What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals

The core research questions addressed in this paper are: what factors influence HR professionals in deciding whether to approve training proposals for older workers? What kind of training are they more likely to recommend for older employees and in which organizational contexts? We administered three factorial surveys to 66 HR professionals in Italy. Participants made specific training decisions based on profiles of hypothetical older workers. Multilevel analyses indicated that access to training decreases strongly with age, while highly-skilled older employees with low absenteeism rates are more likely to enjoy training opportunities. In addition, older workers displaying positive performance are more likely to receive training than older workers who perform poorly, suggesting that training late in working life may serve as a reward for good performance rather than as a means of enhancing productivity. The older the HR professional evaluating training proposals, the higher the probability that older workers will be recommended for training. keywords: training; older workers; HR professionals; factorial survey; multilevel model

Near-surface hydraulic conductivity of Northern Hemisphere glaciers

The hydrology of near‐surface glacier ice remains a neglected aspect of glacier hydrology despite its role in modulating meltwater delivery to downstream environments. To elucidate the hydrological characteristics of this near‐surface glacial weathering crust, we describe the design and operation of a capacitance‐based piezometer that enables rapid, economical deployment across multiple sites and provides an accurate, high‐resolution record of near‐surface water‐level fluctuations. Piezometers were employed at 10 northern hemisphere glaciers, and through the application of standard bail–recharge techniques, we derive hydraulic conductivity (K) values from 0.003 to 3.519 m day−1, with a mean of 0.185 ± 0.019 m day−1. These results are comparable to those obtained in other discrete studies of glacier near‐surface ice, and for firn, and indicate that the weathering crust represents a hydrologically inefficient aquifer. Hydraulic conductivity correlated positively with water table height but negatively with altitude and cumulative short‐wave radiation since the last synoptic period of either negative air temperatures or turbulent energy flux dominance. The large range of K observed suggests complex interactions between meteorological influences and differences arising from variability in ice structure and crystallography. Our data demonstrate a greater complexity of near‐surface ice hydrology than hitherto appreciated and support the notion that the weathering crust can regulate the supraglacial discharge response to melt production. The conductivities reported here, coupled with typical supraglacial channel spacing, suggest that meltwater can be retained within the weathering crust for at least several days. Not only does this have implications for the accuracy of predictive meltwater run‐off models, but we also argue for biogeochemical processes and transfers that are strongly conditioned by water residence time and the efficacy of the cascade of sediments, impurities, microbes, and nutrients to downstream ecosystems. Because continued atmospheric warming will incur rising snowline elevations and glacier thinning, the supraglacial hydrological system may assume greater importance in many mountainous regions, and consequently, detailing weathering crust hydraulics represents a research priority because the flow path it represents remains poorly constrained

Risk assessments and safe machinery: ensuring compliance with the EU directives

This book describes the prerequisites for the placing on the market and the safe use of machinery in compliance with the relevant EU Directives, especially the Machinery Directive 2006/42. It provides readers with high-level knowledge concerning the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR) that machinery must fulfill. The approach and principles of the Machinery Directive were most recently made worldwide acknowledged in the ILO code of practice on safe machinery, released in 2013. The book addresses that code, as well as providing valuable insight into other EU Product and Workplace legislation. Focusing on the key aspect of safe machinery, the “machinery safety risk assessment”, which allows readers to better understand the more difficult aspects of risk assessments, the book equips readers to tackle problems at the manufacturing stage and in different use scenarios, introducing them to risk reduction techniques and functional safety aspects

ATEX: explosive atmospheres : risk assessment, control and compliance

This book details how safety (i.e. the absence of unacceptable risks) is ensured in areas where potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX) can arise. The book also offers readers essential information on how to comply with the newest (April 2016) EU legislation when the presence of ATEX cannot be avoided. By presenting general guidance on issues arising out of the EU ATEX legislation – especially on zone classification, explosion risk assessment, equipment categorization, Ex-marking and related technical/chemical aspects – the book provides equipment manufacturers, responsible employers, and others with the essential knowledge they need to be able to understand the different – and often complicated – aspects of ATEX and to implement the necessary safety precautions. As such, it represents a valuable resource for all those concerned with maintaining high levels of safety in ATEX environments

Effects of heat-treated Moringa oleifera leaf-meal on the growth performance of Oreochromis niloticus fry

The high cost as well as the uncertain availability of fish-meal have led to the need to identify alternative plant protein sources for feeding Oreochromis niloticus.  Moringa oleifera is a promising protein source for inclusion in fish diets.  The study was conducted to determine the suitability of heat-treated M. oleifera leaves as an alternative protein source for Oreochromis niloticus fry.   Four experimental diets were formulated to contain heat-treated moringa leaf-meal at levels of 5% and 10% of the total dietary protein.  Diet A contained 5% boiled moringa and 95% fry-meal: Diet B contained 10% boiled moringa and 90% fry meal : Diet C contained 5% steamed moringa and 95% fry-meal and Diet D contained 10% steamed moringa and 90% fry-meal.  Diet E was the control diet containing fish-meal as the protein source.  A standard 24-day fry feeding trial was carried out in 10 fry tanks that were randomly allocated to the five dietary treatments.  Each tank was stocked with 15 000 fry, the standard stocking  at Lake Harvest.  No feed-related mortality was observed during the whole experimental period.  The growth rate, feed conversion ration (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio of fry fed the five diets were similar.  The daily body weight gain ranged from 0.012 to 0.014 grams for fry fed boiled moringa and the control diets.  Fry fed diet C, D and E had higher FCR values of 1.1, 1.1 and 1.0 respectively, compared to those on diets A and B, which had values of 1.2 and 1.3 respectively.  In general, fry fed steamed moringa diets had better growth performance than those on boiled moringa diets although the differences were not significant.  The results suggest that steam-heated moringa leaf-meal can be used to substitute 10% of dietary protein in Nile tilapia fry without significant reduction in growth performance

Generation of Aptamers with an Expanded Chemical Repertoire

The enzymatic co-polymerization of modified nucleoside triphosphates (dN*TPs and N*TPs) is a versatile method for the expansion and exploration of expanded chemical space in SELEX and related combinatorial methods of in vitro selection. This strategy can be exploited to generate aptamers with improved or hitherto unknown properties. In this review, we discuss the nature of the functionalities appended to nucleoside triphosphates and their impact on selection experiments. The properties of the resulting modified aptamers will be described, particularly those integrated in the fields of biomolecular diagnostics, therapeutics, and in the expansion of genetic systems (XNAs)