Reaction to "Comments on 'The effects of leader-member exchange and differential treatment on work unit commitment': distinguishing between neutralizing and moderating effects".

Ye and Barbuto in 2004 made a number of interesting observations about use in 2002 by Van Breukelen, Konst, and Van der Vlist of the term 'neutralizer'. They advised caution when employing the term 'neutralizer', preferring instead the designation 'moderator'. Their comments underscore the importance of discussion on the nature of interaction effects in studies of leadership.

Effects of LMX and differential treatment on work unit commitment.

The Leader-Member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership states that leaders do behave differently towards the various members in their work unit. Relatively little attention has been devoted to the question of whether members' perceptions of differential treatment on the part of the leader affects their commitment to the work unit. Perceptions of the amount of differential treatment within their work unit did not explain additional variance in members' work unit commitment after the effects of LMX quality were accounted for.

Modeling the interactions of Lactobacillus curvatus colonies in solid medium: consequences for food quality and safety.

The growth process of Lactobacillus curvatus colonies was quantified by a coupled growth and diffusion equation incorporating a volumetric rate of lactic acid production. Analytical solutions were compared to numerical ones, and both were able to predict the onset of interaction well. The derived analytical solution modeled the lactic acid concentration profile as a function of the diffusion coefficient, colony radius, and volumetric production rate.