Cross‐level effects of demography and diversity climate on organizational attachment and firm effectiveness

We studied the impact of demographic diversity on individual attachment and firm unit performance in a relatively diverse organization. We implemented cross‐level regression to study gender and race/ethnic categorical, relational, and organizational demography in a sample of 26 units part of a regional restaurant chain. At the individual level, we found that diversity climate (DC) moderates the impact of relational and categorical demography on affective organizational commitment, organizational identification, and intention to quit. At the organizational level, we found that DC moderates the impact of organizational diversity on firm productivity and return on profit. We discuss the importance of organizational DC as organizational context on individual attachment, and implications for firm effectiveness in diverse organizations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Innate responses to male sexual harassment in female mosquitofish

Male mosquitofish are very persistent in their sexual activity and harass any female they encounter. Gravid females pay a large tribute to this intense male sexual activity in terms of reduced foraging efficiency. Previous observations have demonstrated that gravid females, when chased by a male, dilute male harassment by moving closer to other females to form shoals. They also approach other males to promote male competition, and when males differ in size, they preferentially target large males, whose harassment is less intense. In this study, we tested whether the modulation of females’ social preferences in response to male harassment is innate or learned. We tested social preference in three groups of females that differed in experience of sexual harassment and in the factors affecting it. Females of the first group were reared without any sexual experience, and pregnancy was induced through artificial insemination. The second group was composed of naive females kept singly with a male; these females experienced sexual harassment but were prevented from experiencing the effects of male–male competition and shoaling on the amount of male sexual harassment. In the third group (controls), females were reared in multi-male, multi-female groups and could experience the modulating effects of social interactions on sexual harassment. When exposed to a harassing male, females of the three groups immediately reduced their distance from another female, approached a group of males or moved toward the larger of two available males. Moreover, the results for these three groups of females were similar to those obtained in wild-caught females that were tested in the same three tests in a previous study (Dadda et al. An. Behav., 70:463–471, 2005). This suggests that the strategies adopted by females in response to male sexual harassment do not need to be learned through specific experience of the social contexts.     

Following a scented beetle: larval faeces as a key olfactory cue in host location of Stegobium paniceum (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) by Lariophagus distinguendus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Lariophagus distinguendus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a generalist solitary ectoparasitoid parasitising immature stages of at least 11 foodstuff beetles from five families, including species developing in seeds of Poaceae and Fabaceae. In this study, we tested the role of visual and olfactory stimuli affecting L. distinguendus host location in the trophic context of Stegobium paniceum (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) infesting chickpeas, Cicer arietinum (Fabales: Fabaceae). When either visual plus olfactory cues or olfactory cues alone were provided, S. paniceum-infested chickpeas were more attractive than uninfested chickpeas to naïve L. distinguendus females. Larval faeces of S. paniceum also evoked strong attraction to female wasps. Uninfested chickpeas covered with host faeces were preferred over uninfested ones without faeces, while infested chickpeas were as attractive as healthy chickpeas plus host faeces. Overall, results demonstrated that L. distinguendus females orient their host-seeking decisions mainly on the basis of faeces-borne olfactory stimuli. Further research is on-going to characterise the volatiles from S. paniceum larval faeces to evaluate their attractiveness towards L. distinguendus females.     

Do tephritid-induced fruit volatiles attract males of the fruit flies parasitoid Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)?

The braconid wasp Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) is an endoparasitoid of several tephritids of economic importance. Even if it has been reported that females of this species rely extensively on tephritid-induced fruit volatiles (TIFVs) during host location, no information is available on the behavioural role of TIFVs on males. Because P. concolor females mate only once, we hypothesized that the perception of TIFVs could be crucial for males, guiding them towards infested fruits on which they could find newly emerged females, thus raising the males’ chances to locate receptive females during their lifespan. On this basis, here we evaluate the attractiveness of synthetic TIFVs from two different trophic interactions, Ceratitis capitata–Malus domestica and Ceratitis capitata–Prunus persica towards P. concolor virgin males. The results showed that both fruit-mimicking blends, three synthetic apple-borne (1-butyl butyrate, 1-butyl hexanoate and 1-hexyl (E)-2-methylbutenoate) and four synthetic peach-borne (ethyl octanoate, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid and dodecanoic acid) compounds were found to attract males. Among these molecules, 1-butyl butyrate, 1-butyl hexanoate and decanoic acid also prolonged the time the males spent performing searching activities on the TIPV-treated surface. Because males probably use these volatiles mainly for sexual purposes, we believe that these chemicals could be classified as sexual kairomones.     

Molecular signatures of organic particulates as tracers of emission sources

Chemical signature of airborne particulates and deposition dusts is subject of study since decades. Usually, three complementary composition markers are investigated, namely, (i) specific organic compounds; (ii) concentration ratios between congeners, and (iii) percent distributions of homologs. Due to its intrinsic limits (e.g., variability depending on decomposition and gas/particle equilibrium), the identification of pollution sources based on molecular signatures results overall restricted to qualitative purposes. Nevertheless, chemical fingerprints allow drawing preliminary information, suitable for successfully approaching multivariate analysis and valuing the relative importance of sources. Here, the state-of-the-art is presented about the molecular fingerprints of non-polar aliphatic, polyaromatic (PAHs, nitro-PAHs), and polar (fatty acids, organic halides, polysaccharides) compounds in emissions. Special concern was addressed to alkenes and alkanes with carbon numbers ranging from 12 to 23 and?≥?24, which displayed distinct relative abundances in petrol-derived spills and exhausts, emissions from microorganisms, high vegetation, and sediments. Long-chain alkanes associated with tobacco smoke were characterized by a peculiar iso/anteiso/normal homolog fingerprint and by n-hentriacontane percentages higher than elsewhere. Several concentration ratios of PAHs were identified as diagnostic of the type of emission, and the sources of uncertainty were elucidated. Despite extensive investigations conducted so far, the origin of uncommon molecular fingerprints, e.g., alkane/alkene relationships in deposition dusts and airborne particles, remains quite unclear. Polar organics resulted scarcely investigated for pollution apportioning purposes, though they looked as indicative of the nature of sources. Finally, the role of humans and living organisms as actual emitters of chemicals seems to need concern in the future.

     

Relevant organic components in ambient particulate matter collected at Svalbard Islands (Norway)

n-Alkanes, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkanoic acids present in the inhalable fraction of airborne particles have been determined at the Italian scientific base sited in the area of Ny Alesund, Spitzbergen Island, Norway. Both the profiles of n-alkane and polynuclear aromatic congeners among the respective classes showed that anthropogenic sources were responsible for the presence of particulate organics in the atmosphere there, since the monomodal distribution of aliphatics and the fresh-emission shape of PAH fraction were observed. The total contents of n-alkanes and PAH ranged from 19 to 97 ng m⁻³ and from 0.6 to 2.0 ng m⁻³, respectively; n-alkanoic acids reached 6 ng m⁻³. The occurrence of nitrated-PAH of photochemical origin at trace extent (i.e. nitrated-fluoranthenes and nitropyrenes) has been also observed. Since the occurrence of OH radicals is required together with NO_x for the processes leading to the generation of 2-nitrofluoranthene and 2-nitropyrene would start, the detection of these nitrated species revealed the occurrence of photochemical processes in that region.     

Comparison of seasonal variations of ozone exposure and fluxes in a Mediterranean Holm oak forest between the exceptionally dry 2003 and the following year

Ozone and energy fluxes have been measured using the eddy covariance technique, from June to December 2004 in Castelporziano near Rome (Italy), and compared to similar measurements made in the previous year. The studied ecosystem consisted in a typical Mediterranean Holm oak forest. Stomatal fluxes have been calculated using the resistance analogy and by inverting the Penmann-Monteith equation. Results showed that the average stomatal contribution accounts for 42.6% of the total fluxes. Non-stomatal deposition proved to be enhanced by increasing leaf wetness and air humidity during the autumnal months. From a comparison of the two years, it can be inferred that water supply is the most important limiting factor for ozone uptake and that prolonged droughts alter significantly the stomatal conductance, even 2 months after the soil water content is replenished. Ozone exposure, expressed as AOT40, behaves similarly to the cumulated stomatal flux in dry conditions whereas a different behaviour for the two indices appears in wet autumnal conditions. A difference also occurs between the two years.     

Particulate organic acids in the atmosphere of Italian cities: Are they environmentally relevant?

Mono- and dicarboxylic n-alkyl acids were extensively investigated in downtown Rome, Italy, and in Montelibretti, ～30 km NE of the city, during 2005–2007. Congeners ranging from lauric to mellisic, and from succinic to α,ω-docosanedioic acids were evaluated as well as phthalic, palmitoleic and oleic acids, by solvent extraction of airborne particulates followed by derivatization with propanol in the presence of boron trifluoride, and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis. Shorter measurements were made in Milan, in Taranto, at suburban and rural sites of Italy, and in the polar regions, from 1996 to 2005. The predominance of palmitic and stearic acids observed elsewhere was confirmed, and the behaviour of azelaic and phthalic acids resulted strongly dependent upon the year season. In the urban sites, among the long-chain compounds, the lignoceric acid was usually the most abundant, while the cerotic, montanic and mellisic homologues cumulatively never exceeded 8% of the total. Unlike other contaminants, the concentrations of organic acids remained fairly invariant over the last decade, suggesting that more attention must be paid to them in the future.