Parent cultural control through organizational acculturation: HCN employees learning new work values in foreign business subsidiaries

Local employees in foreign business subsidiaries could learn new work values from the parent organizational culture through a process of organizational acculturation. As this is a new concept in academic research, it is important to explore organizational acculturation and its ramifications, especially since it may be used as a strategy of cultural control applied by the parent organization. Following a discussion of the theoretical foundation of this concept, the consequences of organizational acculturation are exemplified by an investigation of middle managers in Singapore. The study was undertaken in two stages. The first stage included a comparison of work values of Singaporean managers, employed by Swedish companies in Singapore, and those of a control group of Singaporean managers, not employed by Swedish companies. In the second stage, work values of managers in Singapore and Sweden were compared. Our results imply that some Swedish work values had been adopted, suggesting that the local managers had experienced organizational acculturation. Practical implications and possible further research are discussed.     

Organochlorine pesticides in placenta in Kyrgyzstan and the effect on pregnancy,childbirth, and newborn health

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined by gas chromatography in 241 placentas from cotton-growing regions, 121 placentas from an urban area (city of Osh), and 146 placentas from unpolluted mountain regions of Kyrgyzstan. Manifestations of disease were recorded in the mothers during pregnancy and parturition and in their newborns during the first 6 days of life. OCPs were detected in 240 out of 508 placentas (47.2%), with increased incidence in the two polluted regions (65%), particularly in placentas from women living near former pesticide storehouses and agro air-strips (99%), but only in 2.7% of placentas from the unpolluted region. α-, β-, and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH); DDT; DDE; aldrin; and heptachlor were detected. The sum of concentrations of all OCPs (total OCPs) was calculated for each of the 240 placentas with detectable OCPs (median 9.5 μg/kg placenta, mean 88.3 μg/kg, range 0.1–3070 μg/kg). The incidence of health problems in four subgroups of this data set, with increasing levels of total OCPs, was compared with the incidence of health problems in the group of 268 placentas, where OCPs were undetectable. Relative risk of health problems in both, mothers and newborns, increased significantly, in a concentration-dependent manner, with increasing levels of total OCPs (p?<?0.0001). Health complications with increased incidence in OCP-exposed newborns included, i.a., low birth weight, congenital malformations, infections, and stillbirths, in OCP-exposed mothers preterm delivery, (pre-)eclampsia/gestosis, and frequency of hospitalizations after delivery (infections). Women living near former pesticide storehouses and agro airstrips should be considered as being at risk. Reduction of exposure is urgently needed.     

Official control of plant protection products in Poland: detection of illegal products

Market presence of illegal and counterfeit pesticides is now a global problem. According to data published in 2012 by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), illegal products represent over 10% of the global market of plant protection products. Financial benefits are the main reason for the prevalence of this practice. Counterfeit and illegal pesticides may contain substances that may pose a threat to the environment, crops, animals, and humans, inconsistent with the label and registration dossier. In Poland, action against illegal and counterfeit plant protection products is undertaken by the Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection (PIORiN), the police, the prosecution, and the pesticide producers. Results of chemical analyses carried out by the Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute So?nicowice Branch, Pesticide Quality Testing Laboratory (PQTL IPP-NRI Sosnicowice Branch) indicate that a majority of illegal pesticides in Poland are detected in the group of herbicides. Products from parallel trade tend to have the most irregularities. This article describes the official quality control system of plant protection products in Poland and presents the analytical methods for testing pesticides suspected of adulteration and recent test results.     

The use of leeches and logit log-linear contingency models to assess and monitor aquatic PCB contamination originating from mid-Canada radar line site 050

Abandoned military sites in northern North America are relics of the Cold War and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the late 1990s, the Canadian federal and provincial governments began the cleanup of the mid-Canada radar line in Ontario, Canada. The first site to be remediated was Site 050 (Fort Albany First Nation) in 2001; however, the community remains concerned that contaminants may have moved prior to, during, and after remediation into the Albany River directly adjacent to Site 050. Thus, the Albany River was monitored (1999, 2001, 2002) during the remediation process to determine if the cleanup itself further contaminated the aquatic compartment, using leeches (Haemopis spp.) as bioindicators. Few organochlorines were found in leeches at levels higher than the detection limit, aside from PCBs. Leech data from the present study indicated that PCB levels were significantly higher near Site 050 than the control site upstream, indicating point source contamination from Site 050. The temporal trend in leech contaminant data indicated an increase in PCB contaminant load from 1999 (pre-remediation) to 2001 (immediately post-remediation), but this difference was not statistically significant due to high variances. Nevertheless, logit log-linear contingency modeling did reveal that immediately after cleanup (2001), contaminants (CBs 99, 118, 128, 156, 170, 183) in leeches were detected significantly more frequent than expected. When taken together, leech body burden and frequency of detection data suggest that the remediation process itself further contaminated the aquatic environment, if only temporarily. Lastly, the removal of the terrestrial source of PCBs during remediation did remove the source of aquatic contaminants in that body burden of contaminants in leeches were significantly lower a year after cleanup.     

Field Validation of a Conservation Network on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,USA, Using Breeding Birds as Bio-Indicators

Maryland’s Green Infrastructure (GI) is a network of large, intact natural areas (hubs), interconnected by linear swaths of riparian or upland vegetation (corridors). The GI serves significant ecological functions and provides the bulk of the state’s natural support system. This study examined whether the GI as mapped does, in fact, identify Maryland’s most ecologically valuable forested lands, using forest interior dwelling birds (hereafter called “forest birds”) as bio-indicators. We conducted bird point counts within forest both inside and outside of hubs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We also collected a wide variety of habitat data. We found that both the condition of a forest and its surrounding landscape influenced the bird communities. On average, forest bird richness was significantly higher within hubs; furthermore, almost all sites with at least five forest bird species present were in hubs. Forest bird richness and abundance were highest in undisturbed, mature broadleaf forest with wetlands and streams nearby. We detected a significant relationship between forest bird richness and the ecological score of a finer-scale landscape assessment, focused on “cells” of about 0.1 ha in size. This field study also validated the Rapid Field Assessment (RFA) protocol developed in 2001 to assess, on the ground, the relative condition of individual sites or properties within the GI. Forest bird richness and abundance were positively correlated with the RFA community scores. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining regional biological diversity by retaining large blocks of forest, especially mature forest containing streams and wetlands.     

Oxidative DNA damage levels and catalase activity in the clam Ruditapes decussatus as pollution biomarkers of Tunisian marine environment

Levels of the oxidative DNA damage 7, 8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and catalase (CAT) activity were measured in the digestive gland and gills of clams Ruditapes decussatus, related to the presence of pollutants along Tunisian marine environment. Increased levels of CAT were observed in tissues of clams from all the sites studied, compared to control values, and elevated 8-oxodG levels were observed at specific sites. Results obtained in this work indicate that the measurement of 8-oxodG levels and CAT activity in tissues of R. decussatus is promising in pollution monitoring studies of the Tunisian marine environment.     

Assessment of in situ biodegradation of monochlorobenzene in contaminated groundwater treated in a constructed wetland

The degradation of monochlorobenzene (MCB) was assessed in a constructed wetland treating MCB contaminated groundwater using a detailed geochemical characterisation, stable isotope composition analysis and in situ microcosm experiments. A correlation between ferrous iron mobilisation, decreasing MCB concentration and enrichment in carbon isotope composition was visible at increasing distance from the inflow point, indicating biodegradation of MCB in the wetland. Additionally, in situ microcosm systems loaded with 13C-labelled MCB were deployed for the first time in sediments to investigate the biotransformation of MCB. Incorporation of 13C-labelled carbon derived from the MCB into bacterial fatty acids substantiated in situ degradation of MCB. The detection of 13C-labelled benzene indicated reductive dehalogenation of MCB. This integrated approach indicated the natural attenuation of the MCB in a wetland system. Further investigations are required to document and optimise the in situ biodegradation of MCB in constructed and natural wetland systems treating contaminated groundwater.     

Passive vapor monitoring of underground storage tanks for leak detection

Passive vapor monitoring of underground storage tanks (USTs) containing volatile hydrocarbons at locations external to the tank (an external system) is touted as a fast and effective method of leak detection. However, major gaps remain in our knowledge of the physical processes that relate a measured vapor concentration to the leak rate, thus making network design according to a quantitative design criterion nearly impossible, and differentiation between surface spills and a leaking UST requires certain levels of sophistication in the leak detection system and in the analysis that are not usually available. Heavier-than-air vapors from the constituents of stored hydrocarbons could result in a density-driven convective propagation component that complicates the design of leak detection systems, and finally, detection times are highly sensitive to concentration detection threshold levels set by the system. The use of inadequate systems and analyses can lead to either wasted efforts or excessive subsurface contamination. This paper discusses the physical processes involved, explores the above aspects of external passive vapor leak detection design, and suggests some alternatives as they pertain to gasoline service stations.     

Trend, seasonal and multivariate modelling study of wet precipitation data from the Austrian Monitoring Network (1990-1997)

The aim of the present study was to analyse the data structure of a large data set from rainwater samples collected during a long-term interval (1990-1997) by the Austrian Precipitation Monitoring Network. Eleven sampling sites from the network were chosen as data sources (chemical concentrations of major ions only) covering various location characteristics (height above sea level, rural and urban sampling positions, Alpine rim and Alpine valley disposition, etc.). The analytical results were treated by the application of already classical environmetric approaches, such as linear regression analysis, time-series analysis and principal components analysis (PCA). For most of the sampling sites, a distinct trend of acidity decrease of the wet precipitation was observed. An overall decrease in sulfate concentration for the whole period and all sites of 3.9% year(-1) (2.0 muequiv. L(-1) year(-1)) was found. The free acidity decrease for most of the sites was between 3.5 and 10.9% year(-1). No significant linear trends were found for nitrate. Base cations either decreased (mean percentage decrease for calcium was 5.4% year(-1) and for magnesium 4.4% year(-1)) or did not show any significant change (sodium, potassium). The overall decrease in ammonium concentration was 2.3% year(-1). Further, some typical "rural" (summer minima and winter maxima) and "urban" (winter minima and spring maxima) seasonal behaviour for the majority of the sites in consideration could be defined, indicating the influence of local emission sources. Several latent factors, named "anthropogenic", "crustal" and "mixed salt", were revealed by the multivariate modelling procedure (PCA) possessing a similar structure for most of the sites. The unavoidable exceptions observed were indications of the influence of sporadic local events (construction and agricultural activities, secondary emission sources, etc.), and an effort was made to explain these exceptions.