scholarly journals Assessing the Environmental Implications of Industrialized Housing: a Systematic Literature Review

Author(s):  
Firehiwot Kedir ◽  
Daniel Hall

Industrialized Housing (IH), also referred to as prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and/or off-site fabrication, is a growing strategy for constructing housing. IH offers potential for significant reduction of environmental impact in comparison to traditional housing construction. Past research used methods such as environmental impact assessment on given case study buildings or expert’s opinions to identify the benefits and drawbacks present on the lifecycle of houses constructed partially or fully using IH methods. Nevertheless, this literature is scattered across several sources and units of analysis. The specific factors of IH that contribute to environmental impact reduction have not been comprehensively reviewed and summarized from design considerations up to the end of life possibilities. In this paper, a systematic literature review is performed on the environmental implications of the industrialized way of constructing residential buildings. From a review of 49 journal publications, this paper identifies 18 key factors that influence the environmental performance of such residential buildings. These factors are categorized into the following lifecycle phases of the IH process: a) system design, b) material design, c) manufacturing and logistics, d) transportation and assembly, e) Operational phase, and f) end of life. Findings reveal the importance of decisions made in design phases such as choice of materials, which in turn show a snowball effect throughout the phases. A final category – g) support and hindrance of IH - includes a discussion of external factors such as building codes and regulatory policies and their impact on IH performance.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s120-s120
Author(s):  
Alexandre Marra ◽  
Mireia Puig-Asensio ◽  
Eli Perencevich

Background: Improving the use of antibiotics across the care continuum will be necessary as we strive to protect our patients from antimicrobial resistance. One potential target for antimicrobial stewardship is during end-of-life care of patients with advanced dementia. We aimed to perform a systematic literature review measuring the burden of antibiotic use during end-of-life care in patients with dementia. Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase through July 2019 for studies with the following inclusion criteria in the initial analysis: (1) end-of-life patients (ie, dementia, cancer, organ failure, frailty or multi-morbidity); (2) antibiotic use in the end-of-life care; with the final analysis restricted to (3) patients with advanced dementia. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were included. Results: Of the 93 full-text articles, 17 studies (18.3%) met the selection criteria for further analysis. Most of the included studies were retrospective (n = 8) or prospective (n = 8) cohort studies. These studies in combination included 2,501 patients with advanced dementia. Also, 5 studies (698 patients, [27.9%]) were restricted to patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In 5 studies in which data were available, fewer than one-quarter of patients (19.9%, 498) with advanced dementia were referred to palliative care. In 12 studies >50% of patients received antibiotics during the end-of-life period. Also, 15 studies did not report the duration of antimicrobial therapy. Only 2 studies reported the antimicrobial consumption in days of therapy per 1,000 resident days. Only 6 studies studied whether the use of antibiotics was associated with beneficial outcomes (survival or comfort), and none of them evaluated potential adverse effects associated with antibiotic use. Conclusions: There are significant gaps in the literature surrounding antimicrobial use at the end of life in patients with advanced dementia. Future studies are needed to evaluate the benefits and harms of using antibiotics for patients during end-of-life care in this patient population.Acknowledgement. We thank Jennifer Deberg from Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa Libraries on the search methods.Disclosures: NoneFunding: None


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokter Hossain

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide state-of-the-art knowledge about business model innovation (BMI) and suggest avenues for future research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review approach was adopted with thematic analysis being conducted on 92 articles. Findings The body of knowledge for this concept is in its infancy and is highly fragmented. This study therefore attempts to consolidate this fragmented knowledge. It reveals dominant themes, establishes coherence, and identifies conflicting arguments in the current literature. It also points out gaps in the research and highlights new directions for research. Research limitations/implications This study analyzed articles that were found based on a systematic literature review approach. Practical implications This study identifies some fundamental issues that managers need to understand regarding BMI. Originality/value The main value of this study lies in its synthesis of the current knowledge of BMI.


Technologies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Hankel ◽  
Gaston Heimeriks ◽  
Patricia Lago

Context: Many publications have described, measured, tracked or assessed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) activities that impact the environment. A complete conceptual view of the environmental impact of ICT can be described in three orders of effect: Direct, indirect and systemic. Objective: The goal of this study is to find out how the existing literature contributes towards our understanding of the environmental impact of ICT. We approach this question by identifying factors that can be of influence on the environmental impact and map these factors onto a conceptual framework of Green ICT. Method: We used a systematic literature review to collect factors of influence regarding the environmental impact of ICT. Results: From the data we collected and the analyses made, we created a taxonomy, and report on the frequencies of the factors of influence in the primary studies as well as gaps and additions compared to the conceptual framework. We found five main classes of influence that can form a continuous cycle, but noted that the research field is strongly focused on the direct impact of ICT. Conclusion: Our study contributes towards a better understanding of the environmental impact of ICT by framing factors of influence in a conceptual framework. The taxonomy we create and the analysis of the studies could be helpful in defining a research agenda, to further enable the full potential of Green ICT. In addition, the taxonomy can be used as a starting point for a practical tool, for organizations that wish to apply Green ICT to its full extent.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Sahni ◽  
Chandranshu Sinha

Narrative as a method is an interpretive approach of sharing individual experiences and beliefs that facilitates knowledge and generates human responses. The purpose of this study is to review the body of literature available using narratology in organization studies. This article employs a systematic literature review of 186 research articles in 94 identified journals from the year 1995 to 2014 that were subsequently evaluated for analysis. The review identifies five different approaches used by the narrative researchers across disciplines—content analysis (case study method), structural analysis, oral narratives and personal narratives, their contribution and spread in organizations. This article attempts to reinforce the significance of taking narratives as a methodology in organizations by providing a systematic overview of past research works in organizational settings. The study also summarizes the analytical approaches of narrative analysis used in 186 articles, which might underpin the qualitative research and provide some practical advice for those who wish to use narrative analysis in future.


2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Engström ◽  
Erik Bruno ◽  
Birgitta Holm ◽  
Ove Hellzén

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