Antecedents and consequences of satisfaction with work–family balance: A moderating role of perceived insider status

This study developed a moderated mediation model to investigate how family‐supportive paid leave and supervision affect employees' satisfaction with work–family balance and in turn their affective organizational commitment and supervisor‐directed organizational citizenship behavior depending on their perceived insider status in the organization. Our analysis of data collected from 118 employee–supervisor dyads in Korean organizations revealed that satisfaction with work–family balance mediated the linkages from family‐supportive supervision to affective organizational commitment and supervisor‐directed organizational citizenship behavior, and the linkage from family‐supportive paid leave to affective organizational commitment. Results further showed that the entire mediational process for family‐supportive supervision was more pronounced for those who perceived themselves to be an insider of their organizations, while the same pattern was not found for the meditational process related to family‐supportive paid leave. Our findings provide theoretical implications for work–family balance research and offer practical suggestions to make employees satisfied with work–family balance.     

Culturable actinobacteria isolated from marine sponge <Emphasis Type="Italic">Iotrochota</Emphasis> sp.

The study describes the diversity of actinobacteria isolated from the marine sponge Iotrochota sp. collected in the South China Sea. Species and natural product diversity of isolates were analyzed, including screening for genes encoding polyketide synthases (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), and 16S rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). PKS and NRPS sequences were detected in more than half of the isolates and the different “PKS-I–PKS-II–NRPS” combinations in different isolates belonging to the same species indicated a potential natural product diversity and divergent genetic evolution. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the isolates belonged to genera Streptomyces, Cellulosimicrobium, and Nocardiopsis. The majority of the strains tested belonged to the genus Streptomyces and one of them may be a new species. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a bacterium classified as Cellulosimicrobium sp. isolated from a marine sponge. Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-recourses Sustainable Utilization (LMB-CAS), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica (LMMM-GD), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, People’s Republic of China.     

Characterization of particulate matter from diesel passenger cars tested on chassis dynamometers

Emission characterization of particle number as well as particle mass from three diesel passenger cars equipped with diesel particulate filter(DPF), diesel oxidation catalyst(DOC)and exhaust gas recirculation(EGR) under the vehicle driving cycles and regulatory cycle.Total particle number emissions(PNEs) decreased gradually during speed-up of vehicle from 17.3 to 97.3 km/hr. As the average vehicle speed increases, the size-segregated peak of particle number concentration shifts to smaller size ranges of particles. The correlation analysis with various particulate components such as particle number concentration(PNC),ultrafine particle number concentration(UFPNC) and particulate matter(PM) mass was conducted to compare gaseous compounds(CO, CO_2, HC and NOx). The UFPNC and PM were not only emitted highly in Seoul during severe traffic jam conditions, but also have good correlation with hydrocarbons and NOxinfluencing high potential on secondary aerosol generation. The effect of the dilution temperature on total PNC under the New European Driving Cycle(NEDC), was slightly higher than the dilution ratio. In addition, the nuclei mode(DP: ≤ 13 nm) was confirmed to be more sensitive to the dilution temperature rather than other particle size ranges. Comparison with particle composition between vehicle speed cycles and regulatory cycle showed that sulfate was slightly increased at regulatory cycle, while other components were relatively similar. During cold start test, semivolatile nucleation particles were increased due to effect of cold environment. Research on particle formation dependent on dilution conditions of diesel passenger cars under the NEDC is important to verify impact on vehicular traffic and secondary aerosol formation in Seoul.     

Observations of aerosol-bound ionic compositions at Cheju Island,Korea

To investigate the regional cycle of aerosols and their ionic constituents, three field intensive campaigns were conducted during fall and winter of 1997 and spring of 1998. The concentrations of most ionic species were found to decrease significantly across fall, winter, and spring such that the sum for all cation (and anion) species of each season is computed as: 193 > 96 > 73.7 nequiv m(-3) (and 240 > 104 > 51.5 nequiv m(-3)). To examine the fundamental characteristics of aerosol compositions in the study area, we conducted correlation analysis in various manners. The results indicated that the concentrations of major ionic species were strongly affected by some meteorological parameters including wind speed. It was also seen that relative strengths of correlations between important parameters (e.g., between wind speed and most of major inorganic species) maintain close relationships with the factors associated with the air mass origin. In addition, the results of factor analysis indicated the existence of at least three major sources in the study area which include: sea-salt aerosol, secondary aerosol, and organic aerosol component. The springtime occurrence of unexpectedly low concentrations of most ionic constituents is found to sensitively reflect the influence of the inflow of southeasterly winds that prevailed during spring, while it is not common for that season of the year. Because most of those changes are closely tied with the variabilities in the regional circulation patterns for each measurement period, assessment of the ionic composition in concert with the temporal variations of meteorological conditions provided valuable insights into the source signals of different air masses that passed by the study area.     

Microfiber shedding from nonwoven materials including wipes and meltblown nonwovens in air and water environments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nonwoven products are widely used in disposable products, such as wipes, diapers, and masks. Microfibers shed from these products in the aquatic and...     

Predicting Debris Yield From Burned Watersheds: Comparison of Statistical and Artificial Neural Network Models1

Abstract: Alluvial fans in southern California are continuously being developed for residential, industrial, commercial, and agricultural purposes. Development and alteration of alluvial fans often require consideration of mud and debris flows from burned mountain watersheds. Accurate prediction of sediment (hyper‐concentrated sediment or debris) yield is essential for the design, operation, and maintenance of debris basins to safeguard properly the general population. This paper presents results based on a statistical model and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. The models predict sediment yield caused by storms following wildfire events in burned mountainous watersheds. Both sediment yield prediction models have been developed for use in relatively small watersheds (50‐800 ha) in the greater Los Angeles area. The statistical model was developed using multiple regression analysis on sediment yield data collected from 1938 to 1983. Following the multiple regression analysis, a method for multi‐sequence sediment yield prediction under burned watershed conditions was developed. The statistical model was then calibrated based on 17 years of sediment yield, fire, and precipitation data collected between 1984 and 2000. The present study also evaluated ANN models created to predict the sediment yields. The training of the ANN models utilized single storm event data generated for the 17‐year period between 1984 and 2000 as the training input data. Training patterns and neural network architectures were varied to further study the ANN performance. Results from these models were compared with the available field data obtained from several debris basins within Los Angeles County. Both predictive models were then applied for hind‐casting the sediment prediction of several post 2000 events. Both the statistical and ANN models yield remarkably consistent results when compared with the measured field data. The results show that these models are very useful tools for predicting sediment yield sequences. The results can be used for scheduling cleanout operation of debris basins. It can be of great help in the planning of emergency response for burned areas to minimize the damage to properties and lives.     

Exposure to methyl tertiary butyl ether and benzene in close proximity to service stations

Exposure estimates based solely on proximity to air pollution sources are not sound and require confirmation. Accordingly, since a very limited amount of actual data for this type of exposure estimate is currently available, this study was conducted to provide actual data on residents' exposure to two important gasoline constituents [methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and benzene] relative to their proximity to roadside service stations. The results confirmed that residents in neighborhoods near service stations are exposed to elevated ambient MTBE and benzene levels compared with those living farther from such a source. However, it was also found that the presumed elevated outdoor benzene levels (a mean of 1.7 ppb) even in close proximity to service stations did not exceed the indoor levels (a mean of 2.2 ppb) of exposure for those living nearby. Regardless of residents' distance from service stations, an indoor source (cigarette smoking) appeared to be the major contributor to their benzene exposure. Conversely, for MTBE, roadside service stations were found to be the major contributor to residents' exposure. In addition, the residents close to the stations were exposed to elevated indoor and outdoor MTBE levels. The sampling period (daytime and nighttime) and season (winter and summer) were additional parameters for the outdoor MTBE and benzene levels and the indoor MTBE levels. Meanwhile, the breathing zone air concentrations of service station attendants for both MTBE and benzene were significantly higher than those of drivers (p < 0.05). In addition, the breathing zone concentrations were significantly higher during summer than during winter for both drivers and attendants (p < 0.05).     

Control of bacterial growth in water using synthesized inorganic disinfectant

Chlorine is a popular method for controlling bacterial growth in cooling towers. However, there are several drawbacks such as the difficulties in maintaining the disinfection efficacy particularly at high temperature and pH. In order to overcome these difficulties, an inorganic disinfectant based on silver and copper, which is called EEKO-BALL (commercial name), was recently developed. EEKO-BALL is made from specific ceramics and coating materials. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of EEKO-BALL and compare it with that of silver (Ag+) and copper (Cu2+) ions. In addition, a field study was undertaken to investigate the control of bacterial growth in several cooling tower systems. The results showed that the contact time required for inactivating 99% of E. coli was 15 min in the EEKO-BALL stock solution at 25 degrees C, pH 7.3, with 0.05 mgl(-1) Ag and 0.05 mgl(-1) Cu. EEKO-BALL was approximately four times more effective than silver and copper ions in inactivating E. coli at 25 degrees C, pH 7.3. The control of bacterial growth in the cooling towers was found to be effective, lasting more than two months after a one-time installation of the EEKO-BALL. Overall, this study suggests that EEKO-BALL can effectively work as an inorganic disinfectant for bacterial growth control.     

Influence of a municipal solid waste incinerator on ambient air and soil PCDD/Fs levels

To examine the influence of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) emissions from a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) on the environment, we measured the levels of PCDD/Fs in ambient air and soil samples collected near a MSWI in Bucheon, Korea. The PCDD/Fs concentrations in the ambient air samples ranged from 0.22 to 1.16 pg I-TEQm(-3) (13.39-75.16 pg m(-3)), with an average of 0.66 pg I-TEQ m(-3) (35.62 pg m(-3)). The soil samples contained between 1.25 and 74.98 pg I-TEQ g(-1) (38.15-3,303.33 pg g(-1)), with an average of 19.06 pg I-TEQ g(-1) (1,077.11 pg g(-1)). These levels were higher than those previously reported by other investigators in a number of surveys. The furan homologues predominated in the air samples and some soil samples, and the soil PCDD/Fs levels decreased with increasing distance from the MSWI. Comparison of the homologue patterns and a multivariate statistical analysis showed that PCDD/Fs emission from the MSWI directly affected the pattern of PCDD/Fs in air, while the PCDD/Fs patterns in soil differed according to the location relative to the MSWI, roads, and construction sites. These results collectively indicate that the MSWI was the major PCDD/Fs emission source in this area, but that unidentified combustion sources and vehicles might influence the environment to some extent.     

Risk assessment for shallow land burial of low level radioactive waste

A composite model for the risk assessment is developed for the shallow-land burial of low-level radioactive waste. The composite model is composed of a source term, repository failure model, geosphere model, biosphere model, and finally, a dose-and-health-effects model. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses are also carried out. In addition to the time-dependent annual release rate and dose rate for each nuclide, the ultimate risk in terms of cancer death rate is estimated.The results show that the highest value of the annual dose for the repository is less than the individual dose limit to the human body, and the calculated highest cancer death rate is much lower than other various risks. The highest value of the total annual dose appears at about 100 years after disposal, and at this time, dominant nuclides are Ni-63 and Cs-137.From the results of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, it is found that the uncertainty associated with the public risk is strongly sensitive to the volume flow rate and irrigation rate of surface water and the retardation coefficient of geological structure.It is concluded that the methodology of simplified mathematical modeling for the risk assessment can be an effective tool for the decision making of the radioactive waste repository selection and the management of the repository system.