Bridging the great divide? Making sense of the human rights-CSR relationship in UK multinational companies

Human rights (HR) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are both fields of knowledge and research that have been shaped by, and examine, the role of multi-national enterprises in society. Whilst scholars have highlighted the overlapping nature of CSR and HR, our understanding of this relationship within business practice remains vague and under-researched. To explore the interface between CSR and HR, this paper presents empirical data from a qualitative study involving 22 international businesses based in the UK. Through an analysis based on sensemaking, the paper examines how and where CSR and HR overlap, contrast and shape one another, and the role that companies’ international operations has on this relationship. The findings reveal a complex and multi-layered relationship between the two, and concludes that in contrast to management theory, companies have bridged the ‘great divide’ in varying degrees most notably in their implementation strategies

Relationship between Dry Weight at Heading and the Number ofSpikelets on Individual Rice Tillers

The objectives of this study were to identify the growth parameters involved in determining the number of spikelets on an individual tiller (ST) and to elucidate how ST is determined in rice (Oryza sativa L.). We examined the correlation of ST with the dry weight (DWT), leaf area (LAT), and the amount of nitrogen (NT) at heading for individual tillers grown under different conditions that were expected to affect spikelet production. In 1999, the japonica rice cultivars “Mineasahi” (short-duration), “Hinohikari” (intermediate-duration), and “Akebono” (long-duration) were transplanted in a paddy field on two different dates (EARLY and LATE). In 2000, Hinohikari was grown under three different treatments (gibberellic acid application, nitrogen topdressing, and thinning of hills at panicle initiation) and without treatment (control). Covariance and partial correlation analyses indicated that ST was positively and essentially correlated with DWT rather than with LAT and NT. The regression of ST on DWT was stable within each cultivar regardless of the treatment, year, tiller order, and number of differentiated spikelets. The slope of the regression was the steepest in the short-duration cultivar. These results suggest that the steep slope is desirable for high-yielding cultivars with large panicles. We conclude that ST is mostly determined by dry matter production of an individual tiller regardless of the number of differentiated spikelets. We present a diagram showing the relationship between dry matter production and the number of differentiated, surviving, and degenerated spikelets on an individual tiller

Differences in the Rate of Seedling Emergence among Rice Cultivars under Low Soil-Moisture Conditions

The objective of this study was to identify rice cultivars with high emergence ability under low soil-moisture conditions using a large number of rice cultivars, and to clarify the differences between the rates of emergence in lowland and upland, white- and red-kerneled, and non-glutinous and glutinous cultivars. First, 30 cultivars with a high emergence rate at 14 days after sowing (DAS) were selected at a soil water potential of -1.17 to -0.89 MPa from 382 cultivars through fourscreening experiments. In these experiments, the emergence rate was significantly higher in the upland cultivars than in the lowland cultivars. The red-kerneled cultivars also had a significantly higher emergence rate than the white-kerneled cultivars. However, no difference in emergence rate was observed between the non-glutinous and glutinous cultivars. Second, the emergence rates of various cultivars were examined at a soil water potential of -1.62, -1.23, and -1.07 MPa. The higher the soil water potential, the higher the emergence rate at 28 DAS and the shorter the time to the emergence. The order of cultivars in their emergence rate at 13 DAS at -1.07 MPa was similar to that at 28 DAS at -1.62 MPa. Therefore, the dataat 13 DAS at -1.07 MPa were used to compare the selected 30 cultivars for their emergence ability under low soil-moisture conditions. Moulla Topa showed the highest emergence rate (78.1%) and Gaiya Rate Bhasunamathe the shortest time to 50% emergence (11.1 d) under these conditions

Effects of Dry Matter Production, Translocation of Nonstructural Carbohydrates and Nitrogen Application on Grain Filling in Rice Cultivar Takanari, a Cultivar Bearing a Large Number of Spikelets

The effects of dry matter production and the remobilization of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) on grain filling were investigated using the Indica-based Japonica crossed rice cultivar Takanari, which can bear a large sink. For three years,beginning in 1994, shade treatments were conducted with different nitrogen applications to develop large variations in plant growth. The percentage of ripened spikelets showed the greatest correlation with the total amount of carbohydrate supply per spikelet during 10 to 20 days after heading, calculated by adding the amount of dry matter increase to the amount ofNSC decrease in leaf sheaths and culms during the period. Between the two components, the dry matter increase was more important. The NSC reserve played a role in compensating for the shortage of carbohydrate supply from assimilates after heading and showed a tendency to increase the percentage of ripened spikelets when dry matter production after heading was limited. However, the maximum ratio of compensatory translocation from the NSC reserve was estimated to be only 48%, becauseofsmaller reservoir size compared with the demand. The NSC reserve at heading was not significantly increased by increasing the dry matter production before heading. It was concluded that to increase grain filling ability it is more effective to increase the dry matter production after heading than that before heading. Nitrogen application showed negative effectson the translocation of reserve NSC. It is important to optimize the nitrogen content to maximize the total source of carbohydrate supply

Neurochemistry in shiverer mouse depicted on MR spectroscopy.

To evaluate the neurochemical changes associated with hypomyelination, especially to clarify whether increased total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA) with decreased choline (Cho) observed in the thalamus of msd mice with the plp1 mutation is a common finding for hypomyelinating disorders