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This paper presents an application of the analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process methods for selecting the best wastewater treatment process. The analytical hierarchy process is one of the best ways for deciding among the complex criteria structure in different levels, and the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is a synthetic extension of the classical method when the fuzziness of the decision makers are considered. After reviewing aerobic treatment processes operated in Iran's industrial estates and determining the main criteria used for treatment process evaluation, they are arranged in a hierarchy structure. Selection of the best wastewater treatment process is a multi-criteria decision making problem. Conventional methods are inadequate for dealing with the imprecise or vague nature of linguistic assessment. To overcome this difficulty, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is proposed for dealing with the vagueness of decision makers' judgments. The alternatives consist of extended aeration, absorption bio-oxidation, integrated fixed-film activated sludge, sequencing batch reactor, aerated lagoon. Based on the general condition of industrial estate's wastewater treatment plants, technical/administrative, economic and environmental criteria and their sub-criteria are weighted and then criteria evaluated and priorities of alternatives have been done by analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process methods by the use of triangular fuzzy numbers. Finally, selection of the best process and ranking of these five processes are carried out by these foregoing methods, and some sensitivity analyses are conducted to show the results' sensitiveness to the changes of the weights of the evaluation criteria.

The purpose of this research is to take an in-depth look at the Baldrige Award framework by analysing the nature and strength of relationships between the Baldrige criteria. This study facilitates the prominent role that quality awards such as the Baldrige play in the implementation of total quality management (TQM) systems. We aim to fill a gap in the literature by utilising the original independent review scores of the Baldrige Award applicants obtained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In addition, canonical correlation analysis is applied in order to evaluate the Baldrige Award framework from a new perspective. The findings confirm previous research that there is a strong relationship between all the Baldrige criteria. This paper specifically stresses the strong role of leadership in the Baldrige framework and provides managers with useful implications regarding the implementation of TQM practices. Companies need to bear in mind that concentrating on specific sections of the model is not adequate to attain excellence; instead a systematic approach that includes all elements of the framework should be adopted.

The current study presents the integration of geographical information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) for municipal landfill site selection, a case example in Iran. In the first step, useful criteria were determined based on the literature review, national standards and regulations, expert opinion, data availability and regional characteristics. Several criteria including distance from groundwater resources, distance from surface water, distance from urban and rural areas, distance from protected areas, land use, distance from faults, distance from roads and the slope were selected, and a hierarchical structure was formed for landfill suitability. The maps of the criteria were prepared using ArcGIS 10.2. Using different fuzzy membership functions, the maps were standardized. An AHP-based pairwise comparison was applied to calculate the weights of the parameters, and standardized maps were overplayed using the weighted layer combination approach to gain the landfill suitability map in the study area. The final map was assorted into four suitability classes, i.e., high, moderate, low and unsuitable regions. The result indicates that almost 92% of the study area is inappropriate and cannot be considered as landfill. The comprehensive field visits were performed to further assessment, and finally, three candidate sites were suggested. The result illustrated that an integrating approach of GIS and MCDA is effective in landfill site selection.

To evaluate the natural durability of a composite obtained from bagasse fibers and polypropylene against rainbow fungus (Coriolus versicolor), materials containing 75% bagasse fibers, 23% polypropylene, and 2% compatibilizer were sampled. After specimen and culture medium preparation the specimens were exposed to the purified fungus at 258C and 75% relative humidity for 1, 2, 3, and 4 months. Identical specimens of the same composite, without being exposed to the fungus, were provided as the control specimens. After the mentioned periods, mass loss, bending strength, elastic modulus, hardness, water absorption, and equilibrium moisture content of specimens were measured. The obtained results indicated that mass, bending strength, elastic modulus, hardness, and equilibrium moisture content of composites decreased, whereas water absorption amount of specimens increased. The calculation of correlation coefficients between the rates of mass loss and bending strength, elastic modulus and hardness decreases, as well as equilibrium moisture percentage in composite specimens revealed that a significant correlation existed between the values. Comparing mechanical properties after exposure to fungus, it is observed that elastic modulus was affected by the fungus exposure to a greater extent, whereas hardness decrease was less than the other properties.