Designed To Fail Research Articles

Technological scenarios of posthumanism: which [built] environment towards sustainability

Abstract Human kind has always been an explorer and technological innovation over the centuries is been implemented thanks to his thirst for novelty. Technological progress today clashes with the limitations of available resources and environmental impacts. The acceleration in the introduction of technological innovations determines rapid obsolescence of human artifacts and the need for continuous replacement, reducing the useful life of products. Having exhausted the physicality of planet Earth, human exploration now continues in two directions: on the one hand, the colonization of Space, on the other, the construction of new virtual worlds (Metaverse) and new physical and cognitive capabilities (biotechnology and artificial intelligence). However, these explorations are the source of considerable energy consumption (e.g., of space flights and data centers) and contribute to climate change, increasing the critical issues regarding the sustainability of lifestyles. Technological and scientific progress, after having changed the natural environment, today comes to change human nature (posthumanism), and consequently the living environment of human kind. The research is approached through the comparison of different philosophical and scientific positions (literature analysis), transferring some general considerations to the building sector. What next generation built environment will be?

Software System Architecture for Estimating Software Development Time

The article is devoted to the issues of estimating the duration of software development, the solution of which can significantly improve the efficiency of software projects. The relevance of the topic is conditioned by the rapid development of software development methodologies, on which the existing algorithms of such estimation depend, and, as a consequence, by the rapid obsolescence of approaches to solving this problem. A systematic analysis of the main algorithms for estimating software development duration is carried out. The classification of such algorithms is presented. The algorithm of software development duration estimation and the idea of the system implementing it, which will allow end users to automate this process, are proposed. The approaches to implementation of algorithms of retrospective (historical) estimation, PERT, expert estimation are considered. The prospectivity of researches in the field of implementation of methods of expert evaluation using neural networks is shown. The architecture of the proposed system is described. A prototype of the system implementing the method of retrospective evaluation based on the evaluation of the speed of the development team is developed.

Optimizing cell phone recycling process: Unraveling rational and emotional drivers of consumer recycling participation using PLS-SEM and fs-QCA

The rapid obsolescence of cell phones has led to significant challenges in electronic waste. Effective recycling processes are crucial to mitigate environmental impacts and recover valuable materials. However, consumer participation in obsolete cell phone (OCP) recycling remains suboptimal. The purpose of this research was to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to investigate the factors that influence the intention to recycle obsolete cell phones among Chinese consumers. By analyzing 621 valid survey responses using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study identifies that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm, as rational factors, significantly predict OCP recycling intention. Additionally, privacy concern and object attachment, as emotional factors, are found to reduce OCP recycling intention. Further analysis using Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs-QCA) pinpoints essential TPB configurations that enhance OCP recycling intention, highlighting that the absence of both privacy concern and object attachment contributes to high recycling intention. By introducing an emotional perspective, this study advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying OCP recycling behavior. Strategic directions for improving cell phone recycling management are discussed.

GPU-based key-frame selection of pulmonary ultrasound images to detect COVID-19

In the last decades, technological advances have led to a considerable increase in computing power constraints to simulate complex phenomena in various application fields, among which are climate, physics, genomics and medical diagnosis. Often, accurate results in real time, or quasi real time, are needed, especially if related to a process requiring rapid interventions. To deal with such demands, more sophisticated approaches have been designed, including GPUs, multicore processors and hardware accelerators. Supercomputers manage high amounts of data at a very high speed; however, despite their considerable performance, their limitations are due to maintenance costs, rapid obsolescence and notable energy consumption. New processing architectures and GPUs in the medical field can provide diagnostic and therapeutic support whenever the patient is subject to risk. In this context, image processing as an aid to diagnosis, in particular pulmonary ultrasound to detect COVID-19, represents a promising diagnostic tool with the ability to discriminate between different degrees of disease. This technique has several advantages, such as no radiation exposure, low costs, the availability of follow-up tests and the ease of use even with limited resources. This work aims to identify the best approach to optimize and parallelize the selection of the most significant frames of a video which is given as the input to the classification network that will differentiate between healthy and COVID patients. Three approaches have been evaluated: histogram, entropy and ResNet-50, followed by a K-means clustering. Results highlight the third approach as the most accurate, simultaneously showing GPUs significantly lowering all processing times.

КЛАСИФІКАЦІЯ ВІДХОДІВ ЕЛЕКТРИЧНОГО ТА ЕЛЕКТРОННОГО ОБЛАДНАННЯ ЗА ОЗНАКОЮ ЕКОЛОГІЧНОЇ НЕБЕЗПЕКИ

The article discusses the problem of waste electrical and electronic equipment, which is constantly growing due to the mass consumption of equipment and its rapid obsolescence. Data on the volumes and forecasts of e-waste generation in the future, which belong to specific types of waste based on their composition and structure, are provided. The article emphasizes that due to the content of various components made of different materials, including rare, valuable, and hazardous compounds, waste electrical and electronic equipment poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. As a result, there is a need for specialized management of this type of waste. Based on the analysis of the characteristics and properties of the waste, aiming to ensure effective management of this waste and focusing on its ecological hazards, a classification of waste electrical and electronic equipment by ecological hazard is proposed. The proposed waste classification divides them into three categories, depending on the level of potential negative impact on human health and the environment as a result of improper handling, and determines optimal management methods for each category. It is noted that this classification can be used as an auxiliary tool in the 10R waste management hierarchy, which is the basis of the circular economy 3.0, and is described in detail in the article in the context of this type of waste. A separate part of the article is dedicated to comparing the proposed classification of waste with other known classifications of waste electrical and electronic equipment. Both common features and differences are highlighted, emphasizing the greater comprehensiveness of the proposed classification, including the determination of optimal methods for of e-waste management to reduce the negative impact on the environment and extend the life cycle of the equipment.

A Community-Curated DokuWiki Resource on Diagnostics, Diversity, Pathogenicity, and Genetic Control of Xanthomonads.

Xanthomonads, including Xanthomonas and Xylella species, constitute a large and significant group of economically and ecologically important plant pathogens. Up-to-date knowledge of these pathogens and their hosts is essential for the development of suitable control measures. Traditional review articles or book chapters have inherent limitations, including static content and rapid obsolescence. To address these challenges, we have developed a Web-based knowledge platform dedicated to xanthomonads, inspired by the concept of living systematic reviews. This platform offers a dynamic resource that encompasses bacterial virulence factors, plant resistance genes, and tools for diagnostics and genetic diversity studies. Our goal is to facilitate access for newcomers to the field, provide continuing education opportunities for students, assist plant protection services with diagnostics, provide valuable information to breeders on sources of resistance and breeding targets, and offer comprehensive expert knowledge to other stakeholders interested in plant-pathogenic xanthomonads. This resource is available for queries and updates at https://euroxanth.ipn.pt. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

ОБУЧЕНИЕ СОТРУДНИКОВ: СОВРЕМЕННыЙ ВЗГЛЯД НА ПРОБЛЕМы ОСВОЕНИЯ НОВых НАВыКОВ И КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ

Currently, in the digital economy, the problem of revising the qualitative component of the organization’s personnel has become acute. In modern conditions, the nature of work is changing, people and the requirements for personnel and organizations are changing. The rapid development of digital technologies, the rapid obsolescence of some and the introduction of others, increases the demand for employees with highly specialized skills, information skills, management and communication skills. The increased demand for such specialists requires organizations to search for new, more effective ways of personnel management that meet new conditions, including the search for training methods — as one of the most important functions of personnel management in modern organizations. Personnel costs are already considered as an investment in human capital, and the issue of effective planning of budget items for personnel becomes especially important. There is a need to develop effective methods for assessing the effectiveness of short-term and long-term investments in the human capital of an organization in general and in training in particular.

Economics of technology cycle time (TCT) and catch-up by latecomers: Micro-, meso-, and macro-analyses and implications

This paper provides an analytical review of the literature on the role of technology cycle time (TCT) in the catching-up process of latecomers at the firm, sectoral, and national levels. At the national level, latecomer economies follow a detour that consists of economic growth through specialization in short-TCT sectors during the catching-up phase, followed by a shift to long-TCT sectors in the post-catching-up phase. The paper then discusses the double-edged nature of TCT at the sectoral level, such that short TCT can either be a window of opportunity associated with the rapid obsolescence of existing technologies and thus low entry barriers, or another source of difficulty associated with the truncation of learning from existing technologies. Only latecomers with a certain absorptive capacity can benefit from short TCT as a window of opportunity. Finally, at the firm level, this paper discusses the issue of possible convergence in the behavior of catching-up firms towards those of mature firms in advanced economies. At all three levels, the keywords are detours and convergence. Given the barriers to entry in long-TCT sectors, latecomers pursue a strategy of detouring into short-TCT sectors. That is, instead of trying to emulate incumbents by entering long-TCT sectors, latecomers take the opposite route. Subsequently, as latecomers improve their capabilities over time, they shift their specialization from short to long TCT sectors, thereby achieving convergence in behavior and strategy at the firm, sectoral, and national levels.

KPI SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE PERSONNEL TRAINING SYSTEM AT A MACHINE-BUILDING ENTERPRISE

In modern conditions, there is an extremely rapid obsolescence of professional knowledge, so the issues of improving the skills of employees, mastering new competencies is one of the key factors for the success of the enterprise. In other words, the personnel training system has a direct impact on the achievement of the strategic goals of the organization, therefore, it is necessary to manage this system accordingly. In this article, using the example of a machine-building enterprise, the personnel training process underlying the improvement of the entire personnel training system is considered. The article suggests a method for evaluating the effectiveness of personnel training based on KPIs using the example of training design bureau employees. The authors have identified indicators of the effectiveness of the learning process that affect the quality of products, developed a sequence of building stages of the KPI system, and also established its relationship with the strategic management system of the organization.

Company Perspectives on Circular Economy Management, Assessment and Reporting in the Kymenlaakso Region in Finland

In general, circular economy development is about a system-level change towards significantly enhanced circularity and sustainability encompassing both biological and technical cycles. This study aimed at exploring, identifying, analyzing and synthesizing how companies in the Kymenlaakso region perceive circular economy management, assessment and reporting. This study applied a qualitative research approach using a questionnaire survey as the specific method. The responding companies are of many sizes and represent multiple sectors such as industry, construction and various services. This study addressed a clear gap in research on company-level perspectives. The results indicate that recycling and recovery of materials are perceived as particularly important by companies. In addition, the principles of CE (10Rs) are considered to be important by most companies. Essential management approaches encompass, for example, CE strategy and goals, business ecosystems and development of markets for recycled and recovered products and parts. Companies considered that recycling, recovery, waste minimization and utilization of waste as a raw material, as well as an increase in recycled content in products, reduction in disposable products and prevention of premature obsolescence, are important CE assessment and measurement approaches. For example, continuous reporting of CE as a part of online communication of companies (i.a. sustainability and responsibility), the definition of best practices and best available techniques for CE, and reporting in the whole supply and value chain were perceived as important ways to report CE. However, it is noteworthy that many of the studied aspects of CE were not perceived to be important by companies. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the current state of and future outlook on circular economy development in the studied region and also highlights relevant management, assessment and reporting aspects from the perspective of local companies.

Cationic Porphyrins as Antimicrobial and Antiviral Agents in Photodynamic Therapy.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) has received a great deal of attention due to its unique ability to kill all currently known classes of microorganisms. To date, infectious diseases caused by bacteria and viruses are one of the main sources of high mortality, mass epidemics and global pandemics among humans. Every year, the emergence of three to four previously unknown species of viruses dangerous to humans is recorded, totaling more than 2/3 of all newly discovered human pathogens. The emergence of bacteria with multidrug resistance leads to the rapid obsolescence of antibiotics and the need to create new types of antibiotics. From this point of view, photodynamic inactivation of viruses and bacteria is of particular interest. This review summarizes the most relevant mechanisms of antiviral and antibacterial action of APDT, molecular targets and correlation between the structure of cationic porphyrins and their photodynamic activity.

Challenges and Issues of Integrating Information and Communication Technologies in Higher Education in Rural Areas- A Review

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in higher education represents a transformative force that has the potential to bridge educational disparities and empower rural communities. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the challenges and issues faced in the pursuit of ICT integration in rural higher education settings. Rural areas worldwide are marked by a digital divide, which results in limited access to reliable internet, outdated infrastructure, and high costs associated with ICT resources. These challenges have far-reaching implications, including hindrances to equitable learning opportunities, reduced access to relevant educational content, and an underdeveloped digital literacy among students and faculty. The core challenges discussed in this paper encompass infrastructure limitations, affordability concerns, inadequate digital literacy, curriculum relevance, and the rapid obsolescence of technology. However, the paper also examines potential solutions and best practices that address these challenges. Infrastructure improvements, financial assistance, digital literacy programs, customized curricula, and sustainable technology adoption are strategies to mitigate these issues and enable rural higher education institutions to harness the benefits of ICT effectively.

Management of E-waste and its Future Prospective Importance

Abstract: Electronic waste, often known as E waste, refers to abandoned or unwanted electrical or electronic equipment or parts. Rapid obsolescence and penetration rates will cause crises in developing countries such as India. The majority of E-waste generated in India is generated in big cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and so on. Within Maharashtra, Mumbai, often known as the Oxford of the East and home to a variety of companies, particularly in the IT sector, ranks high on the list of cities in India that generate a lot of E garbage. The majority of E waste in Mumbai is disposed of in landfills or incinerated, whereas the formal industry is facing problems due to a lack of E waste-waste model rate is extremely increasing daily, particularly for a few key products as a result of changes in technology, fashion, and people's per capita earnings. In general, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and various firms have committed to processing only a small fraction of the total E garbage generated. E garbage management is a critical task since e-waste poses a risk to people. Authorities pass an E waste control law, but without political will, it is not properly implemented. A few examples of e-waste are discarded computers, audio equipment, cell phones, electric lamps, fax machines, copiers, stereos, VCRs, televisions, batteries, and so on. This garbage contains non-biodegradable polymers that pose a serious threat to the environment.

IMPROVEMENT OF CONSTRUCTIVE-TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACHES REDUCING INNOVATIVE OBSOLESCENCE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONTEXT OF INDUSTRY 4.0

The article is dedicated to the improvement of constructive-technological approaches in the design and manufacture of engineering products, innovations, their management and implementation in enterprises, innovation strategy and policies for its achievement, as well as methods for alternative solutions against the rapid obsolescence of innovations in the field of technology in the conditions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR) and globalization. Emphasis is on the stages in the design of the technological process for mechanical processing of engineering products, as well as the optimization of dimensional-accuracy connections. Schemes describing the optimization have been developed, and the approach will be programmatically implemented in subsequent development.

Protean: Adaptive Hardware-Accelerated Intermittent Computing

Today's smart devices have short battery lifetimes, high installation and maintenance costs, and rapid obsolescence - all leading to the explosion of electronic waste in the past two decades. These problems will worsen as the number of connected devices grows to one trillion by 2035. Energy harvesting, battery-free devices offer an alternative. Getting rid of the battery reduces e-waste, promises long lifetimes, and enables deployment in new applications and environments. Unfortunately, developing sophisticated inference-capable applications is still challenging. The lack of platform support for advanced (32-bit) microprocessors and specialized accelerators, which can execute dataintensive machine-learning tasks, has held back batteryless devices.

Smartphone repairability indexes in practice: Linking repair scores to industrial design features

AbstractPolicymaking mediates the relationships between manufacturers and consumers, thus defining the boundaries for the philosophies of production set forth by major companies. Research states that policymaking falls short in addressing the waste issues, natural resources consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and other negative impacts posed by premature obsolescence; only recently have the “right‐to‐repair” guidelines demanded by environmental organizations and communities of citizens been included in policymaking. The introduction of the Index of Repairability in France as information at the point of sale aims to inform consumers and support their decision‐making in purchasing more repairable products. In this paper, we consider the two Indexes of Repairability publicly available to consumers—in the French legislation and iFixit—and assess their application to smartphones from three manufacturers. The study establishes links between the scores and the industrial design features that promote or hinder repairability, service factors and information for self‐repair, authorized repair, and independent repair. Data collection considers the available information for consumers and citizens by using netnography and secondary data from manufacturers, policymakers, and communities of users. Our findings suggest that higher scores that indicate easier repairability are not limited to product architectures that follow design for disassembly guidelines. Smartphones that are difficult to repair can still score high, and thus be perceived as easier to repair, if manufacturers provide high quality and affordable service. This paper discusses the results of the ongoing development of repairability scores for smartphones, thus suggesting paths for future research to improve methods and policies to support a longer lifetime of products.

Responsible Tourism and Hospitality: The Intersection of Altruistic Values, Human Emotions, and Corporate Social Responsibility

The burgeoning tourism and hospitality industry is plagued by numerous challenges that pose significant hurdles to its long-term success and sustainability. These challenges encompass a range of factors, including fierce competitive convergence, rapid obsolescence of innovative strategies, and the relentless pursuit of ever-greater competitiveness in the marketplace. In such a service-oriented industry, where customer satisfaction is the sine qua non of success, the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in shaping consumer attitudes and behavior cannot be overstated. Despite this, the empirical evidence on the impact of CSR on brand advocacy behavior among hospitality consumers (BADB) remains somewhat underdeveloped and incomplete. In light of this knowledge gap, the basic objective of our study is to examine the complex interplay between CSR and BADB in the context of a developing country’s hospitality sector. The authors place a particular emphasis on the mediating role of consumer emotions and the moderating influence of altruistic values (ALVS) in shaping this relationship. Through rigorous empirical analysis, the authors demonstrate that CSR positively and significantly impacts BADB, with consumer engagement (CENG) serving as a crucial mediating variable that facilitates this relationship. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for the tourism and hospitality industry. Specifically, the authors show that the judicious deployment of CSR initiatives in a hospitality context can foster a positive behavioral psychology among consumers and, in turn, enhance their advocacy intentions towards the brand. This underscores the importance of carefully crafted CSR strategies to secure a competitive advantage in this dynamic and rapidly evolving sector.

:Bibliophobia: The End and the Beginning of the Book

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A conceptional structure for challenging the rebound effect of the product-service system

The product obsolescence rate is one of the product-service system rebound effect issues. Obsolescence can be generated by both planned obsolescence and post-production obsolescence. Planned obsolescence can increase sales and revenue artificially. However, the pattern of planned obsolescence has demonstrated that obsolescence is no longer limited to functional obsolescence but rather rapidly evolves to include quality and aesthetic aspects. Moreover, post-production consuming behaviours hasten the rate of product obsolescence, especially in the absence of ownership. At this point, rapid obsolescence contradicts the spirit of the Product-service System's (PSS) value proposition. During the stage of value co-creation, such topics must be considered. According to research on PSS and the co-creation process, the co-creation of value is inherent to PSS. Nevertheless, managing the process of value co-creation is another challenge. In addition, decision-making should also be prevented from being dominated by a high degree of centralisation. This paper presents a preliminary investigation into constructing a framework for managing the value co-creation process and decision-making to prevent the rebound effect based on conceptual review. This study identifies methods applicable to the co-creation procedure. A conceptional structure of co-creation of value and decision-making is presented.

Deepfakes: Deceptions, mitigations, and opportunities

Deepfakes—artificial but hyper-realistic video, audio, and images created by algorithms—are one of the latest technological developments in artificial intelligence. Amplified by the speed and scope of social media, they can quickly reach millions of people and result in a wide range of marketplace deceptions. However, extant understandings of deepfakes’ implications in the marketplace are limited and fragmented. Against this background, we develop insights into the significance of deepfakes for firms and consumers—the threats they pose, how to mitigate those threats, and the opportunities they present. Our findings indicate that the main risks to firms include damage to image, reputation, and trustworthiness and the rapid obsolescence of existing technologies. However, consumers may also suffer blackmail, bullying, defamation, harassment, identity theft, intimidation, and revenge porn. We then accumulate and present knowledge on the strategies and mechanisms to safeguard against deepfake-based marketplace deception. Furthermore, we uncover and report the various legitimate opportunities offered by this new technology. Finally, we present an agenda for future research in this emergent and highly critical area.