Not all is fair in love and work: coworkers' preferences for and responses to managerial interventions regarding workplace romances

This article proposes a model of coworkers' preferences for and responses to managerial interventions regarding workplace romances (WRs). Specifically, the model examines the antecedents of coworkers' preferences for managerial intervention in WRs and the consequences of whether their preferred intervention is congruent with the actual managerial intervention. According to the model, coworkers' preferences for managerial intervention are influenced by their perceptions of the impact of the WR on the work environment, including perceptions of whether it represents a conflict of interest for the two participants and whether it disrupts the functioning of the work group. These perceptions are affected by factors pertaining to the romance itself, the coworkers themselves, and the organizational context in which the romance occurs. Next, consistent with the organizational justice literature, we propose that coworkers will evaluate the distributive and procedural justice of the managerial intervention according to (a) the congruence between the severity of their preferred managerial action and the severity of the actual managerial action and (b) the congruence between their beliefs about a just process for managerial decision making about WRs and the actual process. Finally, we propose that coworkers who perceive the managerial intervention process and outcomes as unjust will exhibit negative work‐related attitudes (e.g., decreased job satisfaction and organizational commitment) and behavior (e.g., decreased productivity and organizational citizenship behaviors). Implications of the model for future research and organizational practice are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate change adaptation and mitigation: next steps for cross-sectoral action to protect global health

Effectively addressing the health risks of climate change necessitates an active crosssectoral approach because health risks arise predominantly via sectors such as water, agriculture and energy. Much has been written on climate change and its impact on health, but little attention has focused on the realpolitik of how to progress the development and implementation of health-relevant strategies and policies to reduce this impact. The objective of this paper is to propose three solutions to address current deficiencies: i) strengthening the capacity and understanding of health officials in relation to climate change and health; ii) improving cross-sectoral partnerships with sectors relevant to climate change and health, and iii) identifying organisations influential in the development of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and policies, with a view to better target advocacy efforts. Practical examples of each solution are provided. In conclusion, as a steward of public health, the health sector must take the initiative to encourage a cross-sectoral approach that includes capacity development, coupled with an understanding of influential organisations. If this is done effectively, health, social and economic development goals can be reached more efficiently.     

Inter- and intra-specific variation on sensitivity of larval amphibians to nitrite

Several authors have suggested that nitrogen-based fertilizers may be contributing to the global amphibian decline. We have studied the impact of sodium nitrite on early aquatic stages of Epidalea calamita, Pelophylax perezi and Hyla meridionalis larvae from Do?ana National Park (coastal wetland) and P. perezi from Gredos Mountain (high mountain ponds), exposed during 10 to 16 days. After 8 days of exposure all P. perezi larvae from Do?ana presented 100% mortality at 5 mg l(-1)N-NO2(-) while E. calamita larvae mortality rates were significantly lower at that concentration after 15 days. However, for H. meridionalis at day 15 no deaths were registered at 5 mg l(-1)N-NO2(-) and at 20 mg l(-1)N-NO2(-) presented intermediate mortality rates. In Do?ana the 10 d LC50 of older H. meridionalis larvae was between 20 and 30 mg l(-1)N-NO2(-) whilst for P. perezi it was below 5 mg l(-1)N-NO2(-). These results indicate inter-specific variation of the sensitivity of larval amphibians to nitrite. Gredos Mountain P. perezi larvae exposed since the egg stage were highly sensitive to nitrite, with a 16 d LC50 below 0.5 mg l(-1)N-NO2(-). The same species in Do?ana had a 15 d LC50 between 5 and mg l(-1)N-NO2(-). These results suggest that there is also intra-specific variation in sensitivity of amphibian larvae to nitrite: mountain amphibian populations appear to be more sensitive to polluted environments than coastal populations. Geographic and genetic variation and evolutionary adaptation of tolerance may also be the keys to variation amongst populations of the same species.     

Development and preparation of lead-containing paint films and diagnostic test materials

Lead in paint continues to be a threat to children's health in cities across the United States, which means there is an ongoing need for testing and analysis of paint. This ongoing analytical effort and especially development of new methods continue to drive the need for diagnostic testing materials that provide the analytical challenges of real-world paints. To this end, 31 different types of paint test materials were developed and prepared. Preparation of the materials included development of lead-containing paint films yielding an overall relative standard error for one individual test sample being less than 10%. The 31 diagnostic test materials prepared with these paint films included two lead pigments; lead concentrations from nominally 0 to 2.0 mg lead/cm(2) (0 to 5% lead by weight); overlayers of both "lead-free," oil-based and water-based paints; Al, Ba, and Mg as potential chemical interferents; red and black potential color interferents; and substrates of wood, metal, masonry, and plaster. These materials challenge each step in method development and evaluation, including paint sample collection and preparation, lead extraction, and measurement of solubilized lead. When the materials were used to test performance of a new lead-in-paint testing method based on extraction using a rotor/stator method and measurement using turbidimetry, the results agreed to within ±20% of the expected lead values for 30 out of 31 of the diagnostic test materials, thereby demonstrating their levels of quality and utility.     

Prenatal analysis of the insulin receptor gene in a family with leprechaunism

Leprechaunism is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by intrauterine and postnatal growth restriction, loss of glucose homeostasis, and severe insulin resistance. This disease is caused by a failure of function of the insulin receptor and is lethal early in life. Here we report the prenatal diagnosis of leprechaunism in one consanguineous family, Atl-1, in which two homozygous-affected siblings died with leprechaunism. The mutation in their insulin receptor impaired insulin binding and altered receptor signalling. Prenatal diagnosis could not be accomplished using insulin binding to cultured amniocytes, but was possible using mutational analysis of the insulin receptor gene in DNA from amniotic cells.