East European Research Articles

Connection of Summer Surface Temperature Anomalies between the East European Plain–West Siberian Plain and North America on the Interannual Time Scale

Abstract This study identifies a significantly positive relationship between summer surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies over two remote regions in the Eurasian continent and North America during the period 1979–2021 on the interannual time scale. The former region includes the East European Plain and the West Siberian Plain, and the latter region includes central and eastern North America. The regionally averaged summer SAT anomalies show a correlation coefficient of 0.66 between these two regions, which is significant at the 99% confidence level. This intercontinental SAT relationship can be explained by a wavelike pattern of circulation anomalies, which is the leading mode of upper-tropospheric circulation anomalies over the middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere in summer. Further analysis suggests that the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the Pacific and North Atlantic in the preceding spring, being coupled with the leading mode of atmospheric circulation anomalies over the Pacific–Atlantic sector, persist into summer and affect the SATs in the two remote regions, resulting in the intercontinental SAT connection. Significance Statement Summer surface air temperature (SAT) has profound effects on public health and agricultural production. Here we find a significantly positive relationship between interannual variations of summer SATs over two remote regions, one in the Eurasian continent and the other in North America. This intercontinental relationship in SATs can be explained as a result of atmosphere–ocean coupling over the Pacific and North Atlantic in the preceding spring. The result is likely to be a critical implication for the seasonal forecast of SAT variations over the two regions. In addition, the concurrence of higher or lower temperatures in these two regions may have impacts on global grain production, since these two regions include many major grain-producing areas in the world.

Probabilistic location of early instrumental earthquakes based on macroseismic and instrumental data

There are regions of moderate seismicity that have long lacked a dense network of seismic stations due to their sparse population, inaccessibility, and low economic levels. Characterization of earthquakes in such regions is typically limited to the small amount of macroseismic information available and data from only one or two seismic stations. Most often, the location of such earthquakes was based on the use of macroseismic information alone. We propose a method for probabilistic estimation of the location of such earthquakes based on a joint analysis of their macroseismic and instrumental data. The technique is implemented in the ProLoM program (Probabilistic Locator by Macroseismics). In this study, we test the performance of the method on a test earthquake of May 20, 1967 and present the results of the analysis of the earthquakes that occurred in the north of the East European Platform on June 30, 1911 and January 13, 1939.

The Relationship Between Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Osteoporosis Based on Different Ethnic Groups: a Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analysis.

The previous observational studies could not overcome the effects of confounding variables and reverse causality. We aimed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus and osteoporosis in East Asian and European populations, respectively, by two-sample Mendelian Randomization analysis. We obtained and downloaded data from publicly available genome-wide association study databases and analyses for East Asian and European populations, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), osteoporosis (OP), multisite bone mineral density (BMD), and OP with fracture. After screening for instrumental single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly correlated to SLE, the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used for calculating the ratio and 95% confidence interval, besides utilizing MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode to assess the robustness of the primary outcome. Moreover, multiple analyses, including MR-PRESSO, MR-Egger intercept, Cochran's Q test, as well as "leave-one-out" sensitivity, were used for evaluating horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and stability. Finally, we exchanged exposure and outcome and performed a reverse MR analysis. IVW (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09, P = 0.009) indicated a significant positive correlation between genetically predicted SLE and OP in East Asians. Furthermore, neither heterogeneity nor horizontal pleiotropy was observed. In Europe, there was no significant genetically predicted causal relation between SLE and OP. Bi-directional MR analysis showed no reverse causality between SLE and OP. In the East Asian population, genetically predicted SLE may have had a positive causal relationship with OP. In Europe, there is insufficient evidence for a potential causal relation between SLE and OP or BMD and fracture, and the correlations currently observed may be attributed to a variety of confounder variables.

Unravelling the origin of the atmospheric moisture deficit that leads to droughts

AbstractDrought is one of the most catastrophic natural hazards, and precipitation plays a major role in the development and intensification of drought events. The amount of precipitation resulting from humidity transported from a given moisture source can be key in revealing the origin of the atmospheric moisture deficit underlying drought occurrence. Here this study demonstrates, for the first time, the predominant role of moisture transport deficit in drought genesis. In most land areas, the estimated conditional probability of drought given an equivalent moisture deficit received either from the ocean or from the continents is higher than 10%. This probability is over 15% in the regions where the main atmospheric moisture transport mechanisms are active and over 20% in some hotspot regions, such as central-east North America, south-east South America and east Europe, where lower incoming moisture is almost synonymous with drought occurrence. Our results indicated that the contribution deficit of the dominant moisture source to the precipitation of a region could improve the predictability of droughts, with enormous hydrological, socioeconomic and environmental implications.

Fermented Mare Milk and Its Microorganisms for Human Consumption and Health

Mare milk is consumed by approximatively 30 million people in the world. In countries in Asia and East Europe, mare milk is mainly consumed as source of fermented products, called koumiss, airag or chigee, alcoholic beverages obtained by means of a culture of bacteria and lactose-fermenting yeasts. Recent research concerning mare milk and its derivatives deals mainly with their potential employment for human health. Studies about the isolation and characterization of Lactobacillus spp. and yeasts from koumiss have been aimed at assessing the potential functional properties of these micro-organisms and to find their employment for the industrial processing of mare milk. The aim of this literature review is to summarize recent research about microorganisms in fermented mare milk products and their potential functional properties.

Categories of Rivers that Formed Vendian and Lower Cambrian Sedimentary Sequences, Western Part of the East European Platform: Evidence from Lithogeochemistry

Categories of Rivers that Formed Vendian and Lower Cambrian Sedimentary Sequences, Western Part of the East European Platform: Evidence from Lithogeochemistry

Provenances of Fine-Grained Alumosiliciclastic Material for the Vendian and Early Cambrian Sedimentary Rocks of the West of the East European Plate: Some Lithogeochemical Constraints

Provenances of Fine-Grained Alumosiliciclastic Material for the Vendian and Early Cambrian Sedimentary Rocks of the West of the East European Plate: Some Lithogeochemical Constraints

Gut Microbiome and Stroke: a Bidirectional Mendelian Randomisation Study in East Asian and European Populations.

Observational studies have implicated the involvement of gut microbiome in stroke development. Conversely, stroke may disrupt the gut microbiome balance, potentially causing systemic infections exacerbated brain infarction. However, the causal relationship remains controversial or unknown. To investigate bidirectional causality and potential ethnic differences, we conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) study in both East Asian (EAS) and European (EU) populations. Leveraging the hitherto largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from the MiBioGen Consortium (n=18 340, EU) and BGI (n=2524, EAS) for the gut microbiome, stroke GWAS data from the GIGASTROKE Consortium(264 655 EAS and 1 308 460 EU), we conducted bidirectional MR and sensitivity analyses separately for the EAS and EU population. We identified nominally significant associations between 85 gut microbiomes taxa in EAS and 64 gut microbiomes taxa in EU with stroke or its subtypes. Following multiple testing, we observed that genetically determined 1 SD increase in the relative abundance of species Bacteroides pectinophilus decreased the risk of cardioembolic stroke onset by 28% (OR 0.72 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.84); p=4.22e-5), and that genetically determined 1 SD increase in class Negativicutes resulted in a 0.76% risk increase in small vessel stroke in EAS. No significant causal association was identified in the EU population and the reverse MR analysis. Our study revealed subtype-specific and population-specific causal associations between gut microbiome and stroke risk among EAS and EU populations. The identified causality holds promise for developing a new stroke prevention strategy, warrants further mechanistic validation and necessitates clinical trial studies.

Migration as a Tool for Social Resilience: Lessons From Two Case Studies

Following the fall of socialism in East and Southeast Europe, widespread destabilisation of living conditions was accompanied by immense skill and cost mismatches. Both of these factors continue to contribute to substantial levels of brain drain, brain waste and de-skilling. We propose and discuss the migration-resilience nexus as a new paradigm that emphasises the instrumental dimension of movements and migrants’ agency in terms of the aspiration-capabilities framework. In this paper, we look at migration-specific contexts in two countries suffering from long-term emigration for different reasons. Migratory movements, including emigration and circular and return migration, are interpreted as “tools for social resilience”.
 In many cases, migrants do not necessarily have the aspiration to migrate. Nevertheless, they can do so when conditions in their individual situation, such as material income, individual well-being or family status, change. Thus, in contrast to the few studies that have looked at migration and resilience so far, we focus on aspirations, decisions and movements as fundamental elements of a resilience strategy adopted by individuals to cope with permanent existential risk, constant harassment, socio-psychological stress or other threats. Our analysis pursues a comparative empirical approach. To cover the broad scope of this phenomenon, we chose Latvia and Albania as the study’s examples. Data on Albania is gathered using qualitative methods, while a quantitative approach is adopted in Latvia.
 * This article belongs to a special issue on “Demographic Developments in Eastern and Western Europe Before and After the Transformation of Socialist Countries”.

The correspondence between the physiological cold tolerance and the distribution border of Mediterranean sandflies in Southeast Europe.

The distribution of sandflies is influenced by several climatic factors, like winter temperature limits, summer humidity, and drought. Only a few studies were performed to search for the connection between the physiological tolerance of sandflies and the result of the Climate Envelope Models projected distribution borders. It was studied how the depth of rodent burrows could determine the occurrence of five European Phlebotomus species based on their known physiological cold tolerances. The modelled distributions based on the monthly minimum temperatures showed notable differences by soil depth and species. The observed and modelled European distribution areas of sandflies according to - 20 cm soil depth showed good coincidence with the observed occurrences of Phlebotomus neglectus , Ph. papatasi , and Ph. perfiliewi in East-Central, Southeast, and East Europe. Also, a good coincidence was found in the case of the modelled and observed occurrences of Phlebotomus perniciosus in Western Europe. It can be concluded that in their north-eastern distribution borders, sandflies can overwinter in rabbit and rodent burrows at depths of - 20 cm below the surface. The physical cold tolerance of Ph. ariasi could be underestimated. In more than - 50 cm of depth, the stable and continuously cold environment of the shelters (mean temperature less than 10°C) could inhibit the post-winter diapause activation of sandflies in the northern regions.

The Influence of the Reading Medium on Learning Efficacy

This paper outlines the differences between electronic and printed reading comprehension for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. It explores which sources EFL students prefer and the reasons behind that; whether the reading mode influences the comprehension of the material being read; and which reading strategies are applied to each reading mode. We hypothesize that comprehension is easier and more successful when reading from printed sources. The method includes an experiment with students from the English Language Teaching (ELT) Program at the South East European University (SEEU) in North Macedonia. It aims to analyze and compare text comprehension and strategies used during digital reading (e-reading) and printed reading (p-reading). Findings clearly showed a preference for p-reading and more successful comprehension with this mode. No difference was found in the reading strategies application between e-reading and p-reading. The main conclusion is that there are no differences in the cognitive process underlying reading and understanding of electronic and print media, but comprehension and hence learning is more successful with printed sources. Eye fatigue and brain strain are the greatest disadvantages of electronic reading. Current and future English teachers, educational workers and policy makers should consider these conclusions when creating curricula for all educational levels and all ages.

Evaluating the Cardiovascular Impact of Genetically Proxied PCSK9 and HMGCR Inhibition in East Asian and European Populations: A Drug-Target Mendelian Randomization Study.

Evaluating the Cardiovascular Impact of Genetically Proxied PCSK9 and HMGCR Inhibition in East Asian and European Populations: A Drug-Target Mendelian Randomization Study.

Borders, states, and armed conflicts in Europe and Northeast Asia since 1945: The moral hazard of great-power encroachments

This article discusses the significance of international borders in Europe and Northeast Asia during the Cold War (1945–1989) and after. Using the concept of ‘moral hazard’, the article examines what happens when great powers frequently violate the borders of neighboring countries without suffering adverse repercussions. Norms of sovereignty and territorial integrity are viable only if large countries are willing to uphold them most of the time. The Soviet Union used or threatened to use military force against East European countries on numerous occasions (1953, 1956, 1968, and 1980–1981) with impunity. The Russian Federation adopted a broadly similar policy toward neighboring countries that had been republics of the Soviet Union until 1991. Russian forces in Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Belarus, and Ukraine served as instruments of Russian hegemony in those countries. Until 2014, Western governments made little or no effort to deter or counter Russian military encroachments in neighboring republics. By the principle of moral hazard, leaders in the Kremlin came to believe that they could act with a free hand in the former USSR.

Coffee Intake, Plasma Caffeine Levels, and Kidney Function: Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Among East Asian and European Ancestries

IntroductionPrevious Mendelian randomization (MR) studies for the coffee-kidney association have reported inconsistent relationships in European populations and never examined mediators of this association. We aimed to evaluate this causal relationship using two-sample MR among both East Asian and European ancestries and to explore underlying mechanisms using plasma caffeine levels. MethodsAmong East Asians, the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) results for coffee intake, plasma caffeine levels, and kidney outcomes were obtained from 152,634, 8,940, and 47,070 Japanese adults. Among Europeans, summary statistics were acquired from European GWAS with 428,860, 7,719, and 564,470 adults for each trait. We applied different MR methods (inverse-variance weighted with random effects, weighted median, weighted mode, and MR-Egger). ResultsAfter excluding possible pleiotropic variants, among East Asian ancestry, drinking an extra coffee intake per week showed a protective association on eGFRcre (β=0.077; 95% CI=0.003 to 0.150). Analysis in European ancestry also showed a causal relationship between drinking an extra coffee intake per day and eGFRcre (β=0.052; 95% CI=0.027 to 0.078). These results were consistent across different MR methods accounting for invalid instruments. Higher plasma caffeine levels were associated with lower eGFRcre among both East Asian (β=–0.071; 95% CI=–0.137 to –0.006) and European ancestries (β=–0.048; 95% CI=–0.057 to –0.040). ConclusionsOur cross-ancestry MR study found beneficial effects of coffee intake on eGFRcre. However, given the possible adverse effects of plasma caffeine levels on eGFRcre, results interpretation should be carefully considered and further investigations on non-caffeine and biological pathways are needed.

Interrelationships among Early Triassic faunas of Western Gondwana and Laurasia as illuminated by a new South American benthosuchid temnospondyl.

The End-Permian Mass Extinction marked a critical turning point in Earth's history, and the biological recovery that followed the crisis led to the emergence of several modern vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. Even considering the importance of the Early Triassic biotic recovery for the evolution of modern faunas and floras, our knowledge of this event is still hindered by the sparse sampling of crucial geological formations. This leaves our understanding of Early Triassic ecosystems fundamentally biased toward productive and historically well-explored geological units. Recent surveys in poorly known Gondwanan localities, such as those within the Sanga do Cabral Formation in southern Brazil, have unveiled insights into Early Triassic terrestrial ecosystems, shedding light on a diverse and previously unknown tetrapod fauna. Here, we report the discovery of a new temnospondyl genus and species in the Lower Triassic Sanga do Cabral Formation. The new taxon can be confidently assigned to the Benthosuchidae, a stereospondyl clade with a distribution previously restricted to the East European Platform. Phylogenetic analysis confirms the relationship of the new genus to the trematosaurian lineage, being closely related to the genus Benthosuchus. Our results raise questions about the biogeographical history of stereospondyls after the End-Permian Mass Extinction and suggest a potential connection between Russian and South American Early Triassic faunas. Further investigations are needed to thoroughly explore the potential dispersal routes that may explain this seemingly unusual biogeographical pattern.

The Abundance оf Black Grouse in Northern Eurasia

This paper presents the estimate results of the average annual abundance of black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix L., 1758), made on the material of data bank (ISEA SB RAS) for groups of physico-geographical countries within the borders of the USSR 1990. On the East European and West Siberian plains, value of grouse abundance and total number were calculated on average separately for the first and second half of summer and in winter, mainly from 1960 to 2020, for physicogeographical countries – only for the first half of summer. The under-accounting of birds was revealed in the second half of summer on the both plains territory, which was made up with the help of additional calculations. As a result, value of the abundance and total number of birds were obtained for natural zones and subzones within Russia and the USSR, separately on the East European and West Siberian plains. A significant similarity of the grouse stock estimation results by weighted averages, separately by landscape groups, and by a simple average for the entire territory of a physico-geographical country or several of them in the first half of summer is shown. The second method of stock assessment compared with the first one gave results that differ for those plains within confidence intervals at a confidence level of 0.1. On the groups of physico-geographical countries territories in the first half of summer, the highest average annual values of the abundance and number of black grouse are appropriate of the European territory and the Urals as a whole, as well as in Western Siberia. The lowest values are typical for Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Sexual Knowledge and Expertise in Europe's East: Transnational Exchanges

East Central Europe played a crucial role in shaping the development of sexual science from the 1870s onwards. The life-histories of influential and well-known figures such as Sigmund Freud (born in Freiberg/Příbor), Magnus Hirschfeld (born in Kolberg/Kolobrzeg) and Karl Maria Kertbeny (born in Vienna, based in Budapest) reveal the imperial interconnectedness of East Central Europe with what would become Western Europe. By 1932, when the World League for Sexual Reform held its congress in Brno (following previous meetings in Berlin, London, Vienna, and Copenhagen), the society had established branches across the region, including Poland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. In that same year, Poland decriminalised homosexual acts. Yet, East Central Europe is often neglected in the history of sexology and little is known about how sexual science in these regions shaped, and was shaped by, global networks of knowledge production. Indeed, despite recent attempts to demonstrate the ways in which sexual science was a truly global enterprise, East Central Europe remains to be fully incorporated into our mapping of the global networks of sexological dialogue and exchange.1 This is especially true of scholarship on the period after the Second World War. Historians have tended to misconstrue the transnational nature of sexual science in East Central Europe both before and after 1945. First, the contribution of East Central Europeans to European cultures of scientific exchanges has been obscured by the tendency of much historical writing to focus on a small number of key pioneers (Krafft-Ebing, Magnus Hirschfeld, Sigmund Freud and Havelock Ellis). Second, it is assumed that East Central European sexual science was largely cut off from international networks of knowledge exchange after the Second World War following the onset of the Cold War.2 Third, there are preconceived notions that communist authoritarian governments, having curtailed political freedoms and economic entrepreneurialism, must have also taken a repressive stance against sexual expression.3 Fourth, the dominance of 1989 as the fundamental caesura has encouraged a periodisation that fails to draw enough attention to the shifts in transnational patterns of knowledge exchange around sexual politics during the period 1945 to 1989 and fails to identify key continuities that link the sexual politics of the contemporary world with those of the communist period. None of these assumptions can withstand scrutiny, as the articles in this forum reveal. Building on a recent boost in scholarly interest in the sexual histories of the region,4 we present a collection of papers that each detail the transnational connections of local sexual experts in creating sexual knowledge both before and during state socialism.5

A Glimpse of Baltic States over the Russia-Ukraine War

This article examines the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict and its implications for the Baltic states. In the wake of July 11, 2023, the NATO summit was held in Lithuania with the participation of U.S. President Joe Biden. The summit occurred amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine and provided an opportunity for the East European nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to assert their positions on international platforms. Thus, the Baltic states serve as a transformed stage for the strategic alliance among the EU allies and NATO in opposition to Russia. Russia disclosed a list of unfriendly countries and territories, which includes the Baltic states. The war between Russia and Ukraine poses a security threat to the Baltic states, given their close geographical proximity and location as a junction between East and West. However, the Baltic states receive high-level military drills and special training for their nation-level armed forces as NATO member countries. Subsequently, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has multiple implications for the Baltic states. Thus, the paper argues that the Russia-Ukraine military escalation has strong geopolitical, economic, socio-cultural, and security disruptions over the Baltic states.

Renewable Energy Policy and Market Developments in Kosovo

The paper highlights and analyzes the renewable energy policy instruments and market developments in Kosovo, with the aim of highlighting policy design and implementation lessons relevant to the wider and faster replication of RES (renewable energy sources) in Kosovo. The promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources is a high priority for several reasons. First of all the obligation rise from Kosovo’s membership in the Energy Community Treaty of South East Europe, the security and diversification of energy supply, environmental protection and social and economic cohesion. RES-E (renewable energy sources - Electricity) penetration, support schemes and certificate of origin will be presented in the context of Kosovo energy market. Successful policies also take into account real market factors and barriers, the need for simplicity and accountability, minimum costs and profitability levels.

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) interesting panoply of mechanisms to cope with contrasting water stress conditions – a controlled study of sub populational differences in a worldwide collection of accessions

The grain legume Lathyrus sativus L. (grass pea) is of high economic importance for food and feed in Asian and African developing countries and is part of cultural heritage of marginal areas in the Mediterranean region. Its outstanding robustness under adverse environmental conditions, when compared with other legume species, raises particular interest under the current climate change scenario. The aim of this work was to study the range, extent and mechanisms underlying this species’ reported tolerance to water stress. To achieve this, a worldwide representative collection of 194 grass pea accessions was subjected to specific well-watered, water deficit and waterlogging conditions. These conditions were defined previously to elicit differential physiologic responses among the collection on 21 days old plants as continuously kept at 95% field capacity, at 5 days without irrigation reaching 55% field capacity, and at 14 days of partial submergence, respectively. The assessment encompassed a comprehensive set of 20 traits, including gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf photosynthetic pigments, leaf water status and biomass partitioning. This detailed phenotypic analysis demonstrated that leaf relative water content and gas-exchange related traits are particularly useful to differentiate accessions’ response to water treatments. We discovered that accessions with light and large seeds mostly of Mediterranean and East European origins produce plants with high total dry biomass, a trait that is mostly genetically determined and less affected by the water treatment. On the other hand, it is mainly dark and small seeded accessions that show advantageous physiological responses to water deficit and/or waterlogging, according to pigment contents, root to shoot ratio and water use efficiency traits. This integrative screening also allowed the identification of accessions displaying contrasting levels of tolerance and susceptibility to each stress (five tolerant and five susceptible to each stress), plus one multi-tolerant (PI283546) and one multi-susceptible (PTLS1001) accession. A comprehensive and deep understanding of grass pea’s water stress tolerance mechanisms is the first step for a more efficient exploitation of this grain legume as a model crop for multiple abiotic stress resistance studies and opens doors for further progresses on crop breeding efforts towards securing food and feed supplies.