Evaluation of discrete host–parasitoid models for diamondback moth and Diadegma semiclausum field time population density series

The performance of discrete mathematical models to describe the population dynamics of diamondback moth (DBM) (Plutella xylostella L.) and its parasitoid Diadegma semiclausum was investigated. The parameter values for several well-known models (Nicholson–Bailey, Hassell and Varley, Beddington, Free and Lawton, May, Holling type 2, 3 and Getz and Mills functional responses) were estimated. The models were tested on 20 consecutive sets of time series data collected at 14 days interval for pest and parasitoid populations obtained from a highland cabbage growing area in eastern Kenya. Model parameters were estimated from minimized squared difference between the numerical solution of the model equations and the empirical data using Powell's method. Maximum calculated DBM growth rates varied between 0.02 and 0.07. The carrying capacity determined at 16.5 DBM/plant by the Beddington et al. model was within the range of field data. However, all the estimated parameter values relating to the parasitoid, including the instantaneous searching rate (0.07–0.28), per capita searching efficiency (0.20–0.27), search time (5.20–5.33), handling time (0.77–0.90), and parasitism aggregation index (0.33), were well outside the range encountered empirically. All models evaluated for DBM under Durbin–Watson criteria, except the May model, were not autocorrelated with respect to residuals. In contrast, the criteria applied to the parasitoid residuals showed strong autocorrelations. Thus, these models failed to estimate parasitoid dynamics. We conclude that the interactions of the DBM with its parasitoid cannot be explained by any of the models tested. Two factors may be associated with this failure. First, the parasitoid in this integrated biological control system may not be playing a major role in regulating DBM population. Second, and perhaps more likely, poor correlations reflect gross inadequacies in the theoretical assumptions that underlie the existing models.     

Debunking the false dichotomy of leadership idealism and pragmatism: Critical evaluation and support of newer genre leadership theories

Leadership theories have shifted over the last few decades from a focus on managerial functions and economic leader–follower exchanges toward greater focus on the interpersonal dynamics occurring within the leadership process. Theories such as transformational, ethical, authentic, and other “newer genre” theories were created to address neglected topics such as leader vision and inspirational messages, transparency, emotional effects, morality, individualized attention, and intellectual stimulation. Critiques of these theories, however, have been raised. In this paper, we address five of those critiques and argue for the validity and practical effectiveness of the new genre theories. Further, we describe how newer genre leadership research should be viewed as a performative epistemology, entailing a process of co‐creation involving scholars and practitioners. Finally, from this view, we provide general ideas for leader development. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non-UV based germicidal activity of metal-doped TiO2 coating on solid surfaces

A stain-based screening method was developed to screen different catalyst coatings for their germicidal activity. A Baclight dead/live bacteria viability kit （invitrogen, molecular probes） was used for staining the cell. The screening was carried out following a standard procedure. This included loading cell suspension to solid surface and maintaining contact for 30 min, then staining with a mixture containing dyes. The stained cells were observed using an epifluorescent microscope and photographed with a CCD camera under UV. Metal-doped TiO2 coatings on AI plates were prepared and tested for non-UV germicidal activity without using UV. It was tested using model microorganisms such as Bakers Yeast （Saccharomyces cerevisiae）, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas putida, and Escherichia coli. On the basis of the germicidal activity of catalyst and the degree of damage caused to the cells, the stained cells may appear green （viable）, green with red or yellow nuclei and yellow （compromised） or red （nonviable）. According to their stained color, cells were counted to calculate the percentage of dead, live, and compromised cells. Compromised cells are cells that grow very slowly after reculturing indicating a degree of reversible cell damage. Screening the germicidal activity using this staining method is accurate and efficient, and requires less time than the culture-based method. A modification to the procedure for measuring germicidal activity of rough surfaces or fibrous coatings was developed. Both TiO2 and metal-doped TiO2 （Ag, Pt, Au, Cu） possess non-UV based germicidal activity. The germicidal activity of TiO2 was found to be related with its wetting property and can be improved by UV irradiation before testing. It is not greatly affected by contact time, indicating a fast acting germicidal activity.     

Distribution and source of microplastics in China's second largest reservoir - Danjiangkou Reservoir

Fresh water microplastic pollution is of pressing concern globally, but its distribution and sources in reservoirs are poorly documented. Danjiangkou Reservoir is the second largest reservoir in China and is divided into the Han Reservoir and Dan Reservoir. In this work, microplastic abundances and morphological characteristics of the reservoir were investigated. The microplastic abundance of 15 main tributaries of the reservoir was also measured. The vertical distribution (in water column and sediment), horizontal distribution (in Han Reservoir and Dan Reservoir) and source of microplastics were analyzed. Microplastics accumulated in the middle layer of the reservoir, and the size and color of the microplastic particles changed from the surface to the bottom, which implies that surveys of surface water are not enough to determine the microplastic contamination for deep water reservoirs. In the surface water, the microplastic abundance in the Han Reservoir was lower than that in the Dan Reservoir (p < 0.05), but microplastic abundance did not differ significantly in the intermediate and bottom water. Tributaries were one of the main sources of microplastics for Han Reservoir but not for Dan Reservoir. Agricultural cultivation in the hydro-fluctuation belt might be an important source of microplastics in the Dan Reservoir, which should be given additional attention. The results of this study can provide valuable information for developing microplastic sampling strategies in deep water reservoirs. Further studies are recommended to investigate the process through which microplastics in the hydro-fluctuation belt enter the reservoir and the sinking behavior of microplastics in the reservoir.     

Modeling affective and cognitive responses to soft-target terrorism over time

Environment Systems and Decisions - There is great value in understanding the public’s reactions to terror attacks, though such reactions pose stark challenges for sound psychological...     

Quantitative assessment of post‐disaster housing recovery: a case study of Punta Gorda,Florida, after Hurricane Charley

Quantitative assessment of post‐disaster housing recovery is critical to enhancing understanding of the process and improving the decisions that shape it. Nevertheless, few comprehensive empirical evaluations of post‐disaster housing recovery have been conducted, and no standard measurement methods exist. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of housing recovery in Punta Gorda, Florida, United States, following Hurricane Charley of August 2004, including an overview of the phases of housing recovery, progression of recovery over time, alternative trajectories of recovery, differential recovery, incorporation of mitigation, and effect on property sales. The assessment is grounded in a conceptual framework that considers the recovery of both people and place, and that emphasises recovery as a process, not as an endpoint. Several data sources are integrated into the assessment—including building permits, remotely sensed imagery, and property appraiser data—and their strengths and limitations are discussed with a view to developing a standardised method for measuring and monitoring housing recovery.     

Risk perception and trust in the context of urban brownfields

Data are reported from a postal questionnaire completed by 747 residents of two urban local authority areas within which there were sites of brownfield land with significant levels of contamination. Respondents rated their perceptions of the extent to which their neighbourhood and own home were relatively vulnerable to contamination, their concern about possible effects of contamination, their satisfaction with their council in terms of consultation with residents on housing and development issues, and their trust in their council with respect to contaminated land risks. Satisfaction with, and trust in, the council was generally low in both areas, and especially so among those who perceived themselves to be more vulnerable to contamination. Nonetheless, dissatisfaction was less marked in the area where the local authority, according to background information, had pursued a more open and proactive style of risk communication and consultation with residents. The main predictors of trust, across both areas, were perceptions that the council was openly prepared to tell residents what they knew, and that the council had residents' interests at heart. Implications are discussed for the impact of different modes of risk communication on trust.     

In situ rates of body growth and palp regeneration of a spionid polychaete following simulated sublethal predation

Sublethal predation can be a significant trophic pathway in sediment communities, and the regeneration of damaged tissue affects the activity, growth, and reproduction of prey. A field experiment was conducted 12–18 July 2010 in the Tijuana Estuary, California (+32.56617°, −117.13152°), to measure in situ rates of body growth and palp regeneration of the polychaete Polydora cornuta after simulating sublethal predation by removing 2, 1, or 0 palps from labeled individuals. After 3 days in the field, individuals that had 2 palps removed grew significantly slower than worms that had 0 palps removed; 1-palp worms had intermediate growth. After 6 days in the field, rates of body growth were faster than those of worms recovered after 3 days, with similar trends among the three palp treatments. During the 3-day transplantation, removed palps regenerated to half the initial length of unmanipulated palps. After 6 days, palp lengths did not differ significantly among treatment groups, indicating complete regeneration. The regeneration rate of removed palps was significantly faster than the growth rate of undamaged palps, and palp regeneration rate did not differ significantly between worms that had 1 or 2 palps removed.     

Business recovery: an assessment framework

This paper presents a Business Recovery Assessment Framework (BRAF) to help researchers and practitioners design robust, repeatable, and comparable studies of business recovery in various post‐disruption contexts. Studies assessing business recovery without adequately considering the research aims, recovery definitions, and indicators can produce misleading findings. The BRAF is composed of a series of steps that guide the decisions that researchers need to make to ensure: (i) that recovery is indeed being measured; (ii) that the indicators of recovery that are selected align with the objectives of the study and the definition of recovery; and, where necessary, (iii) that appropriate comparative control variables are in place. The paper draws on a large dataset of business surveys collected following the earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 to demonstrate the varied conclusions that different recovery indicators can produce and to justify the need for a systematic approach to business recovery assessments.