bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Leadership essentials from Sun Zi'sArt of Warand theBhagavad Gita
Authors: Chow Hoi Hee Charles , Gurd Bruce 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThis paper's aim is to compare and contrast two ancient philosophies to determine their contribution to leadership. Fresh aspects to inclusiveness and resilience in leadership are to be examined.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a conceptual analysis as the basis for future empirical testing. The respective contribution of Sun Zi'sArt of Warand theBhagavad Gitato academic and practitioner literature is examined before key traits on leadership that are common in both documents are collated. These features are then investigated on their practical application to business. Based on the research gaps and shortcomings identified, new areas for further research are recommended.FindingsThese two ancient texts have contrasting ideas, yet there are areas of complementarity to suggest that Indian and Chinese leaders can learn from each other.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research may explore how in different forms of ownership including joint ventures or host country operations the perspectives of leadership can impact on the behaviour of managers towards employees of a different culture.Practical implicationsBoth Chinese and Indian cultures are growing in importance. This paper helps leaders from each culture to better understand the different mind‐sets.Originality/valuePrevious research has focused on the contrasts whereas this research focuses on the synergies between theArt of Warand theBhagavad Gita.
List price and sale price variation across the housing market cycle
Authors: McGreal Stanley , Brown Louise , Adair Alastair 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how the difference between the sale price and list price of houses varies across the market cycle.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilises quarterly transaction‐based information on house prices from the Belfast Metropolitan Area. The information is structured on a time series basis from 2002 to 2008. The analysis is concerned with the mean differences between list price and sale price, the standard deviation of the differences, the skewness and kurtosis of the distributions.FindingsThe results show that under normal market conditions the mean deviation between list price and sale price is small circa 1 per cent. However, the departure between list price and sale price becomes substantial on both the up‐ and down‐cycles of the market. The analysis shows that the highest mean positive deviation of 12.1 per cent occurred in the first quarter of 2007 and two quarters before sale prices peaked, suggesting that buyer bidding behaviour was changing prior to the market peak. The extent of market change is highlighted by the mean negative deviation of 8.6 per cent for the fourth quarter of 2008. The results demonstrate that volatility increases over the cycle and distributions of price differences are lower and flatter.Originality/valueThis paper breaks new ground through the analysis of differences between list and sale price in a period of high volatility in the housing market. The analysis shows how list price lags sale price on the up‐cycle but leads on the down‐cycle.
The organizational performance of housing developers in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Abu Jarad Ismael , Yusof Nor'Aini , Wira Mohd Shafiei Mohd 
Published: July 2010

PurposeIn Malaysia, the rapid urbanization that has been taking place since 1970s has made the housing development sector a key factor in the growth of Malaysia's economic prosperity. This paper aims to shed light on the performance of housing developers in Peninsular Malaysia by looking into the financial and non‐financial measures.Design/methodology/approachThe organizational performance of 57 housing developers was studied by measuring their financial and non‐financial performance in the period 2006‐2008 using the Business Performance Composite Index.FindingsThe results of the study revealed that the performance of housing developers in the period 2006‐2008 has been growing in terms of profit margin, financial growth, and number of employees. Small and big housing developers were better than medium‐sized housing developers in terms of profitability.Originality/valueThis paper is unique because it looks into the financial ratios of return on investment, return on assets, and return on sales, which will clearly show how those housing developers have been performing financially in the period 2006‐2008.
Housing discrimination and minorities in European cities: the Catalan Right to Housing Act 2007
Authors: Ponce Juli 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to consider, from a legal perspective, the problem of housing discrimination which has become an issue of increasing importance in Spanish cities, as in other European cities, especially in the light of recent waves of immigration.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyzes the various types of housing discrimination and explains what legal reactions are available under European, Spanish and Catalan Law.FindingsThe Catalan Right to Housing Act 2007 represents one of the first and most complete European legal reactions against housing discrimination. It includes several articles defining direct and indirect discrimination, harassment (which is considered a form of discrimination) and positive action. This Act must be understood as a national and sectorial application of the European Union (EU) anti‐discrimination directives, specifically the Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC).Practical implicationsThe paper shows how EU anti‐discrimination directives can be transposed into the domain of housing using a national example.Originality/valueBecause Catalan Law is one of the first and most complete national legislations using European techniques to fight against housing discrimination, it could be used as an inspiration for future new national legislations.
Organizational learnability and innovability
Authors: Mi Dahlgaard‐Park Su , Dahlgaard Jens J. 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the development of a system for assessing and improving technology development and innovations. The system components comprise: a framework or model for assessing, measuring, diagnosing and improving innovation enablers and results; a simple methodology for data collection, data analysis and prioritizing improvement areas; and an index for measuring the performance level of innovation, learning and lean (ILL) and the potentials to increase that level. To improve innovation, which is the most complex challenge for today's organizations, there is a need for such a system.Design/methodology/approachThe first two system components have been developed and tested during a period of ten to 15 years in several industrial companies as well as service organizations. The last component has recently been developed to satisfy a need of all types of organizations.FindingsWith the last development, the ILL index, the three components comprise a system for assessing and improving innovations. As with any other system, the system components are interrelated.Originality/valueThis paper presents a system for assessing and improving innovations. As with any other system the system‐components are interrelated. To improve innovation, which is the most complex challenge for today's organizations, there is a need for such a system. It is hoped that the suggested system will be used within all types of organizations and all types of innovations – products, processes and services.
A simplified lean method to capture customer voice
Authors: Teehan Robert , Tucker Walter 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThis paper tested a model to collect the voice of the customer to improve service delivery in call centers using the concept of failure demand. Customer responses are quantified for improvement in service delivery. There are many academic studies reporting effective and validated research methodologies to measure service quality. However, these methods are complex and unwieldy. The purpose of this paper is to adapt the lean service concept of working from the customer's viewpoint – to measure, then improve customer satisfaction, and thereby reduce costs.Design/methodology/approachA checklist of best practices for call centers was developed from the literature and multiple iterations used to develop a three part call evaluation system to include value demand, failure demand, not able to determine, and value demand as stated by the customer.FindingsThe findings indicated that the value/failure demand measurement system was useful and many failure demand occurrences occurred.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited to service providers in call centers and their managers. Call center operators logged customer perceptions so it has the potential to lack objectivity.Practical implicationsService providers need simple tools to assess operations, improve quality, and efficiency. This paper will assist in the development of an easy‐to‐use and generic tool for the continuous improvement of services.Originality/valueThe paper is one of very few studies that use the actual customer voice to measure failure demand and call centers can apply this process.
Service quality in higher education – a review and research agenda
Authors: Sultan Parves , Yin Wong Ho 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the critical research issues in terms of service quality in higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe paper critically examines a number of leading studies in satisfaction, service quality, and higher education.FindingsThe paper finds five critical research agenda in the field of service quality in higher education sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows the research gaps of service quality in higher education through a review of literature. Future research should empirically address those gaps.Practical implicationsThe growth of service quality literature started with commercial enterprises. Later, it is expanded in the management and marketing of higher education sector. Measuring and modeling service quality in higher education is new. The paper shows the nature and future directions of service quality research in higher education.Originality/valueThe research issues developed for this paper are relevant to antecedents, dimensions and consequences of service quality in the context of higher education.
Iranian generation Y female market segmentation
Authors: Heidarzadeh Hanzaee Kambiz , Aghasibeig Sara 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine Iranian generation Y female decision making using Sproles and Kendall's consumer styles inventory as a basis for market segmentation.Design/methodology/approachConsidering the high population of young Iranians, this research has focused on generation Y (those born after 1977) by administering a questionnaire to a non‐probability sample of female undergraduate students of Azad University, the Islamic Azad University Tehran branch.FindingsThe result showed six meaningful and distinct groups; the characteristics of each group were identified separately. These findings are useful for both domestic and international retailers and marketers seeking to effectively target young Iranian female consumers.Originality/valueThis is the first academic study focusing on generation Y female shopping behaviors that its findings are useful for both domestic and international retailers and marketers seeking to effectively target young Iranian female consumers.
Knowledge of ethics, perceived ethical problems and ethical judgments
Authors: Zakaria Maheran , Haron Hasnah , Ismail Ishak 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate: the influence of knowledge of ethics (KOE) on auditors' perceived ethical problems (PEB); the influence of PEB on ethical judgments (EJ); and the mediating impact of PEB that mediate the relationship between KOE and EJ.Design/methodology/approachA total of 940 questionnaires were distributed to auditors of audit firms in Malaysia and 250 auditors responded. However, only 224 questionnaires were usable. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 and structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOSS 16.0.FindingsThe results indicated that statistically significant relationships exist between KOE and PEB, PEB, and EJ. Additionally, PEB are found to mediate the relationship between KOE and EJ.Practical implicationsThis paper provides important implication for audit firms to enhance sufficient knowledge of Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)'s code of ethical principles among their members. Another implication is for professional bodies to design a complete and effective code of ethics, disseminate free information to members through web site and e‐notification and conduct professional development programs with the latest development on a regular basis.Originality/valueThe number of studies on the impact of PEB as a mediator that mediates the relationship between KOE and EJ is scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to fill this gap. The findings provide insights that it is imperative to emphasize the importance of KOE and PEB in enhancing auditors' EJ.
Microbial Community Changes in Response to Ethanol or Methanol Amendments for U(VI) Reduction
Authors: Vishnivetskaya Tatiana A. , Brandt Craig C. , Madden Andrew S. , Drake Meghan M. , Kostka Joel E. , Akob Denise M. , Küsel Kirsten , Palumbo Anthony V. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

Microbial community responses to ethanol, methanol, and methanol plus humics amendments in relationship to U(VI) bioreduction were studied in laboratory microcosm experiments using sediments and ground water from a uranium-contaminated site in Oak Ridge, TN. The type of carbon source added, the duration of incubation, and the sampling site influenced the bacterial community structure upon incubation. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries indicated that (i) bacterial communities found in ethanol- and methanol-amended samples with U(VI) reduction were similar due to the presence of
Deltaproteobacteria
and
Betaproteobacteria
(members of the families
Burkholderiaceae
,
Comamonadaceae
,
Oxalobacteraceae
, and
Rhodocyclaceae
); (ii) methanol-amended samples without U(VI) reduction exhibited the lowest diversity and the bacterial community contained 69.2 to 92.8% of the family
Methylophilaceae
; and (iii) the addition of humics resulted in an increase of phylogenetic diversity of
Betaproteobacteria
(
Rodoferax
,
Polaromonas
,
Janthinobacterium
,
Methylophilales
, and unclassified) and
Firmicutes
(
Desulfosporosinus
and
Clostridium
).
Effects of Ammonium and Nitrite on Growth and Competitive Fitness of Cultivated Methanotrophic Bacteria
Authors: Nyerges Györgyi , Han Suk-Kyun , Stein Lisa Y. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

The effects of nitrite and ammonium on cultivated methanotrophic bacteria were investigated.
Methylomicrobium album
ATCC 33003 outcompeted
Methylocystis
sp. strain ATCC 49242 in cultures with high nitrite levels, whereas cultures with high ammonium levels allowed
Methylocystis
sp. to compete more easily.
M. album
pure cultures and cocultures consumed nitrite and produced nitrous oxide, suggesting a connection between denitrification and nitrite tolerance.
Oxalate-Degrading Activity inBifidobacterium animalissubsp.lactis: Impact of Acidic Conditions on the Transcriptional Levels of the Oxalyl Coenzyme A (CoA) Decarboxylase and Formyl-CoA Transferase Genes
Authors: Turroni Silvia , Bendazzoli Claudia , Dipalo Samuele C. F. , Candela Marco , Vitali Beatrice , Gotti Roberto , Brigidi Patrizia 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTOxalic acid occurs extensively in nature and plays diverse roles, especially in pathological processes. Due to its highly oxidizing effects, hyperabsorption or abnormal synthesis of oxalate can cause serious acute disorders in mammals and can be lethal in extreme cases. Intestinal oxalate-degrading bacteria could therefore be pivotal in maintaining oxalate homeostasis and reducing the risk of kidney stone development. In this study, the oxalate-degrading activities of 14 bifidobacterial strains were measured by a capillary electrophoresis technique. Theoxcgene, encoding oxalyl-coenzyme A (CoA) decarboxylase, a key enzyme in oxalate catabolism, was isolated by probing a genomic library ofBifidobacterium animalissubsp.lactisBI07, which was one of the most active strains in the preliminary screening. The genetic and transcriptional organization ofoxcflanking regions was determined, unraveling the presence of two other independently transcribed open reading frames, potentially responsible for the ability ofB. animalissubsp.lactisto degrade oxalate. pH-controlled batch fermentations revealed that acidic conditions were a prerequisite for a significant oxalate degradation rate, which dramatically increased in cells first adapted to subinhibitory concentrations of oxalate and then exposed to pH 4.5. Oxalate-preadapted cells also showed a strong induction of the genes potentially involved in oxalate catabolism, as demonstrated by a transcriptional analysis using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR. These findings provide new insights into the characterization of oxalate-degrading probiotic bacteria and may support the use ofB. animalissubsp.lactisas a promising adjunct for the prophylaxis and management of oxalate-related kidney disease.
Mechanism of ε-Poly-
l
-Lysine Production and Accumulation Revealed by Identification and Analysis of an ε-Poly-
l
-Lysine-Degrading Enzyme
Authors: Yamanaka Kazuya , Kito Naoko , Imokawa Yuuki , Maruyama Chitose , Utagawa Takashi , Hamano Yoshimitsu 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

ε-Poly-
l
-lysine (ε-PL) is produced by
Streptomyces albulus
NBRC14147 as a secondary metabolite and can be detected only when the fermentation broth has an acidic pH during the stationary growth phase. Since strain NBRC14147 produces ε-PL-degrading enzymes, the original chain length of the ε-PL polymer product synthesized by ε-PL synthetase (Pls) is unclear. Here, we report on the identification of the gene encoding the ε-PL-degrading enzyme (PldII), which plays a central role in ε-PL degradation in this strain. A knockout mutant of the
pldII
gene was found to produce an ε-PL of unchanged polymer chain length, demonstrating that the length is not determined by ε-PL-degrading enzymes but rather by Pls itself and that the 25 to 35
l
-lysine residues of ε-PL represent the original chain length of the polymer product synthesized by Pls
in vivo
. Transcriptional analysis of
pls
and a kinetic study of Pls further suggested that the Pls catalytic function is regulated by intracellular ATP, high levels of which are required for full enzymatic activity. Furthermore, it was found that acidic pH conditions during ε-PL fermentation, rather than the inhibition of the ε-PL-degrading enzyme, are necessary for the accumulation of intracellular ATP.
Impact of Multiple β-Ketothiolase Deletion Mutations in
Ralstonia eutropha
H16 on the Composition of 3-Mercaptopropionic Acid-Containing Copolymers
Authors: Lindenkamp Nicole , Peplinski Katja , Volodina Elena , Ehrenreich Armin , Steinbüchel Alexander 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

β-Ketothiolases catalyze the first step of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [poly(3HB)] synthesis in bacteria by condensing two molecules of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) to acetoacetyl-CoA. Analyses of the genome sequence of
Ralstonia eutropha
H16 revealed 15 isoenzymes of PhaA in this bacterium. In this study, we generated knockout mutants of various
phaA
homologues to investigate their role in and contributions to poly(3HB) metabolism and to suppress biosynthesis of 3HB-CoA for obtaining enhanced molar 3-mercaptopriopionate (3MP) contents in poly(3HB-
co
-3MP) copolymers when cells were grown on gluconate plus 3-mercaptopropionate or 3,3′-dithiodipropionate.
In silico
sequence analysis of PhaA homologues, transcriptome data, and other aspects recommended the homologues
phaA
,
bktB
, H16_A1713/H16_B1771, H16_A1528, H16_B1369, H16_B0381, and H16_A0170 for further analysis. Single- and multiple-deletion mutants were generated to investigate the influence of these β-ketothiolases on growth and polymer accumulation. The deletion of single genes resulted in no significant differences from the wild type regarding growth and polymer accumulation during cultivation on gluconate or gluconate plus 3MP. Deletion of
phaA
plus
bktB
(H16Δ2 mutant) resulted in approximately 30% less polymer accumulation than in the wild type. Deletion of H16_A1713/H16_B1771, H16_A1528, H16_B0381, and H16_B1369 in addition to
phaA
and
bktB
gave no differences in comparison to the H16Δ2 mutant. In contrast, deletion of H16_A0170 additionally to
phaA
and
bktB
yielded a mutant which accumulated about 30% poly(3HB) (wt/wt of the cell dry weight [CDW]). Although we were not able to suppress poly(3HB) biosynthesis completely, the copolymer compositions could be altered significantly with a lowered percentage ratio of 3HB constituents (from 85 to 52 mol%) and an increased percentage ratio of 3MP constituents (from 15 to 48 mol%), respectively. In this study, we demonstrated that PhaA, BktB, and H16_A0170 are majorly involved in poly(3HB) synthesis in
R. eutropha
H16. A fourth β-ketothiolase or a combination of several of the other β-ketothiolases contributed to a maximum of only 30% (wt/wt of CDW) of the remaining (co)polymer.
Peroxisomes Are Required for Efficient Penicillin Biosynthesis in
Penicillium chrysogenum
Authors: Meijer Wiebe H. , Gidijala Loknath , Fekken Susan , Kiel Jan A. K. W. , van den Berg Marco A. , Lascaris Romeo , Bovenberg Roel A. L. , van der Klei Ida J. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

In the fungus
Penicillium chrysogenum
, penicillin (PEN) production is compartmentalized in the cytosol and in peroxisomes. Here we show that intact peroxisomes that contain the two final enzymes of PEN biosynthesis, acyl coenzyme A (CoA):6-amino penicillanic acid acyltransferase (AT) as well as the side-chain precursor activation enzyme phenylacetyl CoA ligase (PCL), are crucial for efficient PEN synthesis. Moreover, increasing PEN titers are associated with increasing peroxisome numbers. However, not all conditions that result in enhanced peroxisome numbers simultaneously stimulate PEN production. We find that conditions that lead to peroxisome proliferation but simultaneously interfere with the normal physiology of the cell may be detrimental to antibiotic production. We furthermore show that peroxisomes develop in germinating conidiospores from reticule-like structures. During subsequent hyphal growth, peroxisome proliferation occurs at the tip of the growing hyphae, after which the organelles are distributed over newly formed subapical cells. We observed that the organelle proliferation machinery requires the dynamin-like protein Dnm1.