No Evidence of Low Genetic Diversity Despite High Levels of Inbreeding and Poor Genetic Connectivity Among Tetrastigma loheri (Vitaceae) Populations in Remaining Forest Areas in Cebu, Philippines

Abstract— Little is known about the effects of habitat fragmentation on the patterns of genetic diversity and genetic connectivity of species in the remaining tropical forests of Southeast Asia. This is particularly evident in Cebu, a Philippine island that has a long history of deforestation and has lost nearly all of its forest cover. To begin filling this gap, data from 13 microsatellite loci developed for Tetrastigma loheri (Vitaceae), a common vine species in Philippine forests, were used to study patterns of genetic diversity and genetic connectivity for the four largest of the remaining forest areas in Cebu. Evidence of relatively high levels of inbreeding was found in all four areas, despite no evidence of low genetic diversity. The four areas are genetically differentiated, suggesting low genetic connectivity. The presence of inbreeding and low genetic connectivity in a commonly encountered species such as T. loheri in Cebu suggests that the impact of habitat fragmentation is likely greater on rare plant species with more restricted distributions in Cebu. Conservation recommendations for the remaining forest areas in Cebu include the establishment of steppingstone corridors between nearby areas to improve the movement of pollinators and seed dispersers among them.

A Comparison of Women’s Motivations to Enter the Police Profession in the Caribbean

Absent from the criminological literature on policing in the Caribbean are studies on female’s motivations to become police officers, studies using female police recruits and studies using a comparative approach. As a result of this gap, data were gathered from female police recruits in Jamaica ( N = 37) and Trinidad and Tobago ( N = 60) in July 2017 via a standardised, self-administered questionnaire in order to determine their motivations for entry into policing. The main motivation for female’s entry into policing in both jurisdictions was job security. Revenge and the desire for power and authority were the least cited motivations for entry into the police profession in both jurisdictions. The importance of females as police officers, study limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

Panel Dataset to Assess Proactive Eco-Innovation in the Paradigm of Firm Financial Progression

Recently, eco-innovation has received a lot of attention in the academic and corporate world due to its potential to accelerate firm financial progression. To measure eco-innovation, mostly primary data and a reactive approach were employed. By emphasising the proactive approach and utilising a secondary panel dataset, this study fills the existing research gap. Data presented in this paper comprise 31 energy firms from Bursa Malaysia for the years between 2015 and 2019. Panel data associated with eco-innovation proactiveness and firm financial progression were collected from three different sources such as company websites, annual reports, and sustainability reports using content analysis. For data collection, an index was adapted comprising five dimensions of eco-innovation, named as product, process, technology, organizational, and marketing. In addition to that, Tobin’s Q was considered as a proxy dimension for firm financial progression because it considers both market value as well as book value. Following a unit root test, six specific data diagnostic tests were performed to ensure data reliability and validity for future potential usage. The results reveal that the panel dataset was organised and is eligible for further statistical model analysis.

Intersectional effects of gender and ethnicity? A quantitative analysis of bonus pay gap data for Shelford Hospital consultants

BackgroundMale hospital consultants earn 13% more than their female counterparts. The intersectional effects of ethnicity and gender are not known.ObjectiveTo describe and analyse the mean bonus pay gap in terms of gender and ethnicity for consultants across the Shelford Group.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingHospitals in the Shelford Group.ParticipantsShelford Group hospitals.Main outcome measuresMean bonus pay gap for male vs female and White vs Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) consultants.ResultsSeven of the 10 Shelford Group hospitals provided data for financial year 2018/2019. The average mean bonus gender pay gap was in favour of male consultants (30%; range 12%–48%), and also favoured White consultants compared with BAME consultants (17%; range 7%–31%). The average mean bonus pay gap between White male and BAME male consultants was 20% (range 7%–34%) in favour of White male consultants, while that for White male and BAME female consultants was 46% (range 26%–60%) in favour of White male consultants.ConclusionsOur data show for the first time that there may be an intersectional effect of gender and ethnicity associated with mean bonus pay for consultants. Action is needed to address this imbalance.

Consistency and Fairness of Property Valuation for Compensation for Land and Improvements in Zimbabwe

Property valuation for compensation of expropriated properties in Zimbabwe has been characterised by inconsistencies for decades. Previous studies have noted that displaced people are dissatisfied with the compensation paid by the expropriating authority. Even though many academic works were done on expropriation and compensation in Zimbabwe, issues surrounding consistency in property valuation practices and fairness of compensation paid remain unresearched. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to close this gap. Data for this study were collected through primary sources (questionnaire surveys to members of the compensation committee, private property valuers, designated property valuers and former commercial farmers) and secondary sources (literature surveys including a review of statutes, official reports, books, journals, and newsletters). Findings reveal that there is inconsistency in property valuation for expropriation, no clear legal definition of what constitutes fair compensation, and that views on the fairness of the compensation paid for expropriated properties in Zimbabwe are divergent. The study suggests that there is a need to review existing expropriation and compensation laws in Zimbabwe to create consistency in practice, thereby improving the fairness in the amount of compensation paid to the displaced person(s).

Marginal Fit of Temporary Restorations Fabricated by the Conventional Chairside Method, 3D Printing, and Milling

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the marginal fit of temporary restorations fabricated by the conventional chairside method, 3D printing, and milling. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro, experimental study, 14 temporary restorations were conventionally fabricated over an implant abutment and analog that had been mounted in a phantom model at the site of canine tooth, using auto-polymerizing acrylic resin and putty index. In digital manufacturing, the original model was scanned, and the final restoration was designed. Fourteen temporary restorations were milled out of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) blocks, and 14 others were printed by a 3D printer. Temporary crowns were placed on the abutment, and images were obtained from specific areas under a stereomicroscope at x100 magnification to measure the amount of marginal gap. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α=0.05). Results: The mean marginal gap values for the temporary crowns in the 3D printing, milling, and chairside groups were 91.40, 75.28 and 51.23 µm, respectively. The crowns that were conventionally fabricated chairside exhibited the lowest marginal gap, and the difference in this respect was significant among the three groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Temporary crowns fabricated by the chairside method showed significantly smaller marginal gap; however, the marginal gap of all three groups was within the clinically acceptable range.

Task-based language teaching in a local EFL context: Chinese university teachers’ beliefs and practices

This study examines university teachers’ beliefs and practices related to task-based language teaching while teaching English as a foreign language. Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has become a prominent topic for researchers and practitioners in recent decades. It is also advocated by the Chinese Ministry of Education for college English teaching. However, few studies have investigated local EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers’ perceptions of and difficulties in implementing TBLT. This study aims to fill this gap. Data were collected via 12 semi-structured interviews, and the results revealed that the Chinese EFL teachers employed a weak version of the approach, i.e. the task-supported language teaching approach. They tended towards a student-centred teacher–student relationship. These findings suggest that the role of traditional Chinese values in influencing the implementation of TBLT has been overemphasized. Implications for the sustainable development of teaching pedagogy and professional learning are discussed.

Avaliação de metodologias de transferência de vazões de referência em bacias hidrográficas: sua aplicação na bacia do rio Japaratuba - Sergipe - Brasil

Para avaliar a disponibilidade de água e definir as áreas de inundação nas bacias hidrográficas, é necessário considerar a vazão mínima, média e máxima, denominadas de vazões de referência, e isto requer dados observados de vazão, que são bem escassos em bacias brasileiras, principalmente as pequenas e médias bacias. Para superar esta falta, utiliza-se dados de bacias contribuintes com comportamento hidrológico similar, que são transferidos por meio de operações matemáticas, utilizando variáveis físicas e climáticas. Tais procedimentos, geralmente, são mal avaliados quanto à sua precisão. Assim, objetivou avaliar a acurácia da estimação de cinco vazões de referência em quatro estações de medição dos dois principais afluentes do rio Japaratuba (Sergipe, Brasil), os rios Japaratuba-Mirim e Siriri. Os resultados mostraram diferentes comportamentos para as duas sub-bacia, quer seja pelas variáveis influentes, quer seja pelos efeitos antrópicos como a mudança no uso do solo que precisam ser melhor avaliados. Para a bacia do rio Japaratuba-Mirim a transferência de vazões mínimas e médias deve ser realizada considerando-se o produto área x precipitação média anual e para as vazões máximas deve-se considerar o comprimento do rio até a seção. Para a bacia do Siriri, os melhores resultados de transferência de vazões médias e máximas foram obtidos com o produto "área x precipitação média anual” e a variável "precipitação média anual" gerou um erro menor para as vazões mínimas. Assessing the reference flow transfer methodologies in watersheds: their application at Japaratuba River Basin – Sergipe State – BrazilA B S T R A C TIn order to evaluate the water availability and define the flood areas in the river basins, it is necessary to consider minimum, medium and maximum discharge, called reference flows requiring records on flow data, quite scarce in Brazilian river basin, mainly those of small and medium scale. To overcome this gap, data from nearby basins with similar hydrological behavior are used, based on mathematical operations involving physical and climatic variables of the contributing basins. However, these procedures are poorly evaluated for their accuracy. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the estimation of five reference flows through the transfer of information, using physical and climatic variables in four gage stations of the main tributaries of the Japaratuba river basin (Japaratuba-Mirim and Siriri river) - Sergipe State, Brazil. The results showed different behaviors for the two sub-basins as for either by influential variables or by anthropic effects such as land use and land cover changes that need to be better evaluated. The flow transfer to the subbasin of the Japaratuba-Mirim river should be performed considering the product "Area x Mean annual rainfall" for minimum and medium flows. For maximum flows the "Length" of the basin should be considered. For the Siriri river basin, the "Mean annual rainfall" variable generated a smaller error in the minimum flows and the product "Area x Mean annual rainfall” led to better results for medium and maximum flows.Keywords: Water resource management; statistical hydrology; geographic information systems.