Organizational career stage as a moderator of the satisfaction-performance relationship.

The relationship between performance and dimensions of job satisfaction is studied among 132 employees of a public agency located in a large southwestern city. The results of this study indicate that the relationship between performance and a particular dimension of job satisfaction may be a function of an individual's career stage within the organization.     

Seasonal Features of Zooplankton Assemblages in the Nearshore Area of Southeastern Lake Michigan

Zooplankton in a nearshore area in southeastern Lake Michigan displayed strong seasonal and depth-related trends in abundance (#/m³) during the period 1971 to 1977. Depth-related assemblages defined by principal component analysis varied with season. From mid-spring to mid-autumn, zooplankton assemblages were strongly related to water depth. In general, zooplankton were least abundant in the inner region (5–10 m) where small organisms such as nauplii, Asplanchna spp., and Bosmina longirostris and epibenthic organisms such as Eurytemora affinis dominated. Zooplankton were most abundant between 20 and 30 m, with a peak July 1972–1977 mean density of 87,000/m³. Larger zooplankton, including Cyclops spp., Diaptomus spp., Daphnia spp., and Eubosmina coregoni dominated the outer region (20–50 m). During autumn, the inner region was dominated by cladocerans while the outer region was dominated by copepods. After thermal stratification disappeared in late autumn and before the thermal bar moved beyond the survey area in early spring, zooplankton tended to occur in higher densities in the shallow depths of the survey area. Also, in contrast to the mid-spring to mid-autumn period, zooplankton occurred in similar compositions over the survey grid. Factors implicated in producing seasonal differences in abundance patterns include temperature regimes, phytoplankton standing stocks, and predation by fish and invertebrates.     

Recovery of residual oil using the alkali/surfactant/polymer process: effect of alkali concentration

An experimental study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of sodium carbonate in alkali, surfactant and polymer combined slugs in recovering waterflood residual oil. The effects of sodium carbonate concentration on the slug viscosity, interfacial tension, and phase behavior were first examined. Core flood experiments were conducted with unfired linear Berea sandstone cores. The incremental oil recovery, oil cut, residual resistance factor, and chemical propagation were measured for each flood.A significant oil bank was formed for all combined slugs having sodium carbonate concentration ≥1 wt%. The incremental oil recovery, oil cut and the injectivity of the combined slugs greatly improved as sodium carbonate concentration was increased. The effect of sodium carbonate concentration on chemical propagation was dramatic for the synthetic surfactant; a slight delay in surfactant breakthrough and a much slower rate of surfactant propagation were observed at high sodium carbonate concentrations.The results obtained in the present study indicate that the residual oil was recovered by two mechanisms: low interfacial tension and wettability reversal. The former mechanism is dominant at sodium carbonate concentrations ≤1 wt%, whereas the latter plays an important role only at high sodium carbonate concentrations.     

WAIS—R validation of the Wonderlic Personnel Test as a brief intelligence measure in a psychiatric sample.

Although there have been several reports of high correlations between Wonderlic Personnel Test scores and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Full Scale IQ, findings have been inconsistent in psychiatric samples. Sample differences and differences between the WAIS and the revised WAIS (WAIS—R) were considered likely reasons. In this study of relatively nonagitated but chronically ill psychiatric patients (N?=?18), Wonderlic IQ estimation accuracy and Wonderlic/WAIS—R correlations were consistent with data previously reported for the WAIS, and generally support the value of the Wonderlic as a highly economical measure of general intelligence. However, the inability of 1 subject to manage the Wonderlic format suggests that severe visuospatial impairment can invalidate this test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A mixed-unit input-output model for environmental life-cycle assessment and material flow analysis

Materials flow analysis models have traditionally been used to track the production, use, and consumption of materials. Economic input-output modeling has been used for environmental systems analysis, with a primary benefit being the capability to estimate direct and indirect economic and environmental impacts across the entire supply chain of production in an economy. We combine these two types of models to create a mixed-unit input-output model that is able to bettertrack economic transactions and material flows throughout the economy associated with changes in production. A 13 by 13 economic input-output direct requirements matrix developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is augmented with material flow data derived from those published by the U.S. Geological Survey in the formulation of illustrative mixed-unit input-output models for lead and cadmium. The resulting model provides the capabilities of both material flow and input-output models, with detailed material tracking through entire supply chains in response to any monetary or material demand. Examples of these models are provided along with a discussion of uncertainty and extensions to these models.     

Hydrologic Impacts of Multiple Seam Underground and Surface Mining: A Northern Appalachia Example

An underground mine complex overlain by extensive surface mining in north-central Pennsylvania is drained principally by one discrete discharge point at which the flow rate (median of 2,167 L/min) increased significantly (67%) above background (median of 1,317 L/min) during a 3 year period. The source of this major discharge rate increase and other unusual hydrologic characteristics were investigated. Subsequent to background monitoring, about 440 ha of surface mining and reclamation (85% of the recharge area) occurred on numerous seams overlying the underground mines, which induced greatly increased infiltration rates. A direct correlation was observed between the surface mined area and increased recharge to the underlying deep mines. Atypically, in-mine storage does not exist to any substantial degree in the basal Lower Kittanning underground mine from which the main discharge emanates. The overlying Middle Kittanning mine is the main storage unit for mine water. The Middle Kittanning mine behaves like a perched aquifer system because of the moderate vertical hydraulic conductivity (a median rate of 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ m/s) of the thin (mean of 11.7 m) clay-rich shale and siltstone interburden and local structural features. During periods of low recharge, pool levels decline to a point where most of the mine water flowing downward from the Middle Kittanning mine to the underlying Lower Kittanning mine is diffuse in nature. The discharge rate is consistently in a narrow range of 1,745–2,381 L/min about a median of 2,040 L/min. When surface infiltration rates are high, the mine pool levels rise, and a portion of the recharge from the Middle Kittanning mine to the lower seam mine is apparently more channelized, flowing through the backfill over the buried highwalls and into the underlying Lower Kittanning mine. During these periods, the flow ranges more broadly from 5,725 to over 11,356 L/min, about a median of 8,328 L/min.     

Nitric oxide acts directly in the presynaptic neuron to produce long-term potentiation in cultured hippocampal neurons

Nitric oxide (NO) has been proposed to act as a retrograde messenger during long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of hippocampus, but the inaccessibility of the presynaptic terminal has prevented a definitive test of this hypothesis. Because both sides of the synapse are accessible in cultured hippocampal neurons, we have used this preparation to investigate the role of NO. We examined LTP following intra- or extracellular application of an NO scavenger, an inhibitor of NO synthase, and a membrane-impermeant NO donor that releases NO only upon photolysis with UV light. Our results indicate that NO is produced in the postsynaptic neuron, travels through the extracellular space, and acts directly in the presynaptic neuron to produce long-term potentiation, supporting the hypothesis that NO acts as a retrograde messenger during LTP.