Development of a new scale to measure subjective career success: A mixed‐methods study

Career success is a main focus of career scholars as well as organizational stakeholders. Historically, career success has been conceptualized and measured in an objective manner, mainly as salary, rank, or number of promotions. However, the changing nature of work has also necessitated a change in the way many employees view success, adding a more subjective component. Although there has been theoretical discussion and calls to develop a comprehensive measure of subjective career success, no contemporary comprehensive quantitative measure exists. The goal of this study was to create and validate a measure of subjective career success, titled the Subjective Career Success Inventory (SCSI). The SCSI includes 24 items that address subjective career success via eight dimensions. The scale was developed and validated through four phases of data collection, beginning with interviews and focus groups, followed by item sorting tasks, then item refinement through confirmatory factor analysis, and finally convergent and discriminant validity quantitative analysis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of a standard enforcement safety belt law on fatalities and hospital charges in Ohio

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to analyze linked crash and hospital data to determine the effect that enactment of a standard enforcement safety belt law in Ohio would have on hospital charges and direct medical costs due to motor-vehicle crashes, focusing on the impact to the state's Medicaid system.

Method

The linkage and analysis was conducted as part of the Ohio Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) program. Current safety belt usage in Ohio stands at 82% with its secondary enforcement safety belt law.

Results

Assuming an increase in usage to 92% through standard enforcement, over $15.3 million in medical costs to Medicaid for injuries that occur in a single year could be prevented over a 10-year period. Cumulative savings could reach more than $91.2 million during the 10-year period. In addition, 161 fatalities could have been prevented in one year had all unbelted occupants who sustained a fatal injury instead chosen to wear their safety belt.

Summary and Impact on Industry

Clearly, substantial progress can be made in reducing the number of deaths and injuries, as well as medical costs associated with motor-vehicle crashes, by strengthening safety belt laws and increasing safety belt usage in Ohio.     

Volunteer Macroinvertebrate Monitoring: Tensions Among Group Goals,Data Quality,and Outcomes

Volunteer monitoring of natural resources is promoted for its ability to increase public awareness, to provide valuable knowledge, and to encourage policy change that promotes ecosystem health. We used the case of volunteer macroinvertebrate monitoring (VMM) in streams to investigate whether the quality of data collected is correlated with data use and organizers' perception of whether they have achieved these outcomes. We examined the relation between site and group characteristics, data quality, data use, and perceived outcomes (education, social capital, and policy change). We found that group size and the degree to which citizen groups perform tasks on their own (rather than aided by professionals) positively correlated with the quality of data collected. Group size and number of years monitoring positively influenced whether a group used their data. While one might expect that groups committed to collecting good-quality data would be more likely to use it, there was no relation between data quality and data use, and no relation between data quality and perceived outcomes. More data use was, however, correlated with a group's feeling of connection to a network of engaged citizens and professionals. While VMM may hold promise for bringing citizens and scientists together to work on joint conservation agendas, our data illustrate that data quality does not correlate with a volunteer group's desire to use their data to promote regulatory change. Therefore, we encourage scientists and citizens alike to recognize this potential disconnect and strive to be explicit about the role of data in conservation efforts.     

A genoscape-network model for conservation prioritization in a migratory bird

Migratory animals are declining worldwide and coordinated conservation efforts are needed to reverse current trends. We devised a novel genoscape-network model that combines genetic analyses with species distribution modeling and demographic data to overcome challenges with conceptualizing alternative risk factors in migratory species across their full annual cycle. We applied our method to the long distance, Neotropical migratory bird, Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla). Despite a lack of data from some wintering locations, we demonstrated how the results can be used to help prioritize conservation of breeding and wintering areas. For example, we showed that when genetic, demographic, and network modeling results were considered together it became clear that conservation recommendations will differ depending on whether the goal is to preserve unique genetic lineages or the largest number of birds per unit area. More specifically, if preservation of genetic lineages is the goal, then limited resources should be focused on preserving habitat in the California Sierra, Basin Rockies, or Coastal California, where the 3 most vulnerable genetic lineages breed, or in western Mexico, where 2 of the 3 most vulnerable lineages overwinter. Alternatively, if preservation of the largest number of individuals per unit area is the goal, then limited conservation dollars should be placed in the Pacific Northwest or Central America, where densities are estimated to be the highest. Overall, our results demonstrated the utility of adopting a genetically based network model for integrating multiple types of data across vast geographic scales and better inform conservation decision-making for migratory animals.     

Toxicity of the mosquito control pesticide Scourge to adult and larval grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio)

This study investigated the toxicity of various concentrations of technical resmethrin and Scourge on adult and larval Palaemonetes pugio, a common grass shrimp species. Two types of tests were conducted for each of the resmethrin formulations using adult and larval grass shrimp life stages, a 96-h static renewal aqueous test without sediment, and a 24-h static nonrenewal aqueous test with sediment. For resmethrin, the 96-h aqueous LC50 value for adult shrimp was 0.53 microg/L (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46-0.60 microg/L), and for larval shrimp was 0.35 microg/L (95% CI: 0.28-0.42 microg/L). In the presence of sediment, technical resmethrin produced a 24-h LC50 value for adult shrimp of 5.44 microg/L (95% CI: 4.52-6.55 microg/L), and for larval shrimp of 2.15 microg/L (95% CI: 1.35-3.43 microg/L). For Scourge, the 96-h aqueous LC50 for adult shrimp was 2.08 microg/L (95% CI: 1.70-2.54 microg/L), and for larval shrimp was 0.36 microg/L (95% CI: 0.24-0.55 microg/L). The 24-h sediment test yielded an LC50 value of 16.12 microg/L (95% CI: 14.79-17.57 microg/L) for adult shrimp, and 14.16 microg/L (95% CI: 12.21-16.43 microg/L) for larvae. Adjusted LC50 values to reflect the 18% resmethrin concentration in Scourge are 0.37 microg/L (adult), 0.07 microg/L (larvae) for the 96-h aqueous test, and 2.90 microg/L (adult), 2.6 microg/L (larvae) for the 24-h sediment test. Larval grass shrimp were more sensitive to technical resmethrin and Scourge than the adult life stage. The results also demonstrate that synergized resmethrin is more toxic to P. pugio than the nonsynergized form, and that the presence of sediment decreases the toxicity of both resmethrin and Scourge.     

Yolk androgen deposition as a compensatory strategy

The deposition of androgens into the yolks of eggs can have long-lasting effects on the growth and development of young birds. It has been proposed that female birds and reptiles deposit yolk androgens according to the differential allocation hypothesis (DAH), which posits the allocation of more resources to offspring sired by more attractive, higher-quality males. We examined deposition patterns of yolk androgens in relation to mate attractiveness in the house finch Carpodacus mexicanus. Contrary to the predictions of the DAH, female house finches deposited significantly more androgens into eggs sired by less attractive males. We propose that, rather than serving as resources, androgens are used as mediators in a compensatory distribution strategy, enabling females to improve the quality of young produced with less attractive males.     

Deponiesickerwässer: Bestimmung zytotoxischer Wirkungen mit dem Pollenschlauchwachstumstest

For risk assessment of environmental samples, rapid and sensitive screening assays for detection of toxic potencies are required. Using leachates from waste deposites in the industrial region Leipzig-Halle (Germany) as an example, we present a simple test procedure suitable for the detection of cytotoxic effects of samples. This method, the pollen tube growth test (PTG), works as follows: Pollen of tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris Spegazz, & Comes) are suspended in mixtures of growth medium and buffered (pH 6,3 to 7,0) dumping ground leachates. After an 18h-incubation period, growth of pollen tubes is quantified by staining with Alcian blue and subsequent measurment of optical density in a photometer. Sample induced inhibition of pollen tube growth is calculated in relation to controls maintained in pure growth medium. The PTG test shows high sensitivity towards leachates of different chemical composition, and it shows good agreement with assay results from luminescent bacteria tests. We conclude that the PTG test is well suited to assess the hazardous potential of aqueous environmental samples.     

国际农业食品网络和可持续发展委员会

国际农业食品网络(IAFN)是1996年联合国粮农组织世界粮食高峰会议时为协调农业发展领域中与国际组织有关的活动而成立的.该网络只是一个讨论论坛,其中与会者可以确认他们的共同关注和分享各种思路的经验.     

Modeling the Impacts of Two Bark Beetle Species Under a Warming Climate in the Southwestern USA: Ecological and Economic Consequences

Predicted climate warming is expected to have profound effects on bark beetle population dynamics in the southwestern United States. Temperature-mediated effects may include increases in developmental rates, generations per year, and changes in habitat suitability. As a result, the impacts of Dendroctonus frontalis and Dendroctonus mexicanus on forest resources are likely subject to amplification. To assess the implications of such change, we evaluated the generations per year of these species under three climate scenarios using a degree-day development model. We also assessed economic impacts of increased beetle outbreaks in terms of the costs of application of preventative silvicultural treatments and potential economic revenues forgone. Across the southwestern USA, the potential number of beetle generations per year ranged from 1–3+ under historical climate, an increase of 2–4+ under the minimal warming scenario and 3–5+ under the greatest warming scenario. Economic benefits of applying basal area reduction treatments to reduce forest susceptibility to beetle outbreaks ranged from 7.75/ha (NM) to7.75/ha (NM) to 95.69/ha (AZ) under historical conditions, and 47.96/ha (NM) to47.96/ha (NM) to 174.58/ha (AZ) under simulated severe drought conditions. Basal area reduction treatments that reduce forest susceptibility to beetle outbreak result in higher net present values than no action scenarios. Coupled with other deleterious consequences associated with beetle outbreaks, such as increased wildfires, the results suggest that forest thinning treatments play a useful role in a period of climate warming.