Comparative effectiveness research studies commonly restrict cohorts to individuals who initiate a medication and do not have evidence of prior treatment. This is particularly challenging in research on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) because of sporadic use or intermittent adherence. We examined the impact of different lookback windows and washout criteria to identify MOUD initiator cohorts on sample size, cohort characteristics, and misclassification of treatment initiation. Cohort study using the Merative™ MarketScan® Multi-State Medicaid Database (2011-2022). Medicaid-insured adults aged 18-64 with an MOUD prescription from 01/01/2022 to 12/31/2022 and a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) with at least 3 months of continuous enrollment. We created treatment initiator cohorts with increasingly restrictive lookback windows for inclusion (6-, 12-, 24-, 36-months, all-available). During each lookback window, we required [1] continuous enrollment; [2] continuous enrollment and OUD diagnosis; or [3] continuous enrollment, OUD diagnosis, and no prior treatment with MOUD. We defined prior treatment with MOUD as: (a) ≥ 30 days use (less restrictive definition; allowed for some prior treatment); or (b) ≥1day use (more restrictive definition; did not allow prior treatment). We quantified changes in cohort sample size, demographic characteristics, and proportion of prevalent use episodes misclassified as MOUD treatment initiation (gold standard: 36-month lookback window). We identified 103 794 eligible MOUD initiators (64.8% buprenorphine, 24.8% methadone, 10.4% naltrexone). Sample size of the cohorts decreased with increasingly restrictive lookback windows and washout criteria: [1] continuous enrollment (range, 96.9% for 6months to 51.8% for 36 months); [2] continuous enrollment and less restrictive washout (range, 29.7% to 8.4%); and [3] continuous enrollment and more restrictive washout (range, 22.2% to 5.8%). All-available lookback performed similarly to a 12-month lookback. Longer lookback windows resulted in initiator cohorts with a greater proportion of individuals who were older, female, and of a minoritized race/ethnicity. The proportion of people with prevalent MOUD use misclassified as treatment initiation increased steadily with decreasing duration of lookback windows (24-, 12-, and 6-month); we observed misclassification among 16.1% to 49.2% of individuals (less restrictive washout), and 16.8% to 53.2% of individuals (more restrictive washout). The choice of lookback window duration and washout criteria in research on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) presents tradeoffs between cohort sample size, demographic characteristics, and misclassification of treatment initiation. This study offers practical guidance for researchers planning to perform comparative studies in MOUD.

Ideological polarization is often theorized to erode trust in science and healthcare, thereby reducing compliance with health guidelines and vaccine uptake. In this study, we examined the longitudinal relationships between perceived ideological polarization, trust in science and healthcare, and COVID-19 vaccination intention, using a four-wave panel design. We analysed four waves of panel data from a sample of 488 Slovenians, representative by gender, age, and education. Pearson correlations and a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) were used to assess both within- and between-person associations, and to test whether trust in science and healthcare mediated the relationship between perceived ideological polarization and vaccination intention over time. Baseline correlations showed a positive association between perceived ideological polarization, trust, and vaccination intention, though these associations weakened and became non-significant in later waves. RI-CLPM results revealed no evidence of causal, within-person effects of perceived ideological polarization on later trust or vaccination intention, and no longitudinal mediation pathways. However, between-person effects indicated that individuals with consistently higher trust in science and healthcare reported higher vaccination intentions across time. These findings challenge the assumption that ideological polarization undermines trust and vaccination intention, suggesting that cross-sectional associations observed in prior research may reflect stable between-person differences rather than dynamic causal processes. By distinguishing cross-sectional from longitudinal evidence, this study underscores institutional trust as the key predictor of vaccination intention and calls for comparative research across political and cultural contexts.

Various non-clinical teaching models have been developed and are used globally. This scoping review identifies these methods and evaluates their learning outcomes. Following the PRISMA-ScR framework, MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for English-language articles published from 2012 onward. Two reviewers screened eligible studies, resulting in a final selection of relevant full-text articles. The review addressed (1) which teaching methods/tools have been tested for endoscopy training and (2) which methods yield better colonoscopy performance outcomes. From 217 articles, 31 met inclusion criteria. The most common teaching methods were virtual reality (VR) models and physical models, both within and across studies. Other studies included box models, animal models, real-time feedback devices, traditional/verbal instruction models, didactic models and two-person colonoscopy models. Across all studies, participants ranged widely in experience from medical students to experienced specialists, with the effectiveness of training modalities closely tied to the participants' baseline experience. Despite the variety of colonoscopy teaching methods, there is limited comparative research on their effectiveness both alone and when integrated with the traditional/verbal learning model. Prior experience appears to be a clear predictor of any model's potential effectiveness. As such, it appears important to tailor any colonoscopy training method to a learner's experience level to optimise skill acquisition and clinical readiness. Further research would benefit from a direct comparison of all teaching methods across a range of user skill sets.

Aim: Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly among elderly and susceptible populations. Escalating antimicrobial resistance among prevalent CABP pathogens in China, combined with safety limitations of existing regimens, underscores the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Lefamulin (LEF) and omadacycline (OMA), recently approved in mainland China, offer promising alternatives, but direct comparative evidence is lacking. This study aims to indirectly compare the clinical efficacy and safety outcomes of LEF versus OMA in the treatment of CABP and to explore subgroup differences in high-risk populations. Materials & methods: A systematic literature review was conducted across PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception through March 2024, limited to English-language studies, to identify phase III randomized controlled trials evaluating LEF or OMA in adults with CABP. The Bucher method was used for the indirect comparison, with effect estimates reported as risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. Similarities in trial design and populations supported the transitivity assumption. Primary end points were early clinical response (ECR), investigator-assessed clinical response (IACR) at test of cure (TOC) and treatment-emergent adverse events leading to death. Subgroup analyses were further stratified by patient age (elderly patients), presence of comorbidities and causative pathogens. Results: Three randomized controlled trials involving 2063 patients were included in this study. LEF and OMA demonstrated comparable efficacy in terms of ECR (RR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.93-1.09) and in terms of IACR at TOC (RR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.88-1.02). The relative risk of treatment-emergent adverse events leading to death in the LEF group compared with the OMA group was 0.67 (95% CI: 0.15-3.02), with no statistically significant difference observed. In subgroup analysis, LEF demonstrated statistically significant superiority over OMA in treating patients with Haemophilus influenzae infections (RR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03-1.60). No other subgroups reached statistical significance. LEF showed a numerical trend toward favoring in multiple subgroups, including the elderly, patients with comorbidities, and those infected with specific pathogens, particularly in the ECR analysis. Meanwhile, OMA demonstrated potential numerical advantages in a few subgroups defined by comorbidities or specific pathogens for IACR at TOC. Conclusions: Both LEF and OMA have been shown to be effective and safe in treating CABP. LEF demonstrated significant benefit in Haemophilus influenzae infections and consistently favorable trends in high-risk or specific infected subgroups. OMA also shows favorable trends in certain patient groups. These findings highlight the need to further accumulate additional clinical data or real-world evidence to support future comparative research. The introduction of novel antibiotics, such as LEF and OMA, represents an important step toward addressing the pressing challenge of antimicrobial resistance and improving outcomes for patients with CABP in China.

Variations in the compassion experience of Jordanian pediatric nurses: A comparative study using cluster analysis.

Purpose This study aims to define the scope of sport in smart cities and synthesizes how smart infrastructures reshape sport practice, consumption and governance. We summarize what is known, point out the main gaps and limits of current research and set clear questions to guide future, comparative and real-world research for cities, sport organizations and researchers. Design/methodology/approach We conduct a comprehensive literature review across sport management, urban studies and information science. We screen academic and policy sources and map technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics and sensor networks to actors, data flows and outcomes and organize the evidence into an integrative thematic map and agenda across all proposed domains. Findings The review consolidates seven domains of sport in smart cities: technological innovations, sport participation, sport spectatorship, sport tourism, sport retailing, sport education and training and governance and ethics. Across these domains, digitally mediated infrastructures are reshaping practice, consumption and management. However, scenario-driven and conceptual work still outpaces comparative, longitudinal evaluation and the evidence base clusters in data-rich settings. Recurring issues include weak interoperability and evaluation capacity, privacy and consent risks and digital exclusion. The synthesis points to methodological and implementation pathways using systems-oriented indicators, geospatial and sensor data, and participatory governance to move from pilots to cumulative, equitable practice. Originality/value This paper provides a comprehensive review that organizes dispersed work on the interdiscipline of sport and smart cities and distills clear directions for subsequent research and implementation.

Taxonomic classification alone fails to capture the ecological and functional diversity of vaginal microbiomes, particularly those dominated by Gardnerella species. Using the expanded VIRGO2 gene catalog, we developed the vaginal inference of subspecies and typing algorithm (VISTA), a novel ortholog-based framework that defined metagenomic subspecies and 25 metagenomic community state types (mgCSTs), including six distinct Gardnerella-dominated profiles. The mgCSTs exhibit marked differences in species composition, functional gene content, transcriptional activity, and host immune responses. These findings reveal that Gardnerella predominance does not uniformly equate to dysbiosis and underscore the importance of functional context in shaping host-microbiome interactions. VISTA provides scalable classifiers and an interactive application to support mechanistic studies of vaginal microbiome function and its implications for reproductive health.IMPORTANCEThe vaginal microbiome plays a central role in reproductive and gynecologic health, yet its functional diversity and ecological organization remain poorly understood. Traditional 16S rRNA approaches provide only a partial view of this complexity, overlooking the strain-level variation that often determines microbial behavior and host outcomes. By applying metagenomic sequencing and scalable computational modeling, we developed the vaginal inference of subspecies and typing algorithm, a framework that defines gene-based subspecies and community state types across diverse populations. These classifications reveal new insights into the genomic and ecological foundations of vaginal community structure and offer a standardized resource for comparative and translational microbiome research. This work establishes the foundation for functionally informed diagnostics and precision interventions targeting women's reproductive health.

This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of online career counseling interventions on career-related psychological outcomes. Fourteen studies ( N = 1,721) published between 2016 and 2025 and using experimental, quasi-experimental, and pre-experimental designs were synthesized with a random-effects model. Effect sizes were calculated as Hedges’s g . Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q and the I 2 index, and publication bias was examined through funnel plots, Fail-safe N, and Duval and Tweedie’s trim-and-fill procedure. Results revealed a large overall effect (Hedges’s g = 1.650, 95% CI [1.171, 2.130]), indicating that online career counseling significantly improves outcomes such as career adaptability, career decision-making self-efficacy, job search self-efficacy, career confidence, career decision status, perceived employability, career calling, career development, and career awareness. Moderator analyses showed that cultural orientation and number of sessions explained variability in effect sizes, with stronger effects observed in collectivist contexts and in briefer interventions (6 or fewer sessions). Overall, findings suggest that online career counseling is a promising approach for enhancing career-related psychological development. However, substantial heterogeneity highlights the need for more rigorous comparative research to clarify the conditions under which these interventions are most effective.

Pediatric nephrolithiasis continues to pose a substantial clinical challenge in pediatric urology because of its elevated recurrence rate and elevated morbidity with risk of end-stage renal failure. The management of pediatric nephrolithiasis involves dietary modification, pharmacological therapy, and urological intervention, with the choice of treatment guided by stone size, location, and composition. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for the management of renal stones measuring 1-2 cm in pediatrics. This prospective, randomized comparative research was conducted at the Department of Urology, Al-Azhar University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt, between December 2022 and November 2024. Sixty children with single renal stones were enrolled, with 30 undergoing SWL and 30 receiving mini-PCNL. Mini-PCNL achieved a significantly elevated stone-free rate (SFR, 93.33%) in contrast with SWL (33.33%) (p < 0.001). The SWL group also showed a higher rate of auxiliary approaches and retreatment. Overall complication rates were comparable. Mini-PCNL is more effective than SWL for managing renal stones measuring 10-20 mm in children aged 6 months to 6 years. It provides an elevated SFR and lowers the likelihood of retreatment and hospital readmission, with a comparable safety profile.

Abstract The digital business environment has become a focal point of global competition. As the world’s second-largest economy, China’s digital economy has a huge scale, and its exploration of institutional innovation and governance has enlightening significance for the international community. However, existing research mainly focuses on traditional business environments and lacks a systematic analysis of the role of government in digital business environments. This study aims to clarify the specific role, path differences, and influencing factors of local governments in the legalization of the digital business environment. Selecting Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing as samples to conduct semi-structured interviews and qualitative comparative research on relevant government departments. Research has found that, firstly, although the government has achieved results in optimizing the approval process and shortening the start-up time of enterprises, there are still regional differences; Secondly, Beijing and Shanghai have entered a further stage of improving the quality of public services and ensuring the rule of law, while Chongqing is still in the stage of basic reform; Thirdly, the disadvantages of location, talent, and finance in non-first tier cities constrain the development of their digital business environment. Overall, China is gradually narrowing the gap with international best practices such as B-READY and still needs to continue efforts in cross-border rule integration, legal transparency, and service-oriented government. This study points out the diverse paths of local governments in legalizing the digital business environment, and also provides institutional references for other developing countries.

The environmental health challenges of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are well-documented in developed countries, where serious efforts are underway to implement stricter regulations to lower PFAS emissions. However, in developing countries where PFASs have been detected at levels similar to those in developed countries, there is a lack of comparable research or efforts on addressing PFAS pollution. These gaps also apply to many other industrial chemicals and are underpinned by imbalances in chemical regulation between developed and developing countries. These imbalances are likely to create multifaceted global challenges, including the illegal use and trade of PFASs and their products, the relocation of PFAS-based industries, and the global recirculation of PFAS pollution. These challenges can exacerbate pressure on developing countries already grappling with other critical environmental issues. In this Perspective, we explore these challenges arising from global disparities in the regulation of PFASs and other chemicals, along with their repercussions. We propose solutions to bridge the regulatory gaps, including broad, worldwide PFAS bans and regulations, increased funding for PFAS monitoring and emissions reduction, and joint initiatives with developed countries. These efforts would ensure that PFAS management extends beyond the developed world to countries with high economic aspirations and limited resources to address chemical pollution.

Marriage (An-nikāh) is the pillar upon which the Muslim family system rests. It is a sacred contract among Muslim couples based on mutual consent and justice. When these objectives are not met, and peaceful coexistence among the partners becomes impossible, Islam allows the marriage to be repudiated following the SharīꜤah legal principle of marriage repudiation (Talāq). In Ijebuland, Nigeria, Mālikī madhhab (school of Islamic jurisprudence) is the most preferred school of thought, and it reflects well-defined principles concerning ṭalāq (divorce), nafaqah (maintenance), ʿiddah (waiting period), and hadānah (child custody). The study employs doctrinal and comparative research methods in analyzing the intersection of customary and Islamic legal systems. Findings reveal that the customary legal practices in Ijebu land override SharīꜤah principles, resulting in misapplication of Islamic principles on marital rights, child welfare, and post-divorce responsibilities. The paper therefore recommends setting jurisdictional boundaries between Customary and SharīꜤah Courts. It also calls for legal reform, judicial training, and sensitization of Muslims on their rights to proper adjudication of marital disputes in relation to SharīꜤah principle in Nigeria’s pluralistic legal system

Design does not emerge solely from individual creativity but from ongoing interactions between humans and their Umwelt—the subjective, meaning-structured world through which environments are perceived, interpreted, and acted upon. This article develops the concept of a Communicative Umwelt as a psychologically grounded framework for sustainable design, specifying it as a system of entities, signals, channels, and feedback mechanisms that shape creative processes, user acceptance, and longer-term market dynamics. By operationalizing Umwelt beyond metaphor, the paper connects perceptual and cognitive psychology with design practice and sustainability-oriented innovation. The framework is situated in relation to adjacent literatures, including ecological psychology, design semiotics, participatory and systemic design, and sustainability transitions, and is distinguished by its focus on psychological meaning-making and feedback-driven transformation. Rather than advancing universal market claims, the article proposes mechanism-oriented pathways and boundary conditions under which locally embedded, context-sensitive design practices may foster sustainable consumption patterns. Sustainability is thus reframed not as a technical constraint but as an emergent outcome of communicative interactions between humans, artifacts, and socio-ecological systems, offering a theoretically informed basis for future empirical and comparative research.

Abstract This paper is based on a comparative quantitative research design, which examines the variation in the levels of creativity and academic performance of adolescents who were exposed to supportive and non-supportive classroom settings. The sample population was selected through purposive sampling of 240 secondary school students by taking an equal ratio of students in non-supportive and supportive classroom environments. Research questions were investigated on the level of creativity, academic performance, classroom climate, teacher encouragement and student autonomy. The results show that there were great variations in the two groups in terms of measures of creativity and academic achievement. Higher creativity score and superior performance of students in supporting classroom settings have been shown to be better than students in non-supportive classroom settings. The t-tests of independent samples show that both the creativity and academic achievement of the two kinds of classrooms are significantly different. Additional results obtained indicate that teacher encouragement and participative classroom climate are two significant factors to enhance better student outcomes, which involves 45% of the relationship between creativity and achievement scores. The research highlights the significance of favorable classroom environments in ensuring cognitive flexibility as well as academic achievement among teenagers. The results are in line with the modern education theories that address the importance of environmental support to develop creative and academic growth. Nevertheless, the article mentions such limitations as the limitation of the sample size and the use of institutional academic records. Further studies of other psychosocial factors and the use of longitudinal studies to enhance the understanding of the long-term developmental outcomes are important in the future. Keywords – Classroom climate, Creativity, Academic performance, Supportive environment, Adolescents

This article examines the impact of armed conflicts on the expansion of old-age pension systems in the Global South. Using new longitudinal data on pension coverage and focusing on 82 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America between 1900 and 2014, the study combines descriptive analyses and logit regressions to assess the timing and likelihood of pension expansion during war and post-war periods. The analysis reveals that the probability of pension expansion increases during and particularly after war. Interestingly, the association is especially robust for civil wars. Post-war pension expansions are typically directed towards dependent workers, while self-employed groups benefit less. The results suggest that governments often use pension reforms as instruments of stabilisation and legitimacy in war-torn societies. The study contributes to comparative welfare research by highlighting the warfare-welfare nexus beyond the Western world and across different types of conflict.

This article examines processes of national identity transformation in the context of long-established but evolving migration networks between Armenia and Southern Russia and how these processes may be integrated into national policy frameworks relating to social cohesion. The largest Armenian diaspora in southern Russia, numbering around half a million people as of 2022 (620,000 people), a significant part of whom were transnational labor migrants. Existing literature has examined changes in relevant identity narratives using qualitative methods. In contrast this article employs a novel procedure, combining social constructionist, transnational and network approaches with applied statistics methods. Drawing on international comparative sociological research conducted in Armenia and Southern Russia in 2021–2022, the paper traces the history and structure of these migration networks, as well as the new forms of national identity emerging within them. The project identified at least three varieties of networks that influence different understandings and lived experiences of national identity. The first relates to the old Armenian diaspora, formed in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, the second to communities formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the third to contemporary transnational communities, consisting mainly of labor migrants. The article also discusses the potential implications of these findings to policies of social cohesion in Armenia and Russia.

ABSTRACT Safeguarding is a central ethical and professional responsibility in early childhood education and care (ECEC), grounded in the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. While Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand share commitments to children's rights, limited comparative research has examined how their regulatory systems interpret and operationalise safeguarding within distinct governance contexts. This paper addresses that gap through qualitative document analysis of national policy and regulatory frameworks in the three countries, including recent reforms. Drawing on rights-based, socio-cultural, and ecological perspectives, the analysis explores how each system positions children's safety, agency, and wellbeing, and how educators are expected to enact safeguarding in practice. Findings indicate a shared commitment to children's rights alongside divergent orientations: Australia foregrounds relational pedagogy within quality assurance systems, the United Kingdom emphasises procedural accountability, and New Zealand integrates bicultural principles of collective wellbeing. The study advances a multi-lens understanding of safeguarding as an intersection of rights, relationships, and regulation, offering insights for strengthening coherent and culturally responsive policy and practice in ECEC.

Constitutional documents include limitations on their amendment, established by the original constituent authority. These limitations are divided into procedural limitations, substantive limitations, and temporal limitations. Accordingly, this research raises an important question: what if the authority empowered to amend the constitution violates the limitations imposed upon its power in the constitutional document? In such a case, may constitutional amendments be subject to judicial review? This study seeks to answer this question by setting out the positions of comparative constitutional courts in a number of states regarding the review of constitutional amendments. It also examines constitutions that contain explicit provisions stipulating that constitutional amendments are subject to judicial review. This subject has been addressed through three principal axes: first, the legal basis of judicial review of constitutional amendments; secondly, the justifications supporting judicial review of constitutional amendments; and thirdly, the approaches of comparative constitutional courts regarding the review of constitutional amendments. This is undertaken within an integrated framework combining the analytical, inductive, descriptive, and comparative research methodologies. The study concludes that, in light of the limited number of constitutions that adopt the principle of judicial review of the constitutionality of constitutional amendments, the principal recommendation lies in the necessity of constitutional entrenchment of this principle, particularly in view of the inclusion within constitutional documents of constraints upon the amending power. Violation of these constraints constitutes a deviation of power that necessitates the imposition of a sanction.

Focal and intelligent passerine songbirds, corvids (Aves: Corvidae) have served as models for research on the genomics of hybridization and cognition. Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), the sole North American member of its genus, is distributed in mountain forests from northern Mexico to northern British Columbia. A seed predator, N. columbiana is highly reliant on pine nuts from Pinus spp. conifers, which it both consumes directly from cones and caches for future use. Since cached seeds may be forgotten or not needed, it is a major seed disperser for high elevation pines---in particular Whitebark Pine P. albicaulis. Previous studies of genetic variation in Clark's Nutcracker found range-wide panmixia and generally high levels of heterozygosity at a handful of nuclear and mitochondrial loci, potentially due to seasonal elevational movements and long term dispersal. An earlier genome assembly from low-coverage short read data was highly fragmented and has not to date been used as the basis for population-level resequencing. Here we report on the first chromosome-scale genome assembly for N. colombiana. We generated long-read sequencing and genome conformation mapping data from tissues sampled from a male N. columbiana individual in Wyoming, USA. These data were assembled into a highly contiguous and complete assembly, which showed strong chromosomal synteny with New Caledonian crow (Corvus moneduloides). We also found evidence of a long-term decline in effective population size dating back to the Pleistocene, after accounting for a technical artifact common to demographic inference using the pairwise sequential Markovian coalescent. These findings raise concerns about the future viability of the species and its mutualist P. albicaulis; we hope the assembly will motivate further comparative and conservation genomics research.

Abstract.Relevance of the study is determined by the need for a comprehensive reassessment of the agrarian development of Karabakh in the 19th century as a significant region of the South Caucasus, where traditional land use systems underwent profound transformations following its incorporation into the Russian Empire. During this period, agrarian economy functioned not only as the basis of material production but also as a key factor shaping social organization, mechanisms of adaptation to natural conditions, and institutional practices of land use.The purpose of the research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the agrarian economy of Karabakh in the 19th century, taking into account natural and geographical conditions, forms of land ownership and land use, as well as the impact of imperial agrarian policies on the transformation of traditional economic relations. The object of the study is the agrarian system of Karabakh, while the subject includes land use practices, the structure of agricultural production, and the social consequences of changes in land relations.The results of the study demonstrate that the agrarian economy of Karabakh in the 19th century was characterized by significant spatial differentiation shaped by relief, climate, water resources, and soil quality. Agriculture based on grain cultivation, horticulture, and viticulture coexisted with the dominance of livestock breeding, which played a stabilizing role in the regional economy. Traditional land use practices relied on a combination of communal and individual forms, ensuring relative sustainability of rural society. The incorporation of Karabakh into the Russian Empire led to reforms in taxation, cadastral regulation, and legal norms, gradually altering established land relations.Conclusions indicate that agrarian transformations in Karabakh during the 19th century were ambivalent in nature. While imperial policies contributed to institutional modernization, they simultaneously intensified social stratification and undermined traditional mechanisms of land regulation. The findings expand the understanding of agrarian history in the South Caucasus and provide a foundation for further comparative and interdisciplinary research.