Perceived mastery climate,felt trust,and knowledge sharing

Interpersonal trust is associated with a range of adaptive outcomes, including knowledge sharing. However, to date, our knowledge of antecedents and consequences of employees feeling trusted by supervisors in organizations remains limited. On the basis of a multisource, multiwave field study among 956 employees from 5 Norwegian organizations, we examined the predictive roles of perceived mastery climate and employee felt trust for employees' knowledge sharing. Drawing on the achievement goal theory, we develop and test a model to demonstrate that when employees perceive a mastery climate, they are more likely to feel trusted by their supervisors at both the individual and group levels. Moreover, the relationship between employees' perceptions of a mastery climate and supervisor‐rated knowledge sharing is mediated by perceptions of being trusted by the supervisor. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of our findings are discussed.     

基于卫星图像的村庄真实形态评价:一种识别欧洲完整文化景观的方法

土地由中心到边缘呈现不同分布利用方式的村庄,构成了欧洲文化景观的基本单元.然而在许多的乡村景观中,那些拥有细致结构的耕地和有树木的草场的真正前工业时代的村庄正在不断失去其原有的结构,这种遗失威胁着文化的继承和生物多样性.因此,监测景观中这样的村庄真实形态的变化范围和速度是非常重要的.随着废弃时间的增加,村庄的真实形态不断丢失,我们所要研究的是怎样的丢失程度才能够通过卫星图像定量分析和目视解译进行评价.1999年,我们在波兰东南部的Bieszczady山脉开展本研究.使用1998年的陆地卫星TM数据,利用景观元素的粒度(田地大小)和土地覆盖组成(灌木和森林的扩侵)对代表真实村庄结构形态退化不同阶段的6种类型村庄进行定量描述.我们利用历史地图勾勒出村庄的边界,并测量从前森林和空地的范围.利用卫星数据,将当前的土地利用和表示成粒度及森林的扩侵状况的土地废弃程度绘制成图.退化沿着2条变化路径发生:被废弃并且最终变成森林,或者形成集约农业.为了验证这样的结果,我们通过对原始卫星影像的目视解译,将1000km2范围内的22个其他村庄分成了4类.而后,我们收集了过去60年人口变化的历史数据.村庄真实形态的分类与人口下降速度明显相关.我们希望验证和应用这种快速评估文化景观真实形态的方法能够得到重视,尤其是在随着欧盟的扩大正在经历或者将要发生巨大变化的欧洲区域.最后,我们论证了村庄具有成为一个融合自然与社会科学的景观尺度的可能性.     

A comparison of chemical MSW compositional data between China and Denmark

Chemical waste compositions are important for municipal solid waste management, as they determine the pollution potentials from different waste strategies. A representative dataset for chemical characteristics of individual waste fractions is frequently required to assess chemical waste composition, but it is usually reported in developed countries and not in developing countries. In this study, a dataset for Chinese waste was established through careful data screening and assessment, named as CN dataset. Meanwhile, a dataset for Danish waste (DK dataset) was also summarized based on previous studies. In order to quantitatively evaluate the reliabilities of CN and DK datasets, the chemical waste compositions in four Chinese cities were estimated by utilizing both of them, respectively. It is indicated that the usage of CN datasets led to significantly lower discrepancies from the actual values based on laboratory analysis in most cases. Within the datasets, the moisture contents of food waste, paper, textiles, and plastics, the carbon content of food waste, as well as the oxygen content of plastics would induce significant divergences, which should be paid special attention when gathering the information. In addition, the fractional waste compositions in China showed similar features with other developing countries but differ significantly with developed countries. Thus the above-mentioned conclusions could also be true in other developing countries.     

Learning from incidents – A method for assessing the effectiveness of the learning cycle

This paper describes a method for assessing the effectiveness in the steps of the learning cycle: the 1st loop with reporting – analysis – decision – implementation – follow-up, and the 2nd loop on an aggregated basis. For each step, the dimensions considered the most relevant for the learning process (scope, quality, timing and information distribution) and for each dimension the most relevant aspects (e.g. completeness and detail) were defined. A method for a semi-quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of the learning cycle was developed using these dimensions and aspects and scales for rating. The method will give clear indications of areas for improvement when applied. The results of the method can also be used for correlation with other safety parameters, e.g. results from safety audits and safety climate inquiries. The method is intended to be used on a sample of the broad range of incidents normally seen in process industry companies. The method was tested on a two-year incident reporting material from six companies from various types of process industries. It was found that the method and the tools worked very well in practice. The results gave interesting insights into the effectiveness of learning from the incidents.     

A temporal trend study (1972-2008) of perfluorooctanesulfonate, perfluorohexanesulfonate, and perfluorooctanoate in pooled human milk samples from Stockholm, Sweden

The widespread presence of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) in human general populations and their slow elimination profiles have led to renewed interest in understanding the potential human neonatal exposures of perfluoroalkyls (PFAs) from consumption of human milk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA in pooled human milk samples obtained in Sweden between 1972 and 2008 (a period representing the most significant period of PFA production) and to see whether the time trend of these analytes parallels that indicated in human serum. Chemical analysis of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA was performed on pooled Swedish human milk samples from 1972 to 2008 after methodological refinements. The 20 samples which formed the 2007 pool were also analyzed individually to evaluate sample variations. Analyses were performed by HPLC-MS/MS. Due to the complexities of the human milk matrix and the requirement to accurately quantitate low pg/mL concentrations, meticulous attention must be paid to background contamination if accurate results are to be obtained. PFOS was the predominant analyte present in the pools and all three analytes showed statistically significant increasing trends from 1972 to 2000, with concentrations reaching a plateau in the 1990s. PFOA and PFOS showed statistically significant decreasing trends during 2001-2008. At the end of the study, in 2008, the measured concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA in pooled human milk were 75 pg/mL, 14 pg/mL, and 74 pg/mL, respectively. The temporal concentration trends of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA observed in human milk are parallel to those reported in the general population serum concentrations.     

Principles of microbial PAH-degradation in soil

Interest in the biodegradation mechanisms and environmental fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is motivated by their ubiquitous distribution, their low bioavailability and high persistence in soil, and their potentially deleterious effect on human health. Due to high hydrophobicity and solid-water distribution ratios, PAHs tend to interact with non-aqueous phases and soil organic matter and, as a consequence, become potentially unavailable for microbial degradation since bacteria are known to degrade chemicals only when they are dissolved in water. As the aqueous solubility of PAHs decreases almost logarithmically with increasing molecular mass, high-molecular weight PAHs ranging in size from five to seven rings are of special environmental concern. Whereas several reviews have focussed on metabolic and ecological aspects of PAH degradation, this review discusses the microbial PAH-degradation with special emphasis on both biological and physico-chemical factors influencing the biodegradation of poorly available PAHs.     

Toxicity of octameric elemental sulphur in aquatic sediments

The proportions of elemental sulphur species in sediment from a contaminated area and a reference sediment sample were compared with the acute toxicity measured in short-term toxicity tests. Octameric elemental sulphur was separated into three operationally defined fractions. Here we show that octameric elemental sulphur contributes to the acute toxicity measured by bioluminescence inhibition. Our findings show that only a small part of extractable elemental sulphur was effective during exposure to the test organisms. A firmly bound fraction of sulphur was found in a contaminated sediment. This information has to be taken into account while interpreting the acute sediment toxicity.     

Treatment-oriented characterization of dry scrubber residue from municipal solid waste incineration

 Dry scrubber residue from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) was characterized to identify critical inorganic pollutants and to suggest a conceptual treatment method. The key methods used were thermal analysis, including thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), pH_stat titration, qualitative X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), chemical equilibrium calculations, and statistics such as error propagation, principal component analysis (PCA), and empirical modeling based on factorial designs. Based on EU directives, the major inorganic pollutants Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn were found. In addition, the pH was too high. With dry scrubber residue stabilization in mind, the impact of carbonation and hydration was assessed and judged to be encouraging. In particular, chemical equilibrium calculations showed that carbonation has considerable potential to lower the pH and the availability of Pb, Zn, and Cr. The impact of carbonation on the mobility of Cd was found to be small. During carbonation, a metal-trapping calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C–A–S–H) phase is also formed. Both processes together have the potential to lead to a robust, reliable, and reasonable stabilization method for dry scrubber residue. However, to control these processes, the decisive factors need to be identified and their effects need to be quantified. Ca, Cl, Na, and K might be abundant components which would be mobile even after stabilization. Received: September 11, 2001 / Accepted: December 6, 2001     

The effectiveness of ESP (Electronic Stability Program) in reducing real life accidents

ESP (Electronic Stability Program) has recently been introduced onto the market in an effort to reduce the number and severity of loss-of-control automobile accidents. This reduction is expected to be particularly evident for accidents on roads with low friction (e.g., wet or icy conditions). This study aimed to evaluate the statistical effectiveness of ESP using data from accidents that occurred in Sweden during 2000 to 2002. To control for exposure, induced exposure methods were used, where ESP-sensitive to ESP-insensitive accidents and road conditions were matched in relation to cars equipped with and without ESP. Cars of similar, or in some cases identical, make and model were used to isolate the role of ESP. As predicted, the study showed a positive effect of ESP in circumstances where road surfaces have low friction. The overall effectiveness was 22.1 (+/-21) percent, while for accidents on wet roads, the effectiveness increased to 31.5 (+/-23.4) percent. On roads covered with ice and snow, the corresponding effectiveness was 38.2 (+/-26.1) percent. In addition, ESP was found to be effective for three different types of cars: small front-wheel drive; large front-wheel drive; and large rear-wheel drive.     

Life-cycle-assessment of the historical development of air pollution control and energy recovery in waste incineration

Incineration of municipal solid waste is a debated waste management technology. In some countries it is the main waste management option whereas in other countries it has been disregarded. The main discussion point on waste incineration is the release of air emissions from the combustion of the waste, but also the energy recovery efficiency has a large importance.The historical development of air pollution control in waste incineration was studied through life-cycle-assessment modelling of eight different air pollution control technologies. The results showed a drastic reduction in the release of air emissions and consequently a significant reduction in the potential environmental impacts of waste incineration. Improvements of a factor 0.85–174 were obtained in the different impact potentials as technology developed from no emission control at all, to the best available emission control technologies of today (2010).The importance of efficient energy recovery was studied through seven different combinations of heat and electricity recovery, which were modelled to substitute energy produced from either coal or natural gas. The best air pollution control technology was used at the incinerator. It was found that when substituting coal based energy production total net savings were obtained in both the standard and toxic impact categories. However, if the substituted energy production was based on natural gas, only the most efficient recovery options yielded net savings with respect to the standard impacts. With regards to the toxic impact categories, emissions from the waste incineration process were always larger than those from the avoided energy production based on natural gas. The results shows that the potential environmental impacts from air emissions have decreased drastically during the last 35 years and that these impacts can be partly or fully offset by recovering energy which otherwise should have been produced from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.