Eastern Central Asia Research Articles

The development and initial validation of the Russian version of the BASIS-24

BackgroundEfficient and linguistically appropriate instruments are needed to assess response to addiction treatment, including severity of addiction/mental health status. This is critical for Russian-speaking persons in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) where Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) remain underscaled to address expanding and intertwined opioid, HIV, HCV and tuberculosis epidemics. We developed and conducted a pilot validation of a Russian version of the 24-item Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-24), an addiction/mental health severity instrument with six subscales, previously validated in English.MethodsUsing the Mapi approach, we reviewed, translated, and back-translated the content to Russian, pilot-tested the Russian-version (BASIS-24-R) among new MOUD patients in Ukraine (N = 283). For a subset of patients (n = 44), test-rest was performed 48 h after admission to reassess reliability of BASIS-24-R. Exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) assessed underlying structure of BASIS-24-R.ResultsCronbach alpha coefficients for overall BASIS-24-R and 5 subscales exceeded 0.65; coefficient for Relationship subscale was 0.42. The Pearson correlation coefficients for overall score and all subscales on the BASIS-24-R exceeded 0.8. Each item loaded onto factors that corresponded with English BASIS-24 subscales ≥ 0.4 in PCA.ConclusionInitial version of BASIS-24-R appears statistically valid in Russian. Use of the BASIS-24-R has potential to guide MOUD treatment delivery in the EECA region and help to align addiction treatment with HIV prevention goals in a region where HIV is concentrated in people who inject opioids and where healthcare professionals have not traditionally perceived MOUD as effective treatment, particularly for those with mental health co-morbidities.

Zhangir-khan's Role in the Struggle of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz Peoples against the Dzungarian Invasion

The character of mutual relations of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples during the reign of Zhangir-khan in the conditions of confrontation with the Dzungar Khanate was researched. The role of Zhangir-khan in strengthening ethno-political union of two peoples is described. Expansion of Jungar Khanate to the territory of traditional nomadic areas of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples in the 17th century is described in detail, since these events began to occupy an important place both in foreign policy of the Kazakh rulers and in the political situation in the whole Central Asia. The Kyrgyz could not remain aloof, as the southern was one of the directions of the Dzungars' advance — towards the nomads of the Tien Shan Kyrgyz, which served as a prerequisite for the joint actions of the two peoples.
 The relations of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples with the rulers of Eastern Turkestan, Bukhara and Khiva khans, in particular, with the well-known figure of Bukhara khanate Jalantos who played one of the key roles in the victory at the Battle of Orbulak are also considered.
 The article describes the third invasion of Kalmaks into the Kazakh possessions during the reign of Zhangir-khan in 1652, the subjugation of the Kyrgyz people by Jungars, who became their tribute, as well as death of Zhangir-khan by a seventeen-year-old Kalmyk batyr Galdama.

Is Government Spending an Important Factor in Economic Growth? Nonlinear Cubic Quantile Nexus from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA)

This study rigorously investigates the non-monotonic phenomenon of the government spending–growth nexus in the EECA. Using panel data from 19 countries over the period 1995–2019, a nonlinear quadratic estimator and cubic nonlinear estimator were applied to quantile regressions. The preliminary findings revealed a negative linear nexus of government spending and economic growth using a linear model, while the nonlinear models (i.e., quadratic and cubic nonlinear estimators) indicated evidence of nonlinearity in the nexus in the EECA over the study period. Furthermore, the study found strong evidence of the existence of an inverted “N-shaped” (nonlinear cubic) nexus between government spending and growth, which can be interpreted as the typical credit-driven boom-and-bust cycle in most EECA countries. Finally, in elucidating the nexus between government spending and economic growth, the study found that most macroeconomic and governance variables are relaxing in explaining GS.

Editorial Board Composition Among Pediatric Cardiology Journals: Time to Cast the Net Wider

BackgroundNo data currently exist on the diversity of editorial board members (EBMs) of pediatric cardiology journals. ObjectivesThe objective was to investigate the editorial boards of 5 pediatric cardiology journals to assess the composition of these boards in terms of the geographical, gender, and economic representation of their members. MethodsInformation on EBMs was collected directly from 5 journal websites accessed in February 2022. The following data were collected: country of practice (including World Bank geographical and income classification), institution of practice, role on editorial board, and whether an individual held a role on 1 or more of the boards included. ResultsA total of 455 EBMs were identified. A total of 369 (81%) were male. All editors-in-chief were male, and 4 were from the United States. EBMs practicing in North America accounted for 278 individuals (61%) of the editorial boards reviewed. The next majority of EBMs are practicing within Europe and Central Asia (23%, n = 103), East Asia and Pacific (7%, n = 31), Middle East and North Africa (4%, n = 18), and Latin America and Caribbean (4%, n = 16). Less than 2% (n = 9) practice in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Over 90% (n = 415) practice in high-income countries. There was no representation from low-income countries. ConclusionsWomen and pediatric cardiologists practicing in countries outside of Europe and North America were underrepresented on the editorial boards of the journals studied. Diversifying composition of editorial boards may provide greater representation of underserved areas and encourage broader avenues of investigation and research.

Response of Meridional Wind to Greenhouse Gas Forcing, Arctic Sea-Ice Loss, and Arctic Amplification

Abstract Under increasing greenhouse gases, the Arctic warms about twice as fast as elsewhere, known as Arctic amplification (AA). AA weakens meridional temperature gradients and is hypothesized to weaken zonal wind and cause wavier circulation with stronger meridional wind (υ) over northern mid-to-high latitudes. Here model simulations are analyzed to examine the υ response to increased CO2 and AA alone. Total υ changes are found to be dominated by the effect of increased CO2 without AA, with a zonal wavenumber-4 (wavenumber-3) change pattern over the northern (southern) extratropics that generally enhances current υ and results partly from changes in zonal temperature gradients. The extratropical υ change patterns are quasi-barotropic and are more pronounced during boreal winter. The CO2 forcing also causes baroclinic υ changes over the tropics tied to convection changes. The impact of AA on υ is mainly over the northern extratropics and is opposite to the effect of increased CO2 but with smaller magnitude. An eastward shift (∼5° longitude) and an amplitude increase (∼1 m s−1) in the climatology of the northerlies over Europe caused mainly by CO2 forcing contribute to the drying in southern Europe, while both AA and CO2 forcing enhance the climatology of the northerlies over East Asia. Over the northern mid-to-high latitudes, Arctic sea ice loss and AA enhance the land–ocean thermal contrast in winter, while increased CO2 alone weakens it, resulting in opposite changes in zonal temperature gradients and thus υ. Different warming rates over land and ocean also contribute to the intermodel spread in υ response patterns among climate models. Significance Statement Meridional wind (υ) greatly contributes to thermal and moisture advection due to large meridional gradients in these fields. It is hypothesized that the enhanced Arctic warming under anthropogenic global warming could weaken meridional temperature gradients, decelerate westerly jets, and cause wavier circulation with stronger υ over northern extratropics. Using novel climate model simulations, we found that the effect of increased CO2 without AA determines the total υ changes. AA generally weakens the climatological υ, contrary to the direct effect of increased CO2. The υ changes are small relative to its climatology but may have large impacts on regional climate over central Europe, East Asia, and interior North America. More research is needed to examine the mechanisms causing regional υ changes.

Lake Changes during the Past Five Decades in Central East Asia: Links with Climate Change and Climate Future Forecasting

As one of the most important reservoirs of water in arid regions, lakes experience a series of complicated changes. However, the natural driving mechanisms behind such changes remain unclear. In this study, we collected data from 1333 lakes in the arid region of Central East Asia (CEA) to investigate the underlying natural causes of lake changes over the past five decades. The lakes were located within three different geomorphological zones: (I) Tibetan Plateau zone; (II) high mountain—basin zone; and (III) low mountain zone. Our results show that lakes as a whole in CEA exhibit a unique change trend, with an overall lake area increase of 7099 km2 (41%) and with heterogeneous spatial variations over the past five decades. The lake area increase was 6236 km2 (47%), 935 km2 (31%) and decrease was 72 km2 (~1%) in zones I, II, and III, respectively. The different geomorphological zones have influencing factors. In zones I and II, increased precipitation (including cloud water) and temperature rise (causing glacier, frozen soil, and snow melt) contributed to approximately 66% of the change in lake area; in zone III, changes in precipitation contributed to approximately 87% of the lake changes. Increased atmospheric circulation of water vapor caused by warming of the ocean surface appears to be the main driving factor of these changes; this is supported by future projection scenarios. From 2006 to 2098, temperature and precipitation will increase by 4.0–7.8 °C and 1.07 to 1.29 mm per day, respectively, under both the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Notably, although the climate appears to have become more optimum for lakes in CEA at the interdecadal timescale, short timescale climatic events such as lake expansion will bring more extreme climate events, such as extreme high-temperature heat waves, which should be considered as a potential threat to lake ecology in the future.

Gender-related factors associated with delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Tuberculosis (TB), a preventable and treatable disease, yearly affects millions of people and takes more than a million lives. Recognizing the symptoms and obtaining the correct diagnosis are vital steps towards treatment and cure. How timely a person with TB gets diagnosed may be influenced by biological differences between the sexes, and factors that are linked to the person’s gender, in the context of the prevailing gender norms. According to our hypothesis, gender-related factors contribute to delays in the diagnosis of TB. We investigated four countries (Georgia, Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, and Tajikistan) of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) - a region with a high burden of drug-resistant TB, scarcity of gender-related TB information, and varying gender equality. Retrospective information was collected directly from the people with a history of TB - through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. We did not find differences between genders in the way participants recognized TB symptoms. In three countries women de-prioritized seeking diagnosis because of their lack of access to finances, and household-related obligations. In all four countries, men, traditionally carrying the weight of economically supporting the family, tended to postpone TB diagnosis. In two countries women experienced stigma more often than men, and it was a deterrent factor to seeking healthcare. The role of gender in obtaining the correct diagnosis came forth only among the respondents from Georgia and to some extent from Kazakhstan. We conclude that there are barriers to health care seeking and TB diagnosis that affect differently women, men and gender-diverse persons in EECA Region.

Bond events in the Tarim Basin: The loess record

Regional responses to Bond events during the Holocene are important components of paleoclimate and environmental change research. However, there are few records of Bond events during the Holocene in arid central Asia; such events remain poorly understood in this region because of a lack of continuous and high-resolution deposits. Here, new magnetic and grain-size records from a loess sediment sequence located on the southern margin of the Tarim Basin (TB) are provided, which exhibit strengthened dust activity at 9.6–9.4, 8.2–7.8, and 5.5–5.2 ka BP. These periods of strengthened dust activity during the early and middle Holocene in the TB are consistent with Bond events revealed from ice raft detritus in the North Atlantic, and abrupt climate events recorded by loess deposits, lake deposits, and stalagmite oxygen isotopes in arid central Asia and east Asia. We suggest that a delayed seasonal jet transition, resulting from the intensification and southward-shift of the westerly jet during Bond events, plays a key role in creating conditions in the TB that favor strengthened dust activity.

Metamorphic patterns and zircon U–Pb dating of the Xilingol complex in Inner Mongolia, China: Implications for rifting metamorphism and tectonic evolution in eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The Xilingol complex is one of the maximal outcropped metamorphic terranes in the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Detailed petrological and geochronological study of the Xilingol complex will provide valuable insights into the orogenic process and closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. We present a comprehensive study of petrology, pseudosection modelling, and zircon U-Pb geochronology of representative rocks collected in Daqing Pasture, including two-mica quartz schist, epidote amphibolite, biotite plagioclase gneiss and quartzite. The Xilingol complex in Daqing Pasture can be preliminarily divided into the north and south segments based on field and petrological observations. The north segment comprises two-mica quartz schist, biotite quartz schist, amphibolite and minor epidote amphibolite, whereas the south segment consists mainly of biotite gneiss, amphibolite and quartzite, with varying degrees of migmatization developed. Combined pseudosection modelling and composition isopleths of garnet and biotite constrain a peak P–T condition of ~660 °C, ~5.5 kbar for the garnet-bearing two-mica quartz schist in the north segment, corresponding to low amphibolite facies metamorphism. The garnet-bearing biotite plagioclase gneisses in the south segment are interpreted to experience high amphibolite facies metamorphism at a peak condition of ~750–790 °C, ~5.5–8.0 kbar, followed by nearly isobaric cooling. The variations of peak P–T estimates within Daqing Pasture, coupled with the spatial heterogeneities of lithological associations between different outcropped terranes, reveal an overall northward decreasing metamorphic grade for the Xilingol complex. Metamorphic zircons from three biotite plagioclase gneisses in the south segment yield apparent 206 Pb/ 238 U age spreads of 397–348 Ma, 363–294 Ma and 341–301 Ma, respectively. These partially overlapping zircon ages are an indication of discrete metamorphic events involving localized thermal metamorphism at depth in the Middle Devonian and long-lasting Buchan-type metamorphism in the Carboniferous, with intermediate data probably related to a mixture of multiple growth domains. Five metamorphic zircons with low Th/U ratios from the epidote amphibolite in the north segment yield a concordia age of 284.8 ± 1.9 Ma, reflecting the diachronism of the Late Paleozoic Buchan-type metamorphism. Summarizing all U-Pb data of inherited magmatic zircons and metamorphic zircons, a distinct U-Pb age continuum is retrieved to elucidate a successive process from sedimentary diagenesis of forearc sedimentary formations to deep burial in the Early Devonian, and then to subsequent multi-stage metamorphic overprinting from the Middle Devonian to the Permian. The isograd patterns, P–T–t paths (clockwise paths and long-term duration) and spatial distribution of metamorphic terranes of the Xilingol complex are more compatible with an active continent rift setting rather than paired metamorphic belts in the arc-basin system, revealing post-collisional extension of the Early-Middle Paleozoic orogenic lithosphere of eastern CAOB in the Late Paleozoic. • The Xilingol complex underwent long-lasting Buchan-type metamorphism in the Carboniferous to Permian. • Metamorphic patterns of the Xilingol complex are compatible with continent rift setting. • Zircon U-Pb age continuum reveals a successive process from diagenesis to deep burial to multiple metamorphic episodes.

Precipitation reconstruction since the last deglacial based on the stable carbon isotopic composition of a loess section in western Central Asia

The topography of the Tianshan Mountains and the Pamir Plateau strongly shapes the seasonality of precipitation in Central Asia (CA): cold-season (October-April) precipitation dominates western CA and warm-season (May-September) precipitation dominates eastern CA. The precipitation/moisture patterns between western and eastern CA are completely opposite at seasonal, decadal and centennial scale. However, the pattern contrasts for millennial or longer time scales remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the precipitation variations in western CA, as recorded in a 6.5-m loess section in southern Kazakhstan, which has accumulated since ~14.4 ka. According to the robust relationship between the surface soil organic matter δ13C and the climatic parameters, the δ13C signature is here considered as a precipitation proxy. The record reveals an overall decreasing precipitation before ~6.0 ka followed by an increasing trend afterward, being consistent with the previously reported precipitation records in western CA. The late-deglaciation precipitation in western CA is in phase with that in eastern CA at millennial scales, which are both driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Siberian High.

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of East Turkistan Students’ Somatic Complaints

Kültürel ya da coğrafi geçiş sürecindeki insanlar, somatizasyon için daha büyük bir risk altındadır. Uluslararası öğrenciler de yaşadıkları değişim süreciyle bu geçişten etkilenen gruplar içerisindedir. Ülkemizde ve yurt dışında yapılan araştırmalar, çoğunlukla bu öğrencilerin psikolojik ve sosyokültürel uyumlarını incelemeye yönelmiştir. Konuyla ilgili nitel çalışmalar ise oldukça sınırlıdır. Bu nitel çalışmanın amacı, uluslararası öğrenci statüsü ile ülkemizde eğitim gören 19-25 yaş aralığında somatik yakınmalara sahip Doğu Türkistanlı öğrencilerin duygusal deneyimlerinin anlaşılmasıdır. Yorumlayıcı Fenomenolojik Analiz (YFA), homojen bir grup içerisinde katılımcıların öznel deneyimlerini keşfederek bu deneyimleri nasıl anlamlandırdıklarını derinlemesine araştıran bir yöntemdir. Bu sebeple YFA bu araştırmanın yöntemi olarak seçilmiştir. Yedi öğrenci ile toplam 14 yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme yapılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, dört ana tema ve bu temalarla bağlantılı alt temalar ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu temalar; “Olumsuz duyguların yansıması olarak ağrılar’’, “Farklılık hissi ve hata yapma kaygısı ile içe çekilme’’, “Sorumluluk duygusunun getirdiği yükler’’ ve “Hedeflere ulaşılamadığında hissedilen baskı ve kendini suçlama’’ olarak adlandırılmıştır. Ortaya çıkan temalar literatür eşliğinde tartışılmış ve somatik yakınmaların klinik etkileri açısından değerlendirilmiştir.

Interest without uptake: A mixed-methods analysis of methadone utilization in Kyrgyz prisons.

HIV incidence continues to increase in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), in large part due to non-sterile injection drug use, especially within prisons. Therefore, medication-assisted therapy with opioid agonists is an evidence-based HIV-prevention strategy. The Kyrgyz Republic offers methadone within its prison system, but uptake remains low. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a framework for identifying people who would potentially benefit from methadone, intervening to identify OUD as a problem and methadone as a potential solution, and providing referral to methadone treatment. Using an SBIRT framework, we screened for OUD in Kyrgyz prisons among people who were within six months of returning to the community (n = 1118). We enrolled 125 people with OUD in this study, 102 of whom were not already engaged in methadone treatment. We conducted a pre-release survey followed by a brief intervention (BI) to address barriers to methadone engagement. Follow-up surveys immediately after the intervention and at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after prison release assessed methadone attitudes and uptake. In-depth qualitative interviews with 12 participants explored factors influencing methadone utilization during and after incarceration. Nearly all participants indicated favorable attitudes toward methadone both before and after intervention in surveys; however, interest in initiating methadone treatment remained very low both before and after the BI. Qualitative findings identified five factors that negatively influence methadone uptake, despite expressed positive attitudes toward methadone: (1) interpersonal relationships, (2) interactions with the criminal justice system, (3) logistical concerns, (4) criminal subculture, and (5) health-related concerns.

Rivalry Between the Taliban and ISKP: The Collision of Terror

Today, Afghanistan finds itself in the cross hairs of a security vacuum and a near-failed state, where the increasing radicalisation of its populace appears to be an inevitable reality. Despite the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 by the allied forces, it was able to resurge as a powerful non-state actor from 2006 onwards, under the leadership of Mullah Omar. However, that failed to prevent the emergence of other terrorist groups, like the Islamic State—Khorasan Province (ISKP), whose formation in 2015 heralded the beginning of the ongoing rivalry between the two organisations. Even though tracing their origin to terrorist outfits such as the Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ISKP terrorists who formed the Khorasan branch of Islamic State (ISIS) consider the Hanafi-based organisations not ‘extremist enough’. Furthermore, the ISKP leaders denigrate the Taliban for their ethno-nationalist ambitions that fail to align with its pan-Islamic and extremist version of Salafist Islam. The ideological conflict, reinforced by resource-based competition and dynamics introduced by other jihadist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and TTP, and the state actors like Pakistan, will continue to worsen the geostrategic and humanitarian crises unfolding in the country, with broad regional implications.

Inter‐industry FDI spillovers from foreign banks: Evidence in transition economies

AbstractUsing a sample of nonfinancial domestic firms in transition economies from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, we examine whether and how inter‐industry spillover from foreign direct investment in the banking sector occurs. Our findings show that the innovation pursued by domestic firms benefits from foreign bank penetration. However, these positive inter‐industry spillovers surprisingly do not seem to work through enhanced credit access. We further find these positive spillovers to occur mainly for foreign banks that use relationship lending, domestic firms that do not export, and host countries that are less open to the global market.

Variation Patterns of the ENSO’s Effects on Dust Activity in North Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Central Asia of the Dust Belt

El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events produce anomalous oceanographic and atmospheric conditions in regions far from the equatorial central-eastern Pacific, which modulate the atmospheric and surface processes that influence the dust emission, transport, and deposition in many places on Earth. In this study, we examined the MERRA-2 dust column mass density data in five subregions of the “dust belt”: eastern and western Arabian Peninsula, western and eastern Central Asia, and North Africa-Sahara during 1980–2021. We discovered that, while there is a common dust season from April to July, the specific dust seasons in these subregions are different with the peaks of dust activity occurring at different times of the year. In the meantime, the modulating effects of ENSO also peak at different times within the respective dust seasons. For example, ENSO has a persistent effect on dust activity during April-August in the eastern Arabian Peninsula, while its influence in eastern Central Asia lasts from February to November. For different well-recognized factors of dust activities, such as precipitation/humidity, wind, vegetation, and soil moisture, their responses to ENSO are also different in these subregions. For precipitation, humidity, and soil moisture, their responses to ENSO are mostly positive in winter and spring/early summer months during El Niño years, while mean daily maximum wind responded positively in spring, but it did so negatively in summer. During the three months when the ENSO’s effects were strongest, these factors could explain 25.1–58.6% of the variance in the dust column mass density in combination with the ENSO’s modulation effects. However, the highest model-explained variance was obtained for the North Africa–Sahara subregion where the intensity of dust activity was not statistically correlated with ENSO.

Crust and upper mantle electrical structure of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt revealed by the MT line from Zhangwu County to East Ujimqin Banner

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt is bounded on the north by the Siberian Craton and on the south by the North China Craton and the Tarim Craton. It is one of the largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogenic belts on Earth. Since the early Paleozoic, its eastern part has experienced the compound orogenesis and mineralization of three major tectonic systems: the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, the closure of the Mongolian–Okhotsk Ocean, and the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. From Zhangwu County in the south to East-Ujimqin Banner in the north, a 500 km magnetotelluric profile adjacent to Northeast China has been studied. With 100 sites of magnetotelluric data processing and analysis, we apply a two dimensional inversion in TE and TM modes and obtain a resistivity model up to a 100 km depth. We have discovered two high-resistivity anomalies with opposite dip directions in the upper mantle on both sides of the Solonker Suture Zone, which provide an evidence of the bi-directional subduction pattern of the oceanic crust and the position of the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. In addition, the whole study area presents an approximate basin-range coupling relationship. In the northern part of the study area, the low-resistivity anomalies below it have an apparent north-dipping characteristic, which may be related to the asthenosphere upwelling from west to east. In addition, they may be related to the upwelling of mantle materials, and provide sources of ore-forming material for the Baiyinnuoer mining area through post-collision extension. In the central part of the study area, there are several large-scale high-resistivity anomalies below the Baolidao Belt. The different dip directions reveal the experiences of several subductions and collisions. In the southern part of the study area, the Bainaimiao Belt is located between the southern margin of the Songliao Basin and the northern margin of North China Craton. The main resistivity anomalies below are all south-dipping.Graphical

О ДВУХ ЭТАПАХ ИСТОРИИ БУДДИЗМА В ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНОМ КАЗАХСТАНЕ ДОМОНГОЛЬСКОГО ПЕРИОДА

Buddhism, the first of the world religions penetrated the western region of Central Asia. Shu-Ile region it was in late antiquity (5-6 centuries). Buddhism was widely represented until the 17-19 centuries as Lamaism of Oirat tribes. Millennium and a half, it was intermittently presented in the region. The study of the history of the spread of Buddhism in this territory dates back more than a century and a half. Some finds indicate the early (7-8 centuries) spread of Buddhism. Buddhist temple of the 13 century was explored a in Kayalyk hillfort. Throughout the 8-10 centuries Buddhism in the Shu Valley was very widespread, thanks to the support of the local community from the second center of world Buddhism -the monastic fraternities of East Turkestan. The article summarizes the latest results of the study of individual Buddhist artifacts from the Shu Valley and the Talgar settlement, the integration of data into the well-known history of Buddhism throughout the west of Central Asia is being systematized.

Dr. Boymirza Hayit's book "Turkestan: Between Russia and China" is an important source

This article describes the “dark days” of Turkestan in the past, the Russian invasion, followed by the various policies of the former Soviet government led by the Communist Party, and Dr. Boymira Hayit’s work it is about the historical information given in “Turkestan: Between Russia and China”, an important source. The authentic history covering several centuries presented in the book is a great source of information about the difficult times of our nation. This work, created during the study of important documents and archival data, has retained its relevance even today, as it shows the life of Turkestan and East Turkestan in the 20th century under Russian and Chinese rule based on original historical data. Among them, the real situation in the country is shown in the context of the changes that have occurred in Central Asia, the colonial policy of Czarist Russia. Dr. Boymirza Hayit's book "Turkestan: Between Russia and China" provides researchers with dozens of information about the 20th century. It can be seen from the information in the book that in order to show the history of Turkestan in all colors, the author was able to put aside various stereotypes and tell the real truth clearly, unlike the Soviet historians of that time. In addition, the largest studies in world historiography dedicated to the history of the struggle for the independence of Turkestan in the years 1918-1934 were created in Turkish and German, while Dr. Boymirza Hayit created a blessing in these two languages ​​and left important sources to the generations. It is the historical completeness, and the facts presented on the basis of the sources that increased the value of this book.

COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict : Emergence of India as a Global Leader

India’s foreign policy has four clearly-stated principles that have been practised over the past seven years, namely, taking care of national trade and security interests (including using aggressive defence if needed), helping its citizens in foreign countries, taking care of partner countries, and continuing to participate in global governance organizations and institutions while maintaining its non-aligned stand. India over the last seven years has initiated various foreign policy strategies: Act East policy, Sagar (trans-ocean) outlook, Gulf engagement and Central Asia strategies that have focussed on resource use, humanitarian aid, and defence. Greater investment in defence strategies can be done through strengthening national defence, providing maritime security with India’s neighbours in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, and restructuring the defence organization. As a irst responder, India takes on a leadership role for its partner countries that are in need of disaster management. Over the last few years, India has taken on the leadership of the global south and engaged with the United Nations as a temporary member.

Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian igneous and sedimentary sequences in the Songliao Block, NE China: Records of Rodinia supercontinent evolution in eastern Central Asian orogenic Belt

As the core of NE China blocks (i.e., Songliao, Jiamusi-Khanka, Erguna, Xing’an), the Songliao Block plays an important role in understanding the Precambrian evolutionary history of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), as well as the linkage with reconstructions of Rodinia supercontinent. In this work, we present sedimentological, whole-rock geochemical, and zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic data for the Neoproterozoic-early Cambrian igneous and sedimentary rocks in eastern Songliao Block. The newly identified 954 ± 2 Ma gneissic syenogranite pluton，916 ± 5 Ma meta-basaltic andesite, and the reported 929–841 Ma intrusive rocks formed the Precambrian crystalline basement of the eastern Songliao Block, which was overlain by the late early Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian stable sedimentary cover. The early Neoproterozoic (954 Ma) gneissic syenogranite was likely the product of muscovite dehydration melting of sedimentary rocks in deep crust during the post-collisional setting, probably associated with the collision between the Songliao and Jiamusi-Khanka blocks. The late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian Chenming Formation displays characteristics of passive margin deposition, which formed after the opening of Paleo-Mudanjiang Ocean at 777 Ma. Integration of the spatial and temporal distributions of Neoproterozoic magmatism and sedimentation in the Songliao, Erguna, Xing'an and Jiamusi-Khanka blocks, as well as the geochemical variations from 0.96 to 0.73 Ga, we suggest that the blocks in NE China have experienced a similar two-stage Neoproterozoic tectonic evolutionary history associated with the Rodinia assembly and breakup. An early advancing subduction along peripheral Rodinia led to the collision and collapse extension between the Songliao and Jiamusi-Khanka blocks before 954 Ma, and the generation of 929–880 Ma syenites and granitoids in compressional continental arc setting. Then the retreating subduction formed the 850–737 Ma mafic and felsic rocks in Songliao, Erguna and Jiamusi-Khanka blocks, and caused breakup of the joint continent and opening of the Paleo-Mudanjiang and Paleo-Xinlin oceans, two branches of Paleo-Asian Ocean, since 777 Ma. In response to the oceanic spreading, the passive continental margin sedimentation developed in these blocks during 750–520 Ma.