The structure of gallery networks in the nests of termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cubitermes</Emphasis> spp. revealed by X-ray tomography

Recent studies have introduced computer tomography (CT) as a tool for the visualisation and characterisation of insect architectures. Here, we use CT to map the three-dimensional networks of galleries inside Cubitermes nests in order to analyse them with tools from graph theory. The structure of these networks indicates that connections inside the nest are rearranged during the whole nest life. The functional analysis reveals that the final network topology represents an excellent compromise between efficient connectivity inside the nest and defence against attacking predators. We further discuss and illustrate the usefulness of CT to disentangle environmental and specific influences on nest architecture.     

Effect of humic substances on the anaerobic digestion of secondary sludge in wastewater treatment plants: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Anaerobic digestion is a promising technology for energy recovery from secondary sludge, yet the presence of humic substances in wastewater limits anaerobic...     

Prototyping a Vision for Inter-Agency Terrestrial Inventory and Monitoring: a Statistical Perspective

A demonstration project in Oregon examined the feasibility of combining Federal environmental monitoring surveys. An integrated approach should remove duplication of effort and reduce the possibility of providing apparently conflicting information to policy makers and the public. Data collection teams made photo interpretation measurements and on-site soil/vegetation/animal observations at locations that were selected from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA), National Forest System (NFS) Region 6, and National Resource Inventory (NRI) surveys in a six-county area in Northern Oregon. The project demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a combined FIA/NFS/NRI survey and suggests an approach that will preserve the utility of the critical historical information from these surveys. We suggest a framework for estimating the extent of forest and range land that explains FIA/NRI differences and provides a common basis for both surveys. We suggest indicator and protocol criteria that will allow consistent national and regional estimates over all vegetation types, and stress the importance of including measurement repeatability in the design of the combined survey.     

Ironic evaluation processes: effects of thought suppression on evaluations of older job applicants

This research explored ironic evaluation processes initiated by suppression instructions conveyed during diversity training. Raters watched one of three training videos: a video providing information about age diversity and recommending that they try to suppress age‐related thoughts; a video providing information about age, sex, race, and ethnic diversity and recommending that they try to suppress demography‐related thoughts; or a control video containing no suppression recommendations. All raters then evaluated a series of job applicants. During the evaluation task, some raters were cognitively busy while others were not. Ironically, busy raters instructed to suppress age‐related thoughts evaluated an older applicant less favorably than raters in other conditions. These results suggest that organizational diversity training including instructions to suppress stereotypic thoughts may have detrimental effects on evaluations of non‐traditional job applicants if raters are cognitively busy when they implement these instructions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A closer look at the effects of subordinate–supervisor age differences

Relational demography research has emphasized a similarity–attraction paradigm in explaining employees' reactions to demographic differences from other organizational members. This study examined similarity–attraction (nondirectional age differences) and status incongruence (directional age differences) predictions of age difference effects. The nondirectional and directional differences between the age of a subordinate and the ages of his or her immediate and higher‐level supervisors were used to predict employee absenteeism, citizenship, and work change behaviors. Results revealed that there were more significant and marginally significant directional age difference effects than nondirectional age difference effects on work outcomes. The implications of these results for organizations are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organizational politics and organizational support as predictors of work attitudes,job performance,and organizational citizenship behavior

This study investigated the relationship of organizational politics and organizational support to various work attitudes and behaviors among a field sample of 128 participants. Consistent with our hypothesis, politics and support were related to job satisfaction, commitment, turnover intentions, and supervisor ratings of organizational citizenship behaviors. However, only support was related to job performance. We also examined whether or not organizational politics and organizational support comprise two distinct constructs or one global factor. The evidence here was ambiguous. Fit indices obtained from confirmatory factor analysis suggested that it is more parsimonious to treat politics and support as opposite ends of the same construct, though the two‐factor model did show a slightly better fit. On the other hand, subsequent multiple regression analyses showed that support tended to account for additional criterion variance beyond the effect of politics, implying that there may be some practical utility to retaining politics and support as distinct constructs. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of sequential and enzymatic extraction of arsenic from drinking water distribution solids using ICP-MS

A sequential extraction approach was utilized to estimate the distribution of arsenite [As(iii)] and arsenate [As(v)] on iron oxide/hydroxide solids obtained from drinking water distribution systems. The arsenic (As) associated with these solids can be segregated into three operationally defined categories (exchangeable, amorphous and crystalline) according to the sequential extraction literature. The exchangeable As, for the six drinking water solids evaluated, was estimated using 10 mM MgCl(2) and 10 mM NaH(2)PO(4) and represented between 5-34% of the total As available from the solid. The amorphously bound As was estimated using 10 mM (NH(4))(2)C(2)O(4) and represented between 57-124% of the As available from the respective solid. Finally, the crystalline bound As was estimated using titanium citrate and this represented less than 1.5% of the As associated with the solids. A synthetic stomach/intestine extraction approach was also applied to the distribution solids. The stomach fluid was found to extract between 0.5-33.3 microg g(-1) As and 120-2,360 microg g(-1) iron (Fe). The As concentrations in the intestine fluid were between 0.02-0.04 microg g(-1) while the Fe concentration ranged from 0.06-0.7 microg g(-1) for the first six drinking water distribution solids. The elevated Fe levels associated with the stomach fluid were found to produce Fe based precipitates when the intestinal treatment was applied. Preliminary observations indicate that most of the aqueous Fe in the stomach fluid is ferric ion and the observed precipitate produced in the intestine fluid is consistent with the decreased solubility of ferric ion at the pH associated with the intestine.     

Nitrous oxide and methane in a changing Arctic Ocean

Human activities are changing the Arctic environment at an unprecedented rate resulting in rapid warming, freshening, sea ice retreat and ocean acidification of the Arctic Ocean. Trace gases such as nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) play important roles in both the atmospheric reactivity and radiative budget of the Arctic and thus have a high potential to influence the region’s climate. However, little is known about how these rapid physical and chemical changes will impact the emissions of major climate-relevant trace gases from the Arctic Ocean. The combined consequences of these stressors present a complex combination of environmental changes which might impact on trace gas production and their subsequent release to the Arctic atmosphere. Here we present our current understanding of nitrous oxide and methane cycling in the Arctic Ocean and its relevance for regional and global atmosphere and climate and offer our thoughts on how this might change over coming decades.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01633-8.     

Cross-Hauling of Polluting Factors

This paper analyzes the investment/environment overlap using a two stage model of two jurisdictions. Capital exports are modeled as choice variables for capital owners who weigh income considerations against the effects of capital exports on the quality of their local environments and on environmental policy. This framework reveals that capital owners have an incentive to cross-haul polluting factors across jurisdictions when direct controls are used to regulate emissions and that this cross-hauling induces policymakers to ratchet up environmental policies in both locations. The importance of instrument type and commitment on environmental policy is also analyzed.     

Hair mercury levels in an urban population from southern Italy: fish consumption as a determinant of exposure

Mercury levels in hair of a general population, 237 adults aged between 35-45, in Naples, Italy, were assessed. The subjects were asked to fill in a questionnaire about age, gender, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), fish consumption, number, surface and area of dental amalgam fillings. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in human hair ranged from 0.221 to 3.402 microg/g and the mean value for the subjects under study was 0.638 microg/g. Study participants were divided into three groups in accordance with fish consumption and dental amalgam: ANF (amalgam and no fish); NAF (no amalgam but with fish) and AAF (amalgam and fish). Significant differences in THg were found in the three groups (p<0.05). A multiple linear regression analysis showed a weak but significant correlation of THg content in hair with respect to gender and age, but almost no association was found between THg and dental fillings. Conversely, a strong correlation was obtained between THg and fish consumption regardless of the group evaluated. Finally, mercury levels in hair exceeded the levels corresponding to the EPA reference dose (RfD) of 0.1 microg Hg/kg body weight per day (1 microg Hg/g hair) in 6% of the population (4% men and 2% women). However, the THg limits in our subjects were not exceeded according to the WHO guidelines, which use a benchmark dose of 0.23 microg Hg/kg bw/day (14 microg Hg/g maternal hair).