PCE solubilization and mobilization by commercial humic acid

In this paper, comparison is made of terms describing solubilization of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) by dissolved humic substances (DHS) and commercial non-ionic surfactants. This paper examines the ability of a commercial humic acid (Aldrich humic acid) to solubilize and mobilize tetrachlorothene (PCE) residual in porous media. The constant for solubilization of PCE by Aldrich humic acid is shown to be a factor of two to thirty times less than that published for dodecyl alcohol ethoxylate surfactants, showing that Aldrich humic acid is less capable than some non-ionic surfactants at solubilizing residual PCE. The depression of PCE–water interfacial tension in the presence of DHS is shown to be significantly less than published values for a non-ionic surfactant, and surfactant mixtures, indicating that the DHS used in this study is less prone to cause mobilization of non-aqueous phase liquids relative to surfactants. Several possible advantages of DHS use in the remediation of subsurface media contaminated with HOC are described, including the ability of DHS to solubilize HOC irrespective of the DHS concentration, and potential lesser tendency of DHS to depress the interfacial tension between non-aqueous phases and water relative to surfactants (an advantage when mobilization is undesired).     

Fecundity and reproductive strategies in deep-sea incirrate octopuses (Cephalopoda: Octopoda)

Coleoid cephalopods show flexibility in their reproductive strategies or mode of spawning, which can range from simultaneous terminal spawning over a short period at the end of the animal’s life to continuous spawning over a long period of the animal’s life. Although a simultaneous terminal spawning strategy is typical of shallow water temperate octopuses, it is not known whether deep-sea octopods would have the same reproductive strategy. The reproductive strategies and fecundity were investigated in nine species of deep-sea incirrate octopuses: Bathypolypus arcticus, Bathypolypus bairdii, Bathypolypus ergasticus, Bathypolypus sponsalis, Bathypolypus valdiviae, Benthoctopus levis, Benthoctopus normani, Benthoctopus sp., and Graneledone verrucosa (total n = 85). Egg-length frequency graphs and multivariate analysis (principal components analysis) suggest that B. sponsalis has a synchronous ovulation pattern and therefore a simultaneous terminal spawning strategy. Although a simultaneous terminal spawning strategy is most likely for B. levis and B. normani, the egg-length frequency graphs and multivariate analysis also suggest a greater variation in egg-lengths which could lead to spawning over an extended period.     

USABILITY ASSESSMENTS FOR HYDROLOGIC FORECASTING DSS1

ABSTRACT: Usability assessments were used to obtain feedback on the development of a flood forecasting decision support system. The feedback was used to guide design of system functionality, interface, training, implementation, and operations. The usability process was user focused and was dependent upon implementation of a prototype system in an operational setting. This paper describes concepts and methods applied to collect reflective and objective data on DSS components and information outputs. The general structure of the usability assessments is discussed and results of assessments are summarized.     

International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis 2022 DEBATE: There should be formal accreditation and ongoing quality assurance/review for units offering fetal therapy that includes public reporting of outcomes

The field of fetal therapy has so far escaped from formal accreditation and quality control. Despite that, current published evidence shows that outcomes of interventions in younger fetal therapy centers are similar to what is achieved in more experienced centers and outcomes of interventions have improved over time. The question however remains what is not being published and what should be the standard of care, given the lack of level 1 evidence from randomized controlled trials for many interventions. Formal collaborative networks such as NAFTnet and others allow for anonymized benchmarking of center outcomes, without publicly shaming (and financially punishing) underperforming centers. Large registries also allow for tracking of rare complications and may result in improved patient outcomes over time. Core outcome sets, which could serve as a basis for outcome reporting, are available for some conditions, but certainly not for all, resulting in communication difficulties between centers. Formal accreditation, quality control, and outcome reporting are hard to implement, expensive, and may result in decreasing access to care by pushing smaller centers out of the market. Despite the existing difficulties, international societies have committed to quality improvement, and fetal therapy programs are strongly recommended to participate in voluntary outcome tracking.     

Support services for lift irrigation in Bangladesh

The impacts of changing support systems for lift irrigation in Bangladesh from the public to the private sector are examined. Data are presented from an extensive study undertaken by IIMI and the Bangladesh Agricultural University. The results of the study clearly demonstrate that farmers, small dealers and input sellers all feel that transfer to the private sector has improved the quality of support services. As a result of the privatization of support services, more fuel is available, it is closer to the farms and there is less adulteration. A similar case holds for agricultural chemicals. In addition to improving the situation for small farmers, privatization has created thousands of jobs for small traders and repair shops. Data are presented that document the improvements in services and the expansion of small traders. The one issue that still must be solved is the future of deep tubewells, as the article documents that they are not economically vaiable without Government subsidies.     

Repeated geographic divergence in behavior: a case study employing phenotypic trajectory analyses

Environmental effects on behavior have long been a focus of behavioral ecologists. Among the important drivers of behavior is predation environment, which can include the presence/absence of predators, differences in resource availability, and variation in individual density. Environments with predators are often more ecologically complex and “risky” than those without predators. Populations from these environments are sometimes more active and explorative than populations from low-risk, less complex environments. To date, most comparative studies of behavior are limited to within-species comparisons of populations from divergent environments, but neglect comparisons between species following speciation, thus limiting our understanding of post-speciation behavioral evolution. Brachyrhaphis fishes provide an ideal system for studying correlations between divergent environments and behavior within and between species. Here, we test for differences in two behavioral traits—activity and exploration —between sister species Brachyrhaphis roseni and Brachyrhaphis terrabensis that occur in divergent predation environments. Species differed in activity and exploration, with higher activity and exploration levels in populations that co-occur with predators. Furthermore, we found drainage-by-species interactions, indicating that the nature of divergence varied geographically. Using the recently developed phenotypic trajectory analysis (PTA), we quantified this difference and found that, while the geographically isolated populations of sister species tended to evolve in parallel, the magnitude of divergence between species differed between drainages. Our results highlight the utility of PTA for multivariate behavioral data and corroborate past predictions that complex and risky environments are correlated with increased activity and exploration levels and that divergence continues post-speciation.     

Cognitive and affective identification: Exploring the links between different forms of social identification and personality with work attitudes and behavior

Individuals often identify with groups in order to either reduce perceived uncertainty or to feel better about who they are as individuals. This suggests that cognitive and affective identification are two distinctive forms of social identification in organizational settings. Because neurotic individuals are highly motivated to reduce perceived uncertainty, they will tend to identify cognitively with groups. Extraverted individuals, on the other hand, are highly motivated to enhance how they feel about themselves and thus identify affectively with groups. Across three studies, we develop measures of cognitive and affective identification and then show that neuroticism is positively related to cognitive identification, whereas extraversion is positively related to affective identification. We also find that affective identification provides incremental predictive validity over and above cognitive identification in the prediction of organizational commitment, organizational involvement, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.