Areas Of Central Asia Research Articles

Late Quaternary loess accumulation at the Rudak section in Uzbekistan, central Asia: Chronology and palaeoclimate implications

Many studies have been carried out to understand the nature of the loess formation and its palaeoenvironmental significance in different parts of Eurasia, especially Europe and China. However, in spite of its key position, our knowledge about the loess deposits at the core of the Eurasian loess belt in central Asia is still limited, particularly in terms of absolute dating. This study presents a new luminescence chronology of a loess-palaeosol sequence (Rudak section) in the vicinity of the Gissar Range, Uzbekistan, using both quartz optically stimulated luminescence dating and polymineral post-IR IRSL dating techniques. The dating results suggested a loess accumulation history over the past 180 kyr at Rudak section, characterized by a great depositional hiatus during the entire last glacial period, likely owing to too harsh climate conditions for favouring dust accretion and loess preservation in the piedmont areas of central Asia. Hence, contrasting with the traditional concept of continuous (quasi-continuous) deposition of loess, the direct stratigraphical correlation might be problematic for climatic interpretation of loess-palaeosol sequence in this area. Furthermore, magnetic susceptibility of Rudak section demonstrated the moisture peaks in phase with ice-volume minima over the glacial and interglacial cycles, indicating moisture variation in the Westerlies-dominated central Asia was broadly consistent with that in monsoonal Asia on orbital timescales, but nearly contrasting picture with each other on the suborbital timescales, at least through the Holocene epoch. The Westerlies-dominated central Asia has generally experienced a dry first half and a wet second half of the Holocene, which has likely been driven by solar insolation gradients between mid-latitudes and high-latitudes as well as the melt-water flux.

Challenges for the sustainable use of water and land resources under a changing climate and increasing salinization in the Jizzakh irrigation zone of Uzbekistan

Jizzakh Province in Uzbekistan is one of the largest irrigated areas in Central Asia without natural drainage. In combination with aridity, climate change and extensive irrigation practices, this has led to the widespread salinization of agricultural land. The aim of this study was to identify opportunities to improve the reclamation status of the irrigated area and how best to effectively use the water resources in Jizzakh Province based on investigations conducted between 1995 and 2016. A database of field measurements of groundwater levels, mineralization and soil salinity conducted by the provincial Hydro-Geological Reclamation Expeditions was used in the study. The total groundwater mineralization was determined using a portable electric conductometer (Progress 1T) and the chloride concentration was determined using the Mohr method. The soil salinity analyses were conducted by applying two different methods: (1) the extraction and assessment of the soluble salt content, and (2) using an SM-138 conductivity sensor applied to a 1:1 mixture of soil sample and water. The analyses of the monitoring results and the salt balance in the “irrigation water-soil-drainage water” system clearly demonstrated that the condition of the irrigated land in the province was not significantly improved. Under these conditions, the stability of crop yields is achieved mainly through the use of large volumes of fertilizer. However, excess amounts of mineral fertilizers can also cause the salinization of soils. The average groundwater salinization value in most of the irrigated land (75.3%) fluctuated between 1.1 and 5.0 g/L, while the values were less than 1.0 g/L in 13.1% of the land and in the range of 5.1–10.0 g/L in 10.5% of the land. During the period of 1995–2016 the salinization level of the irrigated land in Jizzakh Province increased slightly and the area could be divided into the following classes: no salinity (17.7% of the total area), low salinity (51.3%), moderate salinity (29.0%), and high salinity (2.0%). Detailed studies of the salt balance in irrigated land, the impact of climate change, increased fertilizer use, and repeated remediation leaching on the groundwater level and mineralization should be conducted in the future, due to the possibility of accelerated salinization, fertility decline, and reduced yields of agricultural crops.

Elevational patterns of temperature and humidity in the middle Tianshan Mountain area in Central Asia

The vertical distribution of vegetation types along an elevational gradient in mountain areas largely depends on the elevational changes in air temperature and humidity. In this study, we presented the seasonal and diurnal variations in the elevational gradients of air temperature and humidity on the southern and northern slopes in the middle Tianshan Mountain Range using data collected throughout the year via HOBO data loggers. The measurements were conducted at 12 different elevations from 1548 to 3277 m from September 2004 to August 2005. The results showed that the annual mean air temperature decreased along the elevational gradients with temperature lapse rates of (0.71±0.20)°C/100 m and (0.59±0.05)°C/100 m on the northern and southern slopes, respectively. The annual mean absolute humidity significantly decreased with increasing elevation on the northern slope but showed no significant trend on the southern slope. The annual mean relative humidity did not show a significant trend on the northern slope but increased with increasing elevation on the southern slope. The mean air temperature lapse rate exhibited significant seasonal variation, which is steeper in summer and shallower in winter, and this value varied between 0.37°C/100 m and 0.75°C/100 m on the southern slope and between 0.30°C/100 m and 1.02°C/100 m on the northern slope. The mean absolute and relative humidity also exhibited significant seasonal variations on both slopes, with the maximum occurring in summer and the minimum occurring in winter or spring. The monthly diurnal range of air temperature on both slopes was higher in spring than in winter. The annual range of air temperature on the southern slope was higher than that on the northern slope. Our results suggest that significant spatiotemporal variations in humidity and temperature lapse rate are useful when analyzing the relationships between species range sizes and climate in mountain areas.

Development of Single and Externally Integrated Transport Area in Central Asia

Competently built strategy for development of international transport corridors passing through the countries of Central Asia ensures economic development of not only the states located in this region, but also of other countries participating in transportation processes. At the same time, the practices of development of international transport corridors reveal several problems which comprise inconsistency of regulatory acts of the parties involved, differences in technical standards, lack of uniformity of railway gauge, duration of customs clearance. The objective of the work was to study transport corridors of Central, Western and South Asia and the existing infrastructural, organizational, and technological limitations for their development. The methods of economic, statistical, and engineering analysis were used. The research has considered problems in development of international transport corridors and possible solutions there-of through organization of intermodal transportation by a single transport operator of Uzbekistan, as well as the current state of transport corridors linking Central, Western, South Asia and China with the EU countries, including development of China–EU railway corridors. In that context, the article suggests the analysis of several legal, organizational, technological factors , as well as of infrastructural restrictions using the example of the Kashgar (China)–Osh (Kyrgyzstan) railway section, prior to construction of which it is proposed to use intermodal transportation. The proposals refer to creating the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) transport and logistics association and to developing the design of universal wagons with variable gauge wheel sets adapted for operation on railways of various gauges.

Проспектив и проксиматив: результаты и перспективы их исследования в тюркских языках

This paper describes the category of proximative (also called prospective), which is supposed to express the prototypical semantics be going / about to do something and refer to a preliminary stage of action. Proximative means are extremely diverse and numerous in Turkic lan-guages. All Turkic languages use various intentional forms and constructions to render proximative semantics under certain conditions, mostly with inanimate subjects or involun-tary actions. Oghuz Turkic seems to be the only branch that does not use proximative forms based on the infinitive or purpose converb of the lexical verb in combination with existential and positional auxiliary verbs. Only Oghuz Turkic seems to have a proximative form with the postposition üzere ‘on’. Both Azeri varieties show convergence with Persian (and other Iranian languages spoken in the Caucasus, and also with Aramaic). Kipchak Turkic languages spoken in Central Asia have an array of isoglosses in common with South Eastern Turkic in their proximative morphology. We can probably speak of a Central Asian linguistic area representing a Turkic dialect contin-uum that had existed there long before the formation of modern national states. Within South Siberian Turkic, a very heterogeneous branch of Turkic, the North Altai varie-ties are closer to Shor and Khakas than to Southern Altai Turkic in many features, also includ-ing Proximative language encoding. Southern Altai Turkic, in its turn, shows a certain close-ness to Tuvan in some proximative isoglosses, but also Kipchak languages of Central Asia in others. Tuvan is characterized by numerous Mongolian loans, also in the proximative sphere. It appears that only the category of avertive employs materially identical language means (with minor variations) in all branches of Turkic. It is the specialized actional form “converb -A + verb yaz- / žas- / čas- / d’asta- / žazda-, etc.” with the lexical semantics “err, fail, miss the target, lose one’s way, sin, etc.”

Using MODIS data to analyse the ecosystem water use efficiency spatial-temporal variations across Central Asia from 2000 to 2014

It is important to understand the carbon-water cycle, which accurately reflects the temporal and spatial variabilities in ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE). In this study, the Mann-Kendall (MK) test was used to study the variabilities in the spatial patterns of the gross primary production (GPP), evapotranspiration and WUE across Central Asia [the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XJ) in China (CHN), Kazakhstan (KAZ), Turkmenistan (TKM), Uzbekistan (UZB), Kyrgyzstan (KGZ), and Tajikistan (TJK)] from 2000 to 2014. We compared the change results by country, land cover type, population density, and human influence. In addition, the results of GPP, evapotranspiration (ET), and WUE parameter tests were combined and classified to analyse the causes of the changes in WUE. The results showed that (1) the time series of GPP, ET and WUE exhibited no significant changes. The spatial distribution of the WUE exhibited significant increases in the northern part of KAZ, the Ili Valley and the alpine region in KGZ and exhibited decreases in south Xinjiang and the irrigated area of UZB. (2) The main land cover types that exhibited changes in WUE were farmlands and grasslands, and areas with a medium population density exhibited large WUE changes. (3) The increased WUE resulted from an increased GPP and decreased ET. The increased GPP was because of increased precipitation and the Green for Grain Project, and the decreased ET was due to the response of vegetation to drought stress; the decreased WUE was mainly caused by changes in the crops planted and unreasonable water use practices in the irrigated agricultural areas in Central Asia. This study, which is based on the variabilities in WUE spatial patterns, should provide a theoretical basis for ecosystems in arid land areas.

Central Asia in Modern System of International Security

The article explores the specificities in formation and implementation of security policy in the area of Central Asia. It analyzes basic global, regional and internal problems, which are considered to bethe main threat to regional stability. The article also formulates the grounds for the objection that current system of international security in the area is distinguished by complicated and multi – levelnature. It is formed through the activity of numerous international organizations, such as UN, OSCE, SCO, CSTO, EEU, NATO. Security situation in Central Asia is significantly influenced by RussianFederation, People’s Republic of China and the USA, the relations between which have recently become strained. The author develops the argumentation that security situation in Central Asiaremains complicated and unforeseen. The knot of global, regional and internal problems is overlapped strongly in the area and those problems have become the potential threat to regional stability.

A multicentre study of street foods purchased in urban areas of Central Asia: the FEEDCities Project

Abstract Background Street food (SF) is a strong tradition in Central Asia, where urbanization and westernization of food habits is occurring. Research on SF consumption is scarce, and crucial to understand its implications for public health. This study aims to describe the SF purchases in urban areas of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dushanbe, Bishkek, Ashgabat and Almaty in 2016/2017. SF markets (n = 34) and vending sites (n = 270) were selected by random and systematic sampling. Data on customers’ characteristics and food items purchased was collected by direct observation. Nutritional composition of the food items (n = 852) was obtained by laboratorial analysis (n = 582) or food composition tables and labels (n = 270). Results A total of 714 customers were identified. The most commonly purchased foods and beverages were savoury pastries/snacks (23.2%), main dishes (19.0%), sweet pastries/confectionery (17.9%), tea/coffee (11.3%) and soft drinks/juices (9.8%). Fruit was the least frequently purchased food (1.1%). Nearly one-third of customers purchased industrial food items; this proportion was significantly higher in Kazakhstan (43.2%) and Turkmenistan (32.3%). The median energy content of a SF purchase ranged between 352kcal (Tajikistan) and 568kcal (Turkmenistan). The median saturated (SFA) and trans fat contents were 4.74g and 0.36g, respectively; the highest values were 9.01g for SFA (Turkmenistan) and 0.60g for trans fat (Kazakhstan), accounting for 40.6% and 27.3% of the maximum daily recommendations, respectively. Sodium-potassium ratio was far above recommended, reaching the highest values of 6.57 and 5.17 in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Conclusions Frequent purchase of industrial food reflects a shift to a westernized dietary pattern. Public health policies in these settings should aim to increase fruit availability and to improve SF nutritional composition, namely its lipid profile and sodium content. Key messages A relevant proportion of customers bought industrial foods, while fruit was rarely purchased, reflecting the nutrition transition process that is occurring in developing countries. Street food meals showed concerning levels of saturated fat, trans-fat and sodium, which must be considered when designing strategies targeted to improve the urban food environment in these settings.

Long-term dynamics and epidemic intensity of Siberian tick typhus in federal districts and regions of Russian Federation during 2002-2018

Aim.To analyze epidemic intensity and long-term dynamics of Siberian tick typhus (STT) in Siberian and Far Eastern regions of Russian Federation.Materials and Methods. We analyzed STT incidence in different regions of Siberia and Far East during 2002-2018 utilising standardised data. Regions were further ranked according to incidence levels.Results. Cases of STT were regularly documented in 17 regions of Siberia and Far East. In six regions (Republic of Khakassia, Altai, Amur, Tyumen, Irkutsk, and Krasnoyarsk Region), a declining trend was revealed while in four regions there was a trend towards an increase in STT incidence (Republic of Tyva, Khabarovsk Region, Novosibirsk Region, and Omsk Region).Conclusion. The monitoring of STT foci and reservoirs natural foci in endemic areas in Central Asia is needed to predict the trends in STT incidence in Siberia and Far East.

An Analysis of Moisture Sources of Torrential Rainfall Events over Xinjiang, China

Abstract Water vapor is a primary rainfall source for the development of torrential rainfall events. By using a Lagrangian flexible particle dispersion model (FLEXPART), the water vapor transports associated with torrential rainfall over Xinjiang, China, during April–September of 2008–15 are examined in this study. The results show that water vapor related to torrential rainfall events is mostly transported by westerly winds. The moisture sources for the development of torrential rainfall over four areas (Altay, Ili Valley, Hami, and Aksu-Kashgar) are mainly from Xinjiang and central Asia. The north Asia area and the Mediterranean/Black/Caspian Sea region are also important contributors to moisture source over the Altay area. Over Ili Valley, both the central Asia area and Xinjiang contribute 40% of water vapor to rainfall sources. Over the Hami area, 70% of the moisture source is from the Xinjiang. Over the Aksu-Kashgar area, the central Asia region is the most important moisture source area.

Study on transnational environmental damage along the belt and road and its enlightenment on international energetic policy

This paper selects the most tabular areas of Central Asia and Southeast Asia along the route of Belt and Road Initiative and analyzes the causes and current situation of the cases of transnational environmental damage in the two regions. Through the data and charts, this paper sums up the present situation of the co-existence of nuclear pollution and Aral Sea crisis in Central Asia and the serious pollution of water resources caused by frequent fire in Southeast Asia. And this paper analyzes the impact of this environmental situation on the formulation and implementation of energy policy along the Belt and Road.

Evaluating the human impact on the archaeological landscape of Samarkand (Uzbekistan): A diachronic assessment of the Taylak district by remote sensing, field survey, and local knowledge

The territory of Samarkand (Uzbekistan) represents an excellent case study for understanding the damage inflicted on the archaeological heritage of the region. The hinterland of Samarkand became one of the largest urban areas of Central Asia through a number of transformations to its landscape since the 1950s, changes that continue today and have seriously compromised the integrity of the remaining archaeological record. Here we infer the temporal sequence of this destruction through a multi-proxy approach based on the collection of spatial datasets from different periods, field surveys, and interviews with local farmers in the Taylak district. The present research also made it possible to ascertain whether the loss of archaeological information was more likely to be a consequence of either agricultural expansion or urban development.

Projected Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Drought under Global Warming in Central Asia

Drought, one of the most common natural disasters that have the greatest impact on human social life, has been extremely challenging to accurately assess and predict. With global warming, it has become more important to make accurate drought predictions and assessments. In this study, based on climate model data provided by the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP), we used the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) to analyze and project drought characteristics and their trends under two global warming scenarios—1.5 °C and 2.0 °C—in Central Asia. The results showed a marked decline in the PDSI in Central Asia under the influence of global warming, indicating that the drought situation in Central Asia would further worsen under both warming scenarios. Under the 1.5 °C warming scenario, the PDSI in Central Asia decreased first and then increased, and the change time was around 2080, while the PDSI values showed a continuous decline after 2025 in the 2.0 °C warming scenario. Under the two warming scenarios, the spatial characteristics of dry and wet areas in Central Asia are projected to change significantly in the future. In the 1.5 °C warming scenario, the frequency of drought and the proportion of arid areas in Central Asia were significantly higher than those under the 2.0 °C warming scenario. Using the Thornthwaite (TH) formula to calculate the PDSI produced an overestimation of drought, and the Penman–Monteith (PM) formula is therefore recommended to calculate the index.

Geo-Tourism Perspectives In East Kazakhstan

Eastern Kazakhstan and the adjacent Gorno Altai of southern Siberia encompass very mosaic landscapes across all the geographic and geomorphic zones enclosing numerous (pre-)historic monuments, some of them being a part of the UNESCO World natural and cultural heritage. Excepting the high-mountain ranges (Rudno and Southern Altai, Narym, Tarbagatay and Dzhungarskiy Alatau) surrounding the territory, the interior open arid steppes characterized by a broken relief of the granite-built Central Kazakhstan Hills as well as the barren rocky semi-deserts in the SE parts of the land remain largely unexplored and tourism-uncovered. The extraordinary topographic diversity was generated by complex geological processes associated with the Cainozoic orogenesis and the changing Quaternary climates. Geo-tourism focusing on the most exquisite landscape forms (geo-sites) and geological formations is a new trend in the country with still minor activities that take advantage of the region’s supreme geo-heritage potential. The unquestionable touristic-recreational attractiveness of this geographically marginal area of Central Asia (historically a part of the Russian Empire’s Tomsk Gubernia) reflects unique natural features – both geomorphic and biotic – including orographic, hydrologic, climatic, mineral and pedogenic, as well as rare endemic plants and wildlife in addition to the colour ful national Kazakh and Russian traditions. In spite of these predispositions, an introduction of a vital, sustainable geo-tourism in East Kazakhstan is impeded by the limited accessibility to the region due to an insufficient year-round transport infrastructure and poor local accommodation facilities in addition to the restricting boarder-zone entry regulations.

Evaluation and analysis of ecological security in arid areas of Central Asia based on the emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model

Though well-positioned geographically to benefit from China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, Central Asia nevertheless suffers from a fragile ecological environment. Therefore, it is crucially important for the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to achieve sustainable development of their respective social economies and ecological environments through the evaluation of their ecological security. This paper applies the modified emergy ecological footprint (EEF) model to optimize the traditional ecological footprint model by analyzing and evaluating the ecological security of Central Asia during the time frame of 1992–2014. The paper will also use the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to forecast changes which might occur during 2020–2025. The results indicate that the EEF mainly decreased from 1992 to 1998 but then gradually increased from 1999 onwards, with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan showing the largest change rates of 3.93% and 2.77%, respectively, from 1999 to 2014. The highest EEF occurred in Turkmenistan (20.27 hm2/cap), followed by Kazakhstan (19.19 hm2/cap), with Tajikistan registering the lowest (2.96 hm2/cap). In Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, fossil energy consumption footprints contributed the most to total EEFs, at 38.34%, 57.06% and 46.52%, respectively, while grassland (51.52%) and building land (50.49%) contributed the most to Kyrgyzstan's and Tajikistan's total EEFs, respectively. The emergy ecological carrying capacity (EEC) largely decreased in all five Central Asian countries, with the largest decrease occurring in Turkmenistan at annual average change rates of −1.93%. The highest EEC was in Kazakhstan (30.36 hm2/cap), followed by Turkmenistan (15.85 hm2/cap), while the lowest occurred in Uzbekistan (2.86 hm2/cap). Additionally, during the period under study, the ecological surpluses and deficits in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were 11.18, 2.21, 2.04, −4.42 and −7.57 hm2/cap, respectively, with the largest ecological deficit occurring in Uzbekistan. There was also a persistent rise in ecological pressure in all five countries, especially in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Furthermore, the ARIMA model forecasts that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will change from ecological surpluses to ecological deficits from 2020 onwards, and that the ecological pressure grades for these countries will rise to level 3 (relatively unsafe). Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are forecast to be at level 1 (at risk). The significance of this research is optimizing the ecological footprint model and applying it in Central Asia for the first time. The work also quantitatively investigates Central Asia's ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity on both a national and regional basis and evaluates the ecological security of each country. Overall, this research not only provides guidance for decision-makers to develop sustainable strategies in Central Asia, but also serves as a scientific reference for other arid regions to pursue ecological security and sustainable development.

Water balance change and its implications to vegetation in the Tarim River Basin, Central Asia

The Tarim River Basin (TRB) is one of the most important areas in Central Asia, and also the largest inland river basin in China. The runoff largely originates from alpine mountains, mainly supplied by glacier and snow melting. It meets the demand of oasis and more broadly ecosystems while shaping them up. In this study, the spatio-temporal variations of water balance and vegetation (as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) in the TRB during 2003–2014 were investigated on the basis of multiple satellite observations together with an energy balance model. The interactions between hydrological factors were discussed. Considering that hydrological processes affect on terrestrial ecosystem, variations in vegetation were also analyzed correspondingly. The analysis suggest that water budget has changed in the TRB. By looking into all components in the budget, it is found that there is a slight decreasing trend in precipitation, but a significant decreasing trend in ET at a rate of 38.4 mm/10 a. Meanwhile, there are an evident decreasing trend in both GRACE satellite derived terrestrial water storage change (GRACE-TWS change) and Global Land Data Assimilation System simulated soil moisture change (GLDAS-SM change), at rates of −17.8 mm/a and −17.0 mm/a, respectively, while the ground water (GW) was stable. Overall, the water balance in the TRB is negative during the period. However, it shows a significant increasing trend in snow/ice melting that is discharged into the TRB. The interactions among hydrological variables indicated that the ET, GRACE-TWS change and GLDAS-SM change are strongly dependent on the monthly precipitation. However, a time lag of the GLDAS-SM change occurs influenced by precipitation, which is more obvious than one of the GRACE-TWS change. GW change shows a positive correlation with precipitation over 1-month lag and 2-month lag. The results suggest soil moisture in warm seasons (summer and autumn) are mainly affecting vegetation growth in the TRB. The vegetation in the TRB was greening, the areas of low NDVI (0–0.15) decreased by 18.1% during 2003–2014.

Монгольское сочинение о гадании по приметам из собрания Рукописного фонда Института восточных рукописей РАН

Introduction. Investigations of source issues dealing with history of everyday life have been intensively developed in Oriental studies — including Mongol studies — since the mid-to-late 20th century, and still remain a vital task. Meanwhile, this area of social history can help take a fresh look at many processes that have taken place in Mongolia. It covers all cycles of everyday life of the Mongols ‒ economy, life and seasonal rituals, daily religious practices, magical rituals associated with sacrifices, treatment of cattle, divinations, etc. The goal of the current article is to introduce into scientific discourse one rare source, a written artifact, characterizing divination practices used by Mongols in everyday life. The source base of history of everyday life, as a rule, is incomplete as materials to make a picture of everyday life of people are always insufficient. Moreover, these lacunae are obvious in the field of written sources. It is clear that the detection of texts that would reflect all aspects of life of Mongolia’s population in full is impossible. Various aspects have not been captured in writing, many have been lost. However, there are still a number of texts. The main material for research was the text under code Q 695 from the Manuscript Fund of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the RAS (St. Petersburg). The latter deals with omens and divination by omens. The text has no title page, so the title is totally unknown. The results of the research demonstrate that inherent qualities of the text itself and its contents that might indicate its origin are not evident. The significant attention paid to the cattle breeding theme might attest to the Mongolian character of the monument. However, there are also stories that are not typical for nomadic life. There are signs of use of Tibetan and Chinese materials. Thus, one can say that this work has a heterogeneous character and is a compilation from different sources. As for the concepts of omens themselves, those obviously have a wider area of distribution than certain national borders and reflect practices of protecting life in a wide area of Central Asia, Northern India, and China. The manuscript consists of 8 sheets, pages 3 and 9 are absent. The manuscript is not old, the text is written on Russian paper in black ink, pen. The handwriting is not professional, the text is full of spelling and grammatical mistakes. The work can be divided into several parts, e.g., omens regarding behavior of animals: horses, cows, sheep; birds flying into in homes; barking and howling of dogs; buzz of pots; deformity of animals; behavior of dogs, appearance of a tornado, on the gnashing of teeth. Obviously, the work is a collection of narratives from various sources.

Status competition among Russia, India, and China in clubs: a source of stalemate or innovation in global governance

ABSTRACTThe conventional wisdom in international relations is that rising powers seek additional status and influence from the hegemon. But emerging powers may also compete among themselves for status. While attempting to enhance their status vis-à-vis the West, the ‘strategic triangle’ of Russia, India, and China sometimes compete for status and influence within clubs such as the BRICS, SCO, and BRI. This pattern is difficult to explain in terms of neorealist, club, or constructivist theory. An explanation for this phenomenon is provided by social identity theory (SIT) from social psychology, which argues that groups seek a positively distinctive identity. The BRICS are able to cooperate when acting in terms of a superordinate identity. To avoid escalation of their rivalry, Russia and China have established niche diplomatic areas in Central Asia, an example of social cooperation. Status competition among Russia, India, and China both motivates and obstructs cooperation on global governance.

Living with plague: Lessons from the Soviet Union’s antiplague system

Zoonoses, such as plague, are primarily animal diseases that spill over into human populations. While the goal of eradicating such diseases is enticing, historical experience validates abandoning eradication in favor of ecologically based control strategies (which reduce morbidity and mortality to a locally accepted risk level). During the 20th century, one of the most extensive plague-eradication efforts in recorded history was undertaken to enable large-scale changes in land use in the former Soviet Union (including vast areas of central Asia). Despite expending tremendous resources in its attempt to eradicate plague, the Soviet antiplague response gradually abandoned the goal of eradication in favor of plague control linked with developing basic knowledge of plague ecology. Drawing from this experience, we combine new gray-literature sources, historical and recent research, and fieldwork to outline best practices for the control of spillover from zoonoses while minimally disrupting wildlife ecosystems, and we briefly compare the Soviet case with that of endemic plague in the western United States. We argue for the allocation of sufficient resources to maintain ongoing local surveillance, education, and targeted control measures; to incorporate novel technologies selectively; and to use ecological research to inform developing landscape-based models for transmission interruption. We conclude that living with emergent and reemergent zoonotic diseases—switching to control—opens wider possibilities for interrupting spillover while preserving natural ecosystems, encouraging adaptation to local conditions, and using technological tools judiciously and in a cost-effective way.

Signification des plus anciennes industries microlithiques du Kazakhstan, et ligne de Movius

Steppe areas in Central Asia contain Pleistocene old deposits, with assemblages made on quartz pebbles, very similar to both in China and in Eastern Europe (Bilzingsleben). Their meaning is to be found in their hafting processes on wood. By these reconstructions, they show elaborate technologies, just like the one in Schöningen (Saxe) or in Aboriginal Australia. As they do reflect long lasting traditions, they clearly sustain the “Movius Line” concept (1948), separating two worlds at these former stages.