Equal and unequal profit sharing in highly interdependent work groups: a laboratory experiment

We study behavior in a simplified representation of an organization with high task interdependence. The production process involves three stages such that output of earlier stages is the necessary input for subsequent stages. Work at earlier stages is easier than at later stages and the product is only final if it goes successfully through the highest stage. We compare the effects on the performance of the organization of a payment scheme in which profits are equally shared by all those involved in the production process with one where the participation in profits is strongly increasing in the production stage. The comparison is made for two ways of assigning individuals to the production stage: randomly or by merit. We find that initially there is no difference in the organization’s profit between the two sharing schemes, but over time profits increase more with the equal sharing scheme. Changes in profits over time can be explained by changes in production performance over time. After participants have gained experience in the tasks, the equal profit sharing scheme has positive performance effects both at the lowest and the highest production stages. There are only minor differences in the results depending on whether the payment scheme is exogenously imposed or chosen by the person at the highest stage

Presència del gat domèstic, Felis silvestris catus (Schreber, 1775), i del gat serval, Felis silvestris, en un espai natural protegit: el cas del Parc Natural Serra de Mariola (sud-est espanyol)

Presencia del gato doméstico, Felis silvestris catus (Schreber, 1775), y del gato montés, Felis silvestris, en un espacio natural protegido: el caso del Parque Natural Serra de Mariola (sureste español) El principal objetivo de esta investigación es conocer aspectos ecológicos, de distribución e impactos del gato doméstico dentro de la sierra de Mariola. El área de estudio es un parque natural de 17.500 hectáreas situado en el sur del País Valenciano. Un mejor conocimiento de su distribución será de interés para la definición de medidas de gestión de fauna del parque. Utilizando técnicas de fototrampeo se recopilaron 29.941 imágenes con algún contacto animal. El 0,62% de las fotografías registradas son de gato doméstico, de manera que se ha detectado su presencia en 29 de las 63 cuadrículas (2 x 2 km) del Parque Natural Serra de Mariola (el 46,03%). El periodo de muestreo se prolongó desde enero hasta septiembre de 2010. Este estudio ha permitido integrar la información recopilada en el campo en bases de datos a fin de evaluar la presencia del gato doméstico en la sierra de Mariola. Datos publicados en GBIF (doi:10.15470/p7evig).Presence of domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus (Schreber, 1775), and wild cat, Felis silvestris, in a natural protected area: the case of Serra de Mariola Natural Park (SE of Spain)The main objective of this research was to determine the ecological aspects, distribution, and impact of domestic cat in the Serra de Mariola. The study area is a natural park of 17,500 hectares located in the south of the Valencia Community. Better knowledge of the distribution of this cat will help define management measures in the park. Using camera traps, we collected 29,941 images of animal contact. A total of 0.62% of these photographs were of domestic cat, the presence of which was detected in 29 of 63 grids (2 x 2 km) in Serra de Mariola Natural Park (46.03%). Sampling was performed from January to September 2010. The study allowed us to integrate the information collected in the field into databases and to evaluate the presence of domestic cat in the Serra de Mariola.Data published through GBIF (doi:10.15470/p7evig).El principal objectiu d’aquesta recerca és conèixer aspectes ecològics, de distribució i d’impactes del gat domèstic dins de la serra de Mariola. L’àrea d’estudi és un parc natural de 17.500 hectàrees situat al sud del País Valencià. Un millor coneixement de la distribució serà d’interès per a la definició de mesures de gestió de fauna del parc. Utilitzant tècniques de fototrampeig es van recopilar 29.941 imatges amb algun contacte animal. El 0,62% de les fotografies enregistrades són de gat domèstic, de manera que se n’ha detectat la presència en 29 de les 63 quadrícules (2 x 2 km) del Parc Natural de la Serra de Mariola (el 46,03%). El període de mostreig es va prolongar des de gener fins a setembre de 2010. Aquest estudi ha permès integrar la informació recopilada al camp en bases de dades per avaluar la presència del gat domèstic a la serra de Mariola. Dades publicades a GBIF (doi:10.15470/p7evig)

A First Assessment of the Corrections for the Consistency of the IAU2000 and IAU2006 Precession-Nutation Models

The Earth precession-nutation model endorsed by resolutions of each the International Astronomical Union and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics is composed of two theories developed independently, namely IAU2006 precession and IAU2000A nutation. The IAU2006 precession was adopted to supersede the precession part of the IAU 2000A precession-nutation model and tried to get the new precession theory dynamically consistent with the IAU2000A nutation. However, full consistency was not reached, and slight adjustments of the IAU2000A nutation amplitudes at the micro arcsecond level were required to ensure consistency. The first set of formulae for these corrections derived by Capitaine et al. (Astrophys 432(1):355–367, 2005), which was not included in IAU2006 but provided in some standards and software for computing nutations. Later, Escapa et al. showed that a few additional terms of the same order of magnitude have to be added to the 2005 expressions to get complete dynamical consistency between the official precession and nutation models. In 2018 Escapa and Capitaine made a joint review of the problem and proposed three alternative ways of nutation model and its parameters to achieve consistency to certain different extents, although no estimation of their respective effects could be worked out to illustrate the proposals. Here we present some preliminary results on the assessment of the effects of each of the three sets of corrections suggested by Escapa and Capitaine (Proceedings of the Journées, des Systémes de Référence et de la Rotation Terrestre: Furthering our Knowledge of Earth Rotation, Alicante, 2018) by testing them in conjunction with the conventional celestial pole offsets given in the IERS EOP14C04 time series.The four first authors were partially supported by Spanish Project AYA2016-79775-P (AEI/FEDER, UE)

The Use of Patents to Assess National Innovation Systems: Evidences from Spanish Biotechnology

Spain’s economy recorded a high rate of growth from the mid-1990s onwards. At the same time, the resources allocated to Research and Development (R&D) grew at a much faster pace than in other European Union (EU) countries. Spain’s growth recorded an average rate of 2.93% from the early 1990s to 2004. Over the same period, the average growth in the EU was 0.46%. This circumstance, together with several sound policy decisions implemented between 2004 and 2009, ushered in a “golden age of Spanish biotechnology”. In terms of the national patent licenses issued by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) between 2004 and 2009, the number in biotechnology grew from 84 to 151. However, the current economic situation in Spain, along with a series of political decisions taken over the past two or three years to cut spending on R&D, predicts a sharp downturn in the performance of Spanish biotechnology. This scenario makes Spain one of the best places to study the successes and failures of the management of science and allows transfer this experience to the other international regions. We need to analyze the influence of political decisions as a major factor with a bearing on the quality of science. Using patents as an indicator of scientific development, this paper analyzes the evolution of the biotechnology sector in Spain and its relationship with scientific policy and the management of R&D

Addressing sustainable food management in hotels: proposing a framework and examining hotel groups

Purpose - Sustainable food practices have been recognised as a key issue in efforts to improve and report sustainable tourism practices, given the importance of the social, environmental and economic impacts of the food industry throughout its entire chain of production - from farm to fork. From this standpoint, the aim of the present paper is to propose a comprehensive framework for reporting or making decisions concerning sustainable food management in hotels, taking into account the various facets of the food supply chain. Design/methodology/approach - Several dimensions are proposed for dealing with sustainable food management, involving all aspects of food supply chains that may be relevant for hotel decision-making. Furthermore, some key criteria for creating and using indicators of different types (qualitative and quantitative) to address these various dimensions of sustainable food management are suggested. Subsequently, the proposed framework is validated with the sustainability criteria and indicators provided by the top eight hotel groups, according to the 2019 SAM Annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Findings - Hotels neglect a number of aspects of sustainable food management identified in the framework. The quality and the quantity of the information provided by hotels are limited. Practical implications - There is a need to improve sustainability in food management in the hotels under analysis in several areas. A comprehensive framework such as that proposed in this paper may be of great value in seeking to remedy this situation. It may also assist users of hotel services and communities in making more informed decisions. Originality/value - The proposed framework may be beneficial in advancing academic debate towards a more embracing and relevant understanding of sustainable food management in hotels and on the indicators required in this regard. Keywords Sustainability indicators, Sustainable supply chain, Food chain management, Food waste, Hotels Paper type Research pape

Abundancia y distribución de la liebre ibérica (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) en el Parque Natural de la Sierra de Mariola (Alicante-Valencia)

Abundance and distribution of the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park (Alicante-Valencia) The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) is a species of great value in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems for several reasons, such as its interest to hunters, its contribution to soil fertility and plant diversity, and its role as prey. However, factors such as fragmentation, degradation and loss of habitat and diseases, predation and high pressure hunting are having a detrimental effect on the conservation of the species. It is therefore of interest to determine the abundance and distribution of the Iberian hare in areas of the peninsula where there are insufficient data to establish guidelines for conservation and sustainable management of hare populations in the peninsula. Our goal was to assess the abundance and distribution of the Iberian hare in the most widely used areas of a mountainous Mediterranean landscape in the Iberian peninsular (Mariola Mountain Park, located between the provinces of Alicante and Valencia). Data obtained from studies conducted in transects from 2008 to 2010 showed that intra-annual abundance was highest in spring (KIA half of 0.26 hares/km) and lowest in winter (average 0.075 KIA hares/km). As to their preferences in relation to land use, abundance was highest in the matrix of dry groves (KIA half of 0.33 hares/km) and irrigated groves (average 0.2 KIA hares/km). The matrix of natural vegetation and agricultural abandonment had low numbers of hares, with values of 0.083 and 0.033 hares/km, respectively.La liebre ibérica (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) es una especie de gran valor en los ecosistemas mediterráneos españoles por varios motivos: por su interés cinegético, por servir de alimento a numerosos predadores, por mejorar la fertilidad del suelo e incrementar la diversidad vegetal, etc. Sin embargo, factores como la fragmentación, la degradación y la pérdida de hábitats, así como las enfermedades, la predación y la excesiva presión cinegética que afectan a la especie, están influyendo de manera negativa en su conservación. Por esta razón resulta interesante conocer la abundancia y distribución de la liebre ibérica en diferentes zonas de la península de las que no se tienen suficientes datos, para que el análisis de su conjunto proporcione pautas que permitan realizar una gestión adecuada para mantener e incrementar las poblaciones de liebres en la península. Nuestro objetivo es conocer la abundancia y distribución de la liebre ibérica en los principales usos del paisaje de una zona de montaña del Mediterráneo peninsular, el Parque Natural de la Sierra de Mariola, situado entre las provincias de Alicante y Valencia, durante diferentes periodos de su ciclo biológico anual. Los datos obtenidos en los transectos realizados entre 2008 y 2010 muestran que las mayores abundancias anuales tienen lugar en primavera (IKA medio de 0,26 liebres/km) y disminuyen en invierno (IKA medio de 0,075 liebres/km). En cuanto a sus preferencias relacionadas con los diferentes usos del suelo, las mayores abundancias se obtienen en la matriz de cultivos de secano (IKA medio de 0,33 liebres/km) y en la de cultivos de regadío (IKA medio de 0,2 liebres/km). Las matrices de vegetación natural y abandono agrícola presentan bajo número de liebres, con valores de 0,083 y 0,033 liebres/km respectivamente.Abundància i distribució de la llebre ibèrica (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) al Parc Natural de la Serra de Mariola (Alacant-València) La llebre ibèrica (Lepus granatensis Rosenhauer, 1856) és una espècie de gran valor als ecosistemes mediterranis espanyols per diversos motius: per l’interès cinegètic, perquè serveix d’aliment a nombrosos predadors, perquè millora la fertilitat del sòl i incrementa la diversitat vegetal, etc. Tanmateix, factors com ara la fragmentació, la degradació i la pèrdua d’hàbitats, com també les malalties, la predació i la pressió cinegètica excessiva que afecten l’espècie estan influint de manera negativa en la seva conservació. És per això que resulta interessant conèixer l’abundància i distribució de la llebre ibèrica en diferents zones de la Península de les quals no es tenen prou dades a fi que l’anàlisi del conjunt proporcioni pautes que permetin una gestió adequada per mantenir i incrementar les poblacions de llebres a la Península. El nostre objectiu és conèixer l’abundància i distribució de la llebre ibèrica en els principals usos del paisatge d’una zona de muntanya del Mediterrani peninsular, el Parc Natural de la Serra de Mariola, situat entre les províncies d’Alacant i València, durant diferents períodes del seu cicle biològic anual. Les dades obtingudes als transsectes fets entre 2008 i 2010 mostren que les abundàncies anuals més grans tenen lloc a la primavera (IKA mitjà de 0,26 llebres/km) i disminueixen a l’hivern (IKA mitjà de 0,075 llebres/km). Pel que fa a les preferències relacionades amb els diferents usos del sòl, les abundàncies més grans s’obtenen a la matriu de conreus de secà (IKA mitjà de 0,33 llebres/km) i a la de cultius de regadiu (IKA mitjà de 0,2 llebres/km). Les matrius de vegetació natural i abandonament agrícola presentes un nombre de llebres baix, amb valors de 0,083 i 0,033 llebres/km, respectivament

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THE SERRA DE MARIOLA NATURAL PARK, SOUTH-EASTERN SPAIN

The present study aims to inventory and analyse the ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in the Serra de Mariola Natural Park. In respect to traditional uses, 93 species reported by local informants were therapeutic, 27 food, 4 natural dyes and 13 handcrafts. We developed a methodology that allowed the location of individuals or vegetation communities with a specific popular use. We prepared a geographic information system (GIS) that included gender, family, scientific nomenclature and common names in Spanish and Catalan for each species. We also made a classification of 39 medicinal uses from ATC (Anatomical, Therapeutic, Chemical classification system). Labiatae (n=19), Compositae (n=9) and Leguminosae (n=6) were the families most represented among the plants used to different purposes in humans. Species with the most elevated cultural importance index (CI) values were Thymus vulgaris (CI=1.431), Rosmarinus officinalis (CI=1.415), Eryngium campestre (CI=1.325), Verbascum sinuatum (CI=1.106) and Sideritis angustifolia (CI=1.041). Thus, the collected plants with more therapeutic uses were: Lippia triphylla (12), Thymus vulgaris and Allium roseum (9) and Erygium campestre (8). The most repeated ATC uses were: G04 (urological use), D03 (treatment of wounds and ulcers) and R02 (throat diseases). These results were in a geographic map where each point represented an individual of any species. A database was created with the corresponding therapeutic uses. This application is useful for the identification of individuals and the selection of species for specific medicinal properties. In the end, knowledge of these useful plants may be interesting to revive the local economy and in some cases promote their cultivation