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Xylose is the second most abundant sugar in nature. Its efficient fermentation has been considered as a critical factor for a feasible conversion of renewable biomass resources into biofuels and other chemicals. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is of exceptional industrial importance due to its excellent capability to ferment sugars. However, although S. cerevisiae is able to ferment xylulose, it is considered unable to metabolize xylose, and thus, a lot of research has been directed to engineer this yeast with heterologous genes to allow xylose consumption and fermentation. The analysis of the natural genetic diversity of this yeast has also revealed some nonrecombinant S. cerevisiae strains that consume or even grow (modestly) on xylose. The genome of this yeast has all the genes required for xylose transport and metabolism through the xylose reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase, and xylulokinase pathway, but there seems to be problems in their kinetic properties and/or required expression. Self‐cloning industrial S. cerevisiae strains overexpressing some of the endogenous genes have shown interesting results, and new strategies and approaches designed to improve these S. cerevisiae strains for ethanol production from xylose will also be presented in this review.

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Benchmarking of the performance of states, provinces, or districts in a decentralised health system is important for fostering of accountability, monitoring of progress, identification of determinants of success and failure, and creation of a culture of evidence. The Mexican Ministry of Health has, since 2001, used a benchmarking approach based on the World Health Organization (WHO) concept of effective coverage of an intervention, which is defined as the proportion of potential health gain that could be delivered by the health system to that which is actually delivered. Using data collection systems, including state representative examination surveys, vital registration, and hospital discharge registries, we have monitored the delivery of 14 interventions for 2005-06. Overall effective coverage ranges from 54.0% in Chiapas, a poor state, to 65.1% in the Federal District. Effective coverage for maternal and child health interventions is substantially higher than that for interventions that target other health problems. Effective coverage for the lowest wealth quintile is 52% compared with 61% for the highest quintile. Effective coverage is closely related to public-health spending per head across states; this relation is stronger for interventions that are not related to maternal and child health than those for maternal and child health. Considerable variation also exists in effective coverage at similar amounts of spending. We discuss the implications of these issues for the further development of the Mexican health-information system. Benchmarking of performance by measuring effective coverage encourages decision-makers to focus on quality service provision, not only service availability. The effective coverage calculation is an important device for health-system stewardship. In adopting this approach, other countries should select interventions to be measured on the basis of the criteria of affordability, effect on population health, effect on health inequalities, and capacity to measure the effects of the intervention. The national institutions undertaking this benchmarking must have the mandate, skills, resources, and independence to succeed.

I n our work as performance consultants we face many challenging questions. Some of these questions help us understand the critical importance of employee involvement in achieving and sustaining superior performance. We are talking of the kind of involvement that is built into the organization's culture and structure and that challenges traditional views of leadership and power.Let us look at a couple of the recurring questions we ask ourselves in every project we embark on: 1. What will happen once this particular process or intervention is over? This question helps us deal with one of the paradoxes in performance consulting, which is also a paradox in business leadership. Building a high-performing organization requires systematic effort and visionary thinking, but in order to do that you also need to deliver short-term business results and successfully integrate learning and renewal into the daily life of the organization.The issue of durability is a critical aspect of performance improvement initiatives, not only a desirable effect. After all, how high performing is the high performance that won't last?2. Who sets the agenda before, during, and after the project? The second question has to do with leadership, power relations, and the cultural conditions to achieve significant and lasting performance improvement. It helps us understand the balance or lack of balance between different voices in the organization and its stakeholders. Who are we really working for? If we succeed, who will win? Every performance gap contains an involvement gap, which may or may not be acknowledged.The main purpose of this article is to explain the relationship between employee involvement and superior business performance. First, we introduce the core elements of performance, a simple, behavior-based model describing the three key requirements for sustained performance improvement in organizations. Second, we explain what employee involvement is and discuss its challenges and rewards. Third, we look at the balance between organizational culture and structure as a key dimension of involvement and performance improvement. The fourth section poses some provoking questions about power relations, myths, and practices that may undermine organizations' capacity to release their full potential.