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This paper proposes a generic algorithm for industries with degrading and/or failing equipment with significant consequences. Based on the specifications and the real-time status of the production line, the algorithm provides decision support to machinery operators and manufacturers about the appropriate lifetime extension strategies to apply, the optimal time-frame for the implementation of each and the relevant machine components. The relevant recommendations of the algorithm are selected by comparing smartly chosen alternatives after simulation-based life cycle evaluation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), considering the short-term and long-term impact of decisions on these economic and environmental KPIs. This algorithm requires various inputs, some of which may be calculated by third-party algorithms, so it may be viewed as the ultimate algorithm of an overall Decision Support Framework (DSF). Thus, it is called “DSF Core”. The algorithm was applied successfully to three heterogeneous industrial pilots. The results indicate that compared to the lightest possible corrective strategy application policy, following the optimal preventive strategy application policy proposed by this algorithm can reduce the KPI penalties due to stops (i.e., failures and strategies) and production inefficiency by 30–40%.

Even if the economy nowadays is still locked into a linear model of production, tighter environmental standards, resource scarcity and changing consumer expectations are forcing organizations to find alternatives to lighten their impacts. The concept of Circular Economy (CE) is to an increasing extent treated as a solution to this series of challenges. That said, the multitude of approaches and definitions around CE and Life Cycle Extension Strategies (LCES) makes it difficult to provide (Small and Medium Enterprise) SMEs with a consistent understanding of the topic. This paper aims at bridging this gap by providing a systematic literature review of the most prominent papers related to the CE and lifetime extension, with a particular focus on the equipment and machinery sector. A taxonomy was used to define and cluster a subset of selected papers to build a homogeneous approach for understanding the multiple strategies used in the industry, and the standards in maintenance and remanufacturing strategies. As a final research step, we also propose a Strategy Characterization Framework (SCF) to build the ground for the selection of the best strategy to be applied for production equipment life cycle extension on several industrial use cases.

Several factors have led to an increase in the focus on sustainable development. In this context, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained tremendous momentum in research and implementation. Fitted into CE’s concept, the Life Extension Strategies (LES) have been popular among industrial practitioners, regulators, policymakers, and academics from different industries due to the several benefits of these strategies. The general scope of this study is to approach LES within the industrial environment. The main goal is to understand how Remanufacturing and Refurbishment (R/R) strategies have been applied in different industry types. To achieve this goal, we carried out a systematic literature review whereby we captured some examples of R/R applications that demonstrate the potential of application to various industries (e.g., aerospace/aeronautics, energy power, and automotive industries) and equipment types (e.g., nuclear reactor, hydropower plant, and turbine blades). We also described some strategies to implement LES (e.g., economic analysis and life cycle assessment) and the different impacts achieved or expected (life extension, cost-saving, and efficiency enhancement). Moreover, we discussed three specific points concerning R/R application, the LES categorization, and the inexistence of a multi-dimensional framework to LES. Finally, we provided a set of systematized information about R/R.

Nowadays, Circular Economy (CE) is shifting from a nice-to-have marketing operation to a business development strategy that is central to the restoring and preservation of our natural ecosystem. However, despite motivated promotion efforts, the concrete application of this model at the micro-level is still in its infancy due to several challenges that companies face. One of these challenges is the uncertainty that businesses have in the estimation of the actual impact that adopting CE strategies can have on their activities from an environmental and economic perspective. This work aims to define a conceptual framework to be applied to the Life Cycle Extension Strategies (LCES) of products, which is meant to understand whether the application of a strategy is beneficial from an environmental and economic point of view. In order to address the identified need, a list of indicators to be exploited in the LCES performance analysis has been designed and divided into the two categories of environmental and economic indicators. On the top of this, a calculation methodology that is based on life cycle perspective approaches is applied, which exploits a gap-based approach and thus, compares the effects generated by the linear strategy and those created by the LCES analysis. The evaluation approach is meant to highlight the possible advantages and disadvantages offered by the CE model for product lifecycles. The conceptual framework is tested through an industrial case study and further analysis leading to the improvement of the calculation methodology is discussed.

Background Ethiopia has been implementing a community health extension program (HEP) since 2003. We aimed to assess the successes and challenges of the HEP over time, and develop a framework that may assist the implementation of the program toward universal primary healthcare services. Methods We conducted a systematic review and synthesis of the literature on the HEP in Ethiopia between 2003 and 2018. Literature search was accomplished in PubMed, Embase and Google scholar databases. Literature search strategies were developed using medical subject headings (MeSH) and text words related to the aim of the review. We used a three-stage screening process to select the publications. Data extraction was conducted by three reviewers using pre-prepared data extraction form. We conducted an interpretive (not aggregative) synthesis of studies. Findings The HEP enabled Ethiopia to achieve significant improvements in maternal and child health, communicable diseases, hygiene and sanitation, knowledge and health care seeking. The HEP has been a learning organization that adapts itself to community demands. The program is also dynamic enough to shift tasks between health centers and community. The community has been a key player in the successful implementation of the HEP. In spite of these successes, the program is currently facing challenges that remain to be addressed. These challenges are related to productivity and efficiency of health extension workers (HEWs); working and living conditions of HEWs; capacity of health posts; and, social determinants of health. These require a systemic approach that involves the wider health system, community, and sectors responsible for social determinants of health. We developed a framework that may assist in the implementation of the HEP. Conclusion The HEP has enabled Ethiopia to achieve significant improvements. However, several challenges remain to be addressed. The framework can be utilized to improve community health programs toward universal coverage for primary healthcare services.

This study aimed to identify the level of awareness and application of learning principles among agricultural extension service providers when communicating extension recommendations to farmers. It also sought to determine the major constraints that may hinder the effective application of these principles in extension practice. The study adopted a descriptive analytical approach. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed to achieve the objectives of the research. The study was conducted on all agricultural extension service providers in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, totaling 55 respondents. The study focused on nine learning principles relevant to extension education: motivation, clarity of objectives, self-activity, transfer of learning, learner individuality, readiness, reinforcement, modification or relearning, and repetition. The findings revealed variation in the levels of knowledge and application of these principles among the respondents. The results indicated that 65.4% of the respondents had a moderate level of knowledge of the motivation principle, while 67.2% applied it at a moderate level. In contrast, 81.8% of the respondents had a low level of knowledge of the principle of clarity of objectives, and 85.4% applied it at a low level. The results also revealed several constraints that limit the effective application of learning principles in extension work, most notably the limited effectiveness of communication with farmers and the need to strengthen the educational competencies of extension service providers. Accordingly, the study recommends developing the instructional capacities of extension service providers through specialized training programs on learning principles and extension education methods in order to improve the effectiveness of communicating agricultural recommendations and enhance the adoption of agricultural innovations.

Non-point source (NPS) pollution has been increasingly serious in China since the 1990s. The increases of agricultural NPS pollution in China is evaluated for the period 2000−2008 by surveying the literature on water and soil pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, and assessing the surplus nitrogen balance within provinces. The main causes for NPS pollution were excessive inputs of nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides, which were partly the result of the inadequate agricultural extension services and the rapid expansion of intensive livestock production with little of waste management. The annual application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides in China increased by 50.7 and 119.7%, respectively, during 1991−2008. The mitigation measures to reduce NPS pollution include: correct distortion in fertilizer prices; improve incentives for the recycling of organic manure; provide farmers with better information on the sound use of agro-chemicals; and tighten the regulations and national standards on organic waste disposal and pesticides use.

Migratory birds regularly perform impressive long-distance flights, which are timed relative to the anticipated environmental resources at destination areas that can be several thousand kilometres away. Timely migration requires diverse strategies and adaptations that involve an intricate interplay between internal clock mechanisms and environmental conditions across the annual cycle. Here we review what challenges birds face during long migrations to keep track of time as they exploit geographically distant resources that may vary in availability and predictability, and summarize the clock mechanisms that enable them to succeed. We examine the following challenges: departing in time for spring and autumn migration, in anticipation of future environmental conditions; using clocks on the move, for example for orientation, navigation and stopover; strategies of adhering to, or adjusting, the time programme while fitting their activities into an annual cycle; and keeping pace with a world of rapidly changing environments. We then elaborate these themes by case studies representing long-distance migrating birds with different annual movement patterns and associated adaptations of their circannual programmes. We discuss the current knowledge on how endogenous migration programmes interact with external information across the annual cycle, how components of annual cycle programmes encode topography and range expansions, and how fitness may be affected when mismatches between timing and environmental conditions occur. Lastly, we outline open questions and propose future research directions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals’.

Background Climate change poses a threat to the sustainability of food production among small-scale rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa that are dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Understanding farmers’ adaptations and the determinants of their adaptation strategies is crucial in designing realistic strategies and policies for agricultural development and food security. The main objectives of this study were to identify the adaptation strategies used by smallholder farmers to counter the perceived negative effects of climate change in northern Uganda, and factors influencing the use of specific adaptation strategies. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed to collect data from 395 randomly selected smallholder farmers’ household heads across two districts by the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing farmers’ adaptation to climate change. Results The three most widely practiced adaptation strategies were planting of different crop varieties, planting drought-resistant varieties, and fallowing. Results of the binary logit regression model revealed that marital status of household head, access to credit, access to extension services, and farm income influenced farmers’ adoption of planting drought-resistant varieties as an adaptation strategy while access to credit, annual farm income, and time taken to market influenced adoption of planting improved seeds. Gender of household head and farm income had a positive influence on farmers’ adoption of fertilizer and pesticide use. Farming experience, farm income, and access to extension services and credit influenced farmers’ adoption of tree planting. Household size, farming experience, and time taken to market had positive influence on the use of fallowing, while size of land cultivated significantly influenced farmers’ planting of different crop varieties as an adaptation strategy. Conclusion Findings of the study suggest there are several factors that work together to influence adoption of specific adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers. This therefore calls for more effort from government to strengthen the provision of agricultural extension services by improving its climate information system, providing recommended agricultural inputs and training farmers on best agronomic practices to enhance their holistic adaptation to the effect of climate change.

In freshwater temperate environments, waterbodies warmed by power plants can serve as a stepping stone in the spread of tropical and subtropical species. This offers a unique opportunity to acquire an insight into the life history of organisms undergoing range expansions beyond their native habitat. Here, we studied the patterns of offspring production and growth in the Asian mussel Sinanodonta woodiana inhabiting the thermal plume of the Odra River in Central Europe. Compared to the S. woodiana males, females had more convex shells and had a greater tendency to continue post-maturation growth and thus follow an indeterminate growth pattern. Gravid females were observed all-year round, and individuals with either large or more convex shells brooded more offspring. The proportion of incubating females, brood size and glochidia size were linked to gonadal activity and changed seasonally. Females with a higher amount of nutritive substances in the ovaries produced more and larger offspring. The smallest and the largest offspring occurred in the summer and in the winter, respectively. Sinanodonta woodiana incubated different offspring generations simultaneously, constantly releasing them into the environment. Using a life history evolution perspective, we discuss our results in view of allocation trade-offs between growth and offspring production.