Do Halogenated Natural Products Bioaccumulate in Narragansett Bay?

In recent decades, a new family of chemical compounds has begun to garner research attention—halogenated natural products, or HNPs. These chemicals are produced by algae, bacteria, worms, and sponges, and many are structurally similar to harmful manmade compounds, such as polychlorinated diphenyls (PCBs), or brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), which are known to cause cancer, reproduction issues, endocrine disruption, and death. While HNPs are produced naturally, they are still considered pollutants because of their bioaccumulative behavior and apparent toxicity. Currently, there is limited research on their presence and effects, with a few studies from Europe and the Pacific highlighting their importance and promoting the need for further research. Additionally, recent research has suggested that HNP dynamics could be changing due to climate change and eutrophication. To date, HNPs have never been studied in Narragansett Bay; this project seeks to identify HNPs in biota from the Bay, in an initial effort to document the presence of these compounds in the Southern New England region. Fish, mussel, and algae samples were collected from different salinity regimes throughout the Bay in the fall of 2016. Tissue samples were processed using accelerated solvent extraction, further purified using manual gel permeation chromatography and silica column chromatography, and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Initial results suggest the presence of variable groups of HNPs in Narragansett Bay and resident biota. This is valuable insight that lays a strong foundation for further research to describe the distribution and possible impacts of these pollutants within temperate Atlantic estuarine environments

Differential Influences of Parenting Dimensions and Parental Physical Abuse during Childhood on Overweight and Obesity in Adolescents

Besides other explanatory variables, parenting styles and parental violence might also be responsible for setting a path towards overweight/obesity in childhood. While this association has consistently been observed for adults, findings for adolescents still remain scarce and inconsistent. Therefore, the goal of this study is to add evidence on this topic for children and adolescents. Analyses are based on a sample of 1729 German, ninth-grade students. To analyze associations between parenting dimensions and weight status, non-parametric conditional inference trees were applied. Three gender-specific pathways for a heightened risk of overweight/obesity were observed: (1) female adolescents who report having experienced severe parental physical abuse and medium/high parental warmth in childhood; (2) male adolescents who report having experienced low or medium parental monitoring in childhood; and (3) this second pathway for male adolescents is more pronounced if the families receive welfare. The importance of promoting parenting styles characterized by warmth and a lack of physical abuse is also discussed. This is one of only a few studies examining the association of parenting dimensions/parental physical abuse and weight status in adolescence. Future studies should include even more parenting dimensions, as well as parental physical abuse levels, in order to detect and untangle gender-specific effects on weight status

It's time! Ten reasons to start replicating simulation studies

The quantitative analysis of research data is a core element of empirical research. The performance of statistical methods that are used for analyzing empirical data can be evaluated and compared using computer simulations. A single simulation study can influence the analyses of thousands of empirical studies to follow. With great power comes great responsibility. Here, we argue that this responsibility includes replication of simulation studies to ensure a sound foundation for data analytical decisions. Furthermore, being designed, run, and reported by humans, simulation studies face challenges similar to other experimental empirical research and hence should not be exempt from replication attempts. We highlight that the potential replicability of simulation studies is an opportunity quantitative methodology as a field should pay more attention to

Tourist behavior and weather

This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between tourist weather preferences, perceptions, and weather-related activities. A conceptual model with respect to the interdependencies and relationships is proposed and discussed in light of the results of a pilot study conducted on the French Caribbean island of La Martinique. An explorative in-situ survey that included n= 32 holiday tourists from ‘cold’ and ‘warm’ countries examined the core variables of the model. The results demonstrated that slight differences in climate preference existed for respondents, depending on whether they originated from a country with a cold or a warm climate, that the activity patterns seemed to be influenced by changing weather conditions only to some extent, and that the actual weather, which was marked by heavy rains in the first data collection period and by changeable weather in the second, appeared to have only limited impact on return intentions. Despite the limited possibility of a pilot study, the results facilitated an overview of the factors necessary to understand the weather-related behavior and shifts in the behavior of tourists. The core concepts include acceptance and adaptation as dynamic psychological processes that allow an individual to cope with adverse weather conditions. Thus, this study may serve as a basis for future research, especially with respect to the behavioral responses of leisure tourists to predicted climate change dynamics in holiday destinations. The conceptual model may provide a useful framework for future studies.Cette étude explore les relations entre perceptions du temps qu’il fait, conditions météorologiques et comportements des vacanciers. Un modèle conceptuel est proposé, à partir d’une étude réalisée à la Martinique, aux Antilles. Une enquête exploratoire, menée auprès d’un échantillon contrasté de trente-deux touristes “de loisirs” venant de pays au climat “froid” ou “chaud”, a permis d’analyser les principales variables du modèle. Les résultats ont montré : qu’il y avait de légères différences dans la préférence climatique selon que les personnes enquêtées venaient d’un pays froid ou d’un pays chaud ; que les conditions météorologiques n’avaient qu’un impact limité sur le type d’activités pratiquées ; que le temps qu’il faisait, qui a été marqué par des fortes pluies dans la première période d’enquête et par un temps variable dans la deuxième, n’avait qu’un impact limité sur les intentions de retour. Malgré ses moyens limités, l’étude identifie les variables et facteurs essentiels à la mise en œuvre d´un projet de recherche examinant la perception des conditions météorologiques par les touristes, d’une part, et les comportements induits, d’autre part. Les principaux concepts identifiés sont l’acceptation et l’adaptation, en tant que processus psychologiques dynamiques permettant à un individu de faire face aux mauvaises conditions météorologiques. Cette étude peut servir de base pour de futures recherches, notamment pour l’analyse des comportements des touristes face au changement climatique. Le modèle conceptuel peut fournir un cadre utile pour de futures études

Urban proximity while breeding is not a predictor of perfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the eggs of brown pelicans

Identifying sources of exposure to chemical stressors is difficult when both target organisms and stressors are highly mobile. While previous studies have demonstrated that populations of some organisms proximal to urban centers may display increased burdens of human-created chemicals compared to more distal populations, this relationship may not be universal when applied to organisms and stressors capable of transboundary movements. We examined eggs of brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), a nearshore seabird with daily movements ranging from local to 50 km and annual migrations ranging from year-round residency to 1500 km. Thirty-six eggs from three breeding colonies located at increasing distances to a major urban center (Charleston, South Carolina, USA) were analyzed for concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Areas of high use for each colony during the breeding season were also assessed via the tracking of adult pelicans from each colony using GPS-PTT satellite transmitters and overlapped with measures of relative urbanization via land cover data. We report potentially significant ∑PFAS concentrations in the eggs of pelicans (175.4 ± 120.1 ng/g w wt. SD), driven largely by linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS) (48–546 ng/g w wt.). Residues of the precursor compound perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) were also present in pelican eggs, suggesting continued exposure of local wildlife beyond implemented phaseouts of some PFAS. For most analytes, egg concentrations did not exhibit a significant spatial structure despite some differentiation in high-use areas unlike similar data for another regional apex predator, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). We suggest that the partially migratory nature of brown pelicans during the non-breeding season, combined with daily ranges that may extend to 50 km from local point sources, may have homogenized exposure across individuals. Charleston likely remains a major source for PFAS in the overall region, however, given the high concentrations observed as well as known releases of PFAS in the nearshore environment

Introducing ScrumAdemia: An Agile Guide for Doctoral Research

Pursuing a PhD is an exigent endeavor entailing various psychological and organizational challenges. This article proposes our adaptation of the agile method Scrum, which we call "ScrumAdemia," as a solution. We illustrate how ScrumAdemia helps us to overcome the challenges related to workflows, working conditions, and mental health during doctoral research. We use data from a self-evaluation survey executed over 18 months, as well as an extended focus-group discussion to assess ScrumAdemia's usefulness. Our experiences show that ScrumAdemia helps us to (1) overcome limitations of organization and structure relating to working conditions; (2) solve time-management problems affecting workflows; and (3) remedy the lack of support. This study has broader implications for doctoral research: more attention should be given to creating structures for peer-to-peer support

A graphene-based hydrogel monolith with tailored surface chemistry for PFAS passive sampling

Aquatic contamination by per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) has attracted global attention due to their environmental and health concerns. Current health advisories and surface water regulatory limits require PFAS detection in the parts per trillion (ppt) range. One way to achieve those low detection limits is to use a reliable passive sampling-based monitoring tool for PFAS, as exists for numerous nonpolar persistent organic pollutants. Here we introduce a new graphene-based hydrogel monolith and describe its synthesis, chemical functionalization, property characterization, and testing as a PFAS equilibrium passive sampler. The graphene monoliths were self-assembled by hydrothermal treatment from graphene oxide (GO) aqueous dispersions to produce free standing cylinders of ∼563 mm3 volume consisting of 4 wt% thin-walled porous graphene and ∼96 wt% water. The uptake of 23 PFAS was measured on the as-produced monoliths, and equilibrium partition coefficients (KSW), were derived for longer chain (C ≥ 8) perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) and neutral precursors such as sulfonamides (log KSW range 1.9–3.6). To increase the KSW for shorter chain PFAA, the monoliths were chemically modified by a new diazonium-based grafting reaction that introduces positive surface charge without damage to the graphenic backbone. Introduction of benzylamine moieties through the diazonium intermediate switches zeta potential at pH 7 from −45 mV (as-produced graphene) to +5 mV. This modification increased the sorption of short and middle chain PFAA by ten-fold (e.g. log KSW for PFBA increased from 1.3 to 2.2), thereby improving the functionality of the passive sampler device for a wider range of PFAS. Field deployments demonstrated that the graphene monoliths were capable of detecting key PFAS in the Delaware River

Field validation of a novel passive sampler for dissolved PFAS in surface waters

Numerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of growing concern worldwide due to their ubiquitous presence, bioaccumulation and adverse effects. Surface waters in the United States have displayed elevated concentrations of PFAS, but so far discrete water sampling has been the commonly applied sampling approach. In the present study we field-tested a novel integrative passive sampler, a microporous polyethylene tube, and derived sampling rates (Rs) for nine PFAS in surface waters. Three sampling campaigns were conducted, deploying polyethylene tube passive samplers in the effluent of two wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and across Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA) for 1 month each in 2017 and 2018. Passive samplers exhibited linear uptake of PFAS in the WWTP effluents over 16–29 days, with in situ Rs for nine PFAS ranging from 10 ml day−1 (perfluoropentanoic acid) to 29 ml day−1 (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). Similar sampling rates of 19 ± 4.8 ml day−1 were observed in estuarine field deployments. Applying these Rs values in a different WWTP effluent predicted dissolved PFAS concentrations mostly within 50% of their observations in daily composite water samples, except for perfluorobutanoic acid (where predictions from passive samplers were 3 times greater than measured values), perfluorononanoic acid (1.9 times), perfluorodecanoic acid (1.7 times), and perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (0.1 times). These results highlight the potential use of passive samplers as measurement and assessment tools of PFAS in dynamic aquatic environments

Glücklich in Wuppertal - ein urbanes Wohlbefindens-Panel

Das FGW-geförderte Projekt 'Glücklich in Wuppertal' hat die erste Phase in der Einrichtung des weltweit ersten appbasierten urbanen Wohlbefindens-Panels ermöglicht. Mit einer Smartphone-App wird hier sowohl Glücksforschung systematisch auf die urbane Ebene gebracht als auch ein neues Instrument für Partizipation in der Stadt geschaffen. Basierend auf der Infrastruktur und Vorarbeiten der Happiness Research Organisation (HRO) und eingebettet in Arbeiten des Wuppertal Instituts zu neuen Wohlstandsmodellen erfasst die App in mehreren sich ergänzenden Modulen das subjektive und kommunale Wohlbefinden der Wuppertaler Bevölkerung. Über die Projektlaufzeit von 12 Monaten wurde der zentrale Fragebogen 1799-mal voll verwertbar von unterschiedlichen Personen ausgefüllt. Über eine sehr starke Medienpräsenz und sonstige Kommunikationsmaßnahmen konnte gemeinsam mit lokalen Partner_innen ein hoher Bekanntheitsgrad der App erreicht werden. Erste Einbindungen der Ergebnisse in städtische Entwicklungsprozesse laufen und werden aktuell erweitert.The Project 'Happy in Wuppertal' included the first phase of establishing the world’s first urban app-based well-being panel. With an app for smartphones research on well-being and happiness is being brought to the city level. Beyond research, the app will become a new tool for participation in the City of Wuppertal. The project uses existing work and infrastructure of the Happiness Research Organization (HRO) that has been implemented in various international projects. It is also based on work at the Wuppertal Institute on new forms of wealth and well-being. The app consists of several complementing modules that look into the personal and communal well-being of the citizens of Wuppertal. Within 12 months the central questionnaire has been answered 1799 times in full by different individuals. The app is very well known within the city due to partnerships with local enterprises and media. Some first steps towards using the app in decision making have been taken and will be extended

Eine neue Form der Bürgerbeteiligung: das Beispiel der App 'Glücklich in Wuppertal'

Smartphone-Apps ermöglichen eine niedrigschwellige und regelmäßige Kommunikation zwischen Bürgern und kommunaler Verwaltung. Sie können damit die Mängel 'analoger' Formen der Bürgerbeteiligung ausgleichen und fördern eine partizipative Stadtentwicklung. Die App kann in städtische Entwicklungsprozesse eingebunden werden, um mehr Menschen die Möglichkeit zur Partizipation zu geben. In Wuppertal geschieht dies bereits. Zentrale Erfolgsfaktoren sind ein intuitives Interface, ein deutlicher Mehrwert für die Nutzer_innen, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, lokale Partner_innen und ein zeitnahes Feedback aus Politik und Verwaltung. Breit angelegte Erhebungen können zeigen, wie Luftqualität, Arbeitsplätze und städtische Infrastrukturen von Bürger_innen wahrgenommen werden und welche Faktoren dazu führen, dass Stadtteile 'glücklich machen'