Obsolescence Model Research Articles

Reflective Analysis on the Role of Advertising to Consolidate the Programmed Obsolescence Model

Objetivo: Estabelecer vínculo, a partir da revisão teórica, entre a atuação da publicidade e propaganda e a percepção da obsolescência. Referencial teórico: A fundamentação teórica consiste de dois capítulos. O primeiro inicia com antecedentes históricos do fenômeno abordado, sendo apresentado, na sequência, o conceito e os principais tipos de Obsolescência Programada. O texto do segundo capítulo evidencia a influência da publicidade para a Percepção da Obsolescência, suscitando o comportamento consumista, ambientalmente insustentável. Método: a opção do percurso metodológico foi pela abordagem hermenêutica e método interpretativo, por situar este trabalho dentro do campo das ciências sociais, de acordo com a proposta de investigação apresentada. Resultados e conclusão: O fenômeno da obsolescência programada encontra amparo em mudanças sociais e comportamentais da humanidade, que estimula a competição individual, relativização das relações sociais constituídas, fragilização de vínculos afetivos e profissionais, bem como a necessidade de legitimação do indivíduo. Implicações da pesquisa: A pesquisa evidencia o processo de construção do discurso publicitário para estimular a percepção da obsolescência, representando uma contribuição para a academia e a sociedade. Para as organizações a pesquisa é importante, ao ressaltar a necessidade de mudança estratégica. Originalidade/valor: O fenômeno de obsolescência programada ainda carece de estudos sob a perspectiva de estímulos decorrentes da comunicação publicitária direcionados para influenciar o comportamento de consumidores à luz de vertentes sociológicas, antropológicas e psicológicas.

Radiologists - Threatened by a veritable identity crisis?

Radiologists - Threatened by a veritable identity crisis?

Characterizing the environmental implications of the recycling of non-metallic fractions from waste printed circuit boards

Non-metallic fractions (NMFs), which make up almost three fourths (by weight) of waste printed circuit boards, have become a matter of great concern for e-waste recyclers, because most of them contain hazardous substances with low utilization value. This study used an advanced Sales Obsolescence Model approach to quantify the generation and flows of non-metallic fractions in China, and to examine the potential environmental impacts associated with both the fractions themselves, and their end-of-life processing activities: disposal into landfills or incineration, and recycling via physical or chemical methods. The results show that approximately 201,000 tons (one time standard deviation: 67,000) of scrap non-metallic fractions were expected to be generated in 2015, and that this amount could increase to 279,000 tons by 2020. Both our own analysis and a systematic review of existing studies on the hazardous characterization of printed circuit boards waste, non-metallic fractions, and their recycling and disposal activities, indicate the threat of environmental pollution, from heavy metals, brominated flame retardants and secondary persistent organic pollutants, particularly dioxins.

Systematic characterization of generation and management of e-waste in China.

Over the last decade, there has been much effort to promote the management of e-waste in China. Policies have been affected to prohibit imports and to control pollution. Research has been conducted in laboratories and on large-scale industrial operations. A subsidy system to support sound e-waste recycling has been put in place. However, the handling of e-waste is still a concern in China and the issue remains unresolved. There has been relatively little work to follow up this issue or to interpret continuing problems from the perspective of sustainable development. This paper first provides a brief overview of conventional and emerging environmental pollution in Chinese "famous" e-waste dismantling areas, including Guiyu in Guangdong and Wenling in Zhejiang. Environmentalists have repeatedly proven that these areas are significantly polluted. Importing and backyard recycling are decreasing but are ongoing. Most importantly, no work is being done to treat or remediate the contaminated environmental media. The situation is exacerbated by the rising tide of e-waste generated by domestic update of various electronics. This study, therefore, employs a Sales Obsolescence Model approach to predict the generation of e-waste. When accounting for weight, approximately 8 million tons of e-waste will be generated domestically in 2015, of which around 50% is ferrous metals, followed by miscellaneous plastic (30%), copper metal and cables (8%), aluminum (5%), and others (7%). Of this, 3.6% will come from scrap PCBs and 0.2% from lead CRT glass. While more and more end-of-life electronics have been collected and treated by formal or licensed recyclers in China in terms of our analysis, many of them only have dismantling and separation activities. Hazardous e-wastes, including those from PCBs, CRT glass, and brominated flame retardant (BFR) plastics, have become problematic and probably flow to small or backyard recyclers without environmentally sound management. Traditional technologies are still being used to recover precious metals--such as cyanide method of gold hydrometallurgy--from e-waste. While recovery rates of precious metals from e-waste are above 50%, it has encountered some challenges from environmental considerations. Worse, many critical metals contained in e-waste are lost because the recovery rates are less than 1%. On the other hand, this implies that there is opportunity to develop the urban mine of the critical metals from e-waste.

Influence of functionally obsolete bridges on the efficiency of road network. Part I: obsolescence characteristics and assessment

Deterioration of road bridges is causing serious problems in many countries of the world. Extensive research is carried out on the structural deterioration and defects of bridges and considerably less attention is given for their functional obsolescence. Inadequate deck geometry and clearances of bridges due to the increasing traffic volumes lead to the traffic safety and economic problems and influence the efficiency of a whole road transportation system. In this article, a typical bridge obsolescence model is analyzed. Classification of five obsolescence categories and the main factors showing the functional obsolescence of bridges is presented. They include the deck roadway geometry (width and alignment), safety measures (barriers and railings), vertical and horizontal clearances beneath the bridge, alignment of the approach roadway, and waterway adequacy. Parameters assessing the functional obsolescence of bridges and the additional owner’s and user’s costs are identified. Decision-making strategy for obsolete bridges is discussed.

A broader view on vertical coordination: lessons from German pork production

In the literature it is often hypothesised that contracts and vertical integration are of paramount importance for the future competitiveness of meat supply chains. The continued coexistence of two different types of pork production chains throughout the world - less integrated systems in, for instance, many Western European countries and stricter coordinated systems based on contracts and vertical integration in countries such as the U.S.A. and Denmark - is rarely discussed in the agribusines literature. Some authors expect a trend towards more intense vertical coordination and consider the loose relationships in some European markets as an obsolescent model. Based on an overview of theoretical approaches towards the organisation of meat supply chains, we confront the contract and integration hypothesis with current developments at the slaughterhouse level and in quality assurance systems as well as results from a recent survey among German pig producers concerning their attitudes towards contracts. A binary logit regression is carried out to test for the determinants of contracting decisions. Cluster analysis reveals four groups of farmers with very different attitudes, from inveterate antagonists to contract supporters. In conclusion, reflections on TCE indicate the long-term viability of slaughter pig markets with a low degree of vertical coordination, which may have efficiency advantages over more integrated meat supply chains. This argument is supported by the results of a large-scale survey among German pig producers, who strongly reject the notion of engaging in contracts with slaughterhouses. In this situation, trust management can be considered a suitable instrument for gaining some of the advantages usually attributed to contracts. Trust-building instruments should be integrated into a broader approach of supplier relationship management.

Labor Heterogeneity and Trade Liberalization

This paper identies the decreasing heterogeneity in labor as one of the driving forces ofsecular trade liberalization. A decrease in the sector-specificity of human capital gives rise to a decline of protectionist demands since the workers’ stakes in trade policy resemble more and more the social welfare consequences of trade policy. Since the process of labor homogenization appears to be irreversible, we arrive at the conclusion that protectionist trade polices will soon become an obsolescent model.

Mail surveys: obsolescent model or valuable instrument in general practice research?

Due to low response rates mail surveys have been called into question as research instruments in general practice. The most effective actions to reduce non-response, such as financial incentives and complex follow-up procedures, are costly. We investigated whether a good response rate is achievable with a less costly survey design, and examined the effect of increased response rates due to repeated follow-ups on survey results. In a mail survey on drug interactions among 2000 general practitioners in south-west Germany, most well-known criteria influencing response rates were met except financial incentives. A four stage design with two reminders was applied and the time course of response was recorded. Results after both reminders were calculated with 95% confidence intervals and compared with initial results using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test with correction for multiple testing. A p <0.01 was considered significant. Although we did not provide financial incentives we achieved a response rate of 60.8% with our survey design. The first reminder with a simple postcard was almost three times less effective than the second reminder including another copy of the questionnaire. For only two survey questions, the answers of late respondents differed significantly from those of initial respondents (p <0.01). For these two questions, cumulative results after both reminders never differed from initial results by more than 3.7%. Even if financial incentives are not affordable, good response rates can be obtained among general practitioners when surveys are meticulously planned and implemented. Potential non-response bias introduced by those general practitioners who do not answer despite numerous reminders, cannot be tested by comparing early and late respondents. Therefore, we suggest that the impact of reminders on survey results should be assessed early. If no bias can be detected one further reminder with a copy of the questionnaire might result in estimates very similar to those after numerous reminders.

Mail surveys: obsolescent model or valuable instrument in general practice research?

Due to low response rates mail surveys have been called into question as research instruments in general practice. The most effective actions to reduce non-response, such as financial incentives and complex follow-up procedures, are costly. We investigated whether a good response rate is achievable with a less costly survey design, and examined the effect of increased response rates due to repeated follow-ups on survey results. In a mail survey on drug interactions among 2000 general practitioners in south-west Germany, most well-known criteria influencing response rates were met except financial incentives. A four stage design with two reminders was applied and the time course of response was recorded. Results after both reminders were calculated with 95% confidence intervals and compared with initial results using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test with correction for multiple testing. A p <0.01 was considered significant. Although we did not provide financial incentives we achieved a response rate of 60.8% with our survey design. The first reminder with a simple postcard was almost three times less effective than the second reminder including another copy of the questionnaire. For only two survey questions, the answers of late respondents differed significantly from those of initial respondents (p <0.01). For these two questions, cumulative results after both reminders never differed from initial results by more than 3.7%. Even if financial incentives are not affordable, good response rates can be obtained among general practitioners when surveys are meticulously planned and implemented. Potential non-response bias introduced by those general practitioners who do not answer despite numerous reminders, cannot be tested by comparing early and late respondents. Therefore, we suggest that the impact of reminders on survey results should be assessed early. If no bias can be detected one further reminder with a copy of the questionnaire might result in estimates very similar to those after numerous reminders.

A Monte Carlo methodological approach to plant availability modeling with maintenance, aging and obsolescence

Abstract In this paper we present a Monte Carlo approach for the evaluation of plant maintenance strategies and operating procedures under economic constraints. The proposed Monte Carlo simulation model provides a flexible tool which enables one to describe many of the relevant aspects for plant management and operation such as aging, repair, obsolescence, renovation, which are not easily captured by analytical models. The maintenance periods are varied with the age of the components. Aging is described by means of a modified Brown–Proschan model of imperfect (deteriorating) repair which accounts for the increased proneness to failure of a component after it has been repaired. A model of obsolescence is introduced to evaluate the convenience of substituting a failed component with a new, improved one. The economic constraint is formalized in terms of an energy, or cost, function; optimization studies are then performed using the maintenance period as the control parameter.

A Model of Obsolescence of Organizational Rules

The phenomenon of obsolescence has found little attention in past research on organizational change. Most research on organizational change has instead been concerned with the opposite of obsolescence, that is, with mechanisms which render organizational structures increasingly persistent. However, everyday experience teaches that organizational structures become outdated as surrounding conditions shift. This article explores obsolescence by means of mathematical modeling and empirical analysis. Obsolescence is conceptualized as a result of flows of conditions in, out, and between two states: consistent conditions and inconsistent conditions. The model predicts that the obsoleteness curve rises with decreasing increments over time. This is tested with empirical data on organizational rule change. The results confirm the obsolescence model.

The Dual System of Vocational Education in the Federal Republic of Germany: An Obsolescent Model?

I should like to begin my discussion of the question raised in the title— whether the dual system of vocational education is an obsolescent model— with an illustration by way of comparison, from a talk given by Karl-Heinz Geissler (1991) on the situation and evolution of vocational education in the Federal Republic of Germany. Like Venice, the dual system once was the source of decisive impulses. The beginning of the modern era is inseparable from the achievements and the developments of the Republic of Venice. And—this is the analogy—the beginning of systematic industrialization, which we could call "modernized modern," is inseparable in our society from the dual system of vocational education. But—and here is the quintessence of the comparison—Venice, like the dual system, later lost its innovative functions. It is generally accepted that Venice has become a museum, and that the obsolescence of the dual system is glossed over by ever-newer campaigns about its attractiveness. But this alters nothing in the fact that the dual system has its future behind it.

Envejecimiento de la literatura científica en documentación. Influencia del origen nacional de las revistas. Estudio de una muestra

Application of the Brookes' information obsolescence model to a group of journals on library science. The results obtained reveal two different ageing rates in the references included in the journals: a moderate ageing rate, a=0,90, for journals belonging to countries integrated in the «centre of scientific advancement», and another one for countries not using English as the vehicle for scientific communication, such as Spain or France, where the annual ageing factor of a=0,80 implies a quicker literature obsolescence. The influence of the membership of the cited journals to either the scientific centre or the periphery on their ageing process is also studied. The annual ageing rates in this case are a=0,82 and a=0,77 respectively.

図書の貸出頻度を記述する負の二項分布モデルの演繹的導出とその一般化

Recently, some models describing the frequency distribution of the book circulation are proposed. In a previous paper, authors also propose a new model of book circulation distribution which is based on a negative binomial distribution. This model is able to describe varians of book circulation distribution with time.This paper has two purposes; 1) as a model of the book circulation, mathematically deducting a negative binomial distribution, 2) discussing the validity of the book circulation model which authors proposed and generalizing this model for the change with time.Consequently, two components of a compound Poisson distribution, a Poisson distribution and a gamma distribution, are deductively derived by considering the nature of book loans, and a negative binomial distribution are deductively derived perfectly.And the two parameters of this gamma distribution are assumed as functions of time variation for describing varians of book circulation with time. The validity of this assumption and the function of these parameters are discussed. As this function, two expressions are used; 1) the usual expression of obsolescence; a exponential function, 2) an alternative for the expression of obsolescence which is derived from a extended obsolescence model. As a result, a generalized model of book circulation distribution with a extended expression of obsolescence is constructed.

Licensure Laws in Pharmacy: A Model of Obsolescence

Journal Article Licensure Laws in Pharmacy: A Model of Obsolescence Get access George P. Provost George P. Provost Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, Volume 28, Issue 2, 1 February 1971, Pages 80–81, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/28.2.80 Published: 01 February 1971

Letter to the Editor—A Comment on the Morse-Elston Model of Probabilistic Obsolescence

Morse and Elston have constructed a probabilistic model of obsolescence and fitted it to the circulation of books in a library. This note presents a modification of their model and fits it to their results to account for time dependence of their original parameter α. This revised model can be used to describe the phenomena of obsolescence as seen in such a case as the usage over time of books concerned with scientific subjects.

Professional Contemporizing: A Personal Challenge

Abstract This article outlines one major company's method of insuring that its engineers keep up with the increased expansion of technical knowledge. The continuing education program developed for personnel of one division is presented and evaluated as to methods of presentation and impact upon participants. Stressed in the article is the unique industry-university cooperation exhibited in the program. Introduction The problem of technological obsolescence has been recognized for many years. Practically every journal devoted to engineering or technology and many outside this area have published editorials calling attention to the accelerating rate at which knowledge is increasing. These editorials also point out the serious problem facing scientists, engineers and even managers because of their own decreasing familiarity with principles once learned and because of the growing store of human knowledge. The Knowledge Gap Fig. 1 dramatically illustrates the growing gap between knowledge that is available to the technical world and the individual's knowledge that is eroded through infrequent use and a fallible memory. The number of publications in the technical literature is a measure of the increase in human knowledge. In 1963 Kriegel estimated that the total volume of technical literature would double in the period from 1960 through 1967. This prediction is already a fact and corresponds to a rate of increase of about 10 percent per year compounded annually. In a like manner, Thomas Stelson, head of the Civil Engineering Dept. of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, estimated that the decay of an engineer's knowledge without renewal is approximately 10 percent per year compounded annually. The difference between these two effects, called the knowledge gap (KG), can be reduced to the following generalized equation, KG = (1 + i)n - 1/(1 + d)n, where i = fraction increase per year in man's knowledge, d = fractional decrease per year in an engineer's remembered knowledge if no subsequent training is undertaken and n = number of years since graduation. This equation is not the most plausible or best mathematical model of obsolescence. However, it does have gross qualitative significance. If, using the criteria cited above, i = d = 0.10, then within 5 years after graduation, a person's KG can be as large as his original store of knowledge. A much more disturbing aspect of this obsolescence is that the changes in technology within the past decade have been so extensive that the entire mission of engineering has changed.