Environmental resource management on the Munduruku savanna

For 13 years, the Munduruku were observed living in the savanna region located in South America in the Brazilian state of Pará. The area is near the point where the states of Pará, Amazonas, and Mato Grosso join their borders, and is utilized by about 200–300 Munduruku Amerindians. Their subsistence staple is manioc (a cassava), with fruits and meat included in the diet. Gold mining by Brazilians is a disruptive element in the resource management of the savanna habitat on the rim of the Amazon Basin. Direct and indirect results of mining interference are described. A study of the manner in which the Munduruku on the Cururu River (a tributary of the Tapajós) have handled the potentially disruptive rubber tapping suggests possible ways of reversing the interference. Several courses of action are discussed.     

Coastal zone development: Mitigation,marsh creation,and decision-making

Marsh creation is currently receiving wide attention in the United States as an important tool for mitigating the impacts of development in coastal wetlands. The perception that there is no net loss in valuable coastal wetlands when development is mitigated by the creation of man-made marshes can have a substantial impact on the permitting and decision-making processes. The effective result may be the trading of natural salt marshes for man-made marshes.Techniques for marsh creation were developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers to enhance and stabilize dredge spoil materials. Most research sponsored by the Corps has been directed at determining whether these goals have been accomplished. A survey of the research indicates that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that man-made marshes function like natural salt marshes or provide the important values of natural marshes. It is necessary, therefore, for decision-makers to understand the limitations of present knowledge about man-made marshes, realistically evaluate the trade-offs involved, and relegate mitigation to its proper role in the permitting process—post facto conditions imposed on developments that clearly meet state qualifications and policies.     

Self-appraisal and perceptions of the appraisal discussion: A field experiment

Performance evaluation based on self-appraisal has been widely advocated because of its potential for increasing the effectiveness of the performance appraisal discussion. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of a formal ’both-rate‘ self appraisal (where both manager and subordinate independently complete appraisals before the discussion) on perceptions of ratee and rater behaviors and outcomes. One hundred fifty-one ratees and 81 raters randomly assigned to self-appraisal and control groups participated in the study. Results indicated that the self-appraisal treatment had no main effects on ratee perceptions of their contributions to the discussion or satisfaction with the appraisal. Self-appraising ratees perceived less influence over the appraisal discussion, and less agreement with their manager's rating than did non-self appraisers. However, informal self-appraisal behavior was significantly and positively correlated with most dependent variables. Results suggest major differences between formal and informal self-appraisal which warrant future research.     

The OECD Validation Program of the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay for the Identification of In Vitro Inhibitors and Inducers of Testosterone and Estradiol Production. Phase 2: Inter-Laboratory Pre-Validation Studies (8 pp)

Background, Goals and Scope In response to concerns that have been raised about chemical substances that may alter the function of endocrine systems and result in adverse effects on human health, an OECD initiative was undertaken to develop and validate in vitro and in vivo assays to identify chemicals that may interfere with endocrine systems of vertebrates. Here we report on studies that were conducted to develop and standardize a cell-based screening assay using the H295R cell line to prioritize chemicals that may act on steroidogenic processes in humans and wildlife. These studies are currently ongoing as part of the ‘Special Activity on the Testing and Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors’ within the OECD Test Guidelines Program to review, develop, standardize, and validate a number of in vitro and in vivo toxicological assays for testing and assessment of chemicals concerning their potential to interact with the endocrine system of vertebrates. Study Design Six laboratories from five countries participated in the pre-validation studies. Each laboratory tested the effects of three model chemicals on the production of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) using the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay. Chemicals tested were well described inducers or inhibitors of steroidogenic pathways (forskolin, prochloraz and fadrozole). All experiments were conducted in 24 well plates following standard protocols. Six different doses per compound were analyzed in triplicate per plate. A quality control (QC) plate was run in conjunction with the chemical exposure plate to account for inter-assay variation. Each chemical exposure was conducted two or three times. Results All laboratories successfully detected increases and/or decreases in hormone production by H295R cells after exposure to the different model compounds and there was good agreement in the pattern of response for all groups. Forskolin increased both T and E2 while fadrozole and prochloraz decreased production of both hormones. All chemicals affected hormone production in a dose-dependent manner with the exception of fadrozole which caused maximum inhibition of E2 at the two least concentrations tested. Some inter-laboratory differences were noted in the alteration of hormone production measured in chemically exposed cells. However, with the exception of the production of T measured at one laboratory in cells exposed to forskolin, the EC₅₀s calculated were comparable (coefficients of variation 34–49%) for all hormones. Discussion and Perspectives The results indicated that the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay protocol was robust, transferable and reproducible among all laboratories. However, in several instances that were primarily related to one laboratory there were unexplained minor uncertainties related to the inter-laboratory hormone production variation. Based on the findings from this Phase 2 prevalidation study, the H295R Steroidogenesis Assay protocol is currently being refined. The next phase of the OECD validation program will test the refined protocol among the same group of laboratories using an extended set of chemicals (∼30) that will include positive and negative chemical controls as well as a broad spectrum of different potential inducers and inhibitors of steroidogenic pathways. Submission Editor: Dr. Carsten Brühl (bruehl@uni-landau.de)     

Hierarchical modeling of seed variety yields and decision making for future planting plans

Eradicating hunger and malnutrition is a key development goal of the twenty first century. This paper addresses the problem of optimally identifying seed varieties to reliably increase crop yield within a risk-sensitive decision making framework. Specifically, a novel hierarchical machine learning mechanism for predicting crop yield (the yield of different seed varieties of the same crop) is introduced. This prediction mechanism is then integrated with a weather forecasting model and three different approaches for decision making under uncertainty to select seed varieties for planting so as to balance yield maximization and risk. The model was applied to the problem of soybean variety selection given in the 2016 Syngenta Crop Challenge. The prediction model achieved a median absolute error of 235 kg/ha and thus provides good estimates for input into the decision models. The decision models identified the selection of soybean varieties that appropriately balance yield and risk as a function of the farmer’s risk aversion level. More generally, the models can support farmers in decision making about which seed varieties to plant.     

Founder need to belong,tertius iungens orientation and new venture performance

In this study, we examine the role of founders' need to belong and tertius iungens orientation (i.e., the tendency of bringing people together and coordinating among others) in the context of new ventures. We propose and document evidence that a founder's tendency to engage in tertius iungens oriented networking is positively associated with new venture performance. We also reveal that a founder's need to belong is a significant motivational antecedent of the founder's tertius iungens orientation. Further, the need to belong–networking orientation linkage is stronger for founders in new ventures at the early product development stage than those at the late product development stage. We tested our hypotheses using survey data collected with a two‐wave sample of new ventures in China. We discuss the theoretical significance of studying the need to belong and tertius iungens orientation for social networks and entrepreneurship literatures, as well as the practical implications for managing a successful new venture.     

High solids co-digestion of food and landscape waste and the potential for ammonia toxicity

A pilot-scale study was completed to determine the feasibility of high-solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD) of a mixture of food and landscape wastes at a university in central Pennsylvania (USA). HSAD was stable at low loadings (2 g COD/L-day), but developed inhibitory ammonia concentrations at high loadings (15 g COD/L-day). At low loadings, methane yields were 232 L CH₄/kg COD fed and 229 L CH₄/kg VS fed, and at high loadings yields were 211 L CH₄/kg COD fed and 272 L CH₄/kg VS fed. Based on characterization and biodegradability studies, food waste appears to be a good candidate for HSAD at low organic loading rates; however, the development of ammonia inhibition at high loading rates suggests that the C:N ratio is too low for use as a single substrate. The relatively low biodegradability of landscape waste as reported herein made it an unsuitable substrate to increase the C:N ratio. Codigestion of food waste with a substrate high in bioavailable carbon is recommended to increase the C:N ratio sufficiently to allow HSAD at loading rates of 15 g COD/L-day.     

Bioventing of No. 2 Fuel Oil: Effects of Air Flowrate,Temperature, Nutrient Amendment,and Acclimation

A 14‐month pilot‐scale bioventing study, sponsored by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, was conducted by the University of New Hampshire to determine the effects of the time between the contamination event and the onset of bioventing, as well as air flowrate, temperature, and nutrient amendments. Freshly contaminated soil was not readily amenable to bioventing. Bioventing was effective (82–92.5 percent removal) for acclimated soil amended with nutrients at 10 °C and 20 °C for the 275 cm³/min and 140 cm³/min air flowrates, respectively. First order degradation rates after nutrient addition were ?6.11 ± 0.83 (×10^?3)/day and ?6.57 ± 1.71 (×10^?3)/day, respectively. The results indicate that bioventing will be best applied when the contamination has occurred at least two years before the onset of treatment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Trends and applications of multi-criteria decision analysis: use in government agencies

Government agencies are responsible for making complex, high-stake decisions, which require them to balance political, technical, and economic considerations. Pressure from stakeholders and administrative requirements necessitate a traceable and transparent method for decision making. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods are available to decision makers to facilitate systematic treatment of the information and factors necessary to make informed and effective decisions in complex circumstances. A survey of gray and academic literature was conducted to gauge the level of application and awareness of MCDA methods by US government agencies and determine if the tools’ benefits are being realized. Results show an increase in awareness and consideration of MCDA from 2000 to the present, and that agencies are especially considering and using tools to engage with stakeholders. Government agencies would benefit from extending the application of MCDA to strategic planning and congressional engagement, as well as by standardizing MCDA use to better enable inter-agency collaboration and communication.