Psychological Testing and Constitutional Rights

The federal government uses psychological tests throughout the employment process-in hiring, promoting, and retiring its employees. Some of these tests probe into the most intimate aspects of an individual\u27s life. Do these tests produce their intended results? Are they necessary for effective government service? Do they unreasonably interfere with the private lives of the individuals tested? These and other questions have been asked with increasing frequency recently, and the author, who was counsel to the Senate Subcommittee which has been investigating governmental psychological testing, attempts to answer some of them in this article

Population and spatial dynamics of desert bighorn sheep in Grand Canyon during an outbreak of respiratory pneumonia

IntroductionTerrestrial species in riverine ecosystems face unique constraints leading to diverging patterns of population structure, connectivity, and disease dynamics. Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in Grand Canyon National Park, a large native population in the southwestern USA, offer a unique opportunity to evaluate population patterns and processes in a remote riverine system with ongoing anthropogenic impacts. We integrated non-invasive, invasive, and citizen-science methods to address questions on abundance, distribution, disease status, genetic structure, and habitat fragmentation.MethodsWe compiled bighorn sightings collected during river trips by park staff, commercial guides, and private citizens from 2000–2018 and captured bighorn in 2010–2016 to deploy GPS collars and test for disease. From 2011–2015, we non-invasively collected fecal samples and genotyped them at 9–16 microsatellite loci for individual identification and genetic structure. We used assignment tests to evaluate genetic structure and identify subpopulations, then estimated gene flow and recent migration to evaluate fragmentation. We used spatial capture-recapture to estimate annual population size, distribution, and trends after accounting for spatial variation in detection with a resource selection function model.Results and discussionFrom 2010–2018, 3,176 sightings of bighorn were reported, with sightings of 56–145 bighorn annually on formal surveys. From 2012–2016, bighorn exhibiting signs of respiratory disease were observed along the river throughout the park. Of 25 captured individuals, 56% were infected by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a key respiratory pathogen, and 81% were recently exposed. Pellet sampling for population estimation from 2011–2015 yielded 1,250 genotypes and 453 individuals. We detected 6 genetic clusters that exhibited mild to moderate genetic structure (FST 0.022–0.126). The river, distance, and likely topography restricted recent gene flow, but we detected cross-river movements in one section via genetic recaptures, no subpopulation appeared completely isolated, and genetic diversity was among the highest reported. Recolonization of one large stretch of currently empty habitat appears limited by the constrained topology of this system. Annual population estimates ranged 536–552 (95% CrI range 451–647), lamb:ewe ratios varied, and no significant population decline was detected. We provide a multi-method sampling framework useful for sampling other wildlife in remote riverine systems

Managing Wicked Herbicide-Resistance: Lessons from the Field

Herbicide resistance is ‘wicked’ in nature; therefore, results of the many educational efforts to encourage diversification of weed control practices in the United States have been mixed. It is clear that we do not sufficiently understand the totality of the grassroots obstacles, concerns, challenges, and specific solutions needed for varied crop production systems. Weed management issues and solutions vary with such variables as management styles, regions, cropping systems, and available or affordable technologies. Therefore, to help the weed science community better understand the needs and ideas of those directly dealing with herbicide resistance, seven half-day regional listening sessions were held across the United States between December 2016 and April 2017 with groups of diverse stakeholders on the issues and potential solutions for herbicide resistance management. The major goals of the sessions were to gain an understanding of stakeholders and their goals and concerns related to herbicide resistance management, to become familiar with regional differences, and to identify decision maker needs to address herbicide resistance. The messages shared by listening-session participants could be summarized by six themes: we need new herbicides; there is no need for more regulation; there is a need for more education, especially for others who were not present; diversity is hard; the agricultural economy makes it difficult to make changes; and we are aware of herbicide resistance but are managing it. The authors concluded that more work is needed to bring a community-wide, interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complexity of managing weeds within the context of the whole farm operation and for communicating the need to address herbicide resistance

Managing Wicked Herbicide-Resistance: Lessons from the Field

Herbicide resistance is ‘wicked’ in nature; therefore, results of the many educational efforts to encourage diversification of weed control practices in the United States have been mixed. It is clear that we do not sufficiently understand the totality of the grassroots obstacles, concerns, challenges, and specific solutions needed for varied crop production systems. Weed management issues and solutions vary with such variables as management styles, regions, cropping systems, and available or affordable technologies. Therefore, to help the weed science community better understand the needs and ideas of those directly dealing with herbicide resistance, seven half-day regional listening sessions were held across the United States between December 2016 and April 2017 with groups of diverse stakeholders on the issues and potential solutions for herbicide resistance management. The major goals of the sessions were to gain an understanding of stakeholders and their goals and concerns related to herbicide resistance management, to become familiar with regional differences, and to identify decision maker needs to address herbicide resistance. The messages shared by listening-session participants could be summarized by six themes: we need new herbicides; there is no need for more regulation; there is a need for more education, especially for others who were not present; diversity is hard; the agricultural economy makes it difficult to make changes; and we are aware of herbicide resistance but are managing it. The authors concluded that more work is needed to bring a community-wide, interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complexity of managing weeds within the context of the whole farm operation and for communicating the need to address herbicide resistance

Managing Herbicide Resistance: Listening to the Perspectives of Practitioners. Procedures for Conducting Listening Sessions and an Evaluation of the Process

Seven half-day regional listening sessions were held between December 2016 and April 2017 with groups of diverse stakeholders on the issues and potential solutions for herbicide-resistance management. The objective of the listening sessions was to connect with stakeholders and hear their challenges and recommendations for addressing herbicide resistance. The coordinating team hired Strategic Conservation Solutions, LLC, to facilitate all the sessions. They and the coordinating team used in-person meetings, teleconferences, and email to communicate and coordinate the activities leading up to each regional listening session. The agenda was the same across all sessions and included small-group discussions followed by reporting to the full group for discussion. The planning process was the same across all the sessions, although the selection of venue, time of day, and stakeholder participants differed to accommodate the differences among regions. The listening-session format required a great deal of work and flexibility on the part of the coordinating team and regional coordinators. Overall, the participant evaluations from the sessions were positive, with participants expressing appreciation that they were asked for their thoughts on the subject of herbicide resistance. This paper details the methods and processes used to conduct these regional listening sessions and provides an assessment of the strengths and limitations of those processes

Linking soil microbial community structure to potential carbon mineralization: A continental scale assessment of reduced tillage

Potential carbon mineralization (Cmin) is a commonly used indicator of soil health, with greater Cmin values interpreted as healthier soil. While Cmin values are typically greater in agricultural soils managed with minimal physical disturbance, the mechanisms driving the increases remain poorly understood. This study assessed bacterial and archaeal community structure and potential microbial drivers of Cmin in soils maintained under various degrees of physical disturbance. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterization data were collected as part of the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). Results showed that type of cropping system, intensity of physical disturbance, and soil pH influenced microbial sensitivity to physical disturbance. Furthermore, 28% of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which were important in modeling Cmin, were enriched under soils managed with minimal physical disturbance. Sequences identified as enriched under minimal disturbance and important for modeling Cmin, were linked to organisms which could produce extracellular polymeric substances and contained metabolic strategies suited for tolerating environmental stressors. Understanding how physical disturbance shapes microbial communities across climates and inherent soil properties and drives changes in Cmin provides the context necessary to evaluate management impacts on standardized measures of soil microbial activity

Epidemiology and risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus colonization in children in the post-PCV7 era

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The incidence of community-associated methicillin-resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>(MRSA) has risen dramatically in the U.S., particularly among children. Although <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>colonization has been inversely associated with <it>S. aureus </it>colonization in unvaccinated children, this and other risk factors for <it>S. aureus </it>carriage have not been assessed following widespread use of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). Our objectives were to (1) determine the prevalence of <it>S. aureus </it>and MRSA colonization in young children in the context of widespread use of PCV7; and (2) examine risk factors for <it>S. aureus </it>colonization in the post-PCV7 era, including the absence of vaccine-type <it>S. pneumoniae </it>colonization.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Swabs of the anterior nares (<it>S. aureus</it>) were obtained from children enrolled in an ongoing study of nasopharyngeal pneumococcal colonization of healthy children in 8 Massachusetts communities. Children 3 months to <7 years of age seen for well child or sick visits in primary care offices from 11/03–4/04 and 10/06–4/07 were enrolled. <it>S. aureus </it>was identified and antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed. Epidemiologic risk factors for <it>S. aureus </it>colonization were collected from parent surveys and chart reviews, along with data on pneumococcal colonization. Multivariate mixed model analyses were performed to identify factors associated with <it>S. aureus </it>colonization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among 1,968 children, the mean age (SD) was 2.7 (1.8) years, 32% received an antibiotic in the past 2 months, 2% were colonized with PCV7 strains and 24% were colonized with non-PCV7 strains. The prevalence of <it>S. aureus </it>colonization remained stable between 2003–04 and 2006–07 (14.6% vs. 14.1%), while MRSA colonization remained low (0.2% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.09). Although absence of pneumococcal colonization was not significantly associated with <it>S. aureus </it>colonization, age (6–11 mo vs. ≥5 yrs, OR 0.39 [95% CI 0.24–0.64]; 1–1.99 yrs vs. ≥5 yrs, OR 0.35 [0.23–0.54]; 2–2.99 yrs vs. ≥5 yrs, OR 0.45 [0.28–0.73]; 3–3.99 yrs vs. ≥5 yrs, OR 0.53 [0.33–0.86]) and recent antibiotic use were significant predictors in multivariate models.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In Massachusetts, <it>S. aureus </it>and MRSA colonization remained stable from 2003–04 to 2006–07 among children <7 years despite widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. <it>S. aureus </it>nasal colonization varies by age and is inversely correlated with recent antibiotic use.</p

Carbon-sensitive pedotransfer functions for plant available water

Currently accepted pedotransfer functions show negligible effect of management-induced changes to soil organic carbon (SOC) on plant available water holding capacity (θAWHC), while some studies show the ability to substantially increase θAWHC through management. The Soil Health Institute\u27s North America Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements measured water content at field capacity using intact soil cores across 124 long-term research sites that contained increases in SOC as a result of management treatments such as reduced tillage and cover cropping. Pedotransfer functions were created for volumetric water content at field capacity (θFC) and permanent wilting point (θPWP). New pedotransfer functions had predictions of θAWHC that were similarly accurate compared with Saxton and Rawls when tested on samples from the National Soil Characterization database. Further, the new pedotransfer functions showed substantial effects of soil calcareousness and SOC on θAWHC. For an increase in SOC of 10 g kg–1 (1%) in noncalcareous soils, an average increase in θAWHC of 3.0 mm 100 mm–1 soil (0.03 m3 m–3) on average across all soil texture classes was found. This SOC related increase in θAWHC is about double previous estimates. Calcareous soils had an increase in θAWHC of 1.2 mm 100 mm–1 soil associated with a 10 g kg–1 increase in SOC, across all soil texture classes. New equations can aid in quantifying benefits of soil management practices that increase SOC and can be used to model the effect of changes in management on drought resilience