Border Provinces Research Articles

THE EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS: THE MULTICULTURAL SOCIAL COMPETENCE OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE THREE SOUTHERN BORDER PROVINCES OF THAILAND

Multicultural social competences are essential for life in the 21st century and understanding of coexistence in society equally without stigmatization and discrimination against those who are different from oneselves. Therefore, education management focusing on developing learners' skills of coexistence and understanding the diversity and differences of people in society is important, especially in Thailand's three southern border provinces facing problems with the unrest affecting the daily life of their people, especially the issue of different beliefs in the practice of religious principles, traditions, and way of life. This research aimed to study the composition of multicultural social competences of community college students in the three southern border provinces. It was conducted among 575 students of community colleges in the three southern border provinces of Thailand. Exploratory component analysis was applied to the data. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed seven components of multicultural social competence in the community college (MSCCC): kindness, multicultural attitude, acceptance of diversity in society, cultural knowledge, skills in coexistence, cultural communication, and social equality. These will formulate issues for the development of multicultural social competence of community college students in the three southern border provinces.

Ababayle ; An Anthropological Research on Social system

The research is about Ababayle village, which is an Anthropological research about social system. This has had along history with a great position and role in the distrist In this research it deals with social system in the political , social and culturals filds ,and also the impacts of this system on the other political economical and social components are an plained for this reason functional contraction theory is used ,we intend to explain social system and its changes. Like marriage process and its customs with family and its types in addition to relationship and its influence on the other systems.
 The components and tradition of the village have recently been changed greatly, as it is declared in the conclusion such as vanishing marriage customs and the inextente social classification in the village and losing lots of its land because of service project in Halabja province border. In spite of all social relation and relationship as before and has not witnessed area change.

Measuring Urban Sustainability over Time at National and Regional Scale for Addressing United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Iran and Tehran as Case Studies

It is evident that relations between political conditions and community development have become sophisticated in recent years. More people now live in urbanized areas, and this ongoing urbanization has various ramifications. Many countries are facing swift urban transformation which alters their regional development patterns. Urban sprawl, migration and rural depopulation, regional inequalities, increasing urban poverty, and social injustice are some of these emerging problems. Assessing regional development for identifying the aforementioned predicaments is really imperative and related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. However, there are limited studies that focus on the assessment of regional sustainable development at both national and regional scales, simultaneously. Thus, this study aims to fill the gap by developing a robust method that can assess and compare the level of sustainability in various regions and at varying scales. This helps to identify areas where urgent prevention or mitigation strategies and action plans are required. In this study, we strived to evaluate Iran’s regions and Tehran’s provinces based on sustainability indicators. To end this, the authors use factor analysis and F’ANP model in both assessments. The results of the study show that Tehran Province was the most developed province, and its F’ANP result was 2.006. Tehran is 10% more sustainable than the third region in the country which is Khorasan Razavi. Isfahan and Khorasan Razavi provinces were in the next in rank with scores of 1.984 and 1.8, respectively. At the bottom of the list, the northern Khorasan, Ilam, and Kohkiloye-Boyerahmad provinces were in the lowest ranked in terms of access to sustainability indices. It is patently obvious that Iran suffers from uneven development, and the majority of border provinces have moderate or bad situations. This uneven development also intensifies migration to Tehran, which already has one-sixth of Iran’s population which has led todeteriorating social inequity and environmental injustice, nationally. The results of the regional assessment of Tehran also show that there is uneven development in Tehran Province. Tehran County is twice as good and sustainable as 68 percent of the counties in this region. The F’ANP result for Tehran County was 0.580, and it has been ranked first over a period due to the exceptional number of facilities in this region. Tehran County became 20% more sustainable during this decade. After Tehran, Firoozkoh and Damavand counties were in the next ranks with scores of 0.389 and 0.343, respectively. Qarchak, Ghods, and Baharestan counties were the weakest based on the sustainability indices, and their F’ANP results were below 0.2.

For Profit or Patriotism? Balancing the Interests of the Chinese State, Host Country and Firm in the Lao Rubber Sector

AbstractChinese state firms are expected not only to profit but also to serve state interests. But the Chinese state is fragmented: border provinces are taking on an expanded role in China's global expansion and a broad range of firm activities could be defined as patriotic contributions. Through the case of Yunnan State Farms (YSF), a province-level state-owned enterprise, this article explores how state firms interpret and navigate multiple state interests while also pursuing profit. The firm's ability to profit depends on balancing the demands and support of different Chinese state actors while depicting itself as a development partner to the Lao state and a contributor to Sino-Lao diplomatic relations and border region stability. This case thus shows that, instead of YSF's behaviour being directed by the state, the firm exercises considerable latitude in defining its contributions to state interests through the expansion of rubber production as a driver of development.

Factors Obstructing English Teaching Effectiveness: Teacher Voices from Thailand’s Deep South

Administering English language teaching (ELT) in rural settings of the three southern border provinces has been challenging for both teachers and learners due to two decades of political unrest, eruptions of violence, fears, and insecurity. To enhance ELT, this study aimed to investigate factors affecting the ineffectiveness of ELT in these three educational environments and introduce a new lens of contextualized English instructions for learners in schools located in Southernmost Thailand, where learners live amid linguistic and cultural diversity. In this qualitative study, data were collected from teachers operating in two schools of each province (totaling six institutions) by semi-structured interviews and analyzed by content analysis. Findings revealed that five primary factors deteriorating English language learning efficiency in the three southern border provinces were Implementation of Broad-Spectrum ELT Policies; Insufficient Teaching Integrations with Islamization; Inadequate Awareness of the Significance of English; Inconsistencies between ELT Textbooks and the Sociolinguistic Reality of English; and Impractical Classroom Arrangement. The findings could be beneficial if they are further utilized by the Ministry of Education in establishing policies for ELT in specific contexts as well as school administrators and teachers in formulating instructional approaches, managing learning resources, and arranging classrooms based on local needs and identities. Although this study has a specific spatial scope, which is the three southern border provinces of Thailand, its findings can be adapted for a broader application as a part of the global perspective and a clue to solve language learning problems across ELT communities encountering a similar challenge.

The Pilot Study of Students’ English Writing Improvement through Online Peer Feedback during the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Southern Border Province of Thailand, Yala Rajabhat University

The pilot study aimed to investigate students’ English writing ability via online peer feedback during covid-19 pandemic. In this pilot study, eight open-ended questions, which were conducted to 12 undergraduate students majoring in English with mixed grades coming from 43 students in English writing class in one university in the three Southern border provinces of Thailand. The data analysis stage made use of qualitative data to conduct thematic analysis of the content. The results indicated that students took a positive view of using online peer feedback to support the development of their writing, since this feedback also upgraded their affective strategies and critical thinking skills as well as their ability to interact socially in an effective manner. The results indicate student perceptions concerning writing strategies and found that they believed that online peer feedback could be carried out effectively, leading to improvements in their writing through enhanced grammatical usage. Furthermore, peer feedback and discussions supported better critical thinking skills as well as improving social skills through the need to work cooperatively. Importantly, the pilot study is very beneficial to both instructor and students, especially the instructor can bring to adapt the main study more effectively. Therefore, the findings of online peer feedback ought to be taken into consideration in the main study group to adapt in learning and teaching process.

The motivation and teaching strategies in pre-service physical education teachers

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemics significantly affect teaching and learning. Especially physical education teaching that emphasizes practice in the field or large space. On the other hand, physical education classes must do online teaching, which leads to students not being interested in learning. This reason affects the teacher's motivation, making most teachers bored to teach without motivation. Specifically, in the pre-service physical educators who have low experience in teaching and leads to unenjoyed in their class. Consequently, pre-service physical educators need to find new strategies to teach students to be of greater interest. Thus, this study examined the relationship between teachers' motivation (intrinsic and external motivation) towards teaching strategies among pre-service physical educators. The instruments were regarding teachers' motivation in terms of intrinsic and external motivation and teaching strategies. The respondents were 157 pre-service physical educators in five universities in the border provinces of Southern Thailand. The result showed that there is a relationship between intrinsic and external motivation towards teaching strategies among the participants. These results provide guidelines for pre-service physical educators to improve their teaching and enhance students' achievement in the future through online physical education classes.

Export endowments of the educational services market of the Primorsky Territory and strategic ways of its use

Aim. The work aimed to analyze contemporary approaches to the development of the export of educational services, as well as the practice of managing this process in the Russian Primorye, as well as to substantiate the concept of its state support at the regional level.Tasks. The work was performed to generalize theoretical ideas about modern models of export of educational services and analyze the concepts adopted in Russia, as well as programs for its development in the mid-term; to identify and systematize trends and problems in the development of exports of higher education services in the Primorsky Territory over the past ten years to citizens of the border provinces of the People’s Republic of China (PRC); develop a conceptual model of state support for the export of educational services at the regional level and a model of the strategic directions of this process at the university level.Methods. The tasks were solved within the framework of the accepted research hypothesis, using the methods of systemic, structural, and functional analysis in a strict logical sequence, with the use of a large array of theoretical and factual data.Results. The stable dynamics of the development of export of higher education services to the PRC in the pre-pandemic period was determined. The authors substantiate the problem of managing this process at the macro and micro levels, with increased competition in the markets of international educational services. A conceptual model of state support for the export of educational services is proposed.Conclusion. The studies conducted and the results obtained serve as an organizational and methodological basis for the implementation of a more effective policy for the development of the export of educational services in the Russian regions bordering the PRC.

Forensic DNA profiling in the southern border provinces of Thailand: Ethical and regulatory issues

The use of forensic DNA profiling has increased steadily over the years. The technique of DNA profiling, which started to be used in the UK courts to accurately identify individuals, has gradually expanded towards other legal systems. In both industrialized and developing countries, criminal investigations often rely on forensic DNA profiling and databasing. Although DNA evidence is very reliable and plays an essential part in solving criminal cases, it also presents numerous risks. Privacy issues have been raised. The creation of national databanks, in fact, poses a range of legal, ethical and social issues. Firstly, this article will define the DNA profiling technique and its different uses. Secondly, the nature of the samples will be discussed. Also, the legal and ethical risks related to confidentiality will be pointed out with particular regard to the southern border provinces of Thailand. Finally, the paper will analyze the question of DNA storage of forensic biological samples.

Mortality and Years of Life Lost due to Burn Injury Among Older Iranian People; a Cross-Sectional study

Introduction:The mortality of burn injury is a serious health problem among older people. The present study aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of burn mortality and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) among people aged ≥ 60. Methods:The National and Subnational Burden of Disease (NASBOD) study includes population-based cross-sectional data from the death registration system of Iran and those recorded by the cemeteries of Tehran and Esfahan were used in this study. Spatio-temporal and Gaussian process regression models were applied to estimate rates and trends of mortality and cause-specific mortality fractions. YLLs were calculated using Iranian life expectancy and the number of deaths. Results:The mortality rate for 1990 and 2015 was 17.4 and 4.5 per 100,000, respectively. From 1990 through 2015, the annual percentage of change in burn mortality rate was -6.1% in females and -4.4% in males. During 2015, there were 326 deaths following burns in people aged 60+ with 4586 person YLLs, and in 1990 there were 523 deaths with 4862 person-YLLs. The male-female ratio for 1990 and 2015 were 0.80 and 0.88, respectively. The age-standardized mortality rate was higher than 8.5 per 100,000 in border provinces in 2015. The provinces with better socioeconomic situations, such as Tehran, had a lower mortality rate than poor provinces, such as Sistan va Baluchistan.Conclusion:Although burn mortality in old people decreased in those 26 years, it is still high compared to high-income countries. Continued efforts to increase preventive measures and adequate access to quality care, especially in border provinces, is suggested.

Phylodynamic Dispersal of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages Circulating across Polish-German Border Provinces.

Introduction: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into a worldwide outbreak, with significant molecular evolution over time. Large-scale phylodynamic studies allow to map the virus spread and inform preventive strategies. Aim: This study investigates the extent of binational dispersal and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 lineages between seven border provinces of the adjacent countries of Poland and Germany to reconstruct SARS-CoV-2 transmission networks. Methods: Following three pandemic waves from March 2020 to the end of May 2021, we analysed a dataset of 19,994 sequences divided into B.1.1.7|Alpha and non-Alpha lineage groups. We performed phylogeographic analyses using the discrete diffusion models to identify the pathways of virus spread. Results: Based on population dynamics inferences, in total, 673 lineage introductions (95% HPD interval 641–712) for non-Alpha and 618 (95% HPD interval 599–639) for B.1.1.7|Alpha were identified in the area. For non-Alpha lineages, 5.05% binational, 86.63% exclusively German, and 8.32% Polish clusters were found, with a higher frequency of international clustering observed for B.1.1.7|Alpha (13.11% for binational, 68.44% German and 18.45% Polish, p < 0.001). We identified key transmission hubs for the analysed lineages, namely Saxony, West Pomerania and Lower Silesia. Conclusions: Clustering patterns between Poland and Germany reflect the viral variant transmission dynamics at the international level in the borderline area. Tracing the spread of the virus between two adjacent large European countries may provide a basis for future intervention policies in cross-border cooperation efforts against the spread of the pandemics.

The development of a multi-dimensional reporting system for monitoring operations and the decision of the administrators. study case of Halal Science Center Chulalongkorn University, Pattani Office

The Halal Science Center Chulalongkorn University at Pattani Office was established in 2009 with the primary mission of developing areas according to the Indonesia-MalaysiaThailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) through the project to increase personnel potential from the border provinces in the southern region until now. In addition, must report the performance of the various activities Performance in finance, supplies, content, people, public relations, Etc. Through weekly reports. The Executive Committee of The Halal Science Center Chulalongkorn University's monthly report and the report found that have the problem of the past operations cannot see the overall picture of the whole operation. Therefore, this research was conducted to develop a system for monitoring and reporting the performance in a multi-dimensional format and testing the users' satisfaction. So, results of the study showed that the multi-dimensional performance tracking and reporting system had been developed with Microsoft Excel that can reduce the operating time reduce about 70.00%, while Users of the monitoring and reporting system have an outstanding level of satisfaction from 15 total users.

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Related Coronaviruses Circulating in Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) Confiscated From the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Viet Nam

Despite the discovery of several closely related viruses in bats, the direct evolutionary progenitor of SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been identified. In this study, we investigated potential animal sources of SARS-related coronaviruses using archived specimens from Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) and Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade, and from common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) raised on wildlife farms in Viet Nam. A total of 696 pangolin and civet specimens were screened for the presence of viral RNA from five zoonotic viral families and from Sarbecoviruses using primers specifically designed for pangolin coronaviruses. We also performed a curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, to illustrate the global pangolin supply chain in the context of Viet Nam where the trade confiscated pangolins were sampled for this study. All specimens from pangolins and civets sampled along the wildlife supply chains between February 2017 and July 2018, in Viet Nam and tested with conventional PCR assays designed to detect flavivirus, paramyxovirus, filovirus, coronavirus, and orthomyxovirus RNA were negative. Civet samples were also negative for Sarbecoviruses, but 12 specimens from seven live pangolins confiscated in Hung Yen province, northern Viet Nam, in 2018 were positive for Sarbecoviruses. Our phylogenetic trees based on two fragments of the RdRp gene revealed that the Sarbecoviruses identified in these pangolins were closely related to pangolin coronaviruses detected in pangolins confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, China. Our curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, reflected what is known about pangolin trafficking globally. Pangolins confiscated in Viet Nam were largely in transit, moving toward downstream consumers in China. Confiscations included pangolin scales sourced originally from Africa (and African species of pangolins), or pangolin carcasses and live pangolins native to Southeast Asia (predominately the Sunda pangolin) sourced from neighboring range countries and moving through Viet Nam toward provinces bordering China.

Surveillance of Plasmodium vivax transmission using serological models in the border areas of China\u2013Myanmar

BackgroundTo understand the Plasmodium vivax malaria transmission intensity and to assess the effectiveness of prevention and control measures taken along the China–Myanmar border, a catalytic model was used to calculate the seroconversion rate, an important indicator of malaria transmission intensity with high sensitivity, which is particularly useful in areas of low transmission.MethodsFive counties in Yunnan Province bordering Myanmar were selected as survey sites, and subjects were obtained in each county by stratified random sampling in 2013–2014. Fingerstick blood was collected from each subject and tested for antibodies to P. vivax Merozoite Surface Protein 1-19 (PvMSP1-19) using indirect ELISA. A catalytic conversion model was used to assess the transmission intensity of P. vivax malaria based on the maximum likelihood of generating a community seroconversion rate.ResultsA total of 3064 valid blood samples were collected. Antibody levels were positively correlated with age. The seroconversion rate (SCR) values for each village were Luoping (0.0054), Jingqiao (0.0061), Longpen (0.0087), Eluo (0.0079), Banwang (0.0042) and Banbie (0.0046), respectively.ConclusionOverall, the intensity of P. vivax malaria transmission in the border areas of Yunnan Province is low and not entirely consistent across counties. Consecutive serological surveys are needed to provide a sensitive evaluation of transmission dynamics and can help to confirm areas where infection is no longer present.

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Collaborative surveillance and monitoring outbreak, Viet Nam

PurposeLack of understanding of the circulation, emergence of avian influenza new strain viruses, and risk of transmission from animal to human were big challenges causing heavy losses in human life and socio-economic. SARI collaborative surveillance has been set up and operated to fill the gaps in the border province of Vietnam - Cambodia.Methods & MaterialsClinical, epidemiological data and outcomes of SARI patients were collected in provincial hospital. Samples were performed by PCR technique for influenza and non-influenza viruses included Coronaviruses, Paramyxoviruses, Filoviruses, and Flaviviruses. Positive influenza samples were isolated and characterized. Information sharing and risk analysis were conducted between animal health and public health sectorsResultsSARI patient per year was 14.4% (3016/20956) among hospitalized and incident rate was 534.4/100000 population. Annual death caused by SARI ranged from 6.6 - 12.5%. Most SARI patients were neonatal (55.4% - 529/95)). Among 20.1% (955/4741) represented SARI patients were tested, respiratory and influenza virus-positive samples were 70.4% (673/955) and 24.9% (238/955) respectively. Influenza A/H1N1pdm09 virus was dominant (50.9%) and RSV accounted for 16.6% (159/955) and mostly in children <5. Coronaviruses and paramyxoviruses were detected. Coinfected respiratory viruses was 25.6% (245/955). H5N1, H9, and H5N6 viruses have been detected in domestic poultry and pig.ConclusionCollaborative surveillance fundamentally contributed to monitoring the evolution, showed risk of transmission of avian influenza viruses to human exists considerably high, and strengthened the pandemic preparedness capacity of public health and animal health sectors. Intensive studies and wider expansion to multi-sector coordination and across-national borders are needed.

Viral Metagenomics Analysis of Rodents From Two Border Provinces Located in Northeast and Southwest China

ObjectiveWild animal pathogen surveillance will help to understand the next possible pandemic in advance. Rodents, which have close contact with humans, are generally regarded as a key factor for zoonotic disease control. Given the variation in rodent virus composition in diverse ecologies, we conducted a study on the viral infection of rodents of diverse species in different typical environments of Heilongjiang and Yunnan Provinces, located in northeastern and southwestern China, respectively.MethodsViral metagenomics sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were performed to determine the different distributions of rodent-borne viruses in typical environments of Heilongjiang and Yunnan Provinces, China. After viral culture and PCR confirmation, genomic and phylogenetic quantitative analysis was performed on the detected hantaviruses (HVs) and Beilong viruses (BeiVs).ResultsNineteen rodents from three species and 35 rodents from five species of rodents were collected from Heilongjiang and Yunnan Provinces, respectively. Although the number and number of species of rodents trapped in the northeast were fewer than those in the southwest, viruses annotated from rodents in Heilongjiang were more diverse than those in Yunnan. Rodents carried 22 virus families in Heilongjiang and 13 families in Yunnan. Sequences assembled from Rattus norvegicus were annotated to the M, L, and S segments of HV, and all were clustered within the Seoul-type hantavirus (SEOV). There were 2 (R81Q, S698T) and 4 (K153R, M168I, I279S, and R1790K) amino acid site substitutions in M and L compared with the versions in the most homologous strains. Two BeiV isolates from Rattus norvegicus were closely related to BeiV from brown rats in Hong Kong, with high bootstrap values of >90% in the N segment and > 95% in the L segment. They were further clustered with Tailam virus, forming a distinct group in Paramyxoviridae.ConclusionThe rodents from Heilongjiang and Yunnan located in northeast and southwest China, respectively, had different viral spectra, and only one-third (10/32) of virus families were detected in both areas. The predominant viruses were HV and BeiV in the Hantaviridae and Paramyxoviridae families, respectively. Rodent-borne viruses in the same species were similar in different geographic disparate areas owing to their similar close contact with human habitats and human activities. Additional attention should be given to the monitoring of neglected rodent-borne viruses, especially opportunistic viruses with currently low loads.

ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT PERSIA: SYNCRETISM OF THE ARCHETYPES OF THE OIKOUMENE

The architecture of ancient Persia was an important component ecumenical development of culture and architecture of the ancient editerranean. Syncretism is confirmed in the forms of the order system and the porticos of Persia and Greco-Roman ancient architecture in the courtyards of Persian palaces and Roman court exedra in the form of a cross-domed temple of Persian Zoroastrianism and Byzantine Christianity. In the Achaemenid period of the history of ancient Persia, in the 6th century. B.C. in the Persian-occupied Anatolia and the Ionian Greeks took place an important event in ancient architecture - the birth of the order and the original architectural style. There is no reason to claim that the Persian marble column is a prototype of Greek Ionic marble or vice versa: they appeared synchronously and had common features (column with a developed base, flutes, with paired symmetrical sub-beam volutes) and methods of their monumental facade use (order portico). The archetype of the columned hall in the case of the Persian apadana, in solving its internal space, has certain features in comparison with ecumenical analogues – hypostyle halls of Egypt or Roman basilicas. The space of apadana, evenly marked by rows of slender columns of a unified order, had no difference in width or height nave, had neither deep nor centripetal spatial development. During the Sassanid dynasty in the 6th century. in the border provinces, which were the scene of the struggle between Rome- Byzantium and Sassanid Persia, the formation of the cross-domed system took place – parallel in the cross-domed Zoroastrian temples and Christian Roman-Byzantine. At the Persian University in Gondishapur, where an international team of scientists gathers, in the construction (involving Roman prisoners of war) of the Persian capital Bishapur the formula of ideal (centric, axial) architecture was realized. Zoroastrian temples of the Sassanid era receive a symmetrical shape, cross composition, centricity, trinity, that is, those archetypal themes that are characteristic of the traditions of sacred architecture of the Mediterranean ecumenism, in particular ancient Rome. The shape of the Persian courtyard is a variation of the Roman biaxial cross planning composition found in the architecture of Rome in the city plans, in the courtyards-perestilya with exedra, in the layout of the imperial baths). These examples show that the experience of ancient Persian architecture is not only the original oriental style, but is a variation of the Mediterranean ecumenical stylistic development.

Prevalence and Burden of Refractive Errors at National and Sub-national Levels in Iran.

PurposeTo estimate the prevalence, burden of refractive errors and their associated trend from 1990 to 2018 and geographic inequalities in Iran.MethodsData regarding the epidemiology of refractive errors was extracted from three different sources: systematic review of published literature, data from visual school screening programs, and data from Iran's national health survey (NHS). The pool of all available data on refractive errors as well as demographic, location, and socioeconomic status covariates were fitted in spatio-temporal and Gaussian process regression models to predict the prevalence of refractive errors from the years 1990 to 2018 in 31 provinces grouped by age and sex in order to calculate years lived with disability (YLDs).Results In 2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of refractive errors was 16.32% (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 12.44–21.48%) in both sexes, 17.98% (95% UI: 13.74–23.61%) in women, and 14.66% (95% UI: 11.14–19.36%) in men. The prevalence of refractive errors reveals that it increases with age. Refractive errors contributed to 441.41 and 348.38 YLDs in men and women, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence growth was 31.30% in females and 24.32% in males from the years 1990 to 2018. Significant geographical heterogeneity was observed. The age-standardized YLDs rates of refractive errors represent an increasing trend of 28.9% increase from 1990 to 2018.ConclusionOver 28 years, the prevalence of refractive errors increased significantly. Women tend to have higher rates of prevalence. The prevalence increased in older ages. Border provinces had the lowest prevalence. Age-standardized YLDs rates of refractive errors increased by about 30%.

Carniola’s Defense Mechanism for Protection against the First Cholera Epidemic in Europe

The Habsburg authority fought against the epidemic of cholera, which firstly reached Europe at the beginning of the 30ies of the 18th century, with identical means as they did in the 18th century against plague. With a system of sanitary cordons, they initially protected the state borders, and after the occurrence of the disease within the monarchy, borders of separate provinces as well. From the example of a sanitary cordon on the Carniolan-Croatian border, which was established for the protection against the epidemic in the Hungarian part of the state, the system of controlled passages trough sanitary cordons (rastel) and quarantines is evident, and causes that lead to general further discontinuation of closing borders as a means of defence against cholera.&#x0D; *The contribution is a translation of the publication in the review Kronika 53, 2005, no. 3, pp. 351–364.

Mapping the Physical Properties of Soils and the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Value for Different Soil Types: A Case Study in the Bukit Kemuning and Pugung Tampak Areas

It is widely accepted that soil is a mixture of mineral constituents that have accumulated over time. The physical characteristics of soil vary according to the mineral and organic matter content and the process of formation. The soil`s unique characteristics have been the subject of research in the field of civil engineering, which has continued to evolve to the present day due to the land`s requirement for civil engineering construction, such as road paving. As a result, the current study sought to determine the similarity of soil samples based on their physical properties and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values, as well as the relationship between the soil`s physical properties and CBR values. To our knowledge, there is hardly little research in the literature investigating the topic under our investigation. Furthermore, we also mapped the physical characteristics and CBR values of numerous distinct soil samples using a Geographical Information System (GIS). This study concentrated on the West Lampung Regency, specifically the area between Bukit Kemuning in Central Lampung and Liwa in West Lampung, along the lines of Bukit Kemuning, Liwa, and Krui, all the way to the Lampung – Bengkulu province border. The soil samples from the area were taken for two tests: the unsoaked CBR test and the soaked CBR test. The results of the tests show that a 31-kilometre distance does not result in a significant difference in soil properties, which are generally similar except in clay-rich areas. Furthermore, the results of the laboratory analysis show that the amount of water in the soil sample affects the Liquid Limit (LL), Plastic Limit (PL), Maximum Dry Density (MDD), and CBR values; the lower the plastic limit value, and thus the lower the CBR value, the less water in the soil. The implications of the current findings are also discussed.