Applying guidance for methane emission estimation for landfills

Quantification of methane emission from landfills is important to evaluate measures for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Both the United Nations and the European Union have adopted protocols to ensure quantification of methane emission from individual landfills. The purpose of these protocols is to disclose emission data to regulators and the general public. Criteria such as timeliness, completeness, certainty, comparability, consistency and transparency are set for inclusion of emission data in a publicly accessible database. All methods given as guidance to landfill operators to estimate landfill methane emissions are based on models. In this paper the consequences of applying six different models for estimates of three landfills are explored. It is not the intention of this paper to criticise or validate models. The modelling results are compared with whole site methane emission measurements. A huge difference in results is observed. This raises doubts about the accuracy of the models. It also indicates that at least some of the criteria previously mentioned are not met for the tools currently available to estimate methane emissions from individual landfills. This will inevitably lead to compiling and comparing data with an incomparable origin. Harmonization of models is recommended. This may not necessarily reduce uncertainty, but it will at least result in comparable, consistent and transparent data.     

Capturing the dynamics of leader–follower interactions: Stalemates and future theoretical progress

Despite being based on the premise of a dynamic interpersonal process, studies on leader–member exchange theory often fail to acknowledge its dyadic and dynamic nature. We discuss how the interpersonal affect dynamics literature—and particularly its focus on the emergence of relationship patterns—may advance research on leader–follower interactions.     

三峡库区消落带土壤溶解性有机质溯源:基于氮/碳比值的线性双端元源负荷分析

土壤溶解性有机质(soil DOM)作为陆地系统天然有机质的重要组成部分,以其活跃的生物地球化学性质,在污染物的环境行为中扮演着极其重要的作用.而了解其来源和结构组成是进一步明确其"结构-反应活性"的关键和前提.本文以三峡库区消落带土壤DOM为研究对象,基于传统氮/碳比值(N/C)及衍生的双端元源负荷模型,讨论该溯源方法在分子水平上的合理性;同时采用光漂白试验,进一步讨论各样本反应活性与其源负荷的相关性.结果表明,N/C值和双端元线性混合模型值均表明土壤DOM具有"陆源"和"内源"的双重特性——这与其他高级分析技术溯源结果基本一致.这种传统溯源分析结果在分子水平上具有合理性,但仅仅反映DOM结构和来源在特定面相上的信息,只能证明库区土壤DOM属于"混合型来源",却无法提供分辨率更高的特定组分来源信息.另外,N/C元素比值及源负荷分别和光漂白动力学过程极显著相关,因此可作为较方便的指标,快速简单判断DOM的光化学反应活性.但在关注DOM本身生物地球化学的研究工作中,仍建议使用多重方法的比较分析,以便于提高单一解析方法的分辨率.     

Development and validation of an objective intra‐organizational career success measure for managers

This study aimed to develop and validate a new objective measure of intra‐organizational career success, that is the Managerial Career Success Measure (MCSM). Although there has been a recent emphasis in the careers literature on the subjective career, there is still a need for a valid operationalization of ‘traditional’, objective career success as this construct is still considered relevant by many occupational and national groups; furthermore, many studies continue to use objective career success as a (dependent) variable. With regard to content validity, it appears that the measure that was developed incorporates some elements of the commonly used measures of objective career success (i.e. managerial level, number of promotions, salary and salary progression) while steering clear of some of the issues with each of them separately. Concurrent and discriminant validity were explored by analysing data from three empirical studies that were carried out in a large heterogeneous managerial population (N = 1101). Results indicate that the MCSM displays higher levels of content and construct validity than do other, commonly used measures of objective career success. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Maturation of work attitudes: Correlated change with big five personality traits and reciprocal effects over 15 years

As employees grow older, do their attitudes regarding work change over time? Can such long‐term changes be understood from a personality development perspective? The present study addressed these fundamental questions by tracking 504 young professionals' work attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and work involvement) and Big Five personality traits over the first 15 years of their professional career. We specifically investigated whether trait changes drive peoples' changing attitudes, a mechanism we called maturation of work attitudes. Latent change models first indicated significant associations between traits and attitudes at the beginning of the career, and mean‐level changes in Big Five traits (i.e., increases in Agreeableness and Conscientiousness and decreases in Neuroticism) in the direction of greater functional maturity. Although no significant mean‐level changes in work attitudes were observed, results regarding correlated change indicated that variability in attitude change was related to variability in trait change and that this indeed signaled a maturational process. Finally, reciprocal effect estimates highlighted bidirectional relations between personality and attitudes over time. It is discussed how these results (i) provide a better understanding of potential age effects on work‐related attitudes and (ii) imply a revision of the traditional dispositional approach to attitudes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Linking the electron donation capacity to the molecular composition of soil dissolved organic matter from the Three Gorges Reservoir areas, China

Soil dissolved organic matter(DOM) plays an essential role in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR) as a linkage between terrestrial and aquatic systems.In particular,the reducing capacities of soil DOM influence the geochemistry of contaminants such as mercury(Hg).However,few studies have investigated the molecular information of soil DOM and its relationship with relevant geochemic al reactivities,including redox properties.We collected samples from eight sites in the TGR areas and studied the link between the molecular characteristics of DOM and their electron donation capacities(EDCs) toward Hg(II).The average kinetic rate and EDC of soil DOM in TGR areas were(0.004±0.001) hr~(-1) and(2.88±1.39) nmol e~-/mg DOM_(bulk),respectively.Results suggest that higher EDCs and relatively rapid kinetics were related to the greater electron donating components of ligninderived and perhaps pyrogenic DOM,which are the aromatic constituents that influenced the reducing capacities of DOM in the present study.Molecular details revealed that even the typical autochthonous markers are important for the EDCs of DOM as well,in contrast to what is generally assumed.More studies identifying specific DOM molecular components involved in the abiotic reduction of Hg(II) are required to further understand the relations between DOM sources and their redox roles in the environmental fate of contaminants.