Cadmium accumulation and elimination in tissues of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus after sub-chronic cadmium exposure

Experiments were carried out to investigate the accumulation and elimination of cadmium (Cd) in tissues (gill, intestine, kidney, liver and muscle) of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, exposed to sub-chronic concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100 microg l(-1)) of Cd. Cd exposure resulted in an increased Cd accumulation in tissues of flounder with exposure periods and concentration, and Cd accumulation in gill and liver increased linearly with the exposure time. At 20 days of Cd exposure, the order of Cd accumulation in organs was gill > intestine > liver > kidney > muscle and after 30 days of exposure, those were intestine > gill > liver > kidney > muscle. An inverse relationship was observed between the accumulation factor (AF) and the exposure level, but AF showed an increase with exposure time. During the depuration periods, Cd concentration in the gill, intestine and liver decreased immediately following the end of the exposure periods. No significant difference was found Cd in concentration in the kidney and muscle during depuration periods. The order of Cd elimination rate in organs were decreased intestine > liver > gill during depuration periods.     

Collective fit perceptions: A multilevel investigation of person–group fit with individual‐level and team‐level outcomes

This study describes a multilevel examination of person–group (PG) fit perceptions in a sample of 1023 individuals working in 92 teams at a private sector R&D firm. Using confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel random coefficient modeling, we provide evidence that perceptions of team‐level collective fit are unique from aggregated individual‐level PG fit perceptions at the individual and team levels. We demonstrate that collective values‐based and abilities‐based fit perceptions showed unique and positive relationships with team cohesion, team efficacy, and team performance, after accounting for aggregated individual perceptions of PG fit. Results also demonstrate that cohesion partially mediates the relationship between collective fit and team performance. Cross‐level effects were also supported, indicating that collective fit explains additional variance in individual‐level outcomes, beyond individual‐level PG fit perceptions. The usefulness of employing a multilevel approach to studying PG fit is discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli in the electrochemical disinfection process using a Pt anode

Recently, the electrochemical disinfection has gained a great interest as one of the alternatives to conventional chlorination due to its high effectiveness and environmental compatibility. Despite the extensive reports on electro-chlorination disinfection, few researches were reported on the systems without generating chlorine. This study mainly focused on the potential disinfecting ability of electro-generated oxidants other than chlorine with using an inert medium (chloride-free phosphate buffer solution), which was intended to exclude the formation of chlorine during the electrolysis, as the Escherichia coli as an indicator bacterium was disinfected by applying the current to a platinum anode. The electrochemical inactivation of E. coli without chlorine production was demonstrated to occur in two distinct stages. The first stage inactivation takes place rapidly at the beginning of electrolysis, which appears to be achieved by the electrosorption of negatively charged E. coli cells to the anode surface, followed by a direct electron transfer reaction. As the electrolysis continues further, the inactivation becomes slower but steady, in contrast to the first stage of inactivation. This was attributed to the action of reactive oxidants generated from water discharge, such as hydroxyl radical. Overall, this study suggests that the electrochemical disinfection could be successfully performed even without producing chlorine, recommending the potential application for disinfecting water that does not allow including any chloride ions (such as the production of ultra-pure sterilized water for semiconductor washing).     

Development of clean technology in alcohol fermentation industry

A zero-discharge system for the alcohol fermentation industry was developed by recycling distillery waste (stillage). Stillage was able to be recycled as cooking water for the next fermentation after treating it with appropriate separation processes. Ultrafiltration with a ceramic membrane played a key role in the separation processes. When the permeate from the ultrafiltration of stillage was recycled to the cooking step, the total fermentation time was prolonged from 60 to 70–80 h, but the average ethanol production yield (8.8%) was similar to that in the conventional process (9.0%). In contrast, direct recycle of stillage without membrane filtration showed negative effects on both fermentation time and alcohol yield as recycling was repeated. This new process was confirmed to have stable operation over eight recycles. This new clean technology for the ethanol production industry makes it possible to eliminate the stillage treatment steps using the conventional biological treatment processes such as anaerobic digestion and activated sludge steps currently being operated in industry.     

Evolutionary governance choice for corporate social responsibility: a forestry campaign case in South Korea

Firms select different governance types (e.g. internalisation, outsourcing or collaboration) for corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. This paper examined how the choice of CSR governance type is influenced by social factors and organisational experiences and how changes in these factors affect the governance choice. These questions are especially meaningful in the context of developing countries with weak institutional environments and recent social change. With the unique phenomenon that is not readily explainable in terms of the extant theoretical groundwork on CSR governance choice, a case study of a South Korean forestry campaign by Yuhan-Kimberly was analysed. It was found that social circumstances triggered Yuhan-Kimberly's initiation of forestry projects, but the absence of social infrastructure limited the choice of governance type early on. Lack of experience also constrained the governance choice. Over time, environmental change and the accumulation of organisational knowledge caused the choice of governance to evolve. This study contributes to the CSR governance choice literature by exploring social and organisational determinants other than economic efficiency and by applying a dynamic perspective.     

A comparison study of the potential risks induced in arable land and forest soils by carcass-derived pollutants

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Improper decisions concerning animal carcass disposal sites pose grave threats to environmental biosecurity. However, only a few studies have focused on the...