Toward the development of a new toxicity test with the Arctic alga Nitzschia frigida.

There are limited data available related to the sensitivity of Arctic species to environmental contaminants, and this knowledge gap creates uncertainty in environmental risk assessments (ERAs). To help address this concern, we optimized culturing conditions to allow for toxicity tests with an Arctic diatom, Nitzschia frigida. We found optimal conditions for growth were Harrison's medium with natural seawater at 2 °C under a continuous photoperiod of 90 μmol photons m s.

A Critical Review of the Availability, Reliability, and Ecological Relevance of Arctic Species Toxicity Tests for Use in Environmental Risk Assessment.

There is a pressing need to understand the impact of contaminants on Arctic ecosystems; however, most toxicity tests are based on temperate species, and there are issues with reliability and relevance of bioassays in general. Together this may result in an underestimation of harm to Arctic organisms and contribute to significant uncertainty in risk assessments. To help address these concerns, a critical review to assess reported effects for these species, quantify methodological and endpoint relevance gaps, and identify future research needs for testing was performed.

Correction to: Toward the Development of a Functional Analysis Risk Assessment Decision Tool.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40617-020-00433-y.].

Toward the Development of a Functional Analysis Risk Assessment Decision Tool.

Risk-benefit analyses are essential in the decision-making process when selecting the most effective and least restrictive assessment and treatment options for our clients. Clinical expertise, informed by the client's preferences and the research literature, is needed in order to weigh the potential detrimental effects of a procedure against its expected benefits. Unfortunately, safety recommendations pertaining to functional analyses (FAs) are scattered or not consistently reported in the literature, which could lead some practitioners to misjudge the risks of FA.

Considerations of Baseline Classroom Conditions in Conducting Functional Behavior Assessments in School Settings.

Research has shown that environmental classroom variables affect academic performance and student behavior, and appropriate behavior is often related to the presence of effective teaching practices and classroom management (Moore Partin, Robertson, Maggin, Oliver, & Wehby , 172-178, 2010). For behavior analysts consulting in elementary education, some referrals for assessment and treatment of individual student behavior can be resolved by helping teachers establish effective class-wide practices. For this reason, some researchers suggest that behavior analysts should assess baseline classroom conditions as part of a functional behavior assessment (FBA; Anderson & St.