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The paper explores the perceptions and management practices regarding parental leave among a specific group of employers: those likely to have low parental leave take-up among staff. We conducted qualitative interviews with employers in 18 Luxembourg-based companies of sizes and economy sectors where low take-up is most prevalent. We explored how leave requests, employees' absences and their return after parental leave are managed and how employers deal with the recent reform of parental leave policy. The results show that employers try to minimize the cost of fathers' absence from work by negotiating over the timing of take-up and the form of leave to be taken. Parental leave is preferred over other work–life balance measures because it is perceived as a short-term and timely arrangement during a career. In this particular group of employers, parental leave is also viewed as more compatible with work and organization processes than other measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first national-scale lead (Pb) isotope maps of Australia based on surface regolith for five isotope ratios, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/206Pb, and 208Pb/206Pb, determined by single collector Sector Field-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry after an Ammonium Acetate leach followed by Aqua Regia digestion. The dataset is underpinned principally by the National Geochemical Survey of Australia (NGSA) archived floodplain sediment samples. We analysed 1219 'top coarse' (0-10 cm depth, <2 mm grain size) samples, collected near the outlet of 1119 large catchments covering 5.647 million km2 (~75% of Australia). The samples consist of mixtures of the dominant soils and rocks weathering in their respective catchments (and possibly those upstream) and are therefore assumed to form a reasonable representation of the average isotopic signature of those catchments. This assumption was tested in one of the NGSA catchments, within which 12 similar 'top coarse' samples were also taken; results show that the Pb isotope ratios of the NGSA catchment outlet sediment sample are close to the average of the 12 sub-catchment, upstream samples. National minimum, median and maximum values reported for 206Pb/204Pb were 15.558, 18.844, 30.635; for 207Pb/204Pb 14.358, 15.687, 18.012; for 208Pb/204Pb 33.558, 38.989, 48.873; for 207Pb/206Pb 0.5880, 0.8318, 0.9847; and for 208Pb/206Pb 1.4149, 2.0665, 2.3002, respectively. The new dataset was compared with published bedrock and ore Pb isotope data, and was found to dependably represent crustal elements of various ages from Archean to Phanerozoic. This suggests that floodplain sediment samples are a suitable proxy for basement and basin geology at this scale, despite various degrees of transport, mixing, and weathering experienced in the regolith environment, locally over protracted periods of time. An example of atmospheric Pb contamination around Port Pirie, South Australia, where a Pb smelter has operated since the 1890s, is shown to illustrate potential environmental applications of this new dataset. Other applications may include elucidating detail of Australian crustal evolution and mineralisation-related investigations. The new regolith Pb isotope dataset for Australia is publicly available (Desem et al., 2023; http://dx.doi.org/10.26186/5ea8f6fd3de64). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of otolith strontium isotope ratios ([sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr) is an increasingly utilized approach for studying fish migration. We analysed surface and ground water from the Daly River catchment in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia over 2 years. Analyses of otolith [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86] Sr ratios were also conducted for freshwater sooty grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus) and the putatively diadromous diamond mullet (Liza ordensis). Spatial variation in freshwater[sup.87]Sr/[sup.86] Sr was high (range: 0.71612-0.78059), and there was strong seasonality in water [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr, with highest values in the wet season. Temporal variation in water [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr ratios is attributed to seasonal patterns in surface runoff from geological formations with radiogenic compositions versus input from groundwater aquifers interacting with less radiogenic formations. Temporal variation in water [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr ratios precluded robust inference on movement within fresh water for both species, although movement across salinity gradients by diamond mullet was clearly identified. We conclude that temporally and spatially replicated water Sr data should be a general requisite for studies that analyse otolith Sr ([sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr, Sr/Ca, Sr/Ba) to make inferences about fish movement and migration. L'analyse des rapports isotopiques [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86] Sr des otolithes est une approche de plus en plus utilisee pour etudier la migration des poissons. Nous avons analyse de l'eau souterraine et de surface dans le bassin versant de la riviere Daly dans la region tropicale humide/seche d'Australie meridionale sur une periode de 2 ans. Des analyses des rapports [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr d'otolithes ont egalement ete realisees pour Hephaestus fuliginosus, un poisson d'eau douce, et Liza ordensis, presume etre diadrome. L'eau douce presentait de fortes variations du [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86] Sr dans l'espace (fourchette : 0,71612-0,78059), et la saisonnalite du [sup.87] Sr/[sup.86] Sr de l'eau etait marquee, les valeurs les plus elevees caracterisant la saison humide. Les variations dans le temps des rapports [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86] Sr de l'eau sont attribuees a des motifs saisonniers des apports relatifs d'eau de ruissellement issue de formations geologiques radiogeniques et d'eau souterraine interagissant avec des formations moins radiogeniques. Les variations temporelles de[sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr empechent toute inference robuste concernant les deplacements en eau douce pour les deux especes, bien que des deplacements de Liza ordensis le long de gradients de salinite aient ete clairement discernes. Nous en concluons que des donnees surle Srde l'eau reproduites dans le temps et dans l'espace devraient constituerun element necessaire des etudes du Sr ([sup.87]Sr/[sup.86] Sr, Sr/Ca, Sr/Ba) d'otolithes ayant pour but de faire des inferences sur les deplacements et la migration des poissons. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Movement and migration by fishes is an important process in many riverine ecosystems, creating ecological connections between spatially distant habitats and functioning as a conduit for the transport of [...]

Reference materials (RMs) with well‐characterised composition are necessary for reliable quantification and quality control of isotopic analyses of geological samples. For in situRb‐Sr analysis of silicate minerals via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS/MS) with a collision/reaction cell, there is a general lack of mineral‐specific and matrix‐matched RMs, which limits wider application of this new laser‐based dating technique to certain minerals. In this work, pressed nano‐powder pellets (NP) of four RMs, GL‐O (glauconite), Mica‐Mg (phlogopite), Mica‐Fe (biotite) and FK‐N (K‐feldspar), were analysed and tested for in situRb‐Sr dating, complemented by isotope dilution (ID) MC‐ICP‐MS Rb‐Sr analyses of GL‐O and Mica‐Mg. In addition, we attempted to develop alternative flux‐free and fused 'mineral glasses' from the above RMs for in situRb‐Sr dating applications. Overall, the results of this study showed that among the above RMs only two NP (Mica‐Mg‐NP and GL‐O‐NP) were suitable and robust for in situ dating applications. These two nano‐powder reference materials, Mica‐Mg‐NP and GL‐O‐NP, were thus used as primary RMs to normalise and determine Rb‐Sr ages for three natural minerals: MDC phlogopite and GL‐O glauconite grains, and also Mica‐Fe‐NP (biotite). Our in situ analyses of the above RMs yielded Rb‐Sr ages that are in good agreement (within 8%) of published ages, which suggests that both Mica‐Mg‐NP and GL‐O‐NP are suitable RMs for in situRb‐Sr dating of phlogopite, glauconite and biotite. However, using secondary RMs is recommended to monitor the quality of the obtained ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contributions of nursery habitats to recruitment of non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were estimated via analysis of water and otolith [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr and otolith trace element concentrations (Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca) over 3 years in the Lachlan River, Australia. Water samples and otoliths of postlarval carp were analyzed to characterize [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr and multielemental signatures of nursery habitats. Considerable temporal variation occurred in both water [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr and otolith multielemental signatures, which limited our ability to directly match water and otolith [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr in nurseries of the lower catchment. However, spatial variation in multi-elemental signatures was sufficient to allow accurate classification of nurseries within years. Assignment analysis of young-of-year fish suggested that several wetland and floodplain systems made significant contributions to young-of-year recruitment in the lower catchment. These contributions were strongly influenced by river flows and water management. Nurseries contributed fewer recruits to the main channel as distance from the nursery increased. Fish from the upper catchment originated from local sources, and there was no evidence of mixing of recruits between the upper and lower catchments. We conclude that identification of recruitment 'hotspots' via otolith chemical analysis can assist in developing strategies to control invasive fishes in large river networks. La contribution des habitats d'alevinage au recrutement de carpes communes (Cyprinus carpio) non indigenes a ete estimee par analyse du rapport [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr de l'eau et d'otolites et des concentrations d'elements en traces (Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca) d'otolites sur une periode de trois ans, dans la riviere Lachlan, en Australie. Des echantillons d'eau et des otolites de carpes post-larvaires ont ete analyses afin de caracteriser les signatures [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr et multi-elementaires d'habitats d'alevinage. Des variations temporelles considerables ont ete observees tant dans les rapports [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr de l'eau que dans les signatures multielementaires d'otolites, ce qui a limite la possibilite de relier directement les rapports [sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr de l'eau et des otolites dans les habitats d'alevinage du bassin inferieur. Les variations spatiales des signatures multi-elementaires se sont toutefois averees suffisantes pour permettre une classification exacte des habitats d'alevinage pour des annees donnees. L'analyse d'affectation de jeunes de l'annee suggerait que plusieurs systemes de milieu humide-plaine inondable contribuaient de maniere significative au recrutement de jeunes de l'annee dans le bassin inferieur; ces contributions etaient fortement influencees par les debits de la riviere et la gestion l'eau. Plus la distance par rapport a l'habitat d'alevinage etait grande, moins l'apport au chenal principal de recrues provenant de ces habitats etait important. Les poissons issus du bassin superieur provenaient de sources locales, et rien n'indiquait la presence d'un melange de recrues issues des parties superieure et inferieure du bassin. Nous concluons que la delimitation de'points chauds'de recrutement grace a l'analyse chimique d'otolites peut appuyer l'elaboration de strategies de controle des poissons envahissants dans les grands reseaux fluviaux. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction The continuing spread of invasive fishes in rivers has severe impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and the human communities that rely upon them, in many regions of the world (Arthington [...]