Territorial Changes Research Articles

The Problem of Self-identification of Russians in the 21st Century: Geopolitical and Regional Aspects

The territorial changes that accompanied the process of the collapse of the USSR raised the question of the self-identification of Russians, since it was necessary to determine, both in the geopolitical coordinates of the new sovereign identity of the internationally recognized status of the Russian Federation, and in the regional coordinates of national and historical and cultural spaces. According to sociological studies, a trend has emerged in the self-identification of Russians as a civil nation, where ethnic and confessional identities are gradually fading into the background, giving way to the concept of statehood as a symbol of the unity of a multinational people. In this regard, it is logical to consider the processes of the formation of modern self-identification of Russians in the context of global regionalization, where Russia chooses the vector of development: West-East, North-South. The political and economic foundations for the European regional identification of Russians are clearly being lost, which is associated with the increased tension and obvious hostility in relations with the countries of Europe and with the West in general; well-founded fears of territorial and economic expansion of Asian neighbors (China, Japan) and multi-vector foreign policy of the Central Asian countries weaken the Eurasian regional identification tendencies. In this regard, there is a promising tendency for the northern / arctic self-identification of Russians, which, firstly, is historically associated with the emergence of Russian statehood in the northern regions, and secondly, reflects the important economic and political direction of the development of Russia in the 21st century.

Importance and Problems of Landscape Diversity Conservation in the Environmental Policy of Poorly Developed Regions

The environmental strategy for regional development is implemented through regional environmental programs. Their list of indicators that track the effectiveness of planned tasks shows that the most important regional aspects are not always properly reflected. The specificity of spatial and temporal trends in the development of regions, the peculiarities of territorial changes in geosystems, and the dynamics of the ratio of disturbed and undisturbed territories are of particular importance in highlighting the tasks in the context of the application of particular indicators. In the context of increased economic activity in the Russian Far East, facilitated by the policy of improving priority social and economic development areas, the regions identify their own tasks for sustainable development. From the perspective of the geographical approach, the content of the concept of landscape diversity, contained in the environmental program of Khabarovsk Territory to reflect spatial changes, is briefly presented. Landscapes as integral systems are considered from the point of view of their positions in the system of taxa of the regional hierarchy. The significance of “landscape diversity conservation” criterion for solving the same problem as a priority for this territory has been shown. The necessity of its application in the region has been considered due to the concentration of natural complexes of a high hierarchical rank, their significant share within the region, the uniqueness and at the same time a high degree of landscape vulnerability to anthropogenic impact due to increased economic activity, the imperfection of the PA network etc.

KrasG12D induces changes in chromatin territories that differentially impact early nuclear reprogramming in pancreatic cells

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma initiation is most frequently caused by Kras mutations.ResultsHere, we apply biological, biochemical, and network biology methods to validate GEMM-derived cell models using inducible KrasG12D expression. We describe the time-dependent, chromatin remodeling program that impacts function during early oncogenic signaling. We find that the KrasG12D-induced transcriptional response is dominated by downregulated expression concordant with layers of epigenetic events. More open chromatin characterizes the ATAC-seq profile associated with a smaller group of upregulated genes and epigenetic marks. RRBS demonstrates that promoter hypermethylation does not account for the silencing of the extensive gene promoter network. Moreover, ChIP-Seq reveals that heterochromatin reorganization plays little role in this early transcriptional program. Notably, both gene activation and silencing primarily depend on the marking of genes with a combination of H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K36me3. Indeed, integrated modeling of all these datasets shows that KrasG12D regulates its transcriptional program primarily through unique super-enhancers and enhancers, and marking specific gene promoters and bodies. We also report chromatin remodeling across genomic areas that, although not contributing directly to cis-gene transcription, are likely important for KrasG12D functions.ConclusionsIn summary, we report a comprehensive, time-dependent, and coordinated early epigenomic program for KrasG12D in pancreatic cells, which is mechanistically relevant to understanding chromatin remodeling events underlying transcriptional outcomes needed for the function of this oncogene.

Moldova's Relations with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Second Half of the 14th Century – Beginning of the 15th Century (until the Treaty of Lublau in 1412)

In the middle and second half of the 14th century, significant territorial changes took place in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. The old political structures, which by that time had outlived their usefulness, were replaced by new ones: the revived Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Moldavian principality. These changes took place in a fierce struggle, with confrontations on the battlefield giving way to confrontations on the diplomatic front. In addition to the above-mentioned political formations, the Hungarian king also had an important place in this struggle. Louis the Great of Anjou at one time united the Hungarian and Polish crown into his own hands, after the death of Casimir the Great Polish king who had no male offspring. The Moldovan rulers took advantage of the international political conjuncture in this space, who skillfully conducted their foreign policy based on the principle of the balance of power. First, the problem of heredity in Poland and then in the Hungarian kingdom itself undoubtedly contributed to the strengthening of a still very young state that appeared in the middle of the 14th century, first as a Hungarian march, and which was tasked with moving eastward, and then as an independent state. However, at that time, every political entity had a suzerain, which gave him the right to exist. Vasal addiction varied from case to case. In turn, when such an opportunity arose, the Moldovan rulers could change their overlords based on political interest. In this, they used the strength and power of the Lithuanian princes. At first, being in allied relations with the Koriatovichs, the Moldovan rulers strengthened their state, and then, by the will of fate, they developed friendly relations with Vitovt / Alexander and tried not to spoil relations with him, participating in those planned through the Grand Duke of Lithuania. A special test for the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the war with the Teutonic Order, which broke out in 1409. The Moldavian soldiers again took part in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. However, the problem was that the Teutons were supported by the Hungarian king, Sigismund of Luxembourg, who wanted to return the Hungarian influence in Moldova. Thus, the Moldavian principality was drawn into the tangle of international relations in this area where the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was of great importance.

Tackling with societal, technological, and climate changes in peripheral territories

Tackling with societal, technological, and climate changes in peripheral territories

Territorial change, urbanization and development of football clubs in China

ABSTRACT The professional football clubs from the Chinese Super League (CSL), the top male professional football league in China, have been at the frontline in the fiercely competitive international market by paying record-breaking transfer fees and offering exorbitant salaries to recruit players. This paper analyses the development of professional football clubs in China as a tertiary capital-intensive urban industry from a spatial perspective, understanding urbanization as a process propelled by changes in the system of administrative divisions. It argues that changes in the territorial configuration of cities produce intertwined dynamics of land-use changes and fixed capital investments, a process in which land developers and industrial conglomerates accumulate surpluses that are subsequently invested in the development of professional football clubs as a tertiary circuit of capital investment. The paper highlights the establishment of urban districts in cities at the highest scales of power in China’s territorial system of administrative divisions as a crucial strategy through which the central government has reproduced urbanization, financially empowering conglomerates that reinvest capital in the football industry. The development and achievements of two football clubs – Guangzhou Evergande-Taobao FC and Shanghai SIPG FC – are discussed in the context of the territorial administrative restructuring of their host cities.

Seeing water

This article reflects on ten years of ethnographic work investigating concerns about mining industry-produced environmental and social change in hyperarid territories experiencing long-term drought. The ecological and social effects of groundwater extraction by the copper and lithium mining industry in the southern Salar de Atacama are not immediately detectable, since water, the saltpan, and the desert provide few clues, and the political and economic conditions of water in Chile render it fractured between surface and subsurface, fresh and salt. In public accounts, water belongs to a radical present: there are few environmental reports of water’s past before groundwater was profoundly subject to mining, and ecological impacts from aquifer extraction are apparent only after exhaustion has occurred. This article takes a narrative approach that reflects on what may be achieved by “slow resistance” and discerned from accumulated ethnographic witnessing.

Functional ANOVA approaches for detecting changes in air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic

Faced with novel coronavirus outbreak, the most hard-hit countries adopted a lockdown strategy to contrast the spread of virus. Many studies have already documented that the COVID-19 control actions have resulted in improved air quality locally and around the world. Following these lines of research, we focus on air quality changes in the urban territory of Chieti-Pescara (Central Italy), identified as an area of criticality in terms of air pollution. Concentrations of hbox {NO}_{{2}}, hbox {PM}_{{10}}, hbox {PM}_{2.5} and benzene are used to evaluate air pollution changes in this Region. Data were measured by several monitoring stations over two specific periods: from 1st February to 10 th March 2020 (before lockdown period) and from 11st March 2020 to 18 th April 2020 (during lockdown period). The impact of lockdown on air quality is assessed through functional data analysis. Our work makes an important contribution to the analysis of variance for functional data (FANOVA). Specifically, a novel approach based on multivariate functional principal component analysis is introduced to tackle the multivariate FANOVA problem for independent measures, which is reduced to test multivariate homogeneity on the vectors of the most explicative principal components scores. Results of the present study suggest that the level of each pollutant changed during the confinement. Additionally, the differences in the mean functions of all pollutants according to the location and type of monitoring stations (background vs traffic), are ascribable to the hbox {PM}_{{10}} and benzene concentrations for pre-lockdown and during-lockdown tenure, respectively. FANOVA has proven to be beneficial to monitoring the evolution of air quality in both periods of time. This can help environmental protection agencies in drawing a more holistic picture of air quality status in the area of interest.

A Novel Model for Detecting Urban Fringe and Its Expanding Patterns: An Application in Harbin City, China

Urban fringe is an active expanding belt, indicating urban-rural interaction processes. Previous studies have attempted to define urban fringe as the transitional area between urban and rural areas, but there is a lack of quantitative analysis of the periphery boundaries. We developed a novel, the Spatial Segmentation Model (SSM), to detect the extent of urban fringe via calculating the share of the built-up land. Within the urban fringe, we statistically compared the number of built-up patches in each direction and described four urban expanding patterns (stable, sprawling, leaping, and mixing patterns) indicated by the empirical analysis. The results show that this model can reliably detect the urban fringe and could reveal urban growth characteristics. We find the spatial territory changes are highly relative with transport infrastructures in Harbin. Meanwhile, the roads density in the urban core are higher than in the urban fringe. Especially for city roads, roads density in the urban core is more than 4 times higher than in the urban fringe. The growth of the urban fringe is closely related to the development of social economies as well as the space policies and development plans designed by governments. Similar to the post-industry cities worldwide, Harbin should take action to address population decline. Effective land-use and suitable urban growth strategies play an important role in alleviating urban shrinkage. Thus, understanding the dynamics, urban expanding patterns, and driving factors in the urban fringe can help us form a basis for future urban development.

A similar ecological development historical city: The study on the spatial distribution and pattern evolution of the planning history of the Manchu city in the Ch'ing Dynasty of Ancient China

Ancient China attached great importance to urban ecology, which is reflected in the selection of urban sites conforming to nature and the natural attributes of cities.The rulers of the Ch'ing Dynasty paid full attention to the cities of the Ming Dynasty, took the military as the driving force and paid attention to the urban ecology, and built a large number of military and national cities accordingly. In order to consolidate the monarchy and colonize new territories, the Ch'ing Dynasty implemented the Eight Banners Garrison System and built Manchu cities in the interior and parts of the border areas. This paper is based on the official documents of the Ch'ing Dynasty, investigating the history of overall planning of the Manchu City, gradually collecting and analyzing its analogical biological evolution from the northeast region to the whole nation of the Ch'ing Dynasty. Besides, the paper argues that the spatial pattern of Manchu city is characterized by its hierarchy, defensiveness and connectivity, and summarizes the integrated planning of Manchu city, and reveal the intrinsic correlation between its planning and the changes of territory in the Ch'ing Dynasty. The planning and construction of Manchu cities implied the use of natural and social attributes of historical cities.At the same time, the military and urban planning of the Ch'ing Dynasty also provide useful insights and historical thoughts for homeland space security and land planning nowadays.

Epidemiological features of chronic cystitis in the capital megapolis

The paper presents the results of the analysis for 2008–2017 of the prevalence and incidence of chronic cystitis in the adult population of Kiev based on the data of state, sectoral statistical reports (F.F. No. 12, 20). Two five-year periods are highlighted, the justification for which was the well-known territorial changes in the country; the corresponding indicators served as a comparison, which made it possible to identify the features of the dynamics of the studied processes.
 As a result of 10 years of observation, it was revealed that for the city of Kiev, which ranks second in the structure of the prevalence and incidence of chronic cystitis in Ukraine, a decrease in the number of registered patients (by 7.3%) with a simultaneous increase in newly diagnosed patients (by 15.6%; by 25.6% of men and 13.2% of women), in contrast to their overall growth in the country as a whole (by 0.4% and 2.8%, respectively). Prevalence rates (per 100 thousand) after an increase in the first five years are replaced by a decrease in the next period (621.2 to 687.9 versus 627.8 to 533.4). Among women, they were 3.5-4.8 times large; in 2017 – 862.8 versus 176.6 among men. The peculiarity of the incidence was manifested by its increase among women and men in 2013–2017 against the background of a decrease in the previous years; in 2017, the indicators per 100 thousand reached 88.5; among women – 127.2, men – 41.5.
 The observed situation of an increase in the incidence of chronic cystitis among the adult population of the capital with a simultaneous decrease in the prevalence allows us to evaluate it as a result of the provided adequate specialized care and, at the same time, indicates the need to study the causes, negative factors, as the basis for the improvement and implementation of disease prevention.

A history of tourism at the Mer de Glace: Adaptations of glacier tourism to glacier fluctuations since 1741

Climate change induces profound changes in mountain territories that affect the activities pursued there. Tourism is one activity that is strongly impacted by these changes. Most research on tourism in mountain regions has focused on winter sports tourism, but glacier tourism, a summer activity, is also severely affected by climate change-induced phenomena, including glacier retreat and other geomorphological processes. Given that Alpine glacier tourism has been pursued since the 18th century and glaciers have been changing throughout this period, this article aims to examine the adaptations implemented by glacier tourism operators since the activity’s beginnings. Through analysis of historical documents, glaciological surveys and semi-structured interviews, this paper reveals how tourism activities around the Mer de Glace (the largest French glacier) have been impacted by glacier fluctuations since the first visit to the area in 1741. The study reveals that these developments have mainly been driven by glacier retreat and associated paraglacial dynamics. More recently, the shortening of the period of snow cover on the glacier has also impacted tourism activities. Most of the adaptation strategies implemented by tourism operators during the period in question are found to be reactive, consisting in the installation of safety equipment, the renovation of access points or the building of new structures to allow tourist activities to continue despite the consequences of glacier retreat. Other strategies, such as the adoption of new activities by workers previously specialised in another, are identified that could be considered transformative strategies, although these were only adopted by workers when their activity was no longer feasible. The analysis of materials from 1741 to the present also reveals that the recent impacts of climate change on glacier tourism are much more significant and diverse than those produced by past fluctuations. Therefore, it is important that stakeholders take suitable measures to ensure the sustainable future of the Mer de Glace and other glacier tourism destinations.

Progress in the Pacific on sugar‐sweetened beverage taxes: a systematic review of policy changes from 2000 to 2019

ObjectiveTo systematically characterise sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) tax policy changes in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) from 2000 to 2019. MethodsMedline, Google Scholar, Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute database, Factiva and news and government websites were systematically searched up to October 2019. Information was extracted on the date and SSB tax level change, tax type, included beverages, and earmarking; and checked for consistency with local experts. ResultsThree‐quarters of PICTs had an SSB tax (n=16/21) and 11 of these were excise taxes that included both imported and locally produced beverages. The level of tax was over 20% in 14 jurisdictions. SSB tax was increased by more than 20 percentage points in eight PICTs. Most taxes were ad valorem or volumetric, three were earmarked and only two taxes targeted sugar‐sweetened fruit juices. The majority of countries (14/21) had different tax rates for imported and locally produced beverages. ConclusionsMore than three‐quarters of PICTs have SSB taxes. More than one‐third increased these taxes since 2000 at an amount that is expected to reduce soft drink consumption. Implications for public healthDespite high‐quality tax design elements in some PICTs, SSB control policies could generally be strengthened to improve health benefits, e.g. by targeting all SSBs and earmarking revenue for health.

Petitioning by clerks and the colonial state in late nineteenth-century Burma

ABSTRACT Many indigenous people in British Burma were employed as subordinate officials in governmental agencies. This article focuses on the Burmese clerks in the delta region, and explores the characteristics of their relationship with the colonial state in the late nineteenth century. First, the recruitment process and careers of specific clerks are overviewed. Their position was gradually institutionalized by appointment rules. However, population growth and the development of a rice-export economy entailed not only a surge of judicial and revenue work but also territorial changes in administrative units and rearrangements of staff. The workload of the delta’s administration increased, placing additional burdens on clerks. By examining the case of a clerk who experienced dismissal and reinstatement, the article reveals that high-ranking officials, under the pedagogical functions of the colonial state, adopted a stance of restricting dismissals. Moreover, regarding the significance of petitions produced and submitted by clerks, each clerk, as a petitioner, appeared to have a distinct strategy, since not every document is stereotypical in its form or phraseology. In other words, petitioning, in this study, is not treated as a one-sided supplication but rather as an interaction between petitioners and recipients.

Territorial impacts of sea-level rise in marsh environments. The case of the Bay of Cádiz, Spain

How can sea-level rise affect territory? Has territorial planning adjusted to this new situation? This paper analyses the possible ramifications of changes in tidal recurrence over the course of this century in a potentially vulnerable marsh environment, such as the Bay of Cádiz, in southern Spain, where sea-level rise is already a fact. For that purpose, the regionalisation criterion is used as a basis for adjusting the magnitude of global problems to subregional scale. Geographic information systems are applied to portray the forecasted territorial changes according to the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the years 2050 and 2100. Projections of sea-level rise show that the tide is travelling farther inland, not just invading unoccupied areas of marshes and beaches but also reaching urban and productive areas. Estimates indicate that the floodable area could expand by more than 20% in 2050, with a further 2,000 ha of flooded areas added in 2100 for either of the two scenarios used. The occurrence of these changes, regardless of the model used, would therefore entail an alteration of the environmental, social, cultural and economic values and elements of the Bay of Cádiz, with the Natural Park being the most affected area. In response to these consequences, the need to apply the resulting projections to other variables is insisted on, with a view to introducing territorial management tailored to this new and already present reality. Application of the regionalisation criterion to study repercussions of the climate crisis in the Bay of Cádiz could serve as a precedent for the development of adaptation strategies in other marsh environments at subregional or local level.

Characteristics of the Incidence and Prevalence of Chronic Cystitis Among the Male Population in Ukraine

The work is devoted to the dynamics of morbidity and prevalence of chronic cystitis among the male population of Ukraine for 10 years (2008–2017). The primary documents were the reported forms of official statistics. The special feature of the study was a comparative analysis of two periods of five-years. The approach was justified by the possibility to trace the nature and intensity of changes, and was also of interest in terms of known territorial changes in the country. It was found that among the total number of registered as well as first-time patients with chronic cystitis in Ukraine, a quarter of them were men. Over the years there has been a decrease in the number of cases. At the same time its rate among the latter is lower than among those registered, which is more pronounced in the last five years. This finding may suggest that the situation is likely to change in the near future towards an increase in the number of cases among men. The first three places in the number of men with chronic cystitis are occupied by the Southeastern, Western, Southern regions. The incidence and prevalence rates (per 100,000) among men are half as high as the corresponding rates among the adult population as a whole. The values of the latter have been decreasing over the years, while the incidence rate increased between 2013 and 2017. Each region has its own peculiarities, which are manifested both by the levels of width in the regions which make up their structure and by the nature of their dynamics. The first identified men with CC usually accounted for one quarter of the total number of cases. Each region is distinguished by the number of first-time offenders. The situation in Ukraine is defined by the Southeastern, Southern regions and Kiev, where the rates are higher than the Ukrainian average and aer increasing.

일본 육군성 참모국 출신 나카네 기요시(中根淑)의 일본지리교과서 편찬과 독도 인식

Nakane Kiyoshi(中根淑) worked for the Japanese Ministry of Army and wrote the Heiyo- Nakane Kiyoshi(兵要日本地理小誌) etc.. His geographical textbooks has long been used as a Japanese geography textbook as well as a military textbook. The Army Staff Bureau's perception of Japanese territory is well reflected in the Heiyo- Nakane Kiyoshi, which was compiled based on the latest information at the time. Japan's islands located on the stage were introduced in the body of Heiyo- Nakane Kiyoshi and Japanese territory was displayed Nihonkoku-zenzu(日本國全圖) and Sanindo-no-zu(山陰道之圖), but Ulleungdo and Dokdo was not marked. As a result, Nakane did not recognise Ulleungdo and Dokdo as Japanese territory. The situation of changes of Japanese territory was accurately reflected in Dokugaku-Niho nchiri-sho(獨學日本地理書), Ulleungdo and Dokdo was not recognized as Japan ese territory. Nakane clearly wrote that Dokdo(Matsushima), Ulleungdo(Takeshima) beca me Korean territory in Nakane Kiyoshi(日本地理小誌). This is the first and only case in Japanese geography textbooks, and is also evident in Nihonkoku-zenzu and Sanindo-no-zu. Nakane's perception that Dokdo(Matsushima), Ulleungdo(Tak eshima) belongs to Joseon continues in Nihon-sozu(日本總圖) and Sanindo-no-zu of Nihonchiri-shogaku(日本地理小學).

Appraising the Likely Gentrification Impacts of a Mega Transport Project—The Case of Crossrail

Megaprojects are defined as projects that cost a billion US dollars or more at 1990 prices. Mega transport infrastructure projects have the potential to affect important socioeconomic and territorial changes. They are often perceived as critical to the “success” of major metropolitan, regional and national development. The redevelopment of neighbourhoods offers many opportunities for regional regeneration, yet there remain concerns regarding the potential gentrification of areas leading to the displacement of existing populations and local businesses. This research applies multi-criteria analysis, a tool that is widely used in mega infrastructure project appraisal using the UK’s Crossrail as a case to explore the likelihood of gentrification and the displacement impacts of the project. This paper finds both positive and negative impacts. Different stakeholders express noticeably differing opinions regarding the project.

New Public Management Reform ideas and the remaking of the Italian and Danish health systems

ABSTRACT This article explores the role of New Public Management (NPM) ideas in the reform of the Italian and Danish health systems. In particular, it investigates the arguments that have supported changes in their institutional and territorial dimensions. Whereas the institutional dimension is concerned with the allocation of authority between layers of government, the territorial dimension is related to the definition of the size of subnational governments. By adopting an argumentative approach to policy analysis and focusing on the role of ideas in policy formulation, the article shows how Italian and Danish policymakers have shaped the institutional and territorial changes that have taken place in their national health systems. Through document analysis and in-depth interviews with experts and decision-makers, we show that the relationship between changes in size and authority in relation to NPM ideas is not clear-cut. Whereas in Italy arguments about the need to change the allocation of authority were not tied to a discourse about the size of subnational governments and health agencies, in Denmark discourses about size and authority have run in parallel. The present study confirms previous findings and provides additional evidence suggesting that NPM ideas have spread widely through governments following a path of implementation that varies from one national context to another.

‘The Uncertainty that Persists’: The Bank of France, the Baltic Gold and the Non-Recognition of a Forcible Seizure of Territory during the Cold War

After the USSR annexed the Baltic states in 1940, the Bank of France refused to transfer Baltic gold reserves to Moscow and preserved them until the reestablishment of Baltic independence in 1991. This decision resulted from a slow but deep change in the conduct of international relations, namely the post-WWI effort to outlaw the use of force in international relations. By refusing to recognise Soviet rights over Baltic gold, France embraced the slowly emerging principle of ex injuria jus non oritur (‘law does not arise from injustice’) that was at the heart of Stimson doctrine (1932) and the Briand-Kellogg Pact (1928). To better understand the changes taking place on the macro-level (state conduct dealing with territorial change created by force), this article zooms on the level of domestic institutional actors and their ways of dealing with the Baltic problem in their daily practice. It explains how the French position regarding the Baltic question was negotiated between various institutional actors such as the French presidency, the Treasury, Foreign Ministry and the Bank of France. I argue that the key element shaping French policy towards the Baltic gold issue was the institutional self-protection logic of the Bank of France.