Mainland East Research Articles

A Genomic Exploration of the Possible De-Extirpation of the Zanzibar Leopard.

The recently extirpated Zanzibar leopard was the only known African leopard (Panthera pardus spp.) population restricted exclusively to a major island habitat. Although its demise was driven through habitat change and conflict with humans, given its role as a keystone species for the Zanzibar Archipelago, its successful potential reintroduction might offer a means for helping preserve the natural biodiversity of its former habitat. Whether this is feasible, however, would be contingent on both whether closely related source populations can be identified on mainland Africa, and whether the Zanzibar form exhibited any special adaptations that might need to be considered when choosing such a source. In light of these questions, we genomically profiled two of the six known historic specimens, to explore whether they represent a realistic candidate for de-extirpation through reintroduction. Our analyses indicate that despite its geographical separation, the Zanzibar leopard shared a close genetic relationship with mainland East African individuals. Furthermore, although its uniqueness as an island population was emphasised by genomic signatures of high inbreeding and increased mutation load, the latter similar to the level of the critically endangered Amur leopard (P. p. orientalis), we find no evidence of functionally significant genetic diversity unique to Zanzibar. We therefore conclude that should attempts to restore leopards to Zanzibar be considered, then mainland East African leopards would provide a suitable gene pool.

From LIKE/LOVE to habitual: the case of Mainland East and Southeast Asian languages

From LIKE/LOVE to habitual: the case of Mainland East and Southeast Asian languages

Directions and dynamics of population processes in Siberia and the Far East during the Neolithic-Bronze and Early Iron Ages: cranial metric evidence

The purpose of the study is estimation of direction and dynamics of population processes from Neolithic to historical times on the vast territories of Northern Eurasia including Siberia, Russian Far East and Japanese archipelago. To achieve this cranial metric data on 62 ancient and 40 historical samples were analyzed by means of canonical variate analysis using mean intra-group correlation matrix. The obtained results reveal that in Neolithic three basal group of population can be detected in Siberia and Far East mainland. Basically the interaction of these groups explains morphological population landscape in post-Neolithic times. The first group, represented by the Baraba Neolithic series, is obviously the descendants of the Upper Paleolithic tribes of Western and Central Siberia. The second group is related to Boisman-2 sample from Primorye. The cranial characteristics of this series can be detected in Neolithic from Primorye to Baikal region. The third group is represented by a cranial series from the Diring-Yuryakh burial ground of the Ymyakhtakh culture located in Yakutia (Sаkha). Although this sample is not closely related to other ancient series used in the analyses it contributed to historical ethnic groups adjacent to Tuva and Mongolia. In Western Siberia massive gene flow related to Afanasievo in Eneolithic and especially Andronovo people in Bronze Age is detected. At the end of the Early Iron Age, the western migration vector changed to the eastern one. The results of canonical variate analysis reveal high level of morphological similarity between Baraba Neolithic sample, Jomon, and Epi-jomon. This result needs to be verified by other independent sources including morphologic and genetic studies.

An accident waiting to happen? Exposing the potential of urogenital schistosomiasis transmission in the Lake Albert region, Uganda

BackgroundUrogenital schistosomiasis caused by the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma haematobium is the most common form of that constitutes a majority of over 240 million schistosomiasis cases. The enigmatic absence of urogenital schistosomiasis in Uganda has, until now, been attributed to the absence of substantial populations of suitable snail intermediate hosts.MethodsMalacological surveys were carried out in 73 sites southeast of Lake Albert, Uganda in October and November 2020. Collected snails were transported to the laboratory for identification. The snails were identified using partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit one and nuclear internal transcribed spacer barcoding. Schistosome infections in snails were also assessed using cercarial shedding and rapid diagnostic PCR techniques.ResultsWe found Bulinus globosus and Bulinus nasutus productus, the main intermediate species in the transmission of S. haematobium in mainland East Africa. In this survey, B. globosus was more common than B. nasutus productus, with the former reported at four sites (total count = 188) and the latter reported at one site (total count = 79). Molecular testing revealed a high prevalence of Schistosoma bovis in B. nasutus productus (16%), but no S. haematobium infections were found.ConclusionsGiven the abundance of snail hosts and the risky human water contact behaviours observed, we highlight the potential for urogenital schistosomiasis transmission in the region.Graphical

Чагатайские и тимуридские панцирные нарукавья последней трети XIV – начала XVI в. и их дериваты

Introduction. The article deals with plated (lamellar) armguards (‘oversleeves’) used by warriors of the Chagatai Ulus and the Timurid Empire. Goals. The study aims to identify key trends in the evolution of plated armguards across the Chagatai Ulus, the empire of Amir Timur, and the Timurid states in the late 14th to early 16th centuries. Results. The study reveals oversleeve-type armguards were not that rare and exotic in the then armour patterns as is sometimes believed, and for several centuries the former successfully competed with vambraces and other armour elements supposed to protect shoulders and forearms. In a historical perspective, the late medieval armguards proved somewhat manifested optimization and modernization of the imperial-era ‘Genghisid’ armour from the 13th and 14th centuries. The High and Late Middle Ages, as well as early modern times, witnessed the use of segmented armguards by armoured warriors across Southern Siberia, West, Central, South, and mainland East Asia. However, evolutionary trends were distinguished by certain specifics in different regions. Such armguards existed mainly in the mid-14th to early 16th centuries. The oversleeve-type armguards were evolutionarily drifting toward the optimization of plate embedding patterns (belts be replaced by rivets), as well as a gradual increase in the elasticity of this armour element via plate size reduction. The latter made it possible to place plates in several rows and expand the protected area up to the wrist. The final stage in the development of such plated armguards across the Muslim East was mail and plate ‘sleeves’. Segmented armguards could be worn with body armour characterized by different plate embedding structures (i.e., plates riveted, sewn, laced or connected with pieces of chainmail, as well as onto chainmail only). The main consumers of long plated oversleeve-type armguards in troops of Timur and Timurids were representatives of the nobility and line officers. Conclusions. The plated armguards were left behind by Central Asian communities as a result of transformed local military traditions in the aftermath of the collapse of the Timurid states in the early 16th century.

High mortality of beetle migrants along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway

Abstract Migration is costly in terms of increased energy expenditure and exposure to risks encountered en route. These factors can lead to a higher mortality among migrants compared with more sedentary life history stages. Insect migrants are incredibly numerous, but as they are less conspicuous than vertebrate migrants and as migration often occurs at high altitude and over a broad front, it can be difficult to study migration‐related mortality. A major source of information on migration‐related mortality comes from cadavers found on the strandline following unsuccessful sea crossings. Here, we analyse strandline mortality following a 100 km crossing of open ocean along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway from the Middle East mainland to the island of Cyprus by tens of millions of insects. All strandline recordings were of two species of beetles, the seven‐spot ladybird Coccinella septempunctata and the carabid beetle Calosoma olivieri, whereas only nine individuals of C. septempunctata were caught successfully arriving with the rest of the insect assemblage over the ocean. Major strandings were associated with easterly winds, suggesting origins from the Middle East mainland, with the individuals documented as extremely weak and unable to fly or dead. Our results suggest that beetles are weaker migrants than other members of the migratory insect assemblage, with the sea crossing too far for the great majority to fly, leading to high mortality. The impact of this high mortality on the marine ecosystems is discussed.

Response of East Asian summer monsoon to precession change during the mid-Pliocene warm period

Numerous palaeoclimatic records have shown that precession plays a dominant role in the Asian monsoon precipitation. However, the impact and mechanism of precession change on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) under high CO2 conditions have yet to be studied. The mid-Pliocene (∼3.3–3.0 Ma) was the most recent warm interval during which atmospheric CO2 concentrations were similar to the present level of ∼400 ppmv. Therefore, it is often regarded as an analog for a near-future climate scenario. Here, the influence of precession change on EASM is investigated through numerical climate modeling using the mid-Pliocene as a test case. The results show that from the minimum to maximum of the precession, the summer temperature maximum zone shifted northward from ∼30°N to ∼45°N and the summer precipitation increased by ∼60% over the mainland East Asia. The simulations also show that the top-of-atmosphere insolation increased significantly in the Northern Hemisphere summer over mid- and high-latitudes and increased slightly over low latitudes from the precession minimum to maximum, leading to a substantial increase in the thermal contrast between the mainland East Asia and the equatorial western North Pacific. In this scenario, the western North Pacific subtropical high intensified and expanded, and the ITCZ migrated northward over South and Southeast Asia and was shifted southward over the area between the 110°E and 130°E, thereby leading to the rain belt penetration into northern China.

EURASIA'S RESISTANCE TO THE OCEANIC POWERS THE US-RUSSIA CONFLICT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EU, CHINA OR INDIA

Geopolitical Eurasia is the large continental mass with the Heartland core group: Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and so on, exporters of raw materials by direct land and the Continental Rimland: China, Germany, Turkey, Italy, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Thailand and so on, made up of Continental Powers, while the Oceanic Powers, led by the US dominating maritime trade and oceanic embargo capacity, brings together exporting powers: Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE and so on and industrialized maritime powers: Great Britain, Japan, etc., alongside exporting states constrained by them, from Africa, Latin America and island Asia. If the US succeeds in the trade blockade of the Heartland, stopping the export of cheap and abundant raw materials, it indirectly brings the European Union, mainland East Asia (China) and South Asia (India) to its knees, delivering four strikes direct and preventing the emergence of a power that would take its place as world leader. If the Rimland manages to bypass the American embargo by continuing to import from Heartaland, Britain will lose dominance in Europe to Germany, Japan will lose the dominance of Asia before China, Saudi Arabia before Iran and India will dominate the Indian Ocean, hence the 3+1 main regions taking over Africa, America and Australia, which will culminate in the decline of the US power, the dominance of the Eurasian world and of the continental powers before the maritime powers.

Ancient Koguryŏ’s heritage around Ji’an: past and current interpretations

ABSTRACT The Kingdom of Koguryŏ was one of the so-called Three Kingdoms of Korea in the 1st millennium AD. According to the Samguk Sagi (Historical Records of the Three States), it was founded on what is now North Korea and northeastern China. Not only are the archaeological remains a cultural asset that should not be underestimated, they are powerful enough to be claimed for political purposes today. Overland connections from the Chinese mainland east to Japan and Korea are long recognised. These empires were extremely rich and powerful at the time of the Tang (617/18–907 AD) – Nara in Japan, as well as Koguryŏ, Silla and Paekche on the Korean Peninsula. This paper considers the impressive remains of the Koguryŏ culture, not least in China’s Jilin Province along the North Korean border and explores the historical and archaeological legacy and power of the Koguryŏ Empire.

Shifting proximities: visualizing changes in the maritime connectivity of African countries (2006/2016)

ABSTRACT As a process, containerization in Africa is still on-going. In the last decades, a number of new port projects have emerged in parallel with the reorganization of services by shipping companies. To reflect these changes, this paper studies several questions on the geographic differentiation of maritime connectivities across the continent as well as on the longitudinal trends in maritime connectivities in relation to evolving economic, trade and logistical contexts. To this end, we propose a synthetic visualization of the country-level containerized links using the Liner Shipping Bilateral Connectivity Indicator (LSBCI). The resulting graph, obtained through Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), shows that West Africa and East Africa appear as relatively separated subsystems, mediated by several countries in the Northern and the Southern parts of Africa. Between 2006 and 2016, West Africa, initially tied to Europe and America, is increasingly tied to Asia. Our results show major improvements in the maritime connectivity of Morocco, Djibouti and several West African ports. Conversely, most of mainland East African countries stagnate or decline. Connectivities have not converged across the continent. In some cases changes in maritime connectivity mostly result from variations in vessel size. We explore a method to identify these situations.

Researching the Aftermath of Slavery in Mainland East Africa: Methodological, Ethical, and Practical Challenges

ABSTRACT This article examines ethical, practical, and methodological challenges in researching the aftermath of slavery in continental East Africa away from the coastal plantation belt. Interest in post-slavery there is recent and inspired by the apparent contrast with West Africa, where the issue is much more salient. The article explains this silence by highlighting politically-motivated avoidance of the issue in colonial sources and the preference of post-colonial historians for ‘useful’ pasts. Further, it questions the balance of successful integration and continuing marginalization reflected in the apparent obsolescence of slavery. It argues that tracing the trajectories of ex-slaves requires attention to all forms of social inequality and dependency, to the potential status implications for informants of speaking about slavery, and to the variety of terms and fields of meaning relevant to freedom, unfreedom and dependency. Recent research in this vein shows that slave antecedents remain a matter of aibu, shame, and that ex-slaves’ disappearance as a social category took lifelong efforts on their part. While the social valence of slave antecedents is relatively limited in mainland East Africa, slavery remains a problematic and painful heritage that demands great circumspection by researchers.

Stunting Determinant Analysis in the East Mainland Province of East Nusa Tenggara for the Period of 2017-2021

Background: The Mainland of Timor, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT) has a diverse regional topography with a high prevalence of stunting (>20%). The local government has taken preventive measures. However, the results show a very small reduction in the prevalence of stunting (±2-3%/year). This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the incidence of stunting in the Eastern Mainland Region, NTT Subjects and Method: This data was a cross-sectional study conducted in NTT, from in June to August 2022. A sample of 28 informants who were selected with the following considerations: officials from the Health Office, PUPR Service, Agriculture Service, and Regency/ City BPS data managers for the Eastern mainland region of NTT. The dependent variable was stunting. The independent variables were Availability of Public Health Workers, Infectious infectious diseases, Open defecation behavior, Family income level, Availability of clean water and proper sanitation, Exclusive breastfeeding, Posyandu visits, Program for giving iron tablets to young women, and Administration of Vitamin A. The data were analyzed by linear regression analysis. Results: Factors that influence the incidence of stunting were sanitation factors (b= -2.22; 95% CI= -3.52 to -0.91; p= 0.012), factor of pneumonia infection (b= 0.07; 95% CI= 0.01 to 0.13; p= 0.038), open defecation behavior factor (b= 2.60; 95% CI= 0.99 to 4.21; p= 0.014), and family income level factor (p= -1.21; 95% CI= -1.80 to -5.70; p= 0.009). Conclusion: The incidence of stunting in the East Mainland Region, NTT is influenced by factors: sanitation, pneumonia infection, open defecation behavior; and family income level. Keywords: stunting incidence, eastern mainland, sanitation factors, infectious diseases, pneu­mo­nia, open defecation. Correspondence: Intje Picauly, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Ku­pa­ng City, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Jl. Adi Sucipto Penfui, Penfui, Maulafa, Kupang, Nusa Teng­gara Timur. Mobile: +62822-3714-5517. E-mail: intjepicauly@staf.undana.ac.id. Journal of Maternal and Child Health (2022), 07(06): 711-719 https://doi.org/10.26911/thejmch.2022.07.06.09

A semantic typology of location, existence, possession and copular verbs: areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia

AbstractThis study is based on a sample of 116 languages from the Mainland East and Southeast Asian linguistic area. Its first objective is to examine four distinct synchronic patterns of areal polysemy, created by the semantic domains of copular, locative, existential and possessive verbs and the constructions they form. As a consequence, its second objective is to model the diachronic change underlying four language types identified on this basis from the data. We argue that there are three grammaticalization pathways which motivate the four synchronic patterns: Type III languages are distinguished by the grammaticalization chain: (Postural verb) > (Dwell) > Locative > Existential > Possessive,while the other two types, Type II and Type IV, show an opposing pathway: (Grasp) > Possessive > Existential. Type I and Type II languages additionally reveal a recurrent polysemy betweenLocativeandCopularverbs. On this basis, an implicational universal is adduced to the effect that no diachronic adjacency exists betweenlocativeandpossessiveconstructions. Crucially, the intervening stage of anexistentialconstruction provides the necessary bridging context forpossessivereanalysis in this first pathway, whilepossessiveverbs are formally distinct fromlocativesin the second, bearing no diachronic relationship to them. The findings on the patterns of polysemy sharing reinforce the notion of a clear typological split between Tibeto-Burman languages on the one hand, and Sinitic, Kra–Dai, Hmong–Mien, and Austroasiatic on the other.

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Corpus for the article: 'A semantic typology of locative, existential and possessive verbs in Mainland Southeast Asia: Areal patterns of polysemy in Mainland East and Southeast Asia'. Linguistics 60(1).

Taming rock music in communist states: Politicisation of Western popular culture in East Europe and mainland China

A comparison of the former Eastern Bloc and China’s ways of dealing with the social implications of rock music as an alien cultural import from the West reveals significant analogies. The paper traces the process of politicisation of rock music and compares the two different cultural spaces by mapping each space’s state ideology, aesthetic traditions and identities, and discriminative political and economic tools used to marginalise rock. Here the term politicisation refers mainly to the polarisation between the communist regimes’ restrictive policies, and the attempts of the rock scenes to sustain their discriminating characteristics and relationship to protest. While in European communist states rock played a relevant subversive role, conversely, in China any ‘rocking’ of the state has largely been averted. The Chinese rock scene as an off-mainstream urban subculture has received less popular support than its counterpart in Europe and has also proved less politically significant. This comparative case study discusses the relationship between popular music and politics by tracing analogies and differences between the former Czechoslovakia, where the ideologisation and politicisation of rock reached the highest point in the Eastern Bloc, and contemporary China.

Climate-driven soil erosion processes in alpine environments over the last century: Evidence from the Taibai Mountain (central China)

Over the last century, climate warming has increased vegetation coverage in alpine regions, having major implications for associated terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Due to the remoteness of mountainous regions, there is a paucity of monitoring data regarding the response of catchment processes to climate change. Particle size distribution, magnetic properties, and elemental contents were investigated in 210Pb-dated sediment cores (34 cm in length) collected from two hydrologically-connected cirque lakes in the Taibai Mountain (the highest mountain in east mainland China). Both lakes have experienced directional environment changes since the 1980s, suggested by concurrent increases in magnetic susceptibility and organic matter. Prolonged growth season under a scenario of warmer climate has promoted vegetation development and soil conservation, subsequently increasing the contribution of terrestrial detritus derived from top soils that are rich in magnetic minerals and organic matter. Contents of clay and silt remained high throughout the two sediment cores, suggesting that depositional environment was relatively stable in both lakes. However, few peaks in coarse particles probably resulted from the cold and wet climate between the 1940s and the 1970s. During the relatively cold and wet episodes, prolonged snow-packs and enhanced melt-water discharge would strengthen bedrock weathering and erosion intensity, subsequently increasing the influxes of coarse particles. This is the first study to reveal decadal-scale changes in catchment processes of the Taibai Mountain, and the results highlight positive effects of climate warming on environmental protection of our study site and other similar alpine mountains through promoting water and soil conservation.

Tectonic significance of a supra-ophiolitic sedimentary cover succession, Unst, Shetland, Scottish Caledonides: insights from the U–Pb–Hf detrital zircon record

The tectonic significance of the Muness Phyllite, which overlies the Unst–Fetlar ophiolite in Shetland, Scottish Caledonides, is poorly understood. U–Pb analyses of detrital zircons show that it was deposited after c . 469 Ma. Early Paleozoic grains have ε Hf values of −0.3 to +12.3 and were probably derived from the extension of the Midland Valley arc. Psammite clasts and the matrix of the Muness Phyllite contain Proterozoic and Archean detrital zircons with age peaks of c . 1, 1.4–1.5, 1.6–1.7, 1.8–1.9 and 2.7 Ga. These are consistent with ultimate derivation from NE Laurentia sources and were probably recycled from the Neoproterozoic East Mainland Succession that underlies the Mesozoic East Shetland Basin. The Muness Phyllite is interpreted to have been deposited soon after the Grampian I orogeny in a successor basin that overstepped and received detritus from the Midland Valley arc, the East Mainland Succession and the Unst–Fetlar ophiolite. It was then deformed and metamorphosed, probably at c. 450 Ma during the Grampian II orogenic event. The Muness Phyllite therefore provides a record of middle to late Ordovician tectonic events along the Scottish sector of the Laurentian margin following ophiolite obduction. Supplementary material: Analytical details and instrumentation parameters and U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic data are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5324986

Intra-area factors dominate the spatio-temporal transmission heterogeneity of hand, foot, and mouth disease in China: A modelling study

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has been a serious threat to children's health in China since 2008, and quantifying the transmission heterogeneity of HFMD is crucial for understanding its spatio-temporal dynamic mechanisms and developing precise disease containment strategies. In this study, surveillance data of HFMD cases for patients 15 years of age or younger in east Mainland China between 2009 and 2015 was retrieved from the national surveillance system, and then an age and gender–stratified spatiotemporal Bayesian hierarchical model was built with three types of transmission hazards (intra-area transmission, inter-area transmission, and environmental risk factors). Spatial and temporal heterogeneities of HFMD transmission were quantified by the contribution of the hazard components over time and regions. In addition, the transmission heterogeneity by age–gender subgroups was determined by the transmission probabilities derived from the transmission rate matrix. We found that the intra-area transmission hazard dominated HFMD transmission (56.4% to 96.3%), followed by environmental risk factors (1.1% to 42.1%), whereas the contribution of the inter-area transmission hazard component was relatively small (1.5% to 3.6%). During school holidays, the contribution of the inter-area transmission component caused an instantaneous increase in the overall transmission hazard. In addition, the cumulative hazard contribution across time varied with the geographic region, and three distinct clusters were identified and related with the size of the local population. Moreover, the transmission probability was the highest among the same age–gender group within the intra-area transmission hazard, whereas inter-area and environmental transmission hazards had stronger effects among older children. HFMD transmission varied significantly over time, geographical regions, and age–gender subgroups. Development of targeted and individualized precise policies of HFMD control can benefit from illuminating its spatiotemporal transmission heterogeneity and consideration of the characteristics of population at risk.

Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA) for Southeast Coast of Chinese Mainland and Taiwan Island

AbstractA Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA) study on the Chinese Mainland and the Taiwan Island was conducted. Characterized by broad and shallow continental shelves, the offshore region along Chinese Mainland's east coast yields a significant nonlinear effect and bottom friction to the propagating long waves. To address these shallow‐water effects, a fully nonlinear Boussinesq model was used in the computation‐based PTHA framework. We found that the inappropriate usage of the linear wave model could considerably overestimate the tsunami hazards along the East China Sea (ECS) and the Yellow Sea. Tsunami hazard along the coastline of Chinese Mainland is generally moderate. Elevated tsunami hazard levels are found along both flanks of the Yangtze and Pearl estuaries. The probability of these coastlines impacted by 1 m or greater tsunami waves (at 10‐m isobath) is about 14%–40% in next century. The shallow and tongue‐shaped submarine terrain amplifies the hazard level by trapping the tsunami energy in these areas. Major subduction zones in the Northwest Pacific were identified as the main sources of destructive events along the coast of ECS and the Taiwan Island, while the Manila Trench is the main source zone that threatens the Northern South China Sea. The tsunami hazards generated by the crustal earthquakes are modest, yet not negligible, particularly in the Taiwan Strait. We found the risk of tsunami inundation along the coast of Shanghai is low based on the hazard curves of total water level that incorporates the aleatory uncertainty of tides.