Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms

Plastic waste is a distinctive indicator of the world-wide impact of anthropogenic activities. Both macro- and micro-plastics are found in the ocean, but as yet little is known about their ultimate fate and their impact on marine ecosystems. In this study we present the first evidence that microplastics are already becoming integrated into deep-water organisms. By examining organisms that live on the deep-sea floor we show that plastic microfibres are ingested and internalised by members of at least three major phyla with different feeding mechanisms. These results demonstrate that, despite its remote location, the deep sea and its fragile habitats are already being exposed to human waste to the extent that diverse organisms are ingesting microplastics

Sampling, isolating and identifying microplastics ingested by fish and invertebrates

Microplastic debris (<5 mm) is a prolific environmental pollutant, found worldwide in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Interactions between biota and microplastics are prevalent, and there is growing evidence that microplastics can incite significant health effects in exposed organisms. To date, the methods used to quantify such interactions have varied greatly between studies. Here, we critically review methods for sampling, isolating and identifying microplastics ingested by environmentally and laboratory exposed fish and invertebrates. We aim to draw attention to the strengths and weaknesses of the suite of published microplastic extraction and enumeration techniques. Firstly, we highlight the risk of microplastic losses and accumulation during biotic sampling and storage, and suggest protocols for mitigating contamination in the field and laboratory. We evaluate a suite of methods for extracting microplastics ingested by biota, including dissection, depuration, digestion and density separation. Lastly, we consider the applicability of visual identification and chemical analyses in categorising microplastics. We discuss the urgent need for the standardisation of protocols to promote consistency in data collection and analysis. Harmonized methods will allow for more accurate assessment of the impacts and risks microplastics pose to biota and increase comparability between studies

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Plastic has become indispensable for human life. When plastic debris is discarded into waterways, these items can interact with organisms. Of particular concern are microscopic plastic particles (microplastics) which are subject to ingestion by several taxa. This review summarizes the results of cutting-edge research about the interactions between a range of aquatic species and microplastics, including effects on biota physiology and secondary ingestion. Uptake pathways via digestive or ventilatory systems are discussed, including (1) the physical penetration of microplastic particles into cellular structures, (2) leaching of chemical additives or adsorbed persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and (3) consequences of bacterial or viral microbiota contamination associated with microplastic ingestion. Following uptake, a number of individual-level effects have been observed, including reduction of feeding activities, reduced growth and reproduction through cellular modifications, and oxidative stress. Microplastic-associated effects on marine biota have become increasingly investigated with growing concerns regarding human health through trophic transfer. We argue that research on the cellular interactions with microplastics provide an understanding of their impact to the organisms’ fitness and, therefore, its ability to sustain their functional role in the ecosystem. The review summarizes information from 236 scientific publications. Of those, only 4.6% extrapolate their research of microplastic intake on individual species to the impact on ecosystem functioning. We emphasize the need for risk evaluation from organismal effects to an ecosystem level to effectively evaluate the effect of microplastic pollution on marine environments. Further studies are encouraged to investigate sublethal effects in the context of environmentally relevant microplastic pollution conditions

Measuring collective action intention toward gender equality across cultures

Collective action is a powerful tool for social change and is fundamental to women and girls’ empowerment on a societal level. Collective action towards gender equality could be understood as intentional and conscious civic behaviors focused on social transformation, questioning power relations, and promoting gender equality through collective efforts. Various instruments to measure collective action intentions have been developed, but to our knowledge none of the published measures were subject to invariance testing. We introduce the gender equality collective action intention (GECAI) scale and examine its psychometric isomorphism and measurement invariance, using data from 60 countries (N = 31,686). Our findings indicate that partial scalar measurement invariance of the GECAI scale permits conditional comparisons of latent mean GECAI scores across countries. Moreover, this metric psychometric isomorphism of the GECAI means we can interpret scores at the country-level (i.e., as a group attribute) conceptually similar to individual attributes. Therefore, our findings add to the growing body of literature on gender based collective action by introducing a methodologically sound tool to measure collective action intentions towards gender equality across cultures

Gendered self-views across 62 countries: a test of competing models

Social role theory posits that binary gender gaps in agency and communion should be larger in less egalitarian countries, reflecting these countries’ more pronounced sex-based power divisions. Conversely, evolutionary and self-construal theorists suggest that gender gaps in agency and communion should be larger in more egalitarian countries, reflecting the greater autonomy support and flexible self-construction processes present in these countries. Using data from 62 countries (N = 28,640), we examine binary gender gaps in agentic and communal self-views as a function of country-level objective gender equality (the Global Gender Gap Index) and subjective distributions of social power (the Power Distance Index). Findings show that in more egalitarian countries, gender gaps in agency are smaller and gender gaps in communality are larger. These patterns are driven primarily by cross-country differences in men’s self-views and by the Power Distance Index (PDI) more robustly than the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI). We consider possible causes and implications of these findings

Between the desire of going global and creating a global team : proposal of a diversity management model, construction of scale and implications

Dissertação (mestrado) — Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Psicologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia Social, do Trabalho e das Organizações, 2021.A crescente diversidade nas organizações pode trazer benefícios e desafios aos membros de equipe que pertencem a estas organizações. Visando seus objetivos estratégicos, organizações frequentemente enfatizam que a heterogeneidade em equipes multiculturais é beneficial. Entretanto, o fato que esses profissionais trazerem bagagens culturais diversos potencializa a criação de subgrupos e conflitos interpessoais. O objetivo dessa tese é estudar a adaptação transcultural de profissionais internacionais em equipes multiculturais. Ela é composta por três manuscritos. No Manuscrito 1, um modelo integrativo de socialização cultural e organizacional é proposto que defende a importância de considerar os contextos social. Desafios frequentes em equipes multiculturais são discutidos, analisando as contribuições da hipótese de contato para reduzir falhas teóricas e práticas prévias relacionadas a gestão de diversidade. Assim, o reconhecimento da diversidade cultural pode reduzir conflitos e ansiedade, e políticas organizacionais podem promover uma cultura inclusive que incentive membros da equipe de compartilhar seu conhecimento e criar vínculos afetivos, promovendo a cooperação e a coesão da equipe. O Manuscrito 2 descreve o desenvolvimento de uma escala que mensura socialização organizacional-cultural (SOC), um processo que profissionais internacionais vivenciam quando transferem entre países e organizações. Considera-se que escalas previas são questionáveis em relação às suas propriedades psicométricas e que não são capazes de capturar o fenômeno da socialização organizacional-cultural. Portanto, três estudos subsequentes foram conduzidos para esse manuscrito. O Estudo 1 propõe uma construção teórica da escala, buscando resolver problemas metodológicos e psicométricos de escalas anteriores. 60 itens para 11 dimensões teoricamente propostas foram construídas e avaliadas por um comitê de especialistas na área de psicomatria e psicologia organizacional. Resultados apontam para evidências de boa validade de conteúdo e uma compreensão excelente de itens da escala. O Estudo 2 busca consolidar a escala teoricamente construída ao realizar entrevistas em profundidade com 11 profissionais internacionais e 12 profissionais locais. Uma classificação hierarquica descendente (CHD) identificou três classes de conteúdo: “Se fazer entendido e ser entendido”; “Valorizar as diferenças e integrar”; “Responsabilidades e competências”. Essas classes são alinhadas com ambos a teoria e a escala que foi construído no Estudo 1. Portanto, ambos os estudos apontam para evidências de validade de conteúdo da escala. O Estudo 3 foi conduzido com 174 profissionais internacionais que responderam a escala SOC em um survey online, resultando em quatro fatores com evidências satisfatórias a muito boas de validade de construto (.75 < α < .86). Um total de 32 itens foi excluído durante a análise fatorial exploratória, resultando em 28 itens remanescentes. O Manuscrito 3 buscou testar o modelo que foi proposto em Manuscrito 1. Especificamente, foi hipotetizado que a diferença em dimensões culturais entre o país nativo e anfitrião (individualismo, distância de poder), em conjunto com socialização organizacional - cultural predizem a adaptação psicológica e sociocultural. 79 profissionais internacionais responderam um survey online com três escalas, nomeadamente a escala SOC, a escala breve de adaptação psicológica e a escala breve de adaptação sociocultural. Os escores de dimensões culturais são disponíveis como metadados na website do Hofstede Center. Uma análise fatorial confirmatória da escala SOC dá suporte a sua estrutura previa e sua consistência interna. Resultados mostraram um efeito de mediação para práticas organizacionais (β = .35, t = 3.00., p < .01), ao predizer adaptação sociocultural com individualismo. Além disso, a proatividade de colegas (β = .47, t = 4.49, p < .01) e domínio (β = .37, t = 3.31, p < .01) afetam a adaptação sociocultural de forma positiva. Entretanto, existe um efeito negative de domínio sobre adaptação psicológica (β = -.30, t = - 2.47, p < .05.). Finalmente, a proatividade própria afeta a adaptação psicológica de forma positiva, β = .30, t = 2.60, p < .05. Portanto, corporações multinacionais podem se beneficiar dos conhecimentos dessa pesquisa, na medida em que alinham suas políticas de diversidade cultural e inclusão com as necessidades de profissionais internacionais que contratam, considerando suas bagagens culturais e favorecendo espaços para interação social e integração ocorrerem.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).The growing diversity in organization may bring benefits and challenges to the members of teams that belong to these organizations. Aiming for their strategic goals, organizations frequently emphasize that the heterogeneity in multicultural teams is beneficial. However, the fact that professionals bring along diverse cultural baggage potentializes the creation of subgroups and interpersonal conflicts. The aim of this dissertation was to study the cross-cultural adaptation of international professional in multicultural teams. It is composed by three manuscripts. In Manuscript 1, an integrative model of cultural and organizational socialization is proposed that defends the importance of considering the cultural and social backgrounds of team members to effectively manage cultural diversity. Frequent challenges in multicultural teams are discussed, analyzing the contributions of the contact hypothesis to reduce previous theoretical and practical shortcomings concerning diversity management. Hence, the acknowledgment of cultural diversity may reduce conflicts and anxiety, and organizational policies may promote a more inclusive culture that incentivizes team members to share their knowledge and create affective bounds, enhancing cooperation and team cohesion. Manuscript 2 describes the development of a scale that measures organizational-cultural socialization (OCS), a process that international professionals experience as they transfer among countries and organizations. It is considered that previous scales are questionable as to their psychometric properties and are not able to capture the phenomenon of organizational-cultural socialization. Thus, three subsequent studies were conducted for this manuscript. Study 1 proposed a theoretical construction of the scale, seeking to solve methodological and psychometric problems of previous scales. 60 items for 11 proposed theoretical dimensions were constructed and evaluated by a team of experts in psychometrics and organizational psychology. Results pointed to evidence for good content validity and excellent comprehension of scale items. Study 2 sought to consolidate the theoretical constructed scale by conducting in-depth interviews with 11 international professionals and 12 local professionals. A descending hierarchical classification (DHC) identified three classes of content: “Make oneself understood and be understood”; “Value the differences and integrate”; “Responsibilities and competencies”. These classes were aligned with both theory and the scale that had been constructed in Study 1. Therefore, both studies point to evidence for content validity of the scale. Study 3 was conducted with 174 international professionals who answered the OCS scale in an online survey, resulting in four factors with satisfactory to very good evidence for construct validity (.75 < α < .86). A total of 32 items were excluded in the exploratory factor analysis, resulting in 28 remaining items. Manuscript 3 aimed to test the model that was proposed in Manuscript 1 partly. Specifically, it was hypothesized that difference in cultural dimensions of the birth and the host country (individualism, power distance), together with organizational-cultural socialization predict psychological and sociocultural adaptation. 79 international professionals answered an online survey with three scales, namely the OCS scale, the brief psychological adaptation scale, and the brief sociocultural adaptation scale. Cultural dimensions scores are available as metadata on the website of the Hofstede Center. A confirmatory factor analysis for the OCS scale supported the previous structure and internal consistency of it. Results show a mediation effect for organizational practices (β = .35, t = 3.00., p < .01), when predicting sociocultural adaptation by individualism. Further, colleague’s proactivity (β = .47, t = 4.49, p < .01) and mastery (β = .37, t = 3.31, p < .01) affect sociocultural adaptation positively. However, there is a negative effect of mastery on psychological adaptation (β = -.30, t = - 2.47, p < .05.). Last, the own proactivity affects psychological adaptation positively, β = .30, t = 2.60, p < .05. Thus, multinational corporations may benefit from the insights of this research, as they align their cultural diversity and inclusion policies with the needs of the international professionals they hire, considering their cultural baggage and providing space for social interaction and integration to occur