Aspects Of Diversity Research Articles

Entomological surveillance of container-breeding mosquitoes focusing on Aedes (Stegomyia) (Diptera: Culicidae)vectors along altitudinal range in Nepal.

Mosquitoes are a significant public health concern due to their role in transmitting various diseases. This study aimed to investigate mosquitoes' diversity, abundance, and ecological aspects, mainly focusing on Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae)mosquitoes, in central Nepal. The research explored variations across regions, seasons, altitudes, and years. Fieldwork for mosquito collection was conducted between May 2022 and October 2023. Dipping and pipetting methods were employed to collect larvae and pupae, whereas Biogents-Mosquitaire trap captured adult mosquitoes. A total of 7,223 (3,640 larvae and 3,583 adults) mosquitoes, belonging to 8 genera and 18 species, were collected and analyzed. Additionally, a survey examined 5,941 wet containers of 20 different types to assess potential breeding sites. The study revealed Culex pipiens (Linnaeus, 1758)(34.13%) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895)(27.36%) as the most abundant species. Interestingly, larvae were predominantly Aedes spp. (66.13%), whereas only 13.76% of adults belonged to this genus. Mosquito abundance varied across locations and altitudes, with Siwalik region (331-700 m asl) exhibiting the highest numbers. The monsoon season showed the highest overall abundance (1,492). Used tires were identified as significant breeding sites for Aedes mosquitoes, and infestation rates were higher in shaded containers. Seasonal analysis showed the House Index (HI) reaching its peak (10.92%) and the Breteau Index (BI) reaching 23.08% during the monsoon. Conversely, the Container Index (CI) reached its highest point (37.67%) in the post-monsoon season. The results emphasize the need for comprehensive disease prevention strategies at local and national levels, including public awareness campaigns, to address mosquito-borne illnesses in this famous tourist region.

Protein Consumption and Risk of CVD Among U.S. Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Although some randomized trials have reported beneficial effects of protein intake on cardiometabolic risk factors, evidence from prospective studies have not supported a strong link between protein intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. It is also unclear whether diversity in protein intake plays a role in CVD risk. We investigated prospective associations of (1) protein intake, overall and by food source and (2) diversity of protein sources with risk of CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. In a multi-ethnic cohort of 5879 U.S. adults (45-84 years), who were free of CVD at baseline, protein intake was assessed at baseline (2000-2002) using a validated 120-item food frequency questionnaire. Two different aspects of protein diversity were assessed including count (number of protein food consumed at least once/week) and dissimilarity (diversity of the attributes of the protein sources consumed). Relationships with incident CVD outcomes through 2019 were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and comorbidity factors. During 83,430 person-years, 1045 CVD cases were identified, including 668 CHD and 332 stroke cases. In multivariable models, we found no significant associations between protein intake, overall and by food source, with incident CVD, CHD, or stroke. Protein count, but not protein dissimilarity, was weakly associated with CVD risk. We found no significant associations between diversity of consumption of animal or plant food source and CVD outcomes. Our findings suggest protein consumption may not significantly impact CVD risk in middle-aged adults.

Effects of Manipulated Rainfall and Intraspecific Variation Within Dominant Species on Community Assembly: Insights From a Long‐Term Grassland Restoration Experiment

ABSTRACTGrasslands converted to agricultural land use can be reestablished by sowing seeds of native species and temporal dynamics of diversity under altered climate can inform community assembly in the context of global change. We quantified three aspects of diversity (species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional diversity) in restored prairie plots sown with different ecotypes of two dominant grass species and manipulated rainfall to understand the relative importance of abiotic filtering and population source of dominant species on community assembly. We also evaluated the contributions of intra‐ and interspecific variations in functional traits across plots sown with different ecotypes of dominant species. Since the fourth year of community establishment, species richness decreased over time as dominant species gradually established. Phylogenetic and functional diversity was unaffected by the ecotypic sources of dominant species during restoration. Experimental drought did not affect species richness, phylogenetic, or functional diversity. Community structure in the grasslands was mainly shaped by intraspecific, within‐population variation in the dominant species rather than by differences in traits among species. Our results showed that intraspecific biotic interactions contribute more than environmental filtering to community assembly in a tallgrass‐dominated prairie ecosystem.

You say potato, I say vegetable; you say tomato, I say fruit: Cognitive validity of food group-based dietary recall questions

BackgroundThere is a need for valid, standardized approach for list-based questionnaires to measure food group consumption for indicators of diet quality including dietary diversity. ObjectiveA common method for collecting dietary diversity data consists of open-ended food group questions, e.g. Yesterday, did you eat any vegetables, such as cucumber, cabbage, or celery? We sought to examine the cognitive validity of open-ended questions that require respondents to categorize foods, and closed-ended alternatives using sentinel foods. MethodsPretesting and 83 cognitive interviews were conducted in five languages in São Paulo and New York City in 2018. In structured interviews, respondents were asked to describe their thought processes in answering each question. Their feedback and responses to closed-ended and open-ended food group questions were compared. The Gallup World Poll then piloted two versions of the questionnaire in a nationally representative sample of 1,000 in Brazil in 2018. ResultsRespondents in all settings miscategorized foods when asked open-ended food group questions (0-82%, depending on the food group), respondents varied in their ability to think of other foods that belonged to specified food groups (35-50% could think of any items), and open-ended questions presented an additional cognitive burden. There were no significant differences between the results from closed-ended and open-ended questions in the national pilot test. In the context of a multi-topic survey, the finalized questionnaire took 3-5 minutes, had no additional training requirements, and enumerators reported similar ease in administration as other survey modules. ConclusionsFor data collection on food group consumption, open-ended questions requiring respondents to categorize foods present cognitive validity problems. Closed-ended questions using sentinel foods reduce or eliminate ambiguity, presenting lower cognitive burden and greater comprehension. Based on these results, the closed-ended method has been adopted in international survey platforms for measuring dietary diversity and other aspects of diet quality.

The microbiota comparative analysis of the characteristics between colorectal adenomatous polyps and normal mucosal intestinal.

The aim of this study is to systematically examine and compare the characteristics distinguishing colorectal adenomatous polyps from normal mucosal intestinal microbiota. A total of 30 specimens were obtained from patients diagnosed with colorectal adenomatous polyps (adenoma group) who underwent endoscopic removal at Wenzhou People's Hospital between September 2021 and November 2021. Concurrently, 30 normal mucosal specimens were collected from patients without adenomatous polyps (control group). Subsequently, microbiome total DNA extraction was carried out, followed by PCR amplification targeting the V3-V4 region of the 16S rDNA. High-throughput sequencing was conducted using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Subsequent to sequencing, bioinformatics analysis was used to assess the diversity, composition, and functional aspects of the intestinal microbiota in both study groups. A notable dissimilarity in the microbiota structure was identified, specifically within the transverse colon, between these two groups ( P < 0.05). Species composition analysis revealed that Escherichia , Fusobacterium , and Bacteroides were predominant bacteria in both groups, with Escherichia and Enterobacter displaying significant differences at the genera level between the control group and the adenoma group ( P < 0.05). Correlation analysis and functional prediction demonstrated substantial disparities in interactions among dominant intestinal microbial genera within patients from both groups. Additionally, it was discovered that the intestinal microbiomes in patients in the adenoma group exhibited a significantly higher pathogenic potential. Upon conducting a comprehensive analysis, it was discerned that the microbiota present in the transverse colon of the control group exhibited distinctive characteristics that may contribute to the maintenance of intestinal health.

Employee demographic diversity and firm performance

AbstractThis article examines the relationship between employee demographic diversity and firm performance measured by future stock returns for a large sample of US public companies. We use novel demographic data extracted from employees' online profiles and resumes and focus on three key aspects of employee demographic diversity: age, gender, and ethnicity. We find no evidence supportive of an outperformance associated with greater employee‐diverse companies, neither using portfolio‐sorting approaches nor cross‐sectional and panel regressions. We also find no significant associations between employee demographic diversity and ROE, gross profit, and labor productivity.

From host individual traits to community structure and composition: Bartonella infection insights

BackgroundPhylogeny, combined with trait-based measures, offers insights into parasite sharing among hosts. However, the specific traits that mediate transmission and the aspects of host community diversity that most effectively explain parasite infection rates remain unclear, even for the Bartonella genus, a vector-borne bacteria that causes persistent blood infections in vertebrates.MethodsThis study investigated the association between rodent host traits and Bartonella infection, as well as how rodent community diversity affects the odds of infection in the Atlantic Forest, using generalized linear models. Additionally, we assessed how host traits and phylogenetic similarities influence Bartonella infection among mammal species in Brazil. To this end, rodents were sampled from ten municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Then, we calculated several diversity indices for each community, including Rényi’s diversity profiles, Fisher’s alpha, Rao’s quadratic entropy (RaoQ), Functional Diversity (FDis), Functional Richness (FRic), and Functional Evenness (FEve). Finally, we compiled a network encompassing all known interactions between mammal species and Bartonella lineages recorded in Brazil.ResultsWe found no significant relationship between diversity indices and the odds of Bartonella infection in rodent communities. Furthermore, there was no statistical support for the influence of individual-level traits (e.g., body length, sex, and age) or species-level ecological traits (e.g., locomotor habitat, dietary guild, and activity period) on Bartonella infection in rodents. A country-scale analysis, considering all mammal species, revealed no effect of host traits or phylogeny on Bartonella infection.ConclusionsThis study highlighted wild mammals that share Bartonella lineages with livestock, synanthropic, and domestic animals, underscoring the complexity of their maintenance cycle within the One Health framework. A key question arising from our findings is whether molecular host–cell interactions outweigh host body mass and ecological traits in influencing Bartonella infection, potentially opening new avenues for understanding host–parasite relationships and infection ecology.Graphical

Possible effects of shipping routes on coral reef degradation and diversity in Karimunjawa Marine National Park, Java Sea

The Karimunjawa Marine National Park, situated in the Java Sea, Indonesia, is renowned for its rich biodiversity and lively coral reefs. However, amidst the backdrop of this natural beauty, concerns have been raised regarding the potential impacts of shipping activities on the health and diversity of these fragile ecosystems. The increase in maritime traffic, including commercial vessels, tourist boats, and fishing vessels, traversing through the Karimunjawa Marine National Park, raises significant environmental concerns. The movement of these vessels, especially along specific shipping routes, has the potential to disturb and damage coral reefs through various mechanisms. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the possible impacts of shipping routes on the coral abundance and diversity and the coral health in the Karimunjawa Islands, Java Sea, Indonesia. This study categorized ship routes into West Route, East Route, and Non-Route and assessed coral health and diversity across 15 islands. Key metrics analyzed included coral disease prevalence, coral cover, diversity index, species richness, relative abundance, and evenness, using 15 × 2 m belt transects at 3 and 8 m depths with three repetitions each. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in coral abundance and species richness among ship-route groups, but no significant depth-related differences. These results suggest that while shipping routes affect certain aspects of coral health and diversity, other factors may be more influential in shaping coral disease prevalence and overall diversity in Karimunjawa reefs.

Satellite remote sensing reveals the footprint of biodiversity on multiple ecosystem functions across the NEON eddy covariance network

Abstract Biodiversity relates to ecosystem functioning by modulating biogeochemical cycles of carbon, water, energy, and nutrients within and between multiple biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystems. However, large-scale, systematic measurements of plant biodiversity are still lacking, and the effects of biodiversity on measured biogeochemical processes are understudied. Here, we combined alpha (α) and beta (β) taxonomic measurements, spectral diversity from satellite observations, structural properties of the vegetation, and climatic drivers to assess the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functional properties. Ecosystem functional properties were computed from eddy-covariance fluxes at 44 sites of the National Ecological Observatory Network. Based on the spectral variation hypothesis, we used the near-infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRv) derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to compute Rao’s quadratic entropy (Rao Q), a distance metric related to spatial heterogeneity. Using an automatic model averaging technique, we found that biodiversity proxies hold substantial explanatory power when predicting several ecosystem functions related to carbon and water exchange. In particular, NIRv-based Rao Q (RaoQNIRv) reflected positive biodiversity effects on productivity, as expected from the literature. In contrast, traditional taxonomic α-diversity indices were generally not selected as relevant predictors of the ecosystem functional properties. Yet, β-diversity strongly contributed to the prediction of carbon use efficiency, surface conductance, and water use efficiency. We also found that the RaoQNIRv is less affected by issues of saturation and bare soil contribution compared to RaoQNDVI. We show that spectral heterogeneity based on remotely sensed NIRv holds the potential for globally characterizing the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (BEF). While systematic measurements of taxonomic diversity co-located at biogeochemical measurement stations could reduce the uncertainty surrounding the BEF relationship at whole-ecosystem scale, remotely- sensed metrics characterizing important functional and structural diversity aspects of the landscape will be crucial for continuous spatiotemporal monitoring of biodiversity with relevant implications for ecosystem services to humankind.

Social Class, the Overlooked Element of Diversity within Higher Education: An Analysis of Policy Documents and Data Collection Practices by Russell Group Universities in the United Kingdom

Investigating the data that universities collect on the characteristics of staff and students offers an insight into which aspects of diversity they prioritise. We sent Freedom of Information requests to 24 Russell Group institutions asking them to report the data they collect on the class background and protected characteristics of staff and students. We also reviewed university equality policy documents using content analysis. Analysis showed that while all institutions collect data on the protected characteristics of staff and students, and 18 universities collect data on the class background of students, just one university collects data on the class background of staff. This is despite 10 institutions recognising class background as being an important component of diversity within their policies. We propose recommendations on what data universities should collect on the class background of staff, and how they can use these data to support intersectional diversity.

Global Metrics for Terrestrial Biodiversity

Biodiversity metrics are increasingly in demand for informing government, business, and civil society decisions. However, it is not always clear to end users how these metrics differ or for what purpose they are best suited. We seek to answer these questions using a database of 573 biodiversity-related metrics, indicators, indices, and layers, which address aspects of genetic diversity, species, and ecosystems. We provide examples of indicators and their uses within the state–pressure–response–benefits framework that is widely used in conservation science. Considering complementarity across this framework, we recommend a small number of metrics considered most pertinent for use in decision-making by governments and businesses. We conclude by highlighting five future directions: increasing the importance of national metrics, ensuring wider uptake of business metrics, agreeing on a minimum set of metrics for government and business use, automating metric calculation through use of technology, and generating sustainable funding for metric production.

Ontology in Dance Domain - A Survey

This article presents a literature review on the domain of dance research that exploits ontology artifacts to manage their domain knowledge. Any dance form around the world is rich in knowledge because of its historical and geographical diversity, movement rules, and interpretive aspects. Researchers found various approaches to manage this knowledge base, among which the ontology development process is preferred by most people owing to its superficial and easy-to-manage characteristics. However, the heterogenic use of ontology in different dance research aspects demands an organized study to understand its contributions to the domain. Our survey approach towards this objective starts with a systematic literature selection and further grouping them into four categories based on ontology involvement. Second, we discuss each group of articles by their contributions and the level of ontology involvement. Third, a novel evaluation framework is proposed, which assesses each selected article based on nineteen attributes from ontology quality, development, and applications perspectives. We rank each article into three qualitative measures, i.e., High(H), Medium(M), and Low(L), for our attribute set based on our understanding. Finally, We comprehensively analyze the outcomes of our qualitative assessment to present the current research status and their limitations in the candidate domain. This review aspires to be a cornerstone resource, enlightening researchers about the current landscape and future prospects of ontological involvement in dance research.

A Stakeholder Perspective on Diversity Within Organizations

Research on the influence of internal and external stakeholders on diversity outcomes within organizations has grown in the past decade. Across multiple macro and micro theoretical domains, this body of research has examined various diversity outcomes at different organizational levels. Through an integrative review of literature from management, sociology, psychology, and entrepreneurship, we highlight the channels and pathways of influence and the underlying mechanisms through which four major stakeholder groups—organizational actors, resource exchange partners, institutional actors, and societal forces—impact diversity outcomes in organizations. We discuss future research directions, empirical and conceptual, and present a promising path for future studies to unpack the complex relationships between stakeholders and organizations regarding diversity issues, particularly at the intersection of multiple stakeholders and diversity aspects.

Linguistic landscape in George Town, Malaysia: Language visibility in a postcolonial and globalized context

The visibility of languages in the linguistic landscape reflects various aspects of linguistic diversity and dynamics in a given territory, signifying social interactions, identities, and power relationships among ethnic groups. However, postcolonial acontexts with widespread use of ethnic minority languages and the coexistence of state-sponsored national languages with precolonial official languages in the era of globalization have received limited research. This paper investigates the visibility of language in three neighbourhoods in George Town, Malaysia, a former administrative city under British governance, focusing on language visibility within three distinct neighborhoods: Chinatown, Little India, and the Beach Street. The study reveals a complex interplay of languages, highlighting the predominance of English as an information carrier and a symbol of modernity, alongside the increasing prominence of Chinese and the lesser visibility of Tamil and underrepresentation of other minority languages. The research underscores the ethnic boundaries between the vibrant enclaves of Little India and Chinatown, while Beach Street serves as a multicultural space reflecting a blend of local and global influences.

Analysis of Disseminating Intangible Cultural Heritage to ASEAN Countries Through AIGC: The Case of Chinese Tea Culture

Intangible cultural heritage represents a vital aspect of global cultural diversity, embodying historical wisdom and identity across various regions. Chinese tea culture exemplifies this heritage with its unique traditions of tea-making, teaware craftsmanship, and philosophical underpinnings. However, globalization presents challenges such as language barriers, inefficiencies in traditional transmission methods, and economic marginalization. Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) emerges as a transformative tool to address these challenges, utilizing machine learning and natural language processing to tailor cultural content and enhance its global dissemination. This paper explores the impact of AIGC on the promotion of Chinese tea culture in ASEAN countries, highlighting its role in broadening cultural influence through innovative technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality. The integration of tea culture into daily life in ASEAN nations, particularly in Singapore and Malaysia, underscores its resonance and acceptance, facilitated further by digital platforms and social media. As AIGC continues to evolve, future research should focus on ethical considerations and methodologies for preserving cultural authenticity while leveraging technological advancements.

How effective are ecological metrics in supporting conservation and management in degraded streams?

AbstractBiodiversity loss is increasing worldwide, necessitating effective approaches to counteract negative trends. Here, we assessed aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity in two river catchments in Switzerland; one significantly degraded and associated with urbanisation and instream barriers, and one in a near-natural condition. Contrary to our expectations, environmental heterogeneity was lower in the near-natural stream, with enhanced productivity in the degraded system resulting in a greater range of environmental conditions. At face value, commonly employed alpha, beta and gamma biodiversity metrics suggested both catchments constituted healthy systems, with greater richness or comparable values recorded in the degraded system relative to the near-natural one. Further, functional metrics considered to be early indicators for anthropogenic disturbance, demonstrated no anticipated differences between degraded and near-natural catchments. However, investigating the identity of the taxa unique to each river system showed that anthropogenic degradation led to replacement of specialist, sensitive species indicative of pristine rivers, by generalist, pollution tolerant species. These replacements reflect a major alteration in community composition in the degraded system compared with the near-natural system. Total nitrogen and fine sediment were important in distinguishing the respective communities. We urge caution in biodiversity studies that employ numerical biodiversity metrics alone. Assessing just one aspect of diversity, such as richness, is not sufficient to track biodiversity changes associated with environmental stress. We advocate that biodiversity monitoring for conservation and management purposes must go beyond traditional richness biodiversity metrics, to include indices that incorporate detailed nuances of biotic communities that relates to taxon identity.

A diversity-aware recommendation system for tutoring

Diversity plays a major role when a student is looking for a tutor to better understand some concepts or an entire course. In fact, algorithms for recommending potential tutors have to take into account several aspects of diversity that may be critical to successful tutoring. The tutor must have the appropriate competencies in the subject matter. In addition, he/she must be able to convey the knowledge and skills associated with the tutoring topic. Moreover, the personality traits of the tutee and the tutor can facilitate or hinder the learning process during tutoring. This study presents the experience of ‘SOS TUTORÍA UC’, a responsive web application aimed at facilitating academic assistance among students. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of incorporating dimensions of diversity that can inform the artificial intelligence algorithms of the potential tutor recommendation system. Indeed, competence in the topic tutored is the first diversity criterion for recommending more knowledgeable potential tutors. In addition, the tutee has to choose whether to look for tutors with personalities that are “different”, “similar” or “indifferent” to his or her own preferences for academic assistance on the specific topic. To achieve this, ‘SOS TUTORÍA UC’ is integrated with the WeNet platform, which provides user management services and user recommendation algorithms. The results of the testing of the recommendation system were positive with regard to the criterion of competence, while the criterion of personality should be addressed for improvement. In order to improve the tutor-tutee matching process, participants emphasized the importance of considering the criterion of personality traits in addition to competence. They also requested additional information and parameters to facilitate tutor selection.

Profile of Pancasila Students Through Culture-Based Learning in Elementary Schools within the Independent Curriculum in Indonesia

The profile of Pancasila students is an essential characteristic that students must possess. However, in real-world conditions, it is still observed that students lack knowledge and appreciation of their own cultures, and interactions among students often lead to conflicts. The purpose of this research is to assess the application of culture-based learning in relation to the Pancasila Student Profile. This research is experimental in nature. The population as well as the sample consists of 15 fourth-grade students. The design used is a one-group posttest design. The instrument used is a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the One-Sample Test, resulting in a t-value of 5.041 and a t-table value of 1.76131. Since the t-value is greater than the t-table value, it can be concluded that culture-based learning has a positive impact on the Pancasila student profile, particularly in the aspect of global diversity.

Camelid herding may homogenize Andean grassland plant communities

The current global decline in biodiversity is a matter of pressing concern, necessitating the conservation of diverse ecosystems across various spatial scales. Regions such as the tropical Andes face the imminent threat of biotic homogenization due to intensive livestock grazing, posing a significant risk to biodiversity. This study is focused on the sub-humid grasslands of northwestern Bolivia, within the the National Park Apolobamba. We surveyed a total of 105 plots distributed across seven sites, representing a natural gradient of grazing intensity. Within each site, the plots were organized into five clusters to explore the impact of environmental factors on plant diversity within and among communities. Our research reveals that local plant diversity, quantified by species richness and the inverse Simpson index, is predominantly shaped by soil pH. Notably, more acidic soil is associated with diminished diversity. Furthermore, our findings highlight that the dissimilarity in species composition among local communities may be linked to grazing intensity. This suggests that intensified grazing may have the potential to homogenize plant communities across the landscape. A concerning implication is the likelihood of communities becoming dominated by acquisitive species, leaving them more susceptible to the impacts of climate variability. The study underlines the necessity to analyze multiple facets of diversity for a comprehensive understanding of the environmental factors regulating and therefore to address potential drivers of diversity loss. To mitigate these threats, managers may consider adjusting livestock quantities and the spatial range used by grazers, aiming to sustain multiple aspects of plant diversity and prevent homogenization and degradation of grasslands in a changing world.

Addressing diversity: An analysis of German curricula for history

AbstractThis article analyses the extent to which German history curricula address aspects of diversity. The curricula are analysed in terms of whether they include diagnostic phases to identify students' individual interests. It also examines whether the historical experiences of minorities and the agency of subaltern groups are addressed. The extent to which the curricula abandon a Eurocentric perspective and integrate global historical aspects will also be considered. Methodologically, the curricula of two main school types in all German states were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis. The focus was on curricula for lower and upper secondary schools. The results show that diversity is usually addressed only from the perspective of established narratives. A national and Eurocentric history continues to dominate the curricula. Only a few curricula explicitly address the diagnosis of students' performance and ideas. Finally, the paper discusses the evolving nature of curricula, influenced by societal needs and growing sensitivity to social diversity. It highlights the need for future research on diversity in teacher education and the practicality of implementing complex concepts such as postcolonial thought in the classroom. More empirical research is needed on current curricula and the teaching of history in different regions and types of school.