Violating the psychological contract: Not the exception but the norm

The occurrence and impact of psychological contract violations were studied among graduate management alumni (N = 128) who were surveyed twice, once at graduation (immediately following recruitment) and then two years later. Psychological contracts, reciprocal obligations in employment developed during and after recruitment, were reported by a majority of respondents (54.8 per cent) as having been violated by their employers. The impact of violations are examined using both quantitative and qualitative data. Occurrence of violations correlated positively with turnover and negatively with trust, satisfaction and intentions to remain.     

Evaluation of inorganic pyrophosphate in amniotic fluid as a mode of prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta

Using a modified procedure by Solomons and Styner (1969), an evaluation of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) was performed on the amniotic fluid of two fetuses at risk for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) at 14½ weeks gestation. The parents of both cases had a previous child with OI, Type II. The normal control group at 14–16 weeks gestation had PPi values ranging from 22.0–59.2 ug/100 ml, with a mean of 38.6±9.51 ug/100 ml. In each at-risk fetus, the amniotic fluid PPi value was within normal range. The first baby was born phenotypically normal at term. Intrauterine radiographic and fetal sonograms were done on the second fetus at approximately 19 weeks gestation. Both showed evidence of OI, Type II. The pregnancy was terminated at 21 weeks. Radiologic studies of the aborted fetus were consistent with OI, Type II. Our results indicate that the evaluation of PPi levels in amniotic fluid is not the method of choice for prenatal diagnosis of IO.     

Superovulation fails to increase human blastocyst yield after uterine lavage

Uterine lavage affords the potential for non-invasive human blastocyst recovery, with obvious potential for preimplantation genetic diagnosis. In an effort to duplicate in women the multiple blastocyst recovery per cycle that can be achieved in several other species, we initiated a programme in which fertile women underwent superovulation, followed by lavage and embryo collection. We superovulated 15 fertile women, aged 21–40, in 29 cycles using one of four regimens. Insemination was by either intercourse or artificial intracervical donor insemination with cryopreserved sperm from men of proven fertility. In 28 of 29 cycles, the uterus was lavaged daily for 1, 2, or 3 days between 5 and 10 days after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration or luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Almost total fluid volume was recovered in every lavage. There were no retained pregnancies and no complications. Surprisingly, only two morulae, one blastocyst, and four unfertilized ova were recovered. Thus, alterations in ovulation induction, insemination timing, or lavage techniques must be contemplated in order to increase the blastocyst yield and thus fulfil the potential of uterine lavage for preimplantation diagnosis.     

Ergonomics and safety of manual bag sealing.

A variety of seals is used to close bags. Each seal has advantages and disadvantages. For shop assistants sealing bags could be a repetitive physically demanding action. Opening and closing the bags again can cause some discomfort or annoyance for consumers. Besides, it is an activity which can endanger safety, i.e., knives being used in opening, children swallowing the systems of sealing. To prevent these problems a new sealing system was developed. In this paper the opinion of shop assistants, consumers and experts on several bag sealing systems was studied. It appeared that for sealing plastic bags, adhesive tape with paper is the best out of 4 systems, closely followed by adhesive tape. It is discussed that for the elderly, there is still room for improvement in opening bag seals.     

Socio-economic Comparison Between Traditional and Improved Cultivation Methods in Agroforestry Systems, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

The East Usambara Mountains, recognized as one of the 25 most important biodiversity hot spots in the world, have a high degree of species diversity and endemism that is threatened by increasing human pressure on resources. Traditional slash and burn cultivation in the area is no longer sustainable. However, it is possible to maintain land productivity, decrease land degradation, and improve rural people’s livelihood by ameliorating cultivation methods. Improved agroforestry seems to be a very convincing and suitable method for buffer zones of conservation areas. Farmers could receive a reasonable net income from their farm with little investment in terms of time, capital, and labor. By increasing the diversity and production of already existing cultivations, the pressure on natural forests can be diminished. The present study shows a significant gap between traditional cultivation methods and improved agroforestry systems in socio-economic terms. Improved agroforestry systems provide approximately double income per capita in comparison to traditional methods. More intensified cash crop cultivation in the highlands of the East Usambara also results in double income compared to that in the lowlands. However, people are sensitive to risks of changing farming practices. Encouraging farmers to apply better land management and practice sustainable cultivation of cash crops in combination with multipurpose trees would be relevant in improving their economic situation in the relatively short term. The markets of most cash crops are already available. Improved agroforestry methods could ameliorate the living conditions of the local population and protect the natural reserves from human disturbance.     

Effect on plant growth parameters and secondary metabolite content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), and chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) watered with disinfected water by Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nowadays, the use of different nanoscale structures has been introduced to a large number of research areas. One of these is the treatment and...     

State-of-the-art and current challenges for TiO2/UV-LED photocatalytic degradation of emerging organic micropollutants

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The development of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LED) opens new possibilities for water treatment and photoreactor design. TiO2...     

The mystery of a missing bone: revealing the orbitosphenoid in basal Epicynodontia (Cynodontia,Therapsida) through computed tomography

The basal non-mammaliaform cynodonts from the late Permian (Lopingian) and Early Triassic are a major source of information for the understanding of the evolutionary origin of mammals. Detailed knowledge of their anatomy is critical for understanding the phylogenetic transition toward mammalness and the paleobiological reconstruction of mammalian precursors. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT), we describe the internal morphology of the interorbital region that includes the rarely fossilized orbitosphenoid elements in four basal cynodonts. These paired bones, which are positioned relatively dorsally in the skull, contribute to the wall of the anterior part of the braincase and form the floor for the olfactory lobes. Unlike procynosuchids and the more basal therapsids in which the orbitosphenoids are well developed, dense, and bear a ventral keel, the basal epicynodonts Cynosaurus, Galesaurus, and Thrinaxodon display cancellous, reduced, and loosely articulated orbitosphenoids, a condition shared with many eucynodonts. The hemi-cylindrical orbitosphenoid from which the mammalian condition is derived re-evolved convergently in traversodontid and some probainognathian cynodonts.     

Microbial transformation and degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls

This paper reviews the potential of microorganisms to transform polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In anaerobic environments, higher chlorinated biphenyls can undergo reductive dehalogenation. Meta- and para-chlorines in PCB congeners are more susceptible to dechlorination than ortho-chlorines. Anaerobes catalyzing PCB dechlorination have not been isolated in pure culture but there is strong evidence from enrichment cultures that some Dehalococcoides spp. and other microorganisms within the Chloroflexi phylum can grow by linking the oxidation of H(2) to the reductive dechlorination of PCBs. Lower chlorinated biphenyls can be co-metabolized aerobically. Some aerobes can also grow by utilizing PCB congeners containing only one or two chlorines as sole carbon/energy source. An example is the growth of Burkholderia cepacia by transformation of 4-chlorobiphenyl to chlorobenzoates. The latter compounds are susceptible to aerobic mineralization. Higher chlorinated biphenyls therefore are potentially fully biodegradable in a sequence of reductive dechlorination followed by aerobic mineralization of the lower chlorinated products.