Homogeneity of Interspecific Hybrids Between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum by Phenotypic and Transcriptional Analysis

Oenological traits, such as temperature profile and production of certain metabolites, were tested for four interspecifc hybrids obtained by"spore to spore" crossing between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum strains and uniformity of their inheritance was found. PCR/RFLP analysis of ITS regions was carried out to confirm the hybrid nature of the strains. They showed an additive profile with five bands of the respective 325, 230, 170 and 125 bp. Finally gene expression study was performed by comparative DNA macroarray analysis of the hybrids and the preliminary results showed that the global gene expression patterns of hybrids are remarkably similar to one another. In conclusion, the data obtained by two different approaches, such as metabolic and transcriptomic strategies, suggest a large degree of homogeneity among interspecific hybrids between S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum. Moreover, the uniformity of F1 hybrids advises that the oenological trait inheritance mechanism is highly constant and reproducible

Predicting management development and learning behaviour in New Zealand SMEs

Despite concern on the part of policy makers to raise managerial capability in SMEs, there is little evidence on the key drivers of owner-manager participation in management development programmes. The authors argue that such participation is poorly understood. The paper develops a predictive model of the drivers of participation in sources of learning by owner-managers. It tests a theoretical model, based on the small firm as a learning organization, which posits that participation is driven by owner-managers\u27 learning orientation and the extent of their belief in self-improvement. The implications of the results are discussed in light of the provision of management development programmes. <br /

An analysis of material consumption culture in the Muslim world

In this paper, we examine the notion of material consumption culture in Islamic societies. We differentiate between institutionalised religion and religion as culture. We contest the Orientalist portrayal of Islam as a fanatic ideology opposed to Western Modernity’s features of secularism, individualism, and pluralism. With reference to the Qur’anic text, we discuss that such qualities are embedded with Islam. We do not interpret the Qur’an from a theological perspective; rather, we seek to demonstrate the possibilities of its multiple interpretations. We argue that, in their everyday life consumption practices, Muslims (re)interpret religious guidelines in different ways and refer to Islam, as a transcendental set of guidelines, to make better sense of their cultural practices in different ways. We summarise our discussion by highlighting the importance of analysing the culture of consumption from the lens of insiders and offer directions for future research

A brand preference and repurchase intention model: The role of consumer experience

Consumer brand preference is an essential step towards understanding consumer choice behaviour, and has therefore always received great attention from marketers. However, the study of brand preference has been limited to traditional marketing focusing on functional attributes to maximise utility. But now the shift to experiential marketing broadens the role of the brand from a bundle of attributes to experiences. Technological advancements have helped to increase the similarities between brand attributes and product commoditisation. Consequently, consumers cannot shape their preferences among brands using rational attributes only. They seek out brands that create experiences; that intrigue them in a sensorial, emotional and creative way. This study seeks to develop a model that provides an understanding of how brand knowledge and brand experience determine brand preference and to investigate its impact on brand repurchase intention. Accordingly, exploratory focus group discussions are employed followed by a survey of mobile phone users in Egypt. The findings provide insights into the relative importance of consumer perceptions on different brand knowledge factors in shaping brand preferences. It also demonstrates the significance of consumers’ experiential responses toward brands in developing their brand preferences that in turn influence brand repurchase intention. The model therefore offers managers a new perspective for building strong brands able to gain consumer preferences

Direct-drive shock-ignition for the Laser MégaJoule

We present a review of direct-drive shock ignition studies done as an alternative for the Laser MégaJoule (LMJ). One and two dimensional systematic analyses of HiPER-like shock-ignited target designs are performed for the fuel assembly irradiation uniformity using the whole LMJ configuration or a part of the facility, and for the uniformity of the ignitor spike. High-gain shock-ignition is shown to be possible with intensity of each quad less than 1015 W/cm2 but low modes asymmetries displace the power required in the ignitor spike towards higher powers. Shock-ignition of Direct-Drive Double-Shell non-cryogenic targets is also addressed