Inequality and migration in Kenya: Investigating the subnational associations using census data

Background: Since the early 2000s, there has been an extensive debate on whether migration and inequality are interlinked, with varying conclusions arising from methodological as well as theoretical dispositions. The aim of this study is to contribute to this debate by exploring the nexus between several dimensions of inequalities and migration in Kenya. Methods: This study used the subnational(county) data on inequalities and migration in Kenya obtained from several reports. Four explanatory variables including access to water, electricity, composite index of County Human Development Index (County HDI) and County Gini were used. Our dependent variable was migration intensity, measured by the Revised Weighted Net Migration Rate. Correlation and spatial regression analysis were performed to model the relationship between migration and inequality. Results: Findings revealed that migration had a non-linear relationship with income inequality, such that a change in one unit of migration intensity results in a 567 negative change in County Gini. The County Gini had the highest explanatory power in our model, although counties with high HDI tend to have higher migration intensities. Migration intensities in the country were not randomly distributed as we found evidence of spatial clustering with two key emergent hotspots, a high-high in the lake region and a low-low in the coastal region. Regions with low migration intensities correspond with higher poverty, implying that structural factors may explain the migration intensities in the country. Conclusions: The study highlights that the subnational income inequality reduces as migration intensifies. We conclude that migration has an equalizing effect on inequality as observed in some studies. Regions with high poverty tend to have lower migration intensity, implying that structural factors are important in influencing migration. Use of migration intensity and application of spatial analysis have improved our understanding of migration and inequality, and should be applied in future research.

Pull environment of migration in the EU countries: Migration vector from Ukraine

The growing Ukrainian migration towards EU countries determines the need for evaluation of pull factors shaping their environment to regulate these processes better. The study aims to assess the EU’s pull environment attracting migrants, and evaluate the elasticity of Ukrainian total and labor migration to the change of social and economic factors in EU countries. The data are collected for the period from 2005 to 2018. The method involves weighting the indicators and sub-indices with the following calculating partial and integral indices of the pull environment of migration for selected EU countries (the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, and Spain) and the EU-28. During 2005–2018, the integral level of pull environment of migration in the EU-28 was above average, whereas the most attractive countries for external migrants were Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy. In terms of the intensity of total migration from Ukraine in 2018, Poland (236.06 departures per 1,000 Ukrainians), Hungary (73.6), Germany (12.6), and Italy (7.3) are among the main destinations. While the intensity of Ukrainian migration is high, its growth rate depends on the time lag (different elasticities in the medium and long run). The integral analysis of the pull environment has a practical value allowing to conduct migration intensity and elasticity evaluation, as well as the cross-country pull-factor analysis (pull strength) for substantiating the improvement of regulatory and methodological provisions of migration policies for both Ukraine and the hosting EU states. AcknowledgmentThe study has been conducted within the framework of applied research “Mechanisms of the proactive policy for reducing social vulnerability of the population (based on the Carpathian region of Ukraine)” (M. Dolishniy Institute of Regional Research of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Reg. No. 0121U112014, 2021–2023).

Variations in Channel Centerline Migration Rate and Intensity of a Braided Reach in the Lower Yellow River

The Yellow River (YR) covers three climatic zones including arid region, semi-arid region and temperate monsoon region, with frequent appearance of flow intermittence in the Lower Yellow River (LYR) before 1999. Channel migration occurs frequently in braided rivers, which is a major focus of study in geomorphology and river dynamics. The braided reach in the LYR is featured by a complexly spatio-temporal variation in channel migration parameters owing to the varying condition of flow and sediment. It is crucial to investigate the migration characteristics of channel centerline for the sake of fully understanding channel evolution. A detailed calculation procedure is proposed to quantify migration rates and intensities of channel centerline at section- and reach-scales, using the measurements of remote sensing images and cross-sectional topography. Migration rates and intensities of channel centerline at section- and reach-scales from 1986 to 2016 were calculated, with the characteristics and key factors to control the migration intensity of channel centerline being identified quantitatively. Calculated results indicate that: (i) the mean probability of centerline migrating toward the left side was approximately equal to the probability of rightward migration from a long-term sequence; (ii) the mean reach-scale migration rate of channel centerline was reduced from 410 m/yr in 1986–1999 to 185 m/yr in 1999–2016, with a reduction of 55% owing to the Xiaolangdi Reservoir operation in 1999, and the mean reach-scale migration intensity of channel centerline was decreased from 0.28 to 0.16 m/(yr·m), with a reduction of 43%; (iii) the incoming flow-sediment regime was a dominant factor affecting the degree of channel migration, although the channel boundary conditions could influence the intensity of channel migration; and (iv) the reach-scale migration intensity of channel centerline can be written as a power function of the previous two-year average incoming sediment coefficient or fluvial erosion intensity, and the reach-scale migration intensities of channel centerline calculated using the proposed relations are generally in close agreement with the measurements over the period of 30 years.

Scholarly migration within Mexico: analyzing internal migration among researchers using Scopus longitudinal bibliometric data

The migration of scholars is a major driver of innovation and of diffusion of knowledge. Although large-scale bibliometric data have been used to measure international migration of scholars, our understanding of internal migration among researchers is very limited. This is partly due to a lack of data aggregated at a suitable sub-national level. In this study, we analyze internal migration in Mexico based on over 1.1 million authorship records from the Scopus database. We trace the movements of scholars between Mexican states, and provide key demographic measures of internal migration for the 1996–2018 period. From a methodological perspective, we develop a new framework for enhancing data quality, inferring states from affiliations, and detecting moves from modal states for the purposes of studying internal migration among researchers. Substantively, we combine demographic and network science techniques to improve our understanding of internal migration patterns within country boundaries. The migration patterns between states in Mexico appear to be heterogeneous in size and direction across regions. However, while many scholars remain in their regions, there seems to be a preference for Mexico City and the surrounding states as migration destinations. We observed that over the past two decades, there has been a general decreasing trend in the crude migration intensity. However, the migration network has become more dense and more diverse, and has included greater exchanges between states along the Gulf and the Pacific Coast. Our analysis, which is mostly empirical in nature, lays the foundations for testing and developing theories that can rely on the analytical framework developed by migration scholars, and the richness of appropriately processed bibliometric data.

Influence of weather on dragonfly migration and flight behaviour along the Baltic coast

Despite mass movements of dragonflies being documented for decades, the influence of weather on the movement decisions and movement intensity of dragonflies has rarely been studied. Here, we investigate the influence of local weather conditions on flight behaviour of dragonflies in Europe, taking advantage of large movements of dragonflies occurring along the Baltic Sea coast of Latvia. Firstly, we performed orientation tests with individual dragonflies of two commonly captured species, Aeshna mixta and Sympetrum vulgatum, in order to determine if dragonflies showed directed flight and whether flight direction was independent from wind direction. Aeshna mixta displayed a uniform mean southward orientation (166.7°), independent from prevailing wind directions, whereas S. vulgatum did not show a uniform orientation. Secondly, we investigated the influence of weather conditions on the abundance of dragonflies captured. Behavioural differences in relation to weather conditions were observed between A. mixta and the two smaller Sympetrum species (S. vulgatum and S. sanguineum). Generally, temperature, cloud cover and wind direction were the most important predictors for migration intensity, with temperature positively influencing abundance and cloud cover negatively influencing abundance. Aeshna mixta appeared to select favourable tailwinds (northerlies), whereas hourly abundance of Sympetrum increased with more easterly winds. Our results provide important information on the influence of local weather conditions on the flight behaviour of dragonflies, as well as evidence of migration for A. mixta and most likely some Sympetrum species along the Baltic coast.

Internal Migration Intensity and Impact in Europe

Globally, internal migrants outnumber international migrants by 4 to 1 (Bell et al 2015) and recent years have seen significant progress in understanding internal migration in a comparative framework. The IMAGE project (Internal Migration Around the GlobE) developed a rigorous framework for cross-national comparisons of internal migration, involving (1) a suite of statistical indicators, (2) methods to generate estimates where comparable metrics are not collected directly, and (3) a global repository of internal migration data. The Aggregate Crude Migration Intensity (ACMI) captures the intensity of internal migration measuring all changes of address in a given interval. The Migration Effectiveness Index (MEI), which ranges from 0 to 100, quantifies the degree of balance between flows and counterflows, with low values indicating largely reciprocal exchanges between regions, while high values suggest strongly directional flows. Together, intensity and effectiveness drive the redistributive impact of migration on national populations.

Investigation of the lateral channel migration: A case study of the South Morava River (Serbia)

The morphological evolution of the fluvial relief in the lowland areas is determined by the dynamic of the lateral channel migration process. River meandering and lateral channel migration represent continuous, dynamic and complex processes, which intensity modifies alluvial plains. Accordingly, it is a current topic observed from the domain of various scientific disciplines and practices, including the geographical aspect of the study. Directly or indirectly, variations of natural and anthropogenic processes affect changes in the lateral migration intensity, which is later manifested through permanent consequences for the environment. The aim of this paper is to investigate the process of lateral channel migration, through the review and interpretation of theoretical and methodological concepts and results of contemporary scientific literature. In this paper, on specific sections of the South Morava River (Serbia), the values of maximum lateral migration over different time periods are determined. Three representative river sectors were singled out, spatial and temporal dynamic was determined, while the process of lateral channel migration was presented quantitatively and graphically. Based on the obtained data, a comparative analysis showed significant riverbank changes for the observed meanders, within the period 1924-2020. Special emphasis is on the analysis of the lateral channel migration in the last decade of the mentioned period. The obtained results can be further used in order to develop and implement plans of water and land management, environmental protection and socio-economic development strategies.

Traumas of cultural memory in migration and post-migration society

The subject of this research is the peculiarities of structuring and reproduction of cultural traumas in the environment of migration communities. Based on the national and foreign studies of migration sphere of the modern German society, as well as a series of empirical research carried out the author in two federal lands of the Federative Republic of Germany, analysis is conducted on the specificity of structuring and reproduction of traumas of cultural memories among the refugees and forcefully displaced persons, ethnic and work migrants. The author compares the peculiarities of representation of cultural traumatic experience in migration and post-migration society. The use of systemic approach allowed determining the structure and constitutive relations between the key components of the process of reproduction and structuring of cultural traumas in migration environment. The structuring and reproduction of cultural traumas in migration environment depend on the position of receiving society and duration of stay of a migrant therein, specificity of the type of migration, intensity of contacts with the country of origin, as well as peculiarities of cultural memory of the country of origin. The novelty of this study consist not only in comparative analysis of the specificities of perception of the cultural traumatic experience within the environment of forcefully displaced persons, ethnic and work migrants of the modern Germany, but also juxtaposition of migration and post-migration society in the context of the questions of structuring and reproduction of cultural traumas. It is determines that the “post-migration society” contributes to transformation of the process of structuring of cultural traumas towards further fragmentation of the cultural traumatic experience, as well as emergence and dissemination of cultural traumas related to the most tragic pages in the history of humanity overall.

IMPACT OF PHYSICAL MUTAGENS ON THE MALE GAMETOPHYTE OF THE TEA PLANT FOR ITS FURTHER USE IN HYBRIDIZATION

The migration of the radioisotopes - P32 and S35 from the soil to the tea plant (flowers) was studied. It is shown that their accumulation intensity in pollen sacs increases in proportion to the dose and reaches its maximum in the P32 variant after using a 8.0 MBq / ml dose. The migration intensity was the lowest in the 2.0 MBq / ml variant (0.14-0.223 MBq / 100 mg). It is estimated that P32 and S35 have significantly affected the vitality of tea plant pollens through the anomalies of their development. After using 2.0 and 4.0 MBq / ml doses, the vitality of the pollen is reduced in proportion to the dose and the development anomalies increase. Particulalry, the viability of pollen decrease compared to the control group, but the frequency and range of development anomalies increases. These include the slow development of the plant or the acceleration of the development of the primary nucleus, polyspermia, undeveloped pollen tube, etc. The use of processed P32 and S35 tea pollens in hybridization significantly increases the frequency of new formations and results in variability in the domination of signs. Among the new formations include the induction of haploids and triploids.