Social norms and illicit behavior: an evolutionary model of compliance

Economists have viewed the presence of externalities and other market failures as leading to a private equilibrium that would not be Pareto optimal. In the exploitation of common-pool resources, especially biological resources, this would lead to the much-discussed 'tragedy of the commons'. A challenge to this traditional view has emerged from a careful study of the theory and practice of the exploitation of common-pool resources. The existence of a social norm may provide an individual with information on the extent of external costs associated with a behavior, and thus provides an imperfect means of internalizing the external costs. In this paper we propose an evolutionary model of compliance that allows for the existence of a social norm. The impact of the social norm on public policy towards externalities is examined.     

Nutrient and trace elements in soil and desert vegetation of southern Idaho

Concentrations of thirty elements were measured in strong-acid extracts of soil, sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp.) leaves and perennial grass from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and two reference sites in southern Idaho. A bicarbonate-chelating extract of soil was used to estimate plant-available concentrations. The results provide baseline data prior to start-up of a coal-fired steam generation facility on the INEL and other developments in the region. In addition, existing impact from effluents from thirty years of a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility on the INEL was evaluated. Based on the spatial distribution of element concentrations, as well as comparison with references sites, we conclude that concentrations of Zn, and perhaps Ni, Cd, and V, are currently elevated around the fuel reprocessing facility. The spatial distribution of these elements is similar to that of ¹³⁷Cs in soil, a radionuclide which is emitted by the facility. Sagebrush and soil appear more responsive than perennial grass for long-term monitoring of element concentrations in this semi-arid environment.     

Epidemiology of alcohol and other drug use among motor vehicle crash victims admitted to a trauma center

The objectives of this research were to (1) determine the incidence and prevalence of alcohol and other drug use among motor vehicle crash (MVC) victims admitted to a regional Level-I trauma center, and (2) to examine the utility of using a rapid point-of-collection (POC) drug-testing device to identify MVC patients with drug involvement. Blood and urine specimens were routinely collected per clinical protocol for each MVC victim at the time of admission. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels were determined per standard clinical protocol. Clinical urine specimens were routinely split so that a POC drug-testing device for the detection of commonly abused drugs (Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Methamphetamines, and Opiates) could be compared to that of the standard hospital laboratory analysis of each urine specimen (which also included Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines). In the six-month period of this study, nearly two-thirds of trauma center admissions were victims of motor vehicle crashes. During this time, blood and urine was collected from 322 MVC victims. Toxicology results indicated that 59.3% of MVC victims tested positive for either commonly abused drugs or alcohol. More patients tested positive for drug use than tested positive for alcohol, with 33.5% testing positive for drug use only, 15.8% testing positive for alcohol use only, and 9.9% testing positive for both drugs and alcohol. Less than half (45.2%) of the substance-abusing patients in this study would have been identified by an alcohol test alone. After alcohol, marijuana and benzodiazepines were the most frequently detected drugs. Point of collection (POC) test results correlated well with laboratory results and provide important information to initiate rapid intervention/treatment for substance use problems among injured patients.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis of organic phosphorus in swine manure and soil

Organic phosphorus (Po) exists in many chemical forms that differ in their susceptibility to hydrolysis and, therefore, bioavailability to plants and microorganisms. Identification and quantification of these forms may significantly contribute to effective agricultural P management. Phosphatases catalyze reactions that release orthophosphate (Pi) from Po compounds. Alkaline phosphatase in tris-HCl buffer (pH 9.0), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) phytase in potassium acetate buffer (pH 5.0), and nuclease P1 in potassium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) can be used to classify and quantify Po in animal manure. Background error associated with different pH and buffer systems is observed. In this study, we improved the enzymatic hydrolysis approach and tested its applicability for investigating Po in soils, recognizing that soil and manure differ in numerous physicochemical properties. We applied (i) acid phosphatase from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), (ii) acid phosphatases from both potato and wheat germ, and (iii) both enzymes plus nuclease P1 to identify and quantify simple labile monoester P, phytate (myo-inositol hexakis phosphate)-like P, and DNA-like P, respectively, in a single pH/buffer system (100 mM sodium acetate, pH 5.0). This hydrolysis procedure released Po in sequentially extracted H2O, NaHCO3, and NaOH fractions of swine (Sus scrofa) manure, and of three sandy loam soils. Further refinement of the approach may provide a universal tool for evaluating hydrolyzable Po from a wide range of sources.     

Phosphorus distribution in dairy manures

The chemical composition of manure P is a key factor determining its potential bioavailability and susceptibility to runoff. The distribution of P forms in 13 dairy manures was investigated with sequential fractionation coupled with orthophosphate-releasing enzymatic hydrolysis. Among the 13 dairy manures, manure total P varied between 4100 and 18,300 mg kg(-1) dry matter (DM). Water-extractable P was the largest fraction, with inorganic phosphorus (P(i)) accounting for 12 to 44% of manure total P (1400-6800 mg kg(-1)) and organic phosphorus (P(o)) for 2 to 23% (130-1660 mg kg(-1)), respectively. In the NaHCO(3) fraction, P(i) varied between 740 and 4200 mg P kg(-1) DM (4-44% of total manure P), and P(o) varied between 340 and 1550 mg P kg(-1) DM (2-27% of total manure P). In the NaOH fraction, P(i) fluctuated around 200 mg P kg(-1) DM, and P(o) ranged from 130 to 630 mg P kg(-1) DM. Of the enzymatically hydrolyzable P(o) in the three fractions, phytate-like P dominated, measuring 26 to 605 mg kg(-1) DM, whereas monoester P and DNA-like P were relatively low and less variable. Although concentrations of various P forms varied considerably, significant correlations between manure total P and certain P forms were observed. For example, H(2)O-extracted P(i) was correlated with total manure P (R(2) = 0.62), and so was NaOH-extracted P(o) (R(2) = 0.81). Data also show that the amount of P released by a single extraction with sodium acetate (100 mM, pH 5.0) was equivalent to the sum of P in all three fractions (H(2)O-, NaHCO(3)-, and NaOH-extractable P). Thus, a single extraction by sodium acetate buffer could provide an efficient evaluation of plant-available P in animal manure, while the sequential fractionation approach provides more detailed characterization of manure P.     

Scale-dependence of land use effects on water quality of streams in agricultural catchments

The influence of land use on water quality in streams is scale-dependent and varies in time and space. In this study, land cover patterns and stocking rates were used as measures of agricultural development in two pasture and one native grassland catchment in New Zealand and were related to water quality in streams of various orders. The amount of pasture per subcatchment correlated well to total nitrogen and nitrate in one catchment and turbidity and total phosphorous in the other catchment. Stocking rates were only correlated to total phosphorous in one pasture catchment but showed stronger correlations to ammonium, total phosphorous and total nitrogen in the other pasture catchment. Winter and spring floods were significant sources of nutrients and faecal coliforms from one of the pasture catchments into a wetland complex. Nutrient and faecal coliform concentrations were better predicted by pastural land cover in fourth-order than in second-order streams. This suggests that upstream land use is more influential in larger streams, while local land use and other factors may be more important in smaller streams. These temporal and spatial scale effects indicate that water-monitoring schemes need to be scale-sensitive.     

Water striders (family Gerridae): mercury sentinels in small freshwater ecosystems

To circumvent some of the previous limitations associated with contaminant-monitoring programs, we tested the suitability of the water strider (Hemiptera: Gerridae) as a mercury sentinel by comparing total mercury concentrations in water striders and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from a variety of stream sites in New Brunswick, Canada. There was a strong association between the two variables across sites (r(2)=0.81, P<0.001) in systems where both atmospheric deposition and a point source (an abandoned gold mine) were likely contributing to ambient mercury levels. In a small stream draining the gold mine tailings pile, water striders had mercury concentrations an order of magnitude higher than those from reference locations. Temporal variation at three southern New Brunswick stream sites was non-significant. These results suggest that water strider mercury levels accurately quantify food chain entry of the element. The use of sentinel species holds great potential for expanding contaminant-monitoring programs.     

The confounding role of personality and trait affectivity in the relationship between job and life satisfaction

Previous research has demonstrated a strong positive relationship between job and life satisfaction. Traditionally, this relationship has been explained in terms of a spillover model, wherein job experiences spill over onto life, and vice versa. This study directly tests a different explanation for this relationship: personality traits that influence both job and life satisfaction. In a longitudinal test with multisource data, three typologies, which were shown by past research to be linked to both job and life satisfaction, were examined: Big Five, positive and negative affectivity, and core self‐evaluations. One hundred and fifty‐three university employees working in a diverse set of occupations were surveyed twice, with a six month time interval; the first survey also included a second questionnaire to be completed by a ‘significant other.’ Analyses of concurrent and prospective zero‐order and partial correlations, as well as structural equation modeling, supported the hypothesized confounding role of all three typologies, especially core self‐evaluations. Though controlling for personality reduced the magnitude of the job–life satisfaction relationship, it did not entirely eliminate it. Overall, the results suggest the presence of both dispositional and environmental factors in job and life satisfaction. Finally, implications for organizational practice and theory development are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Linking community and national park development: A case from the Dominican Republic

National parks have complex relationships with local communities that impact both conservation success and community well-being. Integrated conservation and development projects have been a key approach to managing these relationships, although their effectiveness has been increasingly questioned. Park-people relationships of the Armando Bermudez National Park in the Dominican Republic were studied, focusing on forests, aquatic resources, community well-being and development, and ecotourism. The park, established in 1956, is well respected by the community, based on its long history and its role in protecting water resources that are critical to the community. However, management of riparian vegetation and local fisheries present challenges in terms of finding a balance between conservation and development. Hiking and trekking opportunities attract both national and international tourists to the park, and community members benefit from employment as tour guides and providing mule rentals. At the same time, tourism activities also present continuing challenges related to: (1) the distribution of tourism benefits between local people and outsiders, and within the local community, (2) maintaining the local economic benefits of tourism while protecting park resources, and (3) developing park- or conservation-related economic opportunities to complement tourism. The results highlight the need to develop site-specific strategies to manage park-people relationships through interdisciplinary analysis.