Audience perceptions of high-status ties and network advantage: The market for coaching jobs in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (2000–2011)

Social ties with high-status others can be a potent signal of an individual's underlying quality and future promise. Individuals in competitive markets, therefore, have an incentive to publicly claim connections to high-status others. However, cognitive limitations and biases can make social network connections difficult for observers to reliably discern, and claims to high-status ties can go unrecognized by the audience. Our core contention is that claims to high-status affiliation are advantageous only when the audience recognizes the claim—unrecognized claims, like unreliable signals, do not deliver advantage and can backfire. Further, we draw on the literature on imprinting and develop arguments for why some people are more likely to make claims to high-status ties and why some claims to high-status ties are more likely than others to be recognized by the audience. We test our arguments with data from the market for head coaching jobs in NCAA basketball (2000–2011). Our study contributes to the sparse literature on how social network ties that exist in the minds of third-party observers influence individual attainment in market settings; and it offers new insights into how imprinting processes shape the perception and use of high-status network ties.     

Assessment of age-dependent radiation dose and toxicity risk due to intake of uranium through the ingestion of groundwater from Northern Rajasthan,India

Uranium traces were measured by laser fluorimeter in groundwater samples collected from four districts of Rajasthan state in India. The average values of uranium concentration in groundwater in Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, and Sikar districts were determined to be: 57, 50, 40, and 21 µg L^?1, respectively. These recorded values were compared with the maximum contamination levels recommended for drinking water by various health and environmental protection agencies. The associated age-dependent radiation dose is estimated by taking the prescribed water intake values of different age groups. The average cancer mortality and morbidity risks are calculated to be 5.6 × 10^?5 and 8.8 × 10^?5 respectively, indicate that the probability of carcinogenic risks is negligible. About half (49%) of the analyzed samples showed hazard quotient > 1.0, indicating significant risk due to chemical toxicity of uranium.     

Bioavailability of iodine in the UK-Peak District environment and its human bioaccessibility: an assessment of the causes of historical goitre in this area

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for human health. Its deficiency causes a number of functional and developmental abnormalities such as goitre. The limestone region of Derbyshire, UK was goitre-endemic until it declined from the 1930s and the reason for this has escaped a conclusive explanation. The present study investigates the cause(s) of goitre in the UK-Peak District area through an assessment of iodine in terms of its environmental mobility, bioavailability, uptake into the food chain and human bioaccessibility. The goitre-endemic limestone area is compared with the background millstone grit area of the UK-Peak District. The findings of this study show that ‘total’ environmental iodine is not linked to goitre in the limestone area, but the governing factors include iodine mobility, bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Compared with the millstone grit area, higher soil pH and calcium content of the limestone area restrict iodine mobility in this area, also soil organic carbon in the limestone area is influential in binding the iodine to the soil. Higher calcium content in the limestone area is an important factor in terms of strongly fixing the iodine to the soil. Higher iodine bioaccessibility in the millstone grit than the limestone area suggests that its oral bioaccessibility is restricted in the limestone area. Iodine taken up by plant roots is transported freely into the aerial plant parts in the millstone grit area unlike the limestone area, thus providing higher iodine into the human food chain in the millstone grit area through grazing animals unlike the goitre-prevalent limestone area.     

Dosimetric impact of natural terrestrial radioactivity on residents of lower Himalayas,India

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - A comprehensive radio-ecological evaluation of soil samples of Solan and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh has been carried out for risk and dose...     

Uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn by the Water Hyacinth, Eichhornia Crassipes (Mart.) Solms from Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) Leachates and Slurries

The main solid waste product from coal-fired power stations is pulverised fuel ash (PFA), which can be enriched in toxic elements. Disposal of PFA by dry (in landfills) or wet (by slurrying) disposal methods can release these elements into the environment. Thereafter, the contaminants can be taken up by biota such as Eichhornia crassipes, a common aquatic plant, which has the ability to accumulate elements from water. This study investigates the uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn by E. crassipes grown in leachates and slurries prepared from two different PFA samples. PFA samples were obtained from Indraprastha Power Station (IPP Stn.) in New Delhi, India and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in the UK. E. crassipes grown in PFA leachates and slurries at 1:5 and 1:50 solid:liquid (PFA:deionised water) ratios show that the plant has a very high accumulation capacity for Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn from both leachates and slurries and the uptake of these metals is stronger in the roots than in the tops of the plant. Metal accumulation, as shown by the accumulation factor (AF) values, is higher from both leachates and slurries for plants grown in the 1:50 (PFA:DIW) ratios than in the 1:5 ratios, initial metal concentrations being higher in the 1:5 ratios than in the 1:50 ratios. Lower metal accumulation in the plants grown in slurries than in leachates is related to the high turbidity of growth medium in slurries resulting in ash particles adhering to the root surfaces thus reducing the surface area of metal absorption. Eichhornia plants are able to reduce the pH of all leachates, especially the highly alkaline Ratcliffe leachates to near neutral conditions. Accumulation of Cd and Zn by the plant is higher from the lower pH IPP leachates than the Ratcliffe leachates, indicating that these metals are more soluble and bioavailable in the acidic medium. However, accumulation of Cu and Ni is independent of the pH of the leachates, indicating that other factors, such as metal species, presence of complexing agents in the growth solutions, and effects of competing metal ions may be contributory factors towards the metal uptake and accumulation by the plant.     

A reappraisal of WRI's estimates of greenhouse gas emissions

Excessive emissions of certain trace gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and chlorofluorocarbons are likely to result in global warming due to increased concentration of these greenhouse gases (GHGs). Therefore, measures to control GHG emissions are essential and the current international debate is on how to arrive at optimal GHG limitation strategies. To set emission targets or to distribute the burden of costs of various control measures, it is necessary to identify the major emitters. The World Resources Institute has assessed countrywide contributions to global GHG emissions for 1987. This paper disagrees with the basic approach adopted by WRI because it fails to apportion sinks on a logical basis by keeping in mind equity considerations; it does not account for the residence time of different GHGs; and it uses unreliable and outdated data for estimating the emissions. Using recent and reliable data for India and Brazil as well as the IPCC global warming potential for various GHGs, the shares in global emissions have been recalculated. The paper concludes that if only current emissions are considered there is considerable bias against those countries which are latecomers to the process of industrialization.     

Contamination of Surface Soils, River Water and Sediments by Trace Metals from Copper Processing Industry in the Churnet River Valley, Staffordshire, UK

The impacts of a functional and a demolished copper processing works on the aquatic and terrestrial environment in the vicinity of the works was investigated by determining the levels of selected trace metals in river water, river sediments, channel margin sediments and overbank soils. Samples were taken at five sites within an area of the Churnet Valley in Staffordshire, where the River Churnet flows through the two works. Analysis of river water samples by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) has shown that only copper is present above background levels considered to typify uncontaminated rivers. Analysis of river sediments, channel margin sediments and overbank soils by nitric-perchloric acid digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analysis has indicated contamination by arsenic, cadmium and copper in the vicinity of both works. Arsenic and copper are deposited primarily within the aquatic environment, although some contamination of the terrestrial environment by copper is also observed. Cadmium is deposited primarily within the terrestrial environment. The deposition of arsenic and copper in river and channel margin sediments respectively is also related to current and historical contamination.     

Seasonal variation of indoor radon in dwellings of Malwa region, Punjab

Indoor radon measurements in 105 dwellings belonging to 21 villages of Muktsar and Ferozepur districts of Malwa region, Punjab, have been carried out, using LR-115 type II cellulose nitrate films in the bare mode. The annual average indoor radon value in the study area varies from 76.25 to 145.50 Bq m⁻³, which is well within the recommended action level [ICRP, 1993. Protection against radon at home and work. Annals of ICRP, ICRP Publication, p. 65]. Seasonal variation of indoor radon shows high values in winter and low values in summer. The winter/summer ratio of radon concentration has been computed for all 105 dwellings. The winter/summer ratio of indoor radon ranges from 0.84 to 1.89 with an average of 1.46. The indoor radon values obtained in the present investigation are more than the world average of 40 Bq m⁻³     

A Study of Eichhornia crassipes Growing in the Overbank and Floodplain Soils of the River Yamuna in Delhi, India

River Yamuna, like most of the major rivers of India, has become increasingly polluted over the years from both point and non-point sources, particularly in the urban sectors such as Delhi. Field studies, conducted in January, 1994 have investigated the impact of wastewater discharges from four major drains (Najafgarh, Power House, Barapula, Kalkaji) on the overbanks, floodplains and Eichhornia in River Yamuna in Delhi, with particular reference to elemental contamination. It is concluded that except for Cd and Co, overall mean soil concentrations along the full stretch of the river in Delhi are within the world background levels of uncontaminated soils. However, the wastewater discharges from the drains, with the exception of Barapula drain, generally increase the elemental concentrations of overbank soils downstream of the discharges. Eichhornia plants growing along the banks receiving wastewaters from the Najafgarh and Barapula drains are unhealthy and reduced in population which can be attributed to a combination of alkaline pH of the growth medium, metal toxicity and high BOD at the site receiving effluents from the Najafgarh drain, and alkaline pH, metal toxicity and the turbid conditions of water with fly ash particle deposition on the plant surfaces at the site receiving effluents from the Barapula drain. Generally, considering the entire stretch of the river in Delhi, the roots of these plants growing on the overbank soils are found to be accumulators of all elements except Co, Al and Fe, with Co uptake being minimal. There are marked differences in elemental uptake of the water hyacinths growing on the overbanks and floodplains of the river.     

The social identity and social networks of ethnic minority groups in organizations: a crucial test of distinctiveness theory

Distinctiveness theory posits that patterns of social identity and friendship are based on numeric rarity within specific contexts. In ethnically diverse organizations, the theory predicts that members of the smaller ethnic group (relative to members of the larger ethnic group) will: (a) tend to identify and form friendships within their own ethnic group, and (b) lack access to well‐connected individuals in the network of friendship relations. Prior tests have supported these predictions, but they have been unable to rule out the possibility that it was chronic differences in social status and numeric representation in society at large (rather than numeric distinctiveness within specific contexts) that explained the observed patterns of social identity and friendship. In this field‐based study, we examined an organization whose social composition effectively controlled for these confounds. We found that members of the smaller ethnic group tended to identify and form friendships within group, as predicted by distinctiveness theory. However, in contrast to previous work, we found that members of the smaller ethnic group were equally well connected to the center of the friendship network as were the members of the larger ethnic group. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.