Diverse migration strategies in hoopoes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Upupa epops</Emphasis>) lead to weak spatial but strong temporal connectivity

The annual cycle of migrating birds is shaped by their seasonal movements between breeding and non-breeding sites. Studying how migratory populations are linked throughout the annual cycle—migratory connectivity, is crucial to understanding the population dynamics of migrating bird species. This requires the consideration not only of spatial scales as has been the main focus to date but also of temporal scales: only when both aspects are taken into account, the degree of migratory connectivity can be properly defined. We investigated the migration behaviour of hoopoes (Upupa epops) from four breeding populations across Europe and characterised migration routes to and from the breeding grounds, location of non-breeding sites and the timing of key migration events. Migration behaviour was found to vary both within and amongst populations, and even though the spatial migratory connectivity amongst the populations was weak, temporal connectivity was strong with differences in timing amongst populations, but consistent timing within populations. The combination of diverse migration routes within populations and co-occurrence on the non-breeding grounds between populations might promote exchange between breeding populations. As a result, it might make hoopoes and other migrating bird species with similar strategies more resilient to future habitat or climatic changes and stabilise population trends.     

Juggling work and family responsibilities when involuntarily working more from home: A multiwave study of financial sales professionals

Using multiwave survey data collected among 251 financial sales professionals, we tested whether involuntarily working more from home (teleworking) was related to higher time‐based and strain‐based work‐to‐family conflict (WFC). Employees' boundary management strategy (integration vs. segmentation) and work–family balance self‐efficacy were considered as moderators of these relationships. Data were collected one month before, three months after, and 12 months after the implementation of a new cost‐saving policy that eliminated employees' access to office space in a centralized work location. The policy resulted in employees being forced to work more from home. A voluntary telework program had been in effect before the new policy, implying that working more from home as a result of the new policy was involuntary in nature. Results revealed that involuntarily working more from home was associated with higher strain‐based WFC but not higher time‐based WFC. However, moderator analyses revealed that the positive association between involuntarily working more from home and both types of WFC was significantly stronger among employees with weaker self‐efficacy in balancing work and family. Boundary management strategy had no detectable moderating effect. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fullerenes toxicity and electronic properties

Nanotechnology globally represents a new direction within scientific development, where the atomic and electronic properties of molecules are used in a unique fashion to produce and construct new and exotic materials and products. Fullerenes (Bucky balls, C₆₀) constitute a particular group within the field of nanotechnology. Fullerenes find applications in medicine, industrial chemistry and electronics. However, there are several unanswered questions about fullerenes and their toxicological properties. Most toxicological studies on fullerenes evolve around the in vitro and in vivo aspects of pristine C₆₀ along with chemically modified C₆₀ molecules. We reviewed toxicology reports on C₆₀. We bring a critical and challenging evaluation of the electronic and quantum properties of C₆₀ molecules in context with the implications on cellular factors and metabolites. The evaluation shows that the reactivity and quantum chemical properties of C₆₀ can have unexpected effects in the cell, by principally absorbing metabolites, such as OH^? and H⁺ ions and alter its reactivity. We thus challenge the present view of C₆₀ solely based on empirical studies, based on the electronic properties of C₆₀ that vary considerably with their size and reaction path. A further example of this is the absorption of divalent zinc ions, which shows an increase in reactivity of the C₆₀ that presents an important pattern of chemical state, reactivity and toxicological potential. The results evaluate the toxicological potential of C₆₀ from a different angle than conventional, by applying a blend of critical review of the findings on C₆₀ toxicity, their chemical and electronic properties.     

Dam the news: Newspapers and the Oldman River Dam project in Alberta

The Oldman River Dam is a major water control structure built by the Government of Alberta to regulate the flow of the Oldman River. Completed in 1992, the dam was the subject of intensive media coverage in Alberta, Canada. Newspaper coverage of the dam story in two Alberta papers, the CalgaryHeraldand the EdmontonJournal, was analysed for the years between 1975 and 1992. This study links coverage with events that occurred in the case, and analyses the role of the media in the case. While the media played an important role in shaping public awareness of the dam project, their influence on Government policy was mixed. In the early years of the case (1975–1980), there is evidence that the provincial Government changed its plans in response to public protests documented in media such as theHeraldand theJournal. However, after 1987, the Government came to see the media as biased, and not representative of public opinion. Consequently, their influence on policy makers was negligible. Patterns in coverage of both papers, which included wild swings from year-to-year in the number, emphasis and tone of items, can be explained with reference to inherent characteristics of the media. These include: an inability on the part of the papers to consider positive and negative aspects of issues simultaneously for any length of time, and a consequent tendency to provideeithera positiveora negative stance; simplification of very complex issues in an attempt to create accessible, newsworthy stories; rapid shifts in the tone of coverage, as attention focused on different dimensions of the issue, rather than because of new information; a focus on conflict and other sensational aspects of stories; and a tendency towards a rapid loss of interest in a story once journalistic attention shifts elsewhere.