Life table evaluation of chronic exposure of Eurytemora affinis (Copepoda) to Kepone

Life table estimates of intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) were used to assess chronic toxicity of Kepone to the copepod Eurytemora affinis (Poppe). The acute toxicity (48-h LC 50) was determined to be 40g 1^-1 (95% CL 33.9–47.2). A reduction in r was observed at all concentrations above 5 g 1^-1, and r was near zero at 20 g 1^-1. This was due to the combination of lowered survivorship, delayed onset of reproduction and reduced fecundity. We discuss the value of the life table approach both as an experimental protocol and an ecologically realistic bioassay of chronic effects, and document that as few as 21 d are sufficient as an adequate test duration.     

Identifying Opportunities for Decision Support Systems in Support of Regional Resource Use Planning: An Approach Through Soft Systems Methodology

/ Regional resource use planning relies on key regional stakeholder groups using and having equitable access to appropriate social, economic, and environmental information and assessment tools. Decision support systems (DSS) can improve stakeholder access to such information and analysis tools. Regional resource use planning, however, is a complex process involving multiple issues, multiple assessment criteria, multiple stakeholders, and multiple values. There is a need for an approach to DSS development that can assist in understanding and modeling complex problem situations in regional resource use so that areas where DSSs could provide effective support can be identified, and the user requirements can be well established. This paper presents an approach based on the soft systems methodology for identifying DSS opportunities for regional resource use planning, taking the Central Highlands Region of Queensland, Australia, as a case study.     

Chemical and biological profiles of sediments as indicators of sources of genotoxic contamination in Hamilton Harbour. Part I: analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and thia-arene compounds

Bottom sediment and suspended sediment samples from Hamilton Harbour (western Lake Ontario) and from a major tributary were profiled using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and thia-arenes as source apportionment tracers. Ratios of selected PAH and ratios of monomethyl and dimethyl/ethyl dibenzothiophenes to the parent dibenzothiophenes were calculated. Thia-arene and PAH profiles of Standard Reference Material SRM 1649 (urban dust/organics), SRM 1650 (diesel), SRM 1597 (coal tar), Hamilton coal tar and a composite Hamilton air particulate sample provided source sample data. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) chromatograms of all sample extracts were dominated by homocyclic PAH but interpretation of PAH profiles with respect to source was difficult. In contrast, thia-arene analyses revealed more distinct differences in profiles of samples collected in different areas of the harbour, including the tributary. These results indicated that areas of coal tar-contaminated sediment are potential contributors to the overall contaminant burden of sediments and suspended sediments in Hamilton Harbour. These data also indicated that contaminants related to mobile combustion sources were entering the harbour via a major tributary.     

Unified methodology for site-characterization and sampling of highway runoff

Hydrology, roadway traffic conditions, and atmospheric deposition are three essential data categories for the planning and implementation of highway-runoff monitoring and characterization programs. Causal variables pertaining to each data category could be site specific but have been shown to correlate with runoff pollutant loads. These data categories were combined to derive statistical relationships for characterization and prioritization of the respective pollutant loads at highway runoff sites. Storm runoff data of total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solid (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total phosphorus (TP) collected from three highway sites in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, were used to illustrate the development of site-specific highway-runoff pollutant loading models. This unified methodology provides a basis for initial assessment of the pollutant-constituent loads from highway runoff using hydrologic component variables. Improved reliability is achievable when additional traffic and/or atmospheric component variables are incorporated into the basic hydrologic regression model. In addition, operational guidance is suggested for implementing highway-runoff monitoring programs that are subject to sampling and resources constraints.     

Social capital and food security in post-conflict rural Lira District,northern Uganda

While a strong relationship has been established between social capital and food security in the research literature, it is uncertain whether this holds in post-conflict situations. This study examines associations between social capital and food security in post-conflict Lira District, northern Uganda. Since factors affecting food security are complex, we explored the roles of households' characteristics in food security outcomes. Data were collected from March to July 2011 through face-to-face interviews with 221 heads of household in rural Lira. Using multinomial logistic regression, a strong positive association was identified between social capital and household food security. The study also found significant associations of food security with sex, education of household head, amount of cultivated land, and farm and home possessions. The results of this analysis can aid the design of food security programmes that empower poor people while targeting the most vulnerable groups, thereby promoting sustainable development in post-conflict communities.     

Reliability of a Questionnaire and an Ergonomic Checklist for Assessing Working Conditions and Health at Call Centres

Background. The purpose was to study the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of questions in aquestionnaire concerning working conditions and health and the inter-rater reliability of observations andmeasurements according to an ergonomic checklist. Method. Fifty-seven operators participated in a retestquestionnaire and 58 operators participated in an inter-observer test. Results. The questions had fair to good or higher reliability in 142 of the total of 312. Twenty-seven of the total of 44 variables in the ergonomicchecklist were classified as having fair to good or higher reliability. Conclusions. About half of the questionshad fair to good or higher reliability and can be recommended for further analyses. The majority of variablesin the ergonomic checklist were classified as having fair to good or higher reliability. Low reliability does notnecessarily indicate that the reliability of the test, per se, is low but may signify that the conditions measuredvary over time or that the answers are aggregated in one part of the scale.     

Self-Reported Seat Belt Use in Four Countries: A Telephone Survey

A telephone survey was conducted in four countries in November 1998 to compare drivers in the United States with those in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom regarding their attitudes toward seat belts and belt use laws. More than 90 percent of the 2251 respondents said they thought seat belts are effective, but self-reported belt use was significantly lower in the United States than in the other countries. Respondents in Australia and the United Kingdom had similar views about what they thought were important reasons for using seat belts and had the highest self-reported use. Reasons given for using belts by Canadian and US respondents were quite similar to one another, yet US respondents had significantly lower self-reported use rates, a difference thought to be due to vigorous enforcement of the law in Canada. US drivers were less likely than Australian and UK drivers to say they used belts out of habit, to avoid a ticket, or because it is required by law and more likely to say they used belts for situational reasons. US drivers were least likely to be in favor of belt use laws. Canadian drivers reported the most experience being checked by police for belt use and were most likely to think that nonusers would be caught. US drivers in primary enforcement jurisdictions were more likely than those in secondary jurisdictions to think that drivers not using belts would be caught and more likely to say they always used belts. Results of this survey indicate that seat belt use in the United States could be increased by adoption of primary enforcement laws and highly visible enforcement programs of the type used in Canada, and that seat belt use could be increased in all countries by increasing the penalties for nonuse.