8 research outputs found

    An integrated fuzzy approach for evaluating remanufacturing alternatives of a product design

    Get PDF
    Remanufacturing has emerged as a competitive strategy for manufacturers to tackle environmental and economic challenges. In this paper, an integrated fuzzy approach is developed for the evaluation of remanufacturing alternatives. Then, importance weights of main remanufacturing processes and evaluation criteria are obtained through fuzzy extent analysis. Fuzzy hierarchical TOPSIS is then applied to evaluate the alternatives. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach. The analysis results show that it is a viable approach and can be used as an effective tool for design evaluation from the remanufacturing point of view. Finally, conclusions are discussed and future research directions are suggested

    A proposed framework of sustainable self-evaluation maturity within companies: an exploratory study

    Get PDF
    Companies are still struggling to implement ecodesign in their daily product development processes. It is believed that this occurs because companies should firstly improve their strategy and management skills towards sustainability before introducing any ecodesign tool. As a consequence, this paper aims to propose a self­evaluation framework to rank companies into different classes according to their level of maturity in terms of sustainability. It also discusses ̈minimum requirements ̈ to move from one level to another towards sustainability. This will help companies to better understand which strategic and managerial actions they need to take before implementing any ecodesign

    Identification and Analysis of the Role of Superoxide Dismutases Isoforms in the Pathogenesis of Paracoccidioides spp.

    No full text
    The ability of Paracoccidioides to defend itself against reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by host effector cells is a prerequisite to survive. To counteract these radicals, Paracoccidioides expresses, among different antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutases (SODs). In this study, we identified six SODs isoforms encoded by the Paracoccidioides genome. We determined gene expression levels of representative isolates of the phylogenetic lineages of Paracoccidioides spp. (S1, PS2, PS3 and Pb01-like) using quantitative RT-PCR. Assays were carried out to analyze SOD gene expression of yeast cells, mycelia cells, the mycelia-to-yeast transition and the yeast-to-mycelia germination, as well as under treatment with oxidative agents and during interaction with phagocytic cells. We observed an increased expression of PbSOD1 and PbSOD3 during the transition process, exposure to oxidative agents and interaction with phagocytic cells, suggesting that these proteins could assist in combating the superoxide radicals generated during the host-pathogen interaction. Using PbSOD1 and PbSOD3 knockdown strains we showed these genes are involved in the response of the fungus against host effector cells, particularly the oxidative stress response, and in a mouse model of infection. Protein sequence analysis together with functional analysis of knockdown strains seem to suggest that PbSOD3 expression is linked with a pronounced extracellular activity while PbSOD1 seems more related to intracellular requirements of the fungus. Altogether, our data suggests that P. brasiliensis actively responds to the radicals generated endogenously during metabolism and counteracts the oxidative burst of immune cells by inducing the expression of SOD isoforms
    corecore