The genus Rugilus Leach, 1819 in the Portuguese fauna (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)

New data that expand the geographic distribution of the five Portuguese species within the genus Rugilus Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) are presented. The aedeagus of these species is illustrated.Damos a conhecer novos dados que alargam a área de distribuição das cinco espécies portuguesas do género Rugilus Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae). O edeago das espécies é ilustrado

Faceted anomalous scaling in the epitaxial growth of semiconductor films

We apply the generic dynamical scaling theory (GDST) to the surfaces of CdTe polycrystalline films grown in glass substrates. The analysed data were obtained with a stylus profiler with an estimated resolution lateral resolution of $l_c=0.3 \mu$m. Both real two-point correlation function and power spectrum analyses were done. We found that the GDST applied to the surface power spectra foresees faceted morphology in contrast with the self-affine surface indicated by the local roughness exponent found via the height-height correlation function. This inconsistency is explained in terms of convolution effects resulting from the finite size of the probe tip used to scan the surfaces. High resolution AFM images corroborates the predictions of GDST.Comment: to appear in Europhysics Letter

Where Do Babies Come From?

According to European folklore, popularized by a fairy tale, storks are responsible for bringing babies to new parents. This probably came from observation in certain European countries, such as Norway, Netherlands or Germany, that storks nesting on the roofs of households were believed to bring good luck, as the possibility of new births. People love stories, but correlation simply means that there is a relationship between two factors that tells nothing about the direction of said relationship, if any. Another possibility is simple coincidence. Let us say that it’s possible that one factor causes another. It’s also possible that the inverse occurs. And maybe both are being caused by a third. The main point is that there is a fundamental confusion between correlation and causality. A correlation doesn’t prove a cause by itself. During these times of abundant fake news, it is necessary to warn folks of the fallacy of mistaking correlation for causation

Responsabilidade social, governança corporativa e valor das empresas

This work aims at the comprehension of the effects that the practice of the social responsibility and the corporate governance can produce over the value of a company. Social responsibility has been assuming an important role in the companies' decisions and the corporate governance, even though related to norms and legal requirements, also has a fundamental aspect in the ethical commitment. According to stock market analysts, social responsibility has become more relevant when companies are analyzed at the time an investment is being recommended. Much the same way, institutional investors have been considering social responsibility before investing. The analysis of the return supplied by the socially responsible investment funds (from the English SRI – Socially Responsible Investments) in comparison to the return of the traditional investments funds, shows that a relation between social responsibility, corporate governance and the value of the companies does exist.social responsibility, corporate governance, value of a company.,

Diversity and Nesting Substrates of Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera, Meliponina) in a Forest Remnant

Stingless bees are abundant and diverse key actors in several plant-pollinator networks in the neotropics, but little is known about their natural history and ecology. This study aims to contribute to knowledge about the diversity and dispersion of stingless bees and discusses the importance of nesting substrates. It was carried out in the Araguari river valley in Minas Gerais, Brazil, where a nest site survey was conducted in an area of 100 ha during 11 alternate months from 2006 to 2008, for a total of 1,200 observation hours. Sixty-nine nests were found, belonging to 12 genera and 20 different species. Nests of Melipona rufiventris were by far the most abundant. Stingless bees nested more frequently in hollows of live trees (64%), and 11 different substrates were identified. Seventeen plant species were used as nesting substrates and Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Fabaceae) was the main host, encompassing 23% of the surveyed nests. The area studied is important for the maintenance of stingless bees because it provides nesting sites for them. Without nesting sites the reproductive division of colonies is compromised, affecting the nests' survival