The interactive effects of conscientiousness,openness to experience,and political skill on job performance in complex jobs: The importance of context

Caveats concerning the ability of personality to predict job performance have been raised because of seemingly modest criterion‐related validity. The goal of the present research was to test whether narrowing the context via the type of job (i.e., jobs with complex task demands) and adding a social skill‐related moderator (i.e., political skill) would improve performance prediction. Further, along with political skill, the broad factor of personality demonstrated in prior research to have the strongest criterion validity (i.e., conscientiousness) was joined with a narrow construct closely related to openness to experience (i.e., learning approach) in a three‐way interactive prediction of supervisor‐rated task performance. With the employee–supervisor dyads among professionals, but not with the control group of non‐professional employees, task performance was predicted by the three‐way interaction, such that those high on all three received the highest performance ratings. Implications, strengths and limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reduction of Baltic Sea Nutrient Inputs and Allocation of Abatement Costs Within the Baltic Sea Catchment

The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) requires tools to simulate effects and costs of various nutrient abatement strategies. Hierarchically connected databases and models of the entire catchment have been created to allow decision makers to view scenarios via the decision support system NEST. Increased intensity in agriculture in transient countries would result in increased nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea, particularly from Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia. Nutrient retentions are high, which means that the nutrient reduction goals of 135 000 tons N and 15 000 tons P, as formulated in the BSAP from 2007, correspond to a reduction in nutrient loadings to watersheds by 675 000 tons N and 158 000 tons P. A cost-minimization model was used to allocate nutrient reductions to measures and countries where the costs for reducing loads are low. The minimum annual cost to meet BSAP basin targets is estimated to 4.7 billion €.     

Technical Aspects of Lime/Limestone Scrubbers for Coal-Fired Power Plants

This is the conclusion of a 2-part article dealing with the technical aspects of lime/limestone scrubbers for coal-fired power plants, it covers instrumentation, participate removal and sludge disposal. Part I (June JAPCA) covered process chemistry and scrubber systems     

Innovations in the water chain – experiences in The Netherlands

Innovations in water chain are discussed based on experiences in the Netherlands. The available and new technological options, as well as their dissemination in the Netherlands, are presented for the prevailing system with add-on technologies (elongation), and for the emerging separation system with technologies at the source. Numerous new options are available for both systems but these options are rarely used. The low use is explained using economic theories and with practical examples from the Netherlands. In order to foster innovations, the mainstream, evolutionary, and behavioral theories pinpoint respectively the pricing of common goods, broad support of concerted action, and support for innovators’ entry. These actions may all be needed. Experiences with a stakeholder cluster in water management suggest that markets for high value water use invoke innovations and low-cost technology adaptations. The systematic development of services that foster high value water-based activities is recommended.     

Mobility control: How injected surfactants and biostimulants may be forced into low‐permeability units

Recovering dense nonaqueous‐phase liquid (DNAPL) remains one of the most difficult problems facing the remediation industry. Still, the most common method of recovering DNAPL is to physically remove the contaminants using common technologies such as total fluids recovery pumps, vacuum systems, and “pump‐and‐treat.” Increased DNAPL removal can be attained using surfactants to mobilize and/or solubilize the pollutants. However, very little is understood of the methods developed by petroleum engineers beginning in the 1960s to overcome by‐passed, low‐permeability zones in heterogeneous oil reservoirs. By injecting or causing the formation of viscous fluids in the subsurface, petroleum engineers caused increased in‐situ pressures that forced fluid flow into low permeability units as well as the higher permeability thief zones. Polymer flooding involves injecting a viscous aqueous polymer solution into the contaminated aquifer. Foam flooding involves injecting surfactant to decontaminate the high‐permeability zones and then periodic pulses of air to cause a temporary viscous foam to form in the high‐permeable zones after all DNAPL is removed. Later surfactant pulses are directed by the foam into unswept low‐permeable units. These methods have been applied to DNAPL removal using surfactants but they can also be applied to the injection of bio‐amendments into low‐permeability zones still requiring continued remediation. Here we discuss the principles of mobility control as practiced in an alluvial aquifer contaminated with chlorinated solvent and coal tar DNAPLs as well as some field results. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Complications of cordocentesis in high-risk pregnancies: Effects on fetal loss or preterm delivery

Between 1990 and 1993, 166 cases underwent cordocentesis and were followed for at least the following 4 weeks in the Prenatal Diagnosis and Therapy Centre of Vienna University. The indications for the procedure were structural malformations in 46·4 per cent of the cases, other high-risk diagnoses in 48·8 per cent, and maternal age over 35 years in only 4·8 per cent. We investigated retrospectively all cases of complications resulting in fetal loss or preterm labour. Abortion, intrauterine fetal death, chorioamnionitis, and preterm delivery occurred in 0·6, 5·4, 0·6 and 9·0 per cent of these cases, respectively, adding up to a total of 26 cases (15·7 per cent). Although this rate looks relatively high, 20 of the 26 cases had already displayed signs implying a complicated prognosis. Neither maternal age, gestational age, number of attempts, nor placental location correlated with fetal loss or preterm delivery. Significantly higher rates of fetal loss or preterm delivery were observed when cordocentesis was performed in cases diagnosed as duodenal/intestinal stenosis or hydrops–ascites–hydrothroax/hygroma colli (P=0·0488 and P=0·0005). The frequency of complications did not decrease as the experience of the operators increased.     

Improved source assessment of Si, Al and related mineral components to PM10 based on a daily sampling procedure

Samples obtained from an industrialized valley in the East Alpine region were collected daily for a half year and analyzed using X-ray fluorescence to examine the elements Si,Al,Fe,Ca,Mg,Na,K,Zn,P,S and Cl.Some factors affecting the changes of these elements were considered,including time,elemental correlations,weekday,weekend and seasonal changes.Diagnostic analysis provided an insight into a decoupling behavior that occursin siliceous and carbonates minerals.A decrease in Si and Al and an increase in carbonates,Na,K,Zn and P were observed during the cold season.However,a consistently high correlation of Si and Al was observed in all seasons.It was established that such high levels originated from street surface abrasion.The increase in variability and absolute levels of carbonates during the cold season was demonstrated by adding carbonates to the street surface as gritting material to increase the grip on snowy surfaces.A marked increase in Na and Cl was observed in winter which may have been caused by thaw salt that is widely used in winter in Austria.This was associated with a significant increase in K,Zn,and P in the cold season that was the result of domestic space heating with wood.PM10 levels in December were 12 μg/m3 and were higher than levels detected in July.It was established that such high levels originated from mineral oxides,wood smoke,and inorganic ionic material(s).