capital modeling based on features such as education level and working industry, and presents how difference in human capital can affect the optimal asset allocation. By analyzing the Korean labor and income panel survey data, fixed effects regression was performed to model human capital and a portfolio model that maximizes utility of total wealth is solved to optimize the lifetime financial plan. The empirical results show that individuals with human capital that are more correlated with stocks are advised to reduce allocation in stocks.

An approach to achieve overall farm feed efficiency in pig production: environmental evaluation through individual life cycle assessment

PurposeUse a holistic individual life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate possible mitigation of environmental impacts through optimisation of overall farm feed efficiency by combining animal selection for feed efficiency and formulation of diets with minimum environmental impacts tailored to pig nutritional requirements.MethodsA linear multi-objective optimisation method was used to combine diet optimisation tailored to meet the representative nutritional requirements of genetic lines with environmental optimisation of the environmental impacts of the diet. Environmental optimisation was obtained by weighting the environmental impacts of the diet in a single environmental impact score. An individual trait-based LCA model with a cradle-to-farm-gate system boundary and functional unit of 1 kg live pig at the farm gate was applied to genetic lines selected for high (LRFI, high feed efficient line) and low (HRFI, low feed efficient line) feed efficiency data. The production traits of each individual animal in response to the optimised diets were simulated with InraPorc® and imported into the individual LCA model to assess global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification potential (AP), freshwater eutrophication potential (EP), and land occupation (LO) of the overall farm feed efficiency approach.Results and discussionIntegrating selection for feed efficiency, nutritional requirements of genetic lines (HRFI and LRFI) and environmental diet optimisation resulted in overall mitigation of environmental impacts. Compared to the conventional diet, the environmental score of the optimised tailored diets was reduced by 5.8% and 5.2% for LRFI and HRFI lines, respectively. At the general production system level, the environmental impacts decreased by an average of 4.2% for LRFI and 3.8% for HRFI lines compared to environmental impacts of the lines fed the conventional diet (P < 0.05). The HRFI line with its optimised tailored diet had fewer impacts than the LRFI line with the conventional diet, except for EP. Individual LCA revealed high correlations between environmental impacts and feed efficiency and protein deposition traits.ConclusionsImplementation of overall farm feed efficiency would effectively mitigate environmental impacts. A holistic economic evaluation of the resulting trade-off between diet costs and pig performances is now needed to design a comprehensive tool to orientate selection and formulation decisions for sustainable pig production systems.

Analyzing Temporal Variability in Inventory Data for Life Cycle Assessment: Implications in the Context of Circular Economy

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used frequently as a decision support tool for evaluating different design choices for products based on their environmental impacts. A life cycle usually comprises several phases of varying timespans. The amount of emissions generated from different life cycle phases of a product could be significantly different from one another. In conventional LCA, the emissions generated from the life cycle phases of a product are aggregated at the inventory analysis stage, which is then used as an input for life cycle impact assessment. However, when the emissions are aggregated, the temporal variability of inventory data is ignored, which may result in inaccurate environmental impact assessment. Besides, the conventional LCA does not consider the environmental impact of circular products with multiple use cycles. It poses difficulties in identifying the hotspots of emission-intensive activities with the potential to mislead conclusions and implications for both practice and policy. To address this issue and to analyze the embedded temporal variations in inventory data in a CE context, the paper proposes calculating the emission intensity for each life cycle phase. It is argued that calculating and comparing emission intensity, based on the timespan and amount of emissions for individual life cycle phases, at the inventory analysis stage of LCA offers a complementary approach to the traditional aggregate emission-based LCA approach. In a circular scenario, it helps to identify significant issues during different life cycle phases and the relevant environmental performance improvement opportunities through product, business model, and supply chain design.

Factory life cycle evaluation through integrated analysis of factory elements

In consequence of the technological advances of the last few decades, factories emerged to highly complex systems that consist of numerous factory elements like production machines, technical building services and the building shell. These factory elements are characterized by individual life cycles that differ in their duration and life cycle behavior. Consequently, the factory life cycle is composed of multiple overlapping life cycles. The fact that the life cycle of some factory elements (e.g. the building shell) exceeds the life cycle of other elements over many times (e.g. of machines) presents a challenge for factory planners. In particular, factory planners struggle to understand the contribution of single factory elements on the total factory life cycle. Consequently, it is hard to systematically synchronize the inherent life cycles of a factory while adhering to manifold requirements. Against this background, the goal of this paper is to develop a methodology that supports factory planners in the evaluation of the factory life cycle. The proposed methodology enhances the understanding of how factory elements contribute to the factory life cycle and what is the current life cycle state of the entire factory. To this end, the factory system is broken down on its constituting elements. A modified failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is applied to assess their life cycle priority according to economic, environmental and technical criteria. The methodology is exemplarily demonstrated on a pilot scale battery production system.

Evaluation of the influence of change drivers on the factory life cycle

Factories consist of numerous factory elements with individual life cycles. Besides technical aspects such as wear, their actual lifetime is influenced by change drivers from an increasingly dynamic market environment. As a result, factory elements may experience a premature end due to changed requirements before the end of their technical lifetime. The difficulty in factory planning is to understand the behavior of the life cycles in order to make management decisions. Therefore, the goal is to identify change drivers and evaluate their influence on the factory life cycle, while taking into account the technical functionality.

Adaptive decision-making method of life cycle options by using process data collected over multiple life cycle stages

The appropriate design of product life cycles is crucial for the realization of a sustainable society. Since Alting proposed the concept of life cycle engineering in 1993, many concepts, approaches, methods, and tools have been proposed and developed for the purpose. On the other hand, rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology enables the development, operation, and maintenance of a new generation of products: so-called ‘smart’ products. One characteristic of smart products is the use of data collected throughout the product’s entire life, making it possible to improve energy and resource efficiency. In this context, many efforts have been devoted to developing a variety of algorithms, methodologies, and data models for supporting IoT-enabled engineering activities such as maintenance, production planning, and logistical planning. However, there exists a gap between life cycle engineering and emerging IoT-based technologies; that is to say, little research has addressed the life cycle design of products (including end of life treatment stages) using IoT-based technologies, whereas most IoT-based research focuses on improvement of individual life cycle stages such as production, operation, or maintenance. It is not currently clear how IoT-based technologies can practically contribute to the adequate design of product’s life cycle as a whole. As a first step toward answering this question, this paper proposes a process data model that captures the complex interdependency of product data over multiple life cycle stages. We additionally present a method based on this data model for determining a product’s appropriate life cycle options. Finally, through an illustration of the method with a simplified case study, we discuss the advantages and the future development needs of IoT-based life cycle design.

Опыт трудовой миграции сельских жителей Калмыкии (по результатам глубинных интервью)

Introduction. Labor migration of Kalmykia’s rural population is a pressing challenge for the region. Permanent nature and endurance of the socioeconomic crisis in the agricultural sector of the republic have been adversely affecting the living standards of ordinary villagers. Lack of work opportunities and low salaries result in that the latter migrate en masse to the regional capital and even further. Goals. The study aims to analyze labor migration experiences of local rural dwellers. Materials and Methods. The paper summarizes a number of in-depth structured interviews. The qualitative research methods employed make it possible to view the issue in the eyes of unrelated actual participants of the migration processes, with certain attention paid to their backgrounds and life paths. Results. The work reveals one of the key economic factors underlying labor migration is the necessity to pay mortgage and consumer loans. And migration waves closely align with individual life cycles, such as marriage, divorce, births and even weddings of children. Some respondents reported their migrations were determined by certain adulthood stages of children. All these aspects give rise a new context of family and marriage relations: there emerge guest marriage patterns and changes in gender roles, e.g., in some families those are women who act as migrant workers. Roles of grandparents experience transformations forcing the latter to assume functions of the absent father of mother. Horizontal social networks come to the fore, including territorial and kindred ties. Such migrant labor experiences become a tool of economic strategies and mobility: people purchase dwellings in the city, and support children funding their plans with the earned money. So, migration of parents definitely serves a landmark for future migrations of their descendants. The results obtained attest to that the social profile of rural labor migrants contains quite a share of active individuals intensely motivated to work, ones who strive for better living standards and can adjust themselves to strenuous living / working conditions staying away from home and family.

A comparative life cycle assessment of structural flooring systems in Western Australia

The construction industry has the potential to address negative impact on the environment by considered use of scarce natural resources, through a more informed choice of fit-for-purpose building materials. This paper presents a holistic life-cycle assessment (LCA) to facilitate the selection of environmentally friendly designs. Building on previous studies suggesting that engineers can reduce their environmental impact through conscious material selections and a substitution of traditional specifications, this work presents a case-study related to structural flooring systems in which a LCA approach for selecting the environmentally benign option, complements structural integrity design decisions.This study examined the life cycle environmental impacts associated with timber, steel and concrete structural flooring systems' options, for WA. ISO14040-44 guidelines were followed to carry out this ‘cradle to cradle’ LCA approach for calculating respective impacts. The comparisons of options using local benchmarks concluded that timber has the lowest environmental impacts followed by steel, and then ‘GreenStar’ concrete, with eco-classifications assessing the environmental impact of each flooring system for Perth WA across key environmental impacts categories and individual life cycle stages. This showed local hotspots in environmental categories of fossil fuel depletion and climate change and life cycle stages of mining to manufacture, construction and building operation. This research provides the reflection on what makes a sustainable design and, by targeting feasible solutions for WA, and by presenting the findings of a somewhat complex LCA analyses as a singular easy-to-use value, which addresses the need for enhanced materials awareness.

¿La financiarización de la vida cotidiana? Un análisis de las subjetividades financieras y las actitudes hacia el riesgo económico en España

El presente artículo aborda el estudio de la constitución de las subjetividades financieras en España. Dicho objetivo se enmarca en el conjunto de contribuciones sobre la financiarización de la vida cotidiana, un proceso que redefine los ciclos de vida de las personas como nuevos espacios de cálculo y de inversión. El artículo analiza este proceso a través de la técnica de la entrevista en profundidad semiestructurada. El análisis del discurso, desarrollado a partir de un modelo analítico del concepto de subjetividad financiera, revela una falta de correspondencia entre las aportaciones teóricas del concepto en la literatura y los hallazgos empíricos. Los entrevistados manifiestan un comportamiento económico débilmente financiarizado. La percepción generalizada de desconfianza hacia el sistema financiero, junto con el predominio de las estructuras públicas de bienestar social, desincentivan las inversiones financieras como mecanismo de protección frente a los riesgos.

Population aging and the probability of saving: a life cycle analysis of the Brazilian case

Abstract This study analyzes the life cycle of private individuals' savings in Brazil, reflecting on how the proportion of savers changes as the population ages. To this end, we employ a multinomial logit model to compare the probability of savings and dissavings for individuals, according to their ages, based on data from the Household Budget Surveys (HBS) of 2002-2003 and 2008-2009. The results confirm a greater incidence of savers among middle-aged adults and a greater percentage of dissavers among the elderly. However, given the age structure of the Brazilian population, demographic change is still expected to result in an increase in the number of net savers in the coming years.

Development of a Life Cycle Assessment Allocation Approach for Circular Economy in the Built Environment

Transitioning the built environment to a circular economy (CE) is vital to achieve sustainability goals but requires metrics. Life cycle assessment (LCA) can analyse the environmental performance of CE. However, conventional LCA methods assess individual products and single life cycles whereas circular assessment requires a systems perspective as buildings, components and materials potentially have multiple use and life cycles. How should benefits and burdens be allocated between life cycles? This study compares four different LCA allocation approaches: (a) the EN 15804/15978 cut-off approach, (b) the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF), (c) the 50:50 approach, and (d) the linearly degressive (LD) approach. The environmental impacts of four ‘circular building components’ is calculated: (1) a concrete column and (2) a timber column both designed for direct reuse, (3) a recyclable roof felt and (4) a window with a reusable frame. Notable differences in impact distributions between the allocation approaches were found, thus incentivising different CE principles. The LD approach was found to be promising for open and closed-loop systems within a closed loop supply chain (such as the ones assessed here). A CE LD approach was developed to enhance the LD approach’s applicability, to closer align it with the CE concept, and to create an incentive for CE in the industry.

Financing of integrated health service networks

ResumenLos países de América Latina y el Caribe necesitan aumentar sus recursos públicos en salud para ampliar el acceso equitativo y eficiente a la salud. El aumento debe financiar un modelo específico que ha mostrado evidencia de eficacia, como el de redes integradas de servicios de salud (RISS) basadas en atención primaria de salud. La literatura global no ha prestado suficiente atención al financiamiento a las RISS; más bien se ha focalizado en establecimientos y agentes aislados, así como en mecanismos específicos. Sin embargo, en la Región de las Américas su desarrollo es una necesidad desde hace años. Una RISS es un conjunto de organizaciones de salud que ofrece intervenciones y servicios de salud coordinados a una población bajo su cargo y asume la responsabilidad de salud y económica en el logro de mejores resultados de salud. Un sistema de pago a una RISS debe ir dirigido a promover la integralidad de la atención y a fomentar un enfoque centrado en el ciclo de vida de las personas, la articulación y la coordinación de servicios. El presupuesto poblacional ajustado por riesgos se muestra como un mecanismo posible y potente para apoyar el logro de los objetivos. Su desarrollo requiere reconocer que la forma de financiamiento no responderá por sí sola a los desafíos y que se necesita, a la vez, de la planificación y de la gestión sanitarias. Se requiere abordar los desafíos técnicos, políticos e institucionales para tener éxito en este esfuerzo, que a su vez debe estar inserto en el proceso global de transformación de los sistemas de salud hacia la salud universal.

Freelancers in the Software Development Process: A Systematic Mapping Study

[Context] Freelancers could catalyze the software development process by providing their niche skills to generate high quality outputs. They could help companies (including startups) to foster innovations by suggesting creative ideas and providing their expertise in implementing them (for instance, designing solutions, coding solutions etc.). Freelancers could effectively and efficiently work as a virtual member of the software development team. The company must make informed decisions about which task to allot to the freelancer, which freelancer to select, pricing the task, and evaluating the submitted work. On the other hand, the freelancer should make an informed decision about evaluating the monetary value of the task to be charged, trusting the requester, analyzing the skills requirement of the task (finding matches between skill requirement and skills processed), selecting the best task, and maintaining the highest level of reputation. However, the literature does not provide freelancers and the companies the guidelines that support their decision making. However, if freelancers are selected carefully for the most suitable task, the companies will benefit a lot in terms of improved software development metrics. [Objectives] The objective of this paper is to provide the research community the research trends in freelancer-supported software development. This helps to understand that which software development areas have higher concentrations of research efforts, which area has the support of empirical evidence to support management decision makings, and which area requires the research attention. [Method] The systematic study is conducted by planning the mapping protocol, executing the protocol, and reporting the findings using various visualization tools like bar charts and pie charts. The search process was planned to be executed using set of inclusion and exclusion conditions on four bibliographic databases (IEEExplore, Springerlink, Sciencedirect, and ACM digital library). The relevant papers are selected by applying inclusion and exclusion conditions. The google citations of the relevant papers are subject to the inclusion and exclusion conditions again to include the more relevant papers. Finally, the systematic schema was created and populated after analyzing the studies abstracts. [Results] The results indicate the following (a) The research focus is on generic software development (78%) rather on individual life cycle activities. (b) The number of empirical studies is limited (25%). (c) A number of studies proposing solutions and evaluating on live cases in industrial settings are missing from the literature. This is in comparison to the validation approaches (72%) i.e., solutions tested in laboratory settings. (d) At present, the literature has limited ability to provide the software companies (including startups) with the guidelines (in the form of opinions and experience reports) for involving freelancers in the software development process. (e) The reported challenges include Collaboration and Coordination (33%), Developer Recommendation (or selection) (19%), Team Formulation (14%), Task Recommendation (allocation) (14%), Task Decomposition (11%), Privacy and Security (Confidentiality) (11%), Budget Estimation (8%), Recognition (8%), Trust Issues (8%), Market Dynamism (6%), Intellectual Property Issues (6%), Participation of Crowd Worker (6%), and Capacity Utilization (3%). These challenges are highly interactive, and each challenge impacts all other challenges. (e) Recent focus of the researchers (total 7 studies in 2019) is on generic software development handling the collaboration and coordination (3 studies out of 7), Developer recommendation (2 studies out of 7), and task recommendation (2 studies out of 7). [Conclusion] The freelancer-driven software engineering research area has got the attraction of the researchers, but it will take a long time to gain maturity. This puts an urgent call for more empirical studies and evaluation-based solution research that could help companies (including startups) to foster innovations. Further, the research focus should be well distributed among the various development phases to address the unique challenges associated with individual activities. The accurate management of the freelancer in the software development could help companies and startups to foster innovations and remain competitive in the marketplace.

Fally Kebbeh and Mamadi Kumba: Emancipation and Slave Ancestry in the Twentieth-Century Urban Gambia

ABSTRACT Fally Kebbeh and Mamadi Kumba were two slave descendants born in rural Gambia in the 1910s. By following their migration in the period before the outbreak of World War II to Bathurst, the capital of the Colony of the Gambia, this essay focuses on the opportunities and restraints that ambitious young men willing to shake off the social disability of their slave ancestry experienced both in their home contexts and in the urban setting. The cultural, economic, and social dynamism of colonial cities held the promise of anonymity. Yet a micro-historical focus on the trajectories of these two men shows that memories of a slave past could travel along the paths of rural-urban migration with different outcomes in the course of the individual life cycle. Indeed, as much as the village, the city could become a theater of post-slavery negotiations between former masters and former slaves.

Academic engagement: A review of the literature 2011-2019

We provide a systematic review of the literature on academic engagement from 2011 onwards, which was the cut-off year of a previous review article published in Research Policy. Academic engagement refers to knowledge-related interactions of academic scientists with external organisations. It includes activities such as collaborative research with industry, contract research, consulting and informal ties. We consolidate what is known about the individual, organisational and institutional antecedents of academic engagement, and its consequences for research, commercialisation, and society at large. Our results suggest that individual characteristics associated with academic engagement include being scientifically productive, senior, male, locally trained, and commercially experienced. Academic engagement is also socially conditioned by peer effects and disciplinary characteristics. In terms of consequences, academic engagement is positively associated with academics’ subsequent scientific productivity. We propose new areas of investigation where evidence remains inconclusive, including individual life cycle effects, the role of organisational contexts and incentives, cross-national comparisons, and the impact of academic engagement on the quality of subsequent research as well as the educational, commercial and society-wide impact.

The impact of demographic change in the balance between formal and informal old-age care in Spain. Results from a mixed microsimulation–agent-based model

AbstractChanges in population and family structures are altering the provision of care for dependent older people. In Southern European countries like Spain, such care is still largely provided by family, typically spouses and adult daughters. However, an increasing proportion of women have entered the labour force, thereby affecting their availability. To study the demand and supply balance of informal care and to quantify the need for formal care when there is a deficit, we have developed a mixed microsimulation–agent-based model (ABM). Based on nuptiality, fertility and mortality levels of cohorts born at ten-year intervals between 1908 and 1968, the model starts with a microsimulation of the lifecycle of individuals and their close relatives until death. The ABM then determines the amount of time available or needed to care for family members, starting from age 50. Estimates are derived from Spanish survey data on employment, disability and time of care received. Surprisingly, results show that the family care deficit was greater in the older cohorts due to higher mortality and thus a greater impact of widowhood. However, for future elderly persons, we foresee that persistent below-replacement fertility and, paradoxically, the prolongation of the lifespan of couples will increase the demand for formal care as there will be more couples with both members incapacitated but without children to take care of them.

A plenary free individual traveler life cycle for assessment of adoption intelligent travel assistant

This study aims to investigate antecedent variables and IT Processes being suitable factors for ultimately measuring and assessing feature values of an Intelligent Travel Assistant (ITA) related to the actual use of the Free Individual Traveler (FIT). Accordingly, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is extended with the essential factors of travel and tourism (i.e., Quality and Safety), and a plenary FIT life cycle (i.e., Pre-Trip, On-Route, On-Site, and Post-Trip). The data collection is gathered from 382 FITs in Thailand by the online questionnaire through famous social media, i.e., Facebook and Line. Hence, the collected data are analyzed statistically by PASW Statistics and SmartPLS. Therefore, the distinguished finding of this study is obtained from the useful assessment model, which is decided to usage for FITs and investment of ITA operators for travel and tourism firms.

Biological Aspects and Life Table Parameters of Phytoseiulus macropilis and Neoseiulus Californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Feeding on Eggs And Immature Stages of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) at Different Temperatures

The purpose of this study was to evaluate prey consumption, functional response and life table parameters of the two predatory mites on immature stages and eggs of T. urticae at two constant temperatures 25° and 30°C, in the laboratory of cotton and crops mite research department, Plant Protection Research Institute Sharkeia branch. Developmental periods (Life cycle) of both females and males individuals were longer for N. californicus when fed on immature stages of T. urticae at 25°C (7.14 , 5.79 days) for females and males, respectively. Predatory mite fecundity was affected significantly by types of food and high for P. macropilis when feeding on T. urticae eggs (63.67 eggs/ female) at 25°C; while the less fertility was 33.95 eggs/female for N. californicus when fed on T. urticae eggs at 30°C. The ability of N. californicus preying on immature stages of T. urticae was significantly greater than P. macropilis (146.24 , 92.29 prey) for female and male, respeclively. On the other hand, P. macropilis consumed more eggs than N. californicus (193.89, 132.06 prey) for female and male, respectively at 25°C. Life table parameters showed that generation time (tG) was lower (8.81 days) for P. macropilis when fed on immature stages of T. urticae at 30°C, net reproductive rate (Ro) was higher (28.65) for P. macropils when fed on eggs at 25°C, and both intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) (0.34) and finite rate of increase (λ) (1.41) were higher when fed on immature stages of T. urticae at 30°C for P. macropilis.

Micro and macro drivers affecting adult literacy proficiency profiles across countries

This article analyses comparative data from the 1994–1998 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). At the micro level, the author considers factors involved in the development of an individual person’s literacy from a lifecycle perspective. At the macro level, he investigates trends in literacy proficiency profiles for countries that participated in both the IALS and PIAAC studies. In a number of countries, small average declines in literacy were recorded. This apparent stagnation in overall literacy at the population level in so many member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) merits a closer look at the trend data made available from IALS and PIAAC. The aim of this research is to understand the determinants of literacy proficiency in terms of (1) how they may be affecting the development of literacy from an individual lifecycle perspective, and (2) how they may be affecting the development of national profiles of literacy proficiency as countries’ sociodemographic compositions, sociocultural practices and economies change over time. There are few other comparative data like these that can help to improve insights on what drives the development and maintenance of literacy in adult populations. The data suggest that macro trends in literacy practices in work-related contexts may be on the decline, an impression the author discusses in relation to the observed stagnation in literacy profiles across many of the countries for which trend data are available. He considers the implications of his findings in relation to the upskilling and deskilling of occupations, changes in the distribution of work tasks, and the continued measurement of practices in PIAAC.