Does Assurance on CSR Reporting Enhance Environmental Reputation? An Examination in the U.S. Context

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Highlights Just over 18 percent of our sample companies obtained outside assurance. Other factors, outside assurance is positively associated with environmental reputation scores. Positive impacts hold across different types of assurance providers

Appraisal of penaeid prawn fishery by large mechanized trawlers (Sona boats) off Visakhapatnam, SE coast of India

Surge in fishing effort and penaeid prawn catch was recorded during the study period with that of 2006-10. Decline in Catch per Hour (CPH) and penaeid prawn ratio (%) to total fish catch was observed. Penaeid prawns accounted for 15.5% of the sona boat landings. Annually, mean penaeid prawn landings were estimated at 6,184 t. Prawn catch excelled by M. monoceros (20.5%), S. crassicornis (13.7%) and M. barbata (7.8%)

Assessment of penaeid prawn fishery by small mechanized trawlers off Visakhapatnam, east coast of India

Study was conducted to assess penaeid prawn fishery by small mechanized trawlers along Visakhapatnam coast during 2011 to 2015. Penaeid prawn landings, fishing effort, CPH and species composition was collected from small mechanized trawlers. Expected penaeid prawn landings (t) were estimated by Schaefer production model (CEDA) based on fishing effort and penaeid prawn catch. Study discovered that there was considerable rise in fishing effort (h) (33.7%) and penaeid prawn landings (17.35%) during the study period with that of 2006-10. Drop in catch per hour (12.24%) and penaeid prawn proportion (12.39%) was registered. Mean fishing effort (h) per unit was registered as 115h and catch per hour of penaeid prawns ranged from 3.37 to 5.73 kgh-1. All in all, penaeid prawn landings accounted for 3,598 t annually and attributed to 14.8% of the total fish catch

Optimization of Energy-Efficient Cluster Head Selection Algorithm for Internet of Things in Wireless Sensor Networks

The Internet of Things (IoT) now uses the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) as a platform to sense and communicate data. The increase in the number of embedded and interconnected devices on the Internet has resulted in a need for software solutions to manage them proficiently in an elegant and scalable manner. Also, these devices can generate massive amounts of data, resulting in a classic Big Data problem that must be stored and processed. Large volumes of information have to be produced by using IoT applications, thus raising two major issues in big data analytics. To ensure an efficient form of mining of both spatial and temporal data, a sensed sample has to be collected. So for this work, a new strategy to remove redundancy has been proposed. This classifies all forms of collected data to be either relevant or irrelevant in choosing suitable information even before they are forwarded to the base station or the cluster head. A Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) is a cluster-based routing protocol that uses cluster formation. The LEACH chooses one head from the network sensor nodes, such as the Cluster Head (CH), to rotate the role to a new distributed energy load. The CHs were chosen randomly with the possibility of all CHs being concentrated in one locality. The primary idea behind such dynamic clustering was them resulted in more overheads due to changes in the CH and advertisements. Therefore, the LEACH was not suitable for large networks. Here, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and River Formation Dynamics are used to optimize the CH selection (RFD). The results proved that the proposed method to have performed better compared to other methods

Rendimiento de dos variedades mejoradas de frijol, sembrados al voleo al espeque, en Moss Pam, Waspam, Río Coco

This article presents the agronomic behavior of the beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in two varieties: (DOR-364 and M-46), that were established through the analysis of two planting methods (broadcast and handspike) to measure the production. The experiment was conducted in the academic farm of Snaky/URACCAN, located in the community of Moss Pam, municipality of Waspam, Rio Coco, North Autonomous Atlantic Region (RAAN). The bean crop is of great importance in the lives of indigenous communities, since just as the rice, it constitutes the most important grain in the family’s diets. It should be noted that the indigenous communities of the RAAN basically used two methods of planting (broadcast and handspike), however, productions is always low, so is necessary to make the study with the conditions that have been described. A bifactorial design in randomized complete blocks was used, where the factor A: is equivalent to the two varieties of beans (DOR-364 and H-46), and factor B, is equivalent to two methods of planting (broadcast and handspike). The evaluation was made on the morphometric characteristics presented in the vegetative and reproductive phase of the crop. The information processing was done with the statistical program InfoStat, making an investigation from the analysis of ANAVA and Kruskal-Wallis test. The results showed high germination viability (95%), with statistical differences between treatments in the variables: height and diameter, in the vegetative stage. In the reproductive stage the variables: number of pods/plants and seeds/pods/plants, were the one that presented statistical differences between treatments, contrary to the variables: number of flowers/plants and length of pods/plants, that showed no differences. Finally, the ANAVA with 95 percent of reliability found differences in the variable: performance. Is recommended to plant the variety H-46 using the broadcast method and that DOR-364 variety be planted by handspike, because it present the best production with 77.63 and 71.33 qq/mz.Este articulo presenta el comportamiento agronómico del frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) en dos variedades:(DOR-364 y H-46), establecidos a través del análisis de dos métodos de siembra (al voleo y al espeque),  para medir la variable rendimiento. El experimento se realizó en la finca académica SNAKY/URACCAN, ubicada en la comunidad Moss Pam, en el municipio de Waspam río Coco, Región Autónoma Atlántico Norte (RAAN). El cultivo de frijol es de gran relevancia en la vida de las comunidades indígenas, ya que constituye al igual que el arroz, el grano de mayor importancia en la dieta familiar. Es de mencionar que las comunidades indígenas de la RAAN utilizan básicamente dos métodos de siembra (al voleo y al espeque); no obstante, siempre los rendimientos son bajos, por lo que se hace necesario el estudio con las condiciones descritas.  Se utilizó un diseño bifactorial en bloques completos al azar, en donde el factor A: equivale a las dos variedades de frijol (DOR-364 y H-46), y el factor B: dos métodos de siembra (al voleo y al espeque). La evaluación se hizo sobre las características morfométricas presentadas en la fase vegetativa y reproductiva del cultivo. El procesamiento de la información se hizo con el programa estadístico InfoStat, indagando desde el análisis del ANAVA y la prueba Kruskal-Wallis. Los resultados mostraron una alta viabilidad germinativa (95%), con diferencias estadísticas entre tratamientos en las variables altura y diámetro en la etapa vegetativa. En la etapa reproductiva las variables: número de vainas/plantas y granos/vainas/plantas, fueron las que presentaron diferencias estadísticas entre tratamientos, contrario a las variables número de flores/plantas y longitud de vainas/plantas que no mostraron diferencias. Finalmente el ANAVA con un 95 por ciento de confiabilidad encontró diferencias de medias en la variable rendimiento. Se recomienda el establecimiento de la variedad H-46 sea sembrada al voleo y la variedad DOR-364 sembrada al espeque, por presentar los mejores rendimientos con 77.63 y 71.33 qq/mz

Crystal structure, superconductivity and magnetic properties of the superconducting ferromagnets Gd1.4-xDyxCe0.6Sr2RuCu2O10 (x=0 - 0.6)

The structural, electrical and magnetic properties of the superconducting ferromagnets, Gd1.4-xDyxCe0.6Sr2RuCu2O10 (x=0-0.6) are systematically investigated as a function of Dy doping and temperature. These compounds are characterised by high temperature superconductivity (Tc ranging from 20-40 K depending upon the Dy content) coexisting with weak ferromagnetism with two magnetic transitions (TM2 ranging from 95-106 K and TM1 around 120 K). Doping with Dy gives no significant structural changes except for a minor change in the c/a ratio. However the superconducting transition temperature is significantly suppressed and magnetic ordering temperature enhanced on Dy doping. These effects are described and discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

Mapping of marketing channels and value chain analysis of some commercially important shellfish species landings in the East Medinipur district, West Bengal

West Bengal with a coastline of 158 km, two coastal districts, 171 marine fishing villages, 49 marine fish landing centres, 3.7 lakh fisher folk population (CMFRI Census, 2016) has contributed 2.6 lakh t of marine fish landings during 2020 registering an increase of 4.6% compared to 2019. The marine landings during the period were dominated by pelagic resources with landings of 1.25 lakh t (49%) followed by demersal (82,000 t, 32%), crustacean resources (41,000 t, 16%) and molluscan resources (8,000 t, 3%). The major resources contributed to the total crustacean landings of the state during the period were penaeid shrimps (66%) followed by non-penaeid shrimps (21%), crabs (13%) and lobsters (<1%). Similarly the major resources contributed to the total molluscan landings were cuttlefishes (71%), followed by squids (28%). Octopus formed a meagre landing, contributing nearly 1% of the total molluscan landings of the state. The major gears contributing to the total marine landings of the state were mechanized multi-day trawlers (54%) followed by mechanized gill netters (12%) and inboard bag netters (7%). Other gears such as mechanized bag netters, inboard gill netters, hook and liners and shore seiners together contributed about 27% to the total marine fish landings of West Bengal (CMFRI, 2020)

Status of penaeid prawn fishery by mechanized trawlers off Visakhapatnam, east coast of India

Status of penaeid prawn fishery by mechanized trawlers off Visakhapatnam was monitored during 2011-2015. Data was collected on penaeid prawn catch, fishing effort, CPH and species composition. Multi stage random sampling method of ICAR- CMFRI was followed to collect data. Schaefer production model (CEDA) was used to estimate expected penaeid prawn catch (t) based on the total fishing effort and penaeid prawn landings by mechanized trawlers. Study was conducted to assess the mechanized trawl fishery of penaeid prawns

Mapping of marketing channels and price ranges of commercially important finfish species in the coastal districts of West Bengal, India

This study was conducted to map the marketing channels and price ranges of some commercially important marine finfish species in two coastal districts of West Bengal. Nine commercially important marine finfish species were investigated. Different nodes were found to be involved in the marketing channel depending on the commercial value of the species, and a large gap was observed between the price in the retail market and the price received by the primary fisher. A large number of stakeholders are involved and find employment in the fish marketing chain as fishers, assemblers, processors, traders, wholesalers, retailers, transporters and loading and unloading workers. The price range of Bombay duck (Harpadon nephereus) was Rs. 25-50/kg at the auction centre level to Rs. 300-500/kg at the level of retailers in distant markets. For Silver pomfret (Pampus griseus), the price range had large fluctuations with Rs. 150-1000/kg at the auction centre level itself. When the commodity reaches the retailers in the distant markets, the price range was Rs. 350 to 1300/kg. The marketing chain for the flow of Orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) was narrow with the nodes such as commission agents, assemblers, wholesalers and retailers, who play a major role in distributing the landings from the auction centre to domestic consumers. Processing and export nodes were not to be found. The price range was Rs. 200- 300/kg at the auction centre level to Rs. 400-500/kg at the retailer level in distant markets. The investigation exposed the range of actors required to bring the product from the landing centre through the different phases of distribution and delivery to final consumers. The value chain approach will be useful for the key actors such as fishers, managers and policymakers to streamline their operations cost-effectively, for increased earnings of the value chain actors and notable impacts on credit repayment