Exploration of the relationship between implicit theory of intelligence and employability

The world of work today calls for individuals to be active participants in designing their careers. This study focuses on the relationship between one’s beliefs (mindset) about intelligence and employability. Quantitative data were collected using the implicit theory of intelligence (self-theory scale) from 75 participants of a high-technology company in San Jose, California. Participants were divided into two groups of mindsets, growth and fixed. Twenty participants were randomly selected for a semi-structured interview where qualitative data were gathered and analyzed. The study found that individuals with a growth mindset emphasize newness as a variable in their career decisions, look at their careers in the broader context of organizational impact, and are more likely to view their careers using their own lens. Alternatively, individuals with a fixed mindset are more likely to be influenced by other people in making career decisions. Also, the difference in mindsets does impact employability orientation

Selective isolation of dissolved organic matter from aquatic systems

A chromatographic ion-exchange procedure for fractionation, isolation and concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters was developed and applied to samples from Illinois lakes. Isolation of the acidic (humic) DOM fraction was optimized using solutions of simple model compounds chemically similar to humics and commercially available soil humic acid. Recoveries of DOM from five humic-containing (colored) surface waters were in excess of 90%. A series of experiments using model compounds, various desorption solutions, and select charge modified and unmodified cellulose separation materials demonstrated that the mechanism of sorption of the acidic fraction, and of its recovery by controlled desorption, is simple ion exchange. Hydrophobic (nonpolar) interactions did not affect sorption processes as has been suggested by other authors. Subsequently, filtered water samples were applied to a fractionation scheme designed to separate the DOM into anion exchanged (acidic), cation exchanged (basic) and nonexchanged (neutral) fractions. Of the DOM, most of the dissolved organic carbon and a large portion of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in all samples was recovered in the acidic fraction, with the neutral fraction containing most of the remaining DOM. The cationic (at pH 3) fraction contained a lower portion of the DOM than expected, indicating that DON in the water samples was not composed of positively charged amines available for ion exchange under the experimental conditions. DON was monitored throughout the fractionation scheme by a sensitive fluorescence (o-phthaldialdehyde) method developed in this study and generally applicable to measuring small samples containing low concentrations of DON found in natural waters. The lack of suitable methods for isolating and concentrating dissolved organic matter has hindered progress on its chemical characterization. The fractionation scheme developed and tested is a useful tool for researchers studying the chemical nature of dissolved organic matter, which affects water quality in many ways.U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological SurveyOpe