Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Divulgación de información social y medioambiental: un análisis de los patrones de comportamiento de empresas europeas cotizadas desde la teoría neo-institucional

RESUMEN A pesar de la amplia investigación en materia de responsabilidad social corporativa (RSC) existe una laguna en la literatura en lo que a las presiones institucionales que determinan la revelación de información sobre RSC en sus diferentes aspectos respecta. Con el fin de contribuir a la literatura previa a este respecto el presente trabajo analiza el efecto del país, medido a través del sistema legal y de la dimensión cultural de aversión a la incertidumbre, y del sector en el reporting sobre RSC de grandes empresas cotizadas de Alemania, España y Reino Unido. Los resultados, basados en el análisis de contenido de los informes anuales y de RSC, son coherentes con la teoría neo-institucional. Las empresas del Reino Unido publican más informes sobre RSC y más informes verificados y revelan más información sobre Comunidad y Ética. Las empresas de Alemania y España muestran patrones similares en algunos de los elementos. Además, se evidencia la influencia de diferentes presiones institucionales en las diferentes categorías. Las presiones a nivel de la sociedad, medidas a través del sistema legal y la aversión a la incertidumbre, resultan determinantes en la revelación de información sobre Comunidad y Ética, no así, en las categorías de Empleados, Medio Ambiente y Consumidores y productos en las que las presiones a nivel del campo organizacional, medidas a través del sector, parecen anular el efecto del país.
BRICS

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have received considerable analysis as a group attempting to present an alternative to West-driven institutions and hegemony. While its formation is a positive development for the South, it requires to reach out to civil society. BRICS, minus a robust civil society involvement, will only result in entrenching viewpoints that see the BRICS as representing narrow business interests of a southern elite, with little concern for the gamut of socio-economic problems confronting the people of Southern nations.
Remittances, Investment and New Emigration Trends in Kerala

Abstract This article reports a study of the interlinkages among remittance receipts, household-level investment and the changing emigration patterns in Kerala, using seven rounds of the Kerala Migration Survey conducted between 1998 and 2018. The major findings suggest that remittances improved households’ per capita income and changed their spending patterns. Households receiving remittance, on average, spare a relatively larger share of monthly income on the consumption of non-food durable goods. Moreover, receipts of remittance also enable the households to save, to invest more on assets, land and buildings, and to form human capital (through increased share of spending on education and health). Households which devote a large share of spending on education and health also report a relatively high share of skilled emigration to either Global North or Oceania regions, instead of the traditional low-skilled Gulf emigration. Hence, policies that help boost these new emigration trends are likely to sustain the growth of remittance inflows and the process of overall socio-economic development in Kerala.
Warmer and richer? Predicting the impact of climate warming on species richness in small temperate waterbodies

Climate change is expected to affect communities worldwide. Many studies focus on responses at the regional level and show an increase in species richness. However, less is known about the consequences of climate change at the local scale (in ecosystems). Small waterbodies, such as ponds, could play an important role for the assessment of the impact of future changes in climate at the local level. We evaluated here the potential changes due to climate warming in the species richness for various groups (plants, snails, beetles, dragonflies, amphibians) across 113 lowland and high altitude ponds in Switzerland. We modelled the relationships between species richness and environmental variables (including temperature) and predicted species richness changes for the end of the century (2090–2100; using the A2 IPCC scenario). Temperature rise could significantly increase pond species richness. For the five taxonomic groups pooled, species richness would potentially increase from 41 to 75 (+83%) in lowland ponds. In presently species‐poor high altitude ponds, the potential increase would be particularly marked, with a proportional increase (+150%; from 14 to 35 species) almost double that in lowland areas. A strong increase in species richness also resulted from models including changes in additional variables, such as landuse or water quality. Future reductions in water quality (e.g. increase in nutrients) may limit the predicted increase in lowland species richness or, conversely, result in a greater increase in species richness in high altitude areas. Nutrient enrichment is shown to affect the taxonomic groups differentially, with plant species richness the most negatively influenced. Climate warming could therefore affect species richness of temperate ponds not only regionally, but also at the local, within ecosystems‐scale; species richness could increase markedly in temperate regions, and especially so at higher altitude.
Influence of Feed Withdrawal for Different Durations on the Performance of Broilers in Summer

One hundred twenty broiler chicks (two weeks old) were employed as experimental birds. These birds were randomly divided into twelve replicates of ten chicks each and the replicates were further randomly allotted to four treatment groups (A, B, C & D). Group A served as control and was fed ad libitum. Whereas, group B, C and D were kept off feed from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. , 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. , respectively, for four weeks (2 - 6 weeks of age). The data on initial body weight, feed consumption, weight gain rectal temperature and mortality (if any) were recorded. The birds kept off feed from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. gained significantly (P < 0.05) more weight (1275 gm) and utilized their feed more efficiently (2.07) than those of control group, fed ad libitum. However, the feed consumption was found to be significantly lower (2433 g) in the birds kept off feed from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The rectal temperature did not differ among the birds of various groups; however, the temperature of the birds fed ad libitum (control) apparently remained slightly higher than those of the feed restricted groups. Mortality occurred (2 birds), only in the control groups.
Swimming Performance of the Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) an Endangered Midwestern Minnow

Abstract The Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) is imperiled by extensive changes in stream hydrology. Responses of shiners to changes or variation in stream hydraulics, however, have not been quantified, hampering conservation efforts. We quantified swimming endurance and behavior for Topeka shiners in a laboratory swim tunnel. Sustained swimming (>200 min) was observed at water velocities of 30–40 cm/s. Prolonged and burst swimming (approximately 10 min to less than 0.1 min) was observed at water velocities of 40–75 cm/s and endurance was negatively correlated with water velocity. Larger individuals (4.4–5.5 cm standard length) exhibited greater sustained swimming ability than smaller individuals (3.0–4.2 cm standard length). Oral grasping of wire mesh within the swim tunnel was frequently employed at moderate water velocities (35–50 cm/s); this behavior may limit downstream displacement of shiners during freshets. Topeka shiners are capable of swimming speeds faster than water velocities which they typically inhabit. Fishways and culverts, therefore, may be employed to facilitate dispersal and recolonization. Swimming endurance data are used to determine optimal size and water velocities for such structures.
Editorial

neal dialysis (CPD) has undergone substantial changes. The use of plastic bags and improved connectology systems (allowing for “flush before fill”) has drastically reduced the incidence of peritonitis. The availability of automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) has improved quality of life for many patients. More recently, the introduction of new, more biocompatible peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions has permitted enhanced management of patients’ fluid balance (icodextrin-based solution), has in part addressed the problem of malnutrition (amino acid–based solution), and has demonstrated a potential for reducing negative local effects on the peritoneal membrane (icodextrin/neutral pH/bicarbonate– based solutions). Yet, after 30 years, one unresolved issue remains: encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS). Various aspects of that complication are discussed in the present supplement.
Raccoon Spatial Requirements and Multi-Scale Habitat Selection within an Intensively Managed Central Appalachian Forest

Abstract We studied a raccoon (Procyon lotor) population within a managed central Appalachian hardwood forest in West Virginia to investigate the effects of intensive forest management on raccoon spatial requirements and habitat selection. Raccoon home-range (95% utilization distribution) and core-area (50% utilization distribution) size differed between sexes with males maintaining larger (2×) home ranges and core areas than females. Home-range and core-area size did not differ between seasons for either sex. We used compositional analysis to quantify raccoon selection of six different habitat types at multiple spatial scales. Raccoons selected riparian corridors (riparian management zones [RMZ]) and intact forests (> 70 y old) at the core-area spatial scale. RMZs likely were used by raccoons because they provided abundant denning resources (i.e., large-diameter trees) as well as access to water. Habitat composition associated with raccoon foraging locations indicated selection for intact forests, riparian areas, and regenerating harvest (stands <10 y old). Although raccoons were able to utilize multiple habitat types for foraging resources, a selection of intact forest and RMZs at multiple spatial scales indicates the need of mature forest (with large-diameter trees) for this species in managed forests in the central Appalachians.
Application of phytochemicals as immunostimulant, antipathogenic and antistress agents in finfish culture

Phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, pigments, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids and essential oils are a large group of plant-derived compounds commonly found in diets high in fruits, vegetables, beans and cereals. Plant remedies are closely linked to the maintenance of good health in the cultural heritage of many countries. Despite the potential benefits to health and performance as noted in various terrestrial animals, the use of phytochemicals in fish farming has rarely been investigated. Fish culture is under pressure to decrease the use of synthetic antibiotics and chemotherapeutics because of the risk caused to humans by chemical residues in food and by antibiotic resistance being passed on to human pathogens. Consequently, efforts are being made to exploit plants, plant extracts or natural plant compounds as potential alternatives to synthetic chemicals for the stimulation of immune responses and disease resistance in fish. The phytochemicals contained in herbs may enhance the innate immune system and possess antimicrobial capabilities that may be of immense use in fish culture without causing any environmental and/or hazardous problems. Most phytochemicals are redox active molecules that have anti-oxidant characteristics that may improve the general physiological condition of fish. This review discusses the results emanating from different studies related to the in vivo application of plants and/or phytochemicals in fish in relation to immunostimulation, antipathogenic and antistress activities. Special emphasis is given to the use of Chinese and Indian herbs as immunostimulants in different finfish species during culture and as antibacterial agents against Aeromonas hydrophila.
Seasonal variations in susceptibility of Apis mellifera to the synergistic action of prochloraz and deltamethrin

The synergistic action of prochloraz and deltamethrin was investigated in summerand winter bees. Prochloraz and deltamethrin were used at sublethal doses that did not induce any significant mortality. Bees were treated with different doses of deltamethrin, either alone or in combination with prochloraz, at the constant field rate of 25 g/ha. In summer bees, the combination of prochloraz and deltamethrin at 125 mg/ha triggered a synergy that produced approx. 63 ± 5% mortality (corrected) after 24 h. At 62.5 mg/ha, deltamethrin still acted in synergy with prochloraz by inducing about 32.5 ± 3.5% mortality (corrected) after 24 h. The field rate of 31.25 mg/ha was the lowest dose at which deltamethrin acted in synergy with prochloraz in summer bees. In winter bees, no synergy occurred between prochloraz and deltamethrin at doses of 125 and 250 mg/ha. The deltamethrin dose had to be increased to 500 mg/ha to observe a synergy that produced only 47 ± 11.7% mortality (corrected) after 24 h. Considering the deltamethrin doses at which synergy occurred, summer bees appeared to be approximately eightfold more susceptible than winter bees to the synergistic action of prochloraz and deltamethrin.
Laboratory measures of filtration by freshwater mussels: An activity to introduce biology students to an increasingly threatened group of organisms

Many aquatic organisms survive by filter feeding from the surrounding water and capturing food particles. We developed a laboratory exercise that allows students to measure the effects of filtering by fresh water mussels on water turbidity. Mussels were acquired from Wards Scientific and exposed to a solution of baker's yeast. Over a period of one to two hours, students measured changes in water clarity using miniature Secchi discs. The exercise has been used in a freshwater biology class at a state university. This exercise allows students to make hypotheses, gather data, and explore interactions between living organisms and their environment. Many North American species of freshwater mussels are threatened or endangered because of habitat changes and the introduction of exotic mussels. Therefore, students are also able to examine the potential effects of biodiversity loss in aquatic environments.
Variation in anuran abundance along the streams of the Western Ghats, India

In order to test the hypothesis that anuran abundance does not vary between forest and commercial plantations, anurans were sampled along the streams of reserve forests, and adjoining cardamom and coffee plantations on the western slopes of the Western Ghats. The species composition and relative abundance varied significantly between the three habitats. A few species showed complete dependence on the forest whereas many common species were least affected by habitat alterations associated with plantations. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in the abundance of R. temporalis, Micrixalus saxicolus, Fejervarya limnocharis, Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis and Bufo melanostictus, whereas the difference was not significant for Indirana beddomii, Nyctibatrachus species and Polypedates species.
Modelling the timing of plankton production and its effect on recruitment of cod (Gadus morhua)

The match–mismatch hypothesis, which relates timing of plankton production to recruitment of fish, is difficult to test for a number of reasons, not least of which is lack of adequately resolved spatial and seasonal data for matching information on fish larvae and their food. Spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of water-column stratification, primary production, and copepod egg production can be modelled, but do such models adequately represent features of interannual variability that affect survival of fish larvae? Information on the timing and location of cod larvae in the Irish Sea and at Iceland is used to identify target areas for which long-term hindcasts of plankton production are made using a one-dimensional model of water-column stratification and production of chlorophyll and copepod eggs, driven by hourly meteorological data. Hindcast spring chlorophyll and nitrate values for Faxa Bay (Iceland) in 1966 correspond well with observations. Hindcast interannual variability in Calanus egg production appears to have a significant effect on cod recruitment in the Irish Sea and at Iceland. While the conclusions from such a limited study must be tentative, they suggest that local meteorological forcing, in areas where cod larvae occur, exerts an effect on their survival, owing to the match between plankton production and larval feeding.
Book Reviews: The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Visualization for Change

Imagination, Cognition and Personality solicits reviews of new books from its readers. Good reviews provide a valuable professional service by informing readers of new books and by critically orienting them to the major issues the books address. Any relevant volume may be considered. If you wish to submit a review, before proceeding please send a letter of intent, identifying the book in question (title, author, publisher), to Nicholas Brink, Ph.D., ICP Book Review Editor, P.O. Box 94, 125 Weaver Avenue, Coburn, PA 16832 (717) 523-0023, e-mail: brink@vicon.net. Instructions will then be sent to you. The Editor reserves the right of final decision on publication.
Reviews

This is not a book about training but about ‘what is called training’, in the sense that it is a meta-discourse about forms of human activity that are, in one way or another, connected with the formation or enhancement of human potential – the ‘existing’, rather than ‘generic’, potential of the trained person as the author clarifies (19–20). The stated objective of the book is to ‘explain and understand’ what is called training by investigating some of the characteristics that occur in instances where it is used (9). As such the book encompasses within its remit not just training for theatrical presentation but for ‘performance’ as understood and developed more broadly by Performance Studies. John Matthews has written an important book that occupies a strategic space – heretofore a gap – between existing historical and psychophysical accounts of actor and performer training and Performance Studies. Its bibliographical companions, though obviously related, are not Ian Watson’s Performer Training (2001), Alison Hodge’s Actor Training (2002, 2010) or Mark Evans’s Movement Training for the Modern Actor (2009) but, rather,
Environmental change and the phenology of European aphids

Aphids, because of their short generation time and low developmental threshold temperatures, are an insect group expected to respond particularly strongly to environmental changes. Forty years of standardized, daily data on the abundance of flying aphids have been brought together from countries throughout Europe, through the EU Thematic Network ‘EXAMINE’. Relationships between phenology, represented by date of first appearance in a year in a suction trap, of 29 aphid species and environmental data have been quantified using the residual maximum likelihood (REML) methodology. These relationships have been used with climate change scenario data to suggest plausible changes in aphid phenology. In general, the date of first record of aphid species in suction traps is expected to advance, the rate of advance varying with location and species, but averaging 8 days over the next 50 years. Strong relationships between aphid phenology and environmental variables have been found for many species, but they are notably weaker in species living all year on trees. Canonical variate analysis and principal coordinate analysis were used to determine ordinations of the 29 species on the basis of the presence/absence of explanatory variables in the REML models. There was strong discrimination between species with different life cycle strategies and between species feeding on herbs and trees, suggesting the possible value of trait‐based groupings in predicting responses to environmental changes.
Nectar accessibility determines fitness, flower choice and abundance of hoverflies that provide natural pest control

Summary In modern agricultural landscapes, many organisms providing ecosystem services such as pollination and natural pest control are likely constrained by shortage of nectar and/or pollen required for adult nutrition. More and more flower-rich field margin strips and other habitats are created to eliminate these constraints. For most target organisms, however, it is not well known which (types of) flowers are effective in providing suitable pollen and nectar. We studied the suitability of a wide range of flowers as a food source for zoophagous hoverflies (hoverflies with predatory larvae) at five different levels: nectar accessibility (based on flower morphology), realized adult fitness, flower choice (both based on cage experiments), flower visitation and hoverfly abundance in mixed vegetation (both based on field observations). Realized survival of Episyrphus balteatus is related to effective flower depth by a sigmoid function. The critical flower depth is 1·6 mm, which is less than the proboscis size of the hoverfly. For Asteraceae, the critical floret depth is even less than 1·0 mm, which – in contrast to common knowledge – rules out most species within this family. Both flower choice in the laboratory and flower visitation rates in the field are well correlated with nectar accessibility and realized adult survival. In mixed floral vegetation, the number of zoophagous hoverflies is highly correlated with the abundance of only those flowers that have accessible nectar for these hoverflies. Synthesis and applications. This comparative study demonstrates that nectar (and not pollen) accessibility is the main driver determining flower resource suitability, flower choice and abundance of zoophagous hoverflies in arable field margins. The study identifies the limited range of plant species that can effectively support these beneficial insects. Preserving the right flowers in and around agricultural fields could enhance local populations and the pest control and pollination services they provide.