18 research outputs found
A Holistic Approach to Design Support for Bio-polymer Based Packaging
This article was published in the Journal of Polymers and the Environment [© Springer] and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10924-012-0545-zThe growing interest in bio-polymers as a
packaging material, particularly from companies looking to
reduce their environmental footprint, has resulted in wider
adoption. Traditionally the selection and specification of
packaging materials was based on aesthetic, technical and
financial factors, for which established metrics exist. However
with bio-polymers, where the primary rationale for their
use is environmental, alternative metrics are required. Furthermore,
there is a significant strategic element to the
decision process that requires a broader range of horizontal
and vertical inputs, both within the business and the wider
supply chain. It is therefore essential that a holistic approach
is taken to the bio-polymer based packaging design process
to ensure that the final packaging meets the original strategic
intent and overall requirements of the business. Current ecopackaging
design tools are generally limited to professional
users, such as designers or packaging engineers, and generally
provide tactical rather than strategic support. This disconnect,
between the need for inclusivity and greater
strategic support in holistic design, and the exclusivity and
largely tactical support of current eco-design support tools,
indicates a clear need for a new decision support tool for
sustainable pack design using bio-polymers. This paper
proposes a framework for an eco-design decision support
tool for bio-polymer based packaging that has been developed
using a predominantly qualitative research approach
based on reviews, interviews and industrial packaging design
experience and is an extension of previously published work. This research investigates further how existing eco-design
methods, such as the âBalanced Score Cardâ, can be applied
within the tool and how the shortcomings associated with
incorporating social and environmental aspects can be partly
resolved, through a simplified set of metrics tailored specifically
for bio-polymer packaging decisions. The results of
this research is a framework for the development of a three
tier eco-design tool for bio-polymer packaging that provides
decision support at the three critical stages of the design
process: strategic fit, Feasibility assessment and concept/
pack development
The dynamics of a pre-mRNA splicing factor in living cells
Pre-mRNA splicing is a predominantly co-transcriptional event which involves a large number of essential splicing factors. Within the mammalian cell nucleus, most splicing factors are concentrated in 20-40 distinct domains called speckles. The function of speckles and the organization of cellular transcription and pre-mRNA splicing in vivo are not well understood. We have investigated the dynamic properties of splicing factors in nuclei of living cells. Here we show that speckles are highly dynamic structures that respond specifically to activation of nearby genes. These dynamic events are dependent on RNA polymerase II transcription, and are sensitive to inhibitors of protein kinases and Ser/Thr phosphatases. When single genes are transcriptionally activated in living cells, splicing factors leave speckles in peripheral extensions and accumulate at the new sites of transcription. We conclude that one function of speckles is to supply splicing factors to active genes. Our observations demonstrate that the interphase nucleus is far more dynamic in nature than previously assumed