The use of the tergal gland defensive secretion in male intrasexual aggression of the rove beetle,Aleochara curtula (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), measured by closed-loop-stripping-analyses and tandem bioassay — mass fragmentography

Summary 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone as a target compound of the tergal gland secretion of the rove beetle,Aleochara curtula, was quantified from the reservoirs of individual beetles. Males store less secretion than females, and they evaporate more of the secretion as measured by adsorption from the air (closed-loop-stripping-analysis). The amount of emitted quinone is increased during aggressive interactions of rival males. The pulsed emission of the secretion during aggression is demonstrated by a novel technique combining observation of behavior with the on-line measurement of target fragment ions by mass-spectrometry (tandem bioassay — mass fragmentography). The emission of the secretion is used as a weapon in combats between males and may result in the repulsion of subordinate males from the mating site, but may also serve to mimic females chemically in order to avoid aggressive encounters.     

Ein Indikator für den Einsatz gef?hrlicher Stoffe in Produkten und Prozessen: Monoethylenglykol-?quivalente

Zusammenfassung  Zur Quantifizierung des Gefahrstoffeinsatzes in der Produktion ist im Rahmen der integrierten ?kologischen Bewertung des ?ko-Institutes (EcoGrade) eine eigene Methodik entwickelt worden. Indikator für den Gefahrstoffeinsatz sind Monoethylenglykol (‘MEG’)-?quivalente. Sie erm?glichen einen direkten, schadstoffbezogenen Prozess- und Produktvergleich (Bunke 2001). Die Bewertung basiert auf den R-S?tzen (Gefahrenhinweise) der Inhaltsstoffe. Die Methodik der MEG-?quivalente stellt eine Weiterentwicklung und Anwendung des Wirkfaktorenmodells der Technischen Regel für Gefahrstoffe (TRGS) 440 dar (AGS 2001). Die zur Bewertung erforderlichen Daten sind im Unternehmen vorhanden (Sicherheitsdatenbl?tter) bzw. ?ffentlich leicht zug?nglich (Gefahrstoffdatenbanken). Die Bilanzierung von Gefahrstoffen mit Hilfe der hier vorgestellten Methode erm?glicht es auch, in ?kobilanziellen Untersuchungen systematisch den Gefahrstoffeinsatz zu berücksichtigen. Die Methodik ist am Beispiel von Wohngeb?uden erprobt worden. Anmerkung: Als Gefahrstoffe, Schadstoffe, gef?hrliche Inhaltsstoffe bzw. gef?hrliche Stoffe werden in dieser Arbeit solche Stoffe definiert, die eines der Gef?hrlichkeitsmerkmale nach § 3 Chemikaliengesetz besitzen. OnlineFirst: 19. 12. 2001     

Competing TCE and cis-DCE degradation kinetics by zero-valent iron-experimental results and numerical simulation

The successful dechlorination of mixtures of chlorinated hydrocarbons with zero-valent metals requires information concerning the kinetics of simultaneous degradation of different contaminants. This includes intraspecies competitive effects (loading of the reactive iron surface by a single contaminant) as well as interspecies competition of several contaminants for the reactive sites available. In columns packed with zero-valent iron, the degradation behaviour of trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-dichloroethylene (DCE) and mixtures of both was measured in order to investigate interspecies competition. Although a decreasing rate of dechlorination is to be expected, when several degradable substances compete for the reactive sites on the iron surface, TCE degradation is nearly unaffected by the presence of cis-DCE. In contrast, cis-DCE degradation rates decrease significantly when TCE is added. A new modelling approach is developed in order to identify and quantify the observed competitive effects. The numerical model TBC (Transport, Biochemistry and Chemistry, Sch?fer et al., 1998a) is used to describe adsorption, desorption and dechlorination in a mechanistic way. Adsorption and degradation of a contaminant based on a limited number of reactive sites leads to a combined zero- and first-order degradation kinetics for high and low concentrations, respectively. The adsorption of several contaminants with different sorption parameters to a limited reactive surface causes interspecies competition. The reaction scheme and the parameters required are successfully transferred from Arnold and Roberts (2000b) to the model TBC. The degradation behaviour of the mixed contamination observed in the column experiments can be related to the adsorption properties of TCE and cis-DCE. By predicting the degradation of the single substances TCE and cis-DCE as well as mixtures of both, the calibrated model is used to investigate the effects of interspecies competition on the design of permeable reactive iron barriers. Even if TCE is present in only small concentrations (>3% of molar cis-DCE concentration) it is the contaminant limiting the residence time and the required thickness of the iron barrier.     

The place and role of (moral) anger in organizational behavior studies

The aim of this article is to conceptually delineate moral anger from other related constructs. Drawing upon social functional accounts of anger, we contend that distilling the finer nuances of morally motivated anger and its expression can increase the precision with which we examine prosocial forms of anger (e.g., redressing injustice), in general, and moral anger, in particular. Without this differentiation, we assert that (i) moral anger remains theoretically elusive, (ii) that this thwarts our ability to methodologically capture the unique variance moral anger can explain in important work outcomes, and that (iii) this can promote ill‐informed organizational policies and practice. We offer a four‐factor definition of moral anger and demonstrate the utility of this characterization as a distinct construct with application for workplace phenomena such as, but not limited to, whistle‐blowing. Next, we outline a future research agenda, including how to operationalize the construct and address issues of construct, discriminant, and convergent validity. Finally, we argue for greater appreciation of anger's prosocial functions and concomitant understanding that many anger displays can be justified and lack harmful intent. If allowed and addressed with interest and concern, these emotional displays can lead to improved organizational practice. © 2015 The Authors Journal of Organizational Behavior Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

The role of phosphorus in the metabolism of arsenate by a freshwater green alga, Chlorella vulgaris

A freshwater microalga, Chlorella vulgaris, was grown in the presence of varying phosphate concentrations( 10–500 μg/L P) and environmentally realistic concentrations of arsenate(As(Ⅴ))(5–50 μg/L As). Arsenic speciation in the culture medium and total cellular arsenic were measured using AEC-ICP-MS and ICP-DRC-MS, respectively, to determine arsenic biotransformation and uptake in the various phosphorus scenarios. At high phosphate concentration in the culture medium, 100 μg/L P, the uptake and biotransformation of As(Ⅴ) was minimal and dimethylarsonate(DMAs(Ⅴ)) was the dominant metabolite excreted by C. vulgaris, albeit at relatively low concentrations. At common environmental P concentrations, 0–50 μg/L P, the uptake and biotransformation of As(Ⅴ) increased. At these higher As-uptake levels, arsenite(As(Ⅲ)) was the predominant metabolite excreted from the cell. The concentrations of As(Ⅲ) in these low P conditions were much higher than the concentrations of methylated arsenicals observed at the various P concentrations studied. The switchover threshold between the(small) methylation and(large) reduction of As(Ⅴ) occurred around a cellular As concentration of 1 fg/cell. The observed nearly quantitative conversion of As(Ⅴ) to As(Ⅲ) under low phosphate conditions indicates the importance of As(Ⅴ) bio-reduction at common freshwater P concentrations. These findings on the influence of phosphorus on arsenic uptake, accumulation and excretion are discussed in relation to previously published research. The impact that the two scenarios of As(Ⅴ) metabolism, As(Ⅲ) excretion at high As(Ⅴ)-uptake and methylarsenical excretion at low As(Ⅴ)-uptake, have on freshwater arsenic speciation is discussed.     

Patient demands,lack of reciprocity,and burnout: a five‐year longitudinal study among general practitioners

This study among a sample of 207 general practitioners (GPs) uses a five‐year longitudinal design to test a process model of burnout. On the basis of social exchange and equity theory, it is hypothesized and found that demanding patient contacts produce a lack of reciprocity in the GP–patient relationship, which, in turn, depletes GPs' emotional resources and initiates the burnout syndrome. More specifically, structural equation analyses confirmed that—both at T1 and T2—lack of reciprocity mediates the impact of patient demands on emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion, in turn, evokes negative attitudes toward patients (depersonalization), and toward oneself in relation to the job (reduced personal accomplishment). Moreover, this process model of burnout was confirmed at T2, even after controlling for T1‐scores on each of the model components. Finally, T1 depersonalization predicted the intensity and frequency of T2 patient demands, after controlling for T1 patient demands. This major finding suggests that GPs who attempt to gain emotional distance from their patients as a way of coping with their exhaustion, evoke demanding and threatening patient behaviors themselves. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution, radiation and chemotaxonomy of Lamellodysidea, a demosponge genus with anti-plasmodial metabolites

Sponges of the family Dysideidae (Dictyoceratida) are renowned for their diversity of secondary metabolites, and its genus Lamellodysidea, particularly Lamellodysidea herbacea, is the most studied taxon biochemically. Despite its importance, the taxonomic status of L. herbacea—whether it is a distinct species or a species complex—has never been assessed. Recent biochemical profiling revealed anti-plasmodial activity of brominated compounds in Lamellodysidea of the Pacific. Here, we present a comparative chemotaxonomic and molecular analysis of selected Dysideidae from the Pacific and the Indian Ocean (New Caledonia, Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Mayotte, Guam, Palau). We investigated the phylogenetic relationships between the populations and assessed their bioactive (PBDE) compounds in order to unravel the taxonomic status of this commercially important group of sponges and assessed patterns of dispersal and biochemical variation. The molecular phylogeny was based on the internal transcribed ribosomal spacer and compared against a PBDE phylogeny for several specimens. Molecular data revealed a diversity of Indo-Pacific L. herbacea populations, also reflected by different PBDE compound profiles. Molecular and biochemical data also revealed a Lamellodysidea species new to science. Several specimens misidentified as Lamellodysidea were detected based on their position on different clades in the molecular phylogeny and their production of different halogenated compounds (brominated vs. chlorinated). The direct comparison of molecular and biochemical data also provided evidence for the occurrence of a host switch event and support for the theory that abiotic factors, such as sedimentation, affect the chemical constituents produced in L. herbacea.     

ICT applications in the research into environmental sustainability: a user preferences approach

Whether information and communication technology (ICT) constitutes a threat or a cure to environment??s deterioration is controversially discussed. Empirical evidence on the impacts of ICT is rare, so that generalizable lessons can hardly be drawn. This study provides empirical results on the role of ICT in research for environmental sustainability, but instead of ascertaining the impact of ICT on environmental protection, we conduct an analysis of the use of ICT in sustainability research. We assess the preferences of experts in different thematic sustainability fields for applying ICT tools, and we investigate ways to improve the application of these tools in order to augment their returns with respect to environmental protection research. This analysis is based on a set of surveys that were administered to international experts to evaluate the importance of ICT in environmental sustainability research and the research demands in key environmental sectors, such as climate change, natural resources, energy and biodiversity. The methodological framework is built on the analysis of users?? preferences for future developments in ICT tools using stated preferences techniques. Overall results suggest that ICT tools need to be developed in specific contexts, taking into account users?? needs and expectations. Our analysis shows that the use of ICT in environmental research is of great importance in the scientific community, but it can also play a crucial role in the policy context.