Antibacterial activities of Allium vineale, Chaerophyllum macropodum and Prangos ferulacea

Allium vineale L., Chaerophyllum macropodum Boiss. and Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl. have been used for cheese production in Turkiye for many centuries. In addition, it is traditionally believed by localpeople that these plants have antibacterial activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of these plants. Four solvent extracts (in methanol, ethanol, n-hexane and water) ofthe plants were investigated against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium by using disc diffusion method. The methanol, ethanol and nhexane extracts of all the plants showed antibacterial activity against B. cereus, B. subtilis, M. luteus and S. aureus, while the methanol extract of Allium vineale was also active against P. mirabilis.However, the water extracts of these plants had no antibacterial activity against any of the bacteria tested. The methanol extracts had the higher activity followed by the extracts of ethanol and n-hexane.A. vineale showed the higher antibacterial activity as compared with C. macropodum and P. ferulacea. As a result, organic solvent extracts (especially methanol and ethanol extracts) of these plants can beused as natural antibacterial additives for incorporation in cheese and various food products

The Dark Side of Visionary Leadership in Strategy Implementation:Strategic Alignment, Strategic Consensus, and Commitment

Drawing from visionary leadership and strategy process research, we theorize and test the mechanism through which middle and lower-level managers’ visionary leadership affects their teams’ strategic commitment. The management literature extols the virtues of visionary leadership. In contrast to this positive stance, we reveal a dark side to visionary leadership. Our theoretical framework suggests that team manager visionary leadership harms team strategic consensus when the manager is not strategically aligned with the CEO, which in turn diminishes team commitment to the strategy. In contrast, when a team manager is strategically aligned with the CEO, team manager visionary leadership is positively related to team strategic consensus and subsequently to team strategic commitment. Data from 136 teams from two organizations support our moderated mediation model. A supplemental analysis of the content of strategic consensus and additional qualitative interviews with managers and employees in one of these organizations provide additional insights concerning the meaning of the theorized relations in practice

Maintenance outsourcing of a multi-process manufacturing system with multiple contractors

C1 - Journal Articles Referee

Optimal Staffing Policy and Telemedicine

We study the optimal strategy of a specialty hospital in providing traditional face-to-face consultations via experts and remote medical services via tele-specialists. We model the whole system as a queuing problem and provide the optimal staffing policy for this hospital by taking into account the various cost components, such as those for staffing, incorrect treatment, and waiting. We also find the optimal investment in telemedicine technology that offers the best trade-off between the quality and accuracy of telemedicine services and the cost of technology. Under certain conditions, the hospital does not offer any telemedicine services. When it does, it may or may not invest in the most advanced technology available. Finally, we provide the optimal tele-specialist policy of which patients to treat remotely via telemedicine and which patients to refer to the experts for a face-to-face consultation. We show that a policy of treating all patients via tele-medicine is never optimal

The Effect of Surface Polishing on the Flexural Strength of Anorthite-based Porcelainised Stoneware

The effect of surface polishing on the flexural strength of anorthite based porcelainised stoneware was studied. The flexural strength results obtained from both polished and unpolished samples were analysed by using Weibull statistical method. The state of surfaces and microstructures of polished and unpolished samples were also characterised by profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. Typical flexural strength value obtained from anorthite based stoneware body fired at 1210°C was about 100 MPa. The average flexural strength (σ_{m}) and Weibull modulus (m) values for as fired, ground, and ground and polished specimens increased sequentially with polishing degree. The surface roughness measurements and microstructure observations showed that the severity of the surface flaws declined as the polishing process proceeded. The obtainment of better strength behaviour with polishing was attributed to high crystalline to glassy phase ratio of the anorthite based porcelainised stoneware together with the formation of network structure of these anorthite crystals