Element Of Diversity Research Articles

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.

Organizational Climate for Inclusion Among Nurses: A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

The aim of this study was to answer the research question: What factors predict sense of belonging among nurses?The connection between inclusion (an element of diversity and equity) and a nurse's sense of belonging is poorly understood. In this mixed-methods research, regression analysis of Climate for Inclusion Scale subscales and Sense of Belonging score plus thematic content analysis of questions assessing sense of belonging were conducted. Nurses (n = 131) attending a research conference in June to July 2022 were invited to participate; 131 (72%) participated. Climate for Inclusion Scale was positively associated with and predictive of sense of belonging (F3,113 = 71.7, P < 0.001). Themes reflecting actions to enhance sense of belonging were as follows: authentic leadership, embracing social justice, team unification, feeling heard, being seen, professional development, developing a healthier work environment, and integration of differences. Leaders can promote a sense of belonging among nurses by focusing on actions reflected in the themes.

It is here to stay. The exotic species Cloeon smaeleni Lestage, 1924 (Ephemeroptera) will be a long-term element of south American diversity

It is here to stay. The exotic species Cloeon smaeleni Lestage, 1924 (Ephemeroptera) will be a long-term element of south American diversity

Effective population size of adult and offspring cohorts as a genetic monitoring tool in two stand-forming and wind-pollinated tree species: Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst.

AbstractGenetic diversity is considered to be a prerequisite for adaptation and adaptability as it is a key element of biological diversity. However, the monitoring of genetic diversity has tended to be ignored in biodiversity monitoring. We report a comprehensive genetic monitoring effort in two dominant forest tree species, which was started with a baseline survey in 12 European beech populations and 10 Norway spruce populations in Germany. The standardized experimental design is based on collecting samples of at least 250 adult trees, and 400 natural regeneration and 400 seed samples and their genotyping with 15–16 high-resolution SSR markers. In addition to commonly used mean values across the markers to quantify genetic diversity, we placed special emphasis on various marker-based, pedigree-based and demographic models for estimating the contemporary effective population size Ne of the different generations. In both beech and spruce, no variation in genetic diversity with mean values across markers was detectable between the studied stands and between age cohorts. We detected that stable allelic diversity in progeny generations is ensured by sufficient gene flow from surrounding forests. However, estimates of effective population size show marked differentiation among populations and among age cohorts. Natural regeneration samples appear to converge on the parent generation, while seed samples show a clear bottleneck effect. The Ne parameter can be used to derive conclusions for sustainable natural regeneration management in forest stands and for seed stand approvals including adequate seed collections for appropriate artificial regenerations.The sibship frequency-based method for Ne estimates is presented as much more robust than the widely used LD estimates, which often fail for samples with too weak relatedness. Despite the distinct kinship structure in our monitoring plots, the contemporary effective population size proves to be an essential parameter for assessing the integrity of the reproductive system.

Mountain Steppes And Upland Xerophytes ― As an Element of Landscape Diversity in The Eastern Central Caucasus

Long-term observations of dynamic processes in the landscapes of intra-mountain basins on the territory of North Ossetia-Alania have shown that changes in them can be both progressive and regressive, which is associated with natural external factors that are imposed by anthropogenic influences. For a long time, arid landscapes in the eastern part of the Central Caucasus (within the North Ossetia-Alania) were intensively exploited as pasture (less often arable) land and underwent significant anthropogenic degradation. The situation began to change in the last decade of the 20th century due to the general crisis state of the country's economy, the collapse of collective farms and state farms, a sharp reduction in the number of cattle and small cattle. The removal of agricultural load on mountain landscapes led to the gradual restoration of their natural state. Currently, there is a trend towards a change in traditional nature management to recreational, and the problem of protecting natural geological systems is again emerging from recreational impact. The most vulnerable are arid dry-steppe and upland xerophytic formations, occupying a little more than 6 thousand hectares (8.4%) of the area of intracity basins, but are habitats included in the Red Book of North Ossetia-Alania, endemic and rare vascular plants (more than 20 species) and invertebrate animals (about 60 species).

GC heterogeneity reveals sequence-structures evolution of angiosperm ITS2

BackgroundDespite GC variation constitutes a fundamental element of genome and species diversity, the precise mechanisms driving it remain unclear. The abundant sequence data available for the ITS2, a commonly employed phylogenetic marker in plants, offers an exceptional resource for exploring the GC variation across angiosperms.ResultsA comprehensive selection of 8666 species, comprising 165 genera, 63 families, and 30 orders were used for the analyses. The alignment of ITS2 sequence-structures and partitioning of secondary structures into paired and unpaired regions were performed using 4SALE. Substitution rates and frequencies among GC base-pairs in the paired regions of ITS2 were calculated using RNA-specific models in the PHASE package. The results showed that the distribution of ITS2 GC contents on the angiosperm phylogeny was heterogeneous, but their increase was generally associated with ITS2 sequence homogenization, thereby supporting the occurrence of GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC) during the concerted evolution of ITS2. Additionally, the GC content in the paired regions of the ITS2 secondary structure was significantly higher than that of the unpaired regions, indicating the selection of GC for thermodynamic stability. Furthermore, the RNA substitution models demonstrated that base-pair transformations favored both the elevation and fixation of GC in the paired regions, providing further support for gBGC.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the significance of secondary structure in GC investigation, which demonstrate that both gBGC and structure-based selection are influential factors driving angiosperm ITS2 GC content.

Landscape Political Economy Media in Kompas Gramedia Group (KGG): A Chomsky’s Media Propaganda Analysis

Kompas Gramedia Group (KGG) is one of Indonesia's largest corporations with a network of media businesses. This study aims to analyze and map two aspects: How the mapping of business networks and the development of KGG media concentration in several regions in Indonesia, as well as political and economic factors that influence the formation (construction) of strengthening the KGG conglomerate as one of the largest media companies in Indonesia today. This study uses qualitative research methods through the instrument of political economy analysis of media propaganda models against five filters/layers of political media economy developed by Noam Chomsky. The study results found that KGG built a media business arena almost evenly throughout Indonesia. Arena contestation has become a bone of contention because it has significant economic opportunities to create new expansion areas. For example, areas outside Jakarta as information control mechanisms from Jakarta can control suburbs as the center of information. In addition to the work of five media layers on Kompas, it can move quickly to reach one point, namely the element of diversity or diversity of media content consumed by the audience to be nonexistent. This condition needs to be watched out as a threat to the independence of the fulfillment of citizens' rights to diverse information, but the content is not uniform.

Fecal bacteria in coastal lakes: An anthropogenic contamination or natural element of microbial diversity?

The effects of multiple stressors (salinity, temperature, nutrient and light availability or human activities) on the abundance of FIB (Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae) were studied in nine lakes on the southern Baltic coast. Monitoring also included physicochemical factors and land use in the catchment. The results showed that FIB is a natural component of microbial community in coastal lakes, with its abundance varying temporally and spatially. The key factors predicting the abundance of E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae are the availability of ammonia nitrogen and water temperature. Regardless of the degree of connection with the sea, the sanitary condition of coastal lakes deteriorates during the summer months. Although agricultural use and residential development do not significantly affect fecal bacteria counts (PLS-R model), human pressure on the sanitary condition of lakes increases seasonally and is limited to the vicinity of tourist sites. The degree of contact with seawater regulates the size of the microbial community, but is not a factor that directly affects the presence of E. coli in the microbial community in coastal lakes. Monitoring the sanitary conditions of these ecosystems using sensitive, rapid survey methods based on hydrochemical and microbiological inventories, supported by GIS, is important for public health.

Contested intersections: Asexuality and disability, illness, or trauma

This article analyzes the personal writings of asexual people for whom their identity is connected to disability, illness, or trauma. Asexuality is typically understood as an inherent sexual orientation that is neither caused by nor linked to disability or physiological and psychological issues. This approach has allowed asexuality to be widely accepted as an element of human sexual diversity and protects asexual people against unwanted medical intervention. Yet, disability, illness, or trauma informs some asexual people’s sexuality. Attending to their perspectives results in broadening contemporary conceptualizations of asexuality beyond the model of essentialist sexual orientation and contributes to destigmatizing asexual identities that are entangled with disability, illness, or trauma.

Predicting the South American invasion pathways of the mayfly Cloeon dipterum Linnaeus 1761 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) using species distribution models

Abstract Cloeon dipterum is one of the rare exotic aquatic insect species found in the American continent. The species was recently introduced to Argentina. Apart from a few recent records concentrated in a small area in Argentina, there are no data available on its distribution on the continent. Using modelling techniques, we predicted for the first time the current and future areas of high invasion risk in South America. We produced species distribution models (SDMs) using six algorithms and based on 4672 occurrences and 20 environmental variables for both current conditions and future scenarios (GCMs: CanESM5 and MIROC6/SSPs: 2‐4.5 and 5‐8.5). The models predicted two large contiguous areas of high suitability and stability over time in all future forecasts (Paraná and coastal pathways), both of which are connected to the colonised area in Argentina and extend to Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. The models also identified two potential new areas for introduction, Patagonia (Chile and Argentina) and the northeast of Brazil. However, introduction is considered unlikely in the highly suitable area in the Brazilian Northeast due to the lack of connectivity with donor areas. Models provide specific regions that can be used to detect colonisation expansion and improve our ability to implement measures to prevent introduction. Our results provide evidence that C. dipterum will be a long‐term element of South American diversity. Its persistence in distinctive climatic scenarios may pose a threat to resident controphic species, such as Callibaetis.

Spatio‐temporal patterns in the woodiness of flowering plants

AbstractAimWoody and herbaceous habits represent one of the most distinct contrasts among angiosperms, and the proportion of woody species in floras (i.e., “woodiness” hereafter) represents a fundamental structural element of plant diversity. Despite its core influence on ecosystem processes, spatio‐temporal patterns in woodiness remain poorly understood. Here, we aim to demonstrate the global spatio‐temporal patterns in angiosperm woodiness and their relationship with environmental factors.LocationGlobal.Time periodCenozoic, 66 Ma to present.Major taxa studiedAngiosperms.MethodsUsing newly compiled data on the growth forms and distributions of c. 300,000 angiosperm species and an angiosperm phylogeny, we mapped the current global geographical patterns in angiosperm woodiness, reconstructed ancestral states of growth forms through the angiosperm phylogeny and demonstrated the Cenozoic evolutionary dynamics of woodiness. We evaluated the relationships between woodiness and current climate and palaeoclimate.ResultsWe found that c. 42.7% of angiosperms are woody. Woodiness decreased spatially from the equator towards high latitudes, temporally since the early Cenozoic. Temperature was the best predictor of the spatio‐temporal decline in woodiness and was positively correlated with woodiness. Despite the temporal decline in woodiness, macroevolutionary herbaceous‐to‐woody transitions increased through time and contributed to the evolution of woody floras in temperate drylands, whereas the opposite transitions decreased through time and contributed to herbaceous floras in tropical and subtropical drylands.Main conclusionsOur study improves understanding of the spatio‐temporal dynamics of angiosperm woodiness. Our findings suggest that temperature is likely to be a determinant of spatio‐temporal variations in woodiness, highlighting the role of temperature in maintaining the growth form composition of ecosystems. Our study also calls for attention to growth form transitions (e.g., secondary woodiness) in temperate drylands that have been neglected before.

D2TS: a dual diversity tree selection approach to pruning of random forests

Random Forest is one of the most effective classification techniques. It is an ensemble technique with typically decision trees as its classifiers. Each tree votes for an outcome when a new instance is being classified, and a majority vote is taken to decide the final output. Two main factors play an essential role in Random Forests performance, namely diversity among trees in the forest and their number. Higher diversity increases prediction accuracy, whereas lower numbers of trees result in faster predictions. This paper aims at optimizing these two factors by using clustering analysis of trees in order to prune correlated trees while keeping outlier trees to maintain diversity. We group the trees into clusters and only take a number of representatives from each cluster while also keeping some or all of the outliers to preserve diversity. The resulting subset of trees will constitute a random forest of a reduced size. We will use the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm for clustering. DBSCAN is one of the most commonly used clustering techniques and is immune to outliers. We will use DBSCAN to (i) group trees in clusters based on their prediction behaviour and (ii) identify outliers. Each of the clustered and outlier trees bring an element of diversity into the pruned random forest, thus giving our approach its dual diversity aspect. Our approach achieved up to a 99% pruning level while resulting in similar, or even better, accuracy compared to the original forests for 19 public datasets with varying properties. Our source code is publicly available on GitHub.

The rising threat of climate change for arthropods from Earth's cold regions: Taxonomic rather than native status drives species sensitivity.

Polar and alpine regions are changing rapidly with global climate change. Yet, the impacts on biodiversity, especially on the invertebrate ectotherms which are dominant in these areas, remain poorly understood. Short‐term extreme temperature events, which are growing in frequency, are expected to have profound impacts on high‐latitude ectotherms, with native species being less resilient than their alien counterparts. Here, we examined in the laboratory the effects of short periodic exposures to thermal extremes on survival responses of seven native and two non‐native invertebrates from the sub‐Antarctic Islands. We found that survival of dipterans was significantly reduced under warming exposures, on average having median lethal times (LT50) of about 30 days in control conditions, which declined to about 20 days when exposed to daily short‐term maxima of 24°C. Conversely, coleopterans were either not, or were less, affected by the climatic scenarios applied, with predicted LT50 as high as 65 days under the warmest condition (daily exposures at 28°C for 2 h). The native spider Myro kerguelensis was characterized by an intermediate sensitivity when subjected to short‐term daily heat maxima. Our results unexpectedly revealed a taxonomic influence, with physiological sensitivity to heat differing between higher level taxa, but not between native and non‐native species representing the same higher taxon. The survival of a non‐native carabid beetle under the experimentally imposed conditions was very high, but similar to that of native beetles, while native and non‐native flies also exhibited very similar sensitivity to warming. As dipterans are a major element of diversity of sub‐Antarctic, Arctic and other cold ecosystems, such observations suggest that the increased occurrence of extreme, short‐term, thermal events could lead to large‐scale restructuring of key terrestrial ecosystem components both in ecosystems protected from and those exposed to the additional impacts of biological invasions.

Landscapes, Settlements and Traditional Housing in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia

Abstract A change in livelihood and folk architecture is an indicator of cultural landscape transformation, which is often the result of changes occurring in the natural and socio-political realms. The diversity of architectural types of buildings as an element of landscape diversity distinguishes our research region. The presented study deals with a long-term change of housing and architectural types of settlements. Our goal was to identify, geolocalise, and classify the vernacular architecture of Samtskhe-Javakheti within the different types of natural landscapes. For this purpose, we used the HGIS (Historical Geoinformation System) approach, which comprises the application of both historic sources and GIS technologies. We identified seven types of buildings in the study area, the characteristics of which depended on the natural landscape features. The following factors had been determining the geography of the construction: geology, seismicity, terrain, climate, access to building materials and defence. Dominant architectural types of buildings in the study region were as follows: fortress Rabat with stone houses, stone houses, semi-underground houses mixed with stone houses, semi-underground houses, terraced semi-underground houses, cave dwellings and wooden log houses. In modern times, it is quite rare to come across these kinds of architectural buildings, and there is a tendency of their disappearance.

An Often Overlooked Element of Diversity: Disability

An Often Overlooked Element of Diversity: Disability

Age as an Element of Diversity: Intergenerational Discussion to Improve Age-Related Attitudes

All generations must work together solving societal problems, yet age-related stereotypes are used to divide generations. Age derogation motivates younger people to vote by creating fear of an older White voting generation (Dear young people, don’t vote; 2018), and to belittle older people (“Okay, Boomer…”). Demonizing older people creates prejudice within families asking that people target loved ones, for example, by pitting educational funding for young against health funding for older adults. Neither group wins when divisiveness occurs. Generation to Generation, an intergenerational course for older and younger adults, promotes intergenerational contact. Students discuss topical issues (e.g., racism) in multi-generational groups. Using pretest-posttest design, all students were invited to complete questionnaires at beginning and end of term. Younger adults reported significant increases in affection, comfort, kinship, engagement and enthusiasm for older adults, whereas older adults showed stability over time. Intergenerational discussion may facilitate improved connections between generations.

Age as an Overlooked Element of Diversity: Approaches to Addressing Intergenerational Perspectives

Outside of gerontology, age is an often underappreciated element of diversity. At a time when all generations must work together to provide inclusive, multi-faceted solutions to today’s societal problems, ageist and generational stereotypes are often barriers to meaningful intergenerational exchanges. Age derogation and negative stereotypes have been used to splinter communities, perpetuate misinformation, and trivialize intergenerational conversations. As researchers, educators, and practitioners, we understand why age matters, but our students, community leaders, and employers may not. It is our disciplinary obligation to convince those who ignore, dismiss, or misrepresent age of the importance of this aspect of diversity for navigating any multigenerational setting. In this talk, we provide three approaches to addressing age-related beliefs in the classroom. We begin by exploring the impact of generational stereotypes within minority communities. For the LGBT community, negative stereotypes coupled with rapid social change have lead to a growing generational gap. We then shift perspectives to examine the role that lifespan developmental psychology can play in preparing students to enter a diverse multigenerational workforce. Here, we discuss research on age identity and generational identity as distinct and self-enhancing life-span processes, and highlight the developmental barriers that must be navigated in order to foster intergenerational cohesion. Finally, we discuss the findings from Generation to Generation, an intergenerational discussion course for older and younger adults, designed to promote productive intergenerational contact. The results provide evidence that intergenerational discussion may facilitate improved connections between generations.

The Face as Diversity: What Was the Medical-Scientific Value of Lombrosian Morphoanthropology?

The face as an element of diversity. The ugliness of a face or a body and deformities were considered in 1800 as symbols of atavism, regression to being primates, or expression of inferior beings. The Italian physician Cesare Lombroso was the author of the concept of morphoanthropology, according to which the human being is judged on the basis of his or her physical connotations. The ugly person, with particular marks on his or her face and body, would be brought in as a criminal. Time has dissolved the value of Lombrosian theories, and scientific research has highlighted the influence of various factors in the genesis of crime. Genetic, biological, socioenvironmental factors, regulated by neurophysiology, which adds the effect of antagonism between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic cortex, explain the tendency to commit crime.

Determining mycorrhiza rate in some oak species inoculated with Tuber aestivum Vittad. (summer truffle)

Truffle cultivation is important because it has contributions to tourism as well as other sectors and is a significant activity especially in stimulating rural economy. In this article, it is aimed to determine the most suitable oak species for the development of the Tuber aestivum Vittad. (summer truffle) and to provide guidance for the establishment of truffle gardens. Quercus robur L., Q. ilex L., Q. coccifera L were germinated, the seedlings were inoculated with T. aestivum which is an important element of Turkish biological diversity. The mycorrhiza were counted in the roots after the 15-month growth period of the seedlings to which T. aestivum was inoculated. As a result of the counts, it was determined that the rate of the roots with mycorrhiza (PT) was 0.93 in Q. robur L., 0.91 in Q. coccifera L. and 0.90 in Q. ilex L. Contaminated root rate (PC) was 0.28 in Q. robur L., 0.28 in Q. ilex L. and 0.30 in Q. coccifera L. According to the results, Q. robur is the oak species with the highest mycorrhizal development rate.

Inclusive higher education governance: managing stakeholders, strategy, structure and function

ABSTRACTIndigenous higher education governance is a fundamental element of diversity, equality and inclusivity at universities with significant indigenous student populations or stakeholder communities. Management approaches to establish inclusive governance mechanisms are complex and little guidance exists to support university managers to establish indigenous advisory councils. We document the creation of a university indigenous advisory council incorporating 11 indigenous nationalities. We assess the outcomes of that establishment process with the analytical lenses of participation and inclusion; accountability and rule of law; non-discrimination and equality; transparency; and mutual trust and respect. This study provides higher education policy researchers and university managers and with a clear roadmap to establish robust indigenous university governance. In doing so, we aim to empower indigenous leaders to create positive impact in higher education, contributing to high quality education and research for indigenous students and communities.