Education's economic return in multicultural Australia: Demographic analysis

This article focuses on the impact of education as the most important human capital endowment in the context of migration, religion, gender and ethnic identity from a demographic perspective. It presents research-based evidence to address such key research questions as whether and how significantly women's education provides equal benefit in the labour market for individuals, based on their migration status, religion, and ethnic identity. The field of this study is the multi-ethnic and multicultural context of Australia with a wide range of ethnic and religious groups of migrants from throughout the world. Preliminary results show that labour market achievement is positively and significantly associated with the educational attainment of individuals, irrespective of their migration status, religious affiliation and ethnicity. However, more comprehensive analysis from comparative perspectives reveals that the positive economic return of education is higher for natives (compared with migrants), for ethnic migrants from developed regions of origin (compared with those from less developed regions of origin) and for non-Muslims (compared with Muslims). The article provides two plausible explanations for these patterns. The first refers to the lack of recognition of overseas qualifications and to the devaluation of foreign education that particularly applies to ethnic migrants from less developed regions. The second relates to disadvantage through structural discrimination against migrants, particularly when their cultural and religious identity, such as Islamic names and dress codes, are distinctively displayed. In sum, this analysis presents further research-based evidence to go beyond the human capital theory in order to explain more appropriately the economic return of women's education in the context of religion and migration from a demographic perspective.

Dietary Phytochemical Screening of Spider Plant (Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.) Accessions From Africa and Asia to Identify Genotypes for Use in Nutraceutical Breeding

Increased public awareness of healthy foods and healthy living, coupled with escalating medicinal costs and recent advances in research and technology, has sparked a paradigm shift to nutraceuticals, which guarantee human health and disease prevention. Spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra) contains dietary phytochemicals with high nutritional and medicinal properties that can contribute to healthy living. A study was conducted to identify spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.) accessions with superior levels of dietary phytochemicals and anti-oxidative activity for use in nutraceutical breeding. Thirty-three accessions of spider plant, representing a wide genetic diversity based on geographic areas of origin (Asia, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa), were used. Total phenolic acids, tannins, and anthocyanins were extracted and quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric, spectrophotometric, and pH differential methods, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined using phosphomolybdenum method. Results showed significant variation in levels of total phenolic compounds, tannins, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity (P < 0.05) amongst the spider plant accessions and regions of origin; ODS-15-037 (464 mg TAE/g DW), ODS-15-053 (270 mg GAE/g DW), and BC-02A (127 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g DW) had the highest levels of total tannins, phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins, respectively. Antioxidant activity was high in ODS-15-053 (492.2 mg AAE/100 g DW), NAM 2232 (445.3 mg AAE/100 g DW), and NAM-6 (432.5 mg AAE/100 g DW). On average, West African accessions had significantly high tannin concentrations (239 mg TAE/g DW), while Southern Africa accessions contained significantly high anthocyanin content (58.9 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g DW). The superior accessions are potential candidates for use in nutraceutical breeding, while the regions of origin could be used as gene pools for specific phytochemicals for improving dietary supplements of nutraceuticals. The strong antioxidant activity exhibited by spider plant accessions suggests the presence of compounds responsible for scavenging free oxygen or nitrogen radicals. Further studies are recommended to identify the chromosomal regions that contain genes controlling the dietary nutraceuticals in the genetic materials and to determine their association with foliage yield and other phenotypes, which can be utilized in spider plant improvement.

Retour d’emigration, Enjeux Fonciers et Defi de Developpement a Zoukougbeu et Gregbeu (Centre-Ouest, Côte d’Evoire)

La crise politico-militaire de 2010 en Côte d’Ivoire a affecté les flux migratoires dans certaines régions du pays. On a assisté au retour massif de certaines populations dans leurs régions d’origine. Cette étude explore la question de la réinsertion des émigrants dans le jeu foncier de leur zone de départ, et met en exergue les enjeux sociaux liés à leur réintégration. L’étude vise à appréhender les stratégies développées par les populations résidentes et les émigrants dans la quête de ces derniers à intégrer l’arène foncière de leurs familles d’origine. La collecte des données a mobilisé la recherche documentaire, l’enquête par questionnaire, l’entretien et l’observation dans les sous-préfectures de Zoukougbeu et Gregbeu. L’étude relève que le retour définitif ou partiel des émigrants traduit un jeu de repositionnement, tant chez eux que chez les résidents. Le paradoxe de l’autochtone frustré par la raréfaction foncière mais qui constitue un acteur impulsant la dynamique sociale, politique et économique est expressif. En somme, cette étude invite à une politique de modernisation de l’agriculture afin que l’espoir des émigrants internes et externes (diaspora) débouche sur un retour partiel ou définitif réussi, avec des investissements productifs. The politico-military crisis of 2010 in Ivory Coast has affected migratory flows in some regions of the country. We have seen the massive return of some populations to their regions of origin. This study explores the question of the reintegration of emigrants into the land game of their area of departure, and highlights the social issues linked to their reintegration. The study aims to understand the strategies developed by resident populations and emigrants in the latter's quest to integrate the land arena of their families of origin. Data collection involved documentary research, questionnaire survey, interview and observation in the sub-prefectures of Zoukougbeu and Gregbeu. The study notes that the final or partial return of emigrants reflects a repositioning game, both for them and for residents. The paradox of the native frustrated by land scarcity but who is an actor driving social, political and economic dynamics is expressive. In short, this study calls for a policy of modernizing agriculture so that the hope of internal and external emigrants (diaspora) leads to a successful partial or final return, with productive investments.

Academic Satisfaction of International Students at Irish Higher Education Institutions: The Role of Region of Origin and Cultural Distance in the Context of Marketization

Internationalization of higher education has increased the diversity of the student body at higher education institutions. There is evidence that the experiences of international students vary according to their region of origin, but trends on a larger scale remain underexamined. Drawing on Eurostudent VI data from the Republic of Ireland, this article investigates how academic satisfaction varies between students from different global regions of origin and from national settings with distinct cultural distance characteristics. Results suggest that international students have higher levels of academic satisfaction than Irish students, but that differences between students from diverse regions of origin persist. In addition, international students originating from a national context with high power distance, irrespective of levels of individualism, have higher levels of academic satisfaction compared with Irish students. Furthermore, self-perception of being a detached customer rather than an equal partner in education has the strongest association with academic satisfaction, suggesting that commercialization trends affect both international and domestic students.

ANALYSIS OF THE MINERAL COMPOSITION OF HIGH-GRADE WHEAT FLOUR DEPENDING ON REGIONS OF ORIGIN

Осуществлен анализ муки высшего сорта на содержание металлов, перешедших в состав выращенной пшеницы в виде растворимых солей из почвы различных регионов произрастания. Установлено, что мука из ставропольской пшеницы наиболее богата магнием, калием и натрием, а меньше всего ключевых питательных элементов содержится в муке из вологодской пшеницы, что соотносится с минеральным составом почв регионов произрастания сырья для муки. The analysis of high-grade flour for the content of metals that have passed into the composition of the grown wheat in the form of soluble salts from the soil of different growing regions is carried out. It was found that flour from Stavropol wheat is the richest in magnesium, potassium and sodium, and the least of all key nutrients is contained in flour from Vologda wheat, which correlates with the mineral composition of soils in the regions where raw materials for flour grow.

Intergenerational mobility and self-selection on unobserved skills: New evidence

This study proposes a novel way to examine self-selection on unobserved skills and applies it to a sample of young males seeking asylum in 2015/2016 in Germany. First, the degree of intergenerational mobility of these refugees is assessed, specifically their educational improvement in comparison to their parents’ level of education. Next, the estimates are compared with the level of educational mobility of similar-aged males in the refugees’ regions of origin. The idea is that this difference indicates the pattern of self-selection on unobserved skills such as grit and motivation. Our findings hint at positive selection on such unobserved skills among these young male refugees.

Leveraging Africa’s Global Diasporas for the Continent’s Development

In this paper I seek to share some of the insights I have gained from my studies on the African diaspora over the past two decades. It begins by mapping out some of the analytical framings of African Diaspora Studies, with particular reference to the spatial scope and temporal dimensions of the African diaspora. This is followed by an examination of the multiple and multi-layered contributions that African diasporas have made and continue to make to African societies and countries. The paper analyses some of the challenges that undermine more productive engagements between the diasporas and their countries or regions of origin. The paper concludes by focusing an academic initiatives that aim to strengthen the project of engaging African diasporas for Africa’s sustainable development, namely, the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program.

Antioxidative system response of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) seedlings to Cd exposure

The use of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), along with other tree species, for the afforestation of heavy metal contaminated lands is an attractive prospect. Little, however, is known of Q. robur tolerance and its antioxidative system response to heavy metal exposure. The main objective of the study was to determine the cadmium-induced changes in antioxidative system of pedunculate oak in an attempt to identify molecular mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance. This may be of great importance in respect of using Q. robur for phytoremediation purposes. As the response of the antioxidative system to heavy metal contamination can vary within species, the research was conducted on oak seedlings from two different regions of origin. Differences in antioxidative system response of seedlings derived from tested regions of origin were noticed both at the transcript and enzyme activity levels. The obtained results indicate that ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11) and superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) play a first barrier role in oak seedlings response to the oxidative stress caused by Cd exposure. Catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) is involved in reducing the negative effects of prolonged Cd treatment.