Eastern Central Asia Research Articles

The role of consumer characteristics in explaining product innovation performance: Evidence from emerging economies

Building on evolutionary perspectives, we offer a new demand-based explanation as to why the product innovation performance of firms varies across countries. We propose that certain consumer characteristics (namely, buyer sophistication, creativity, global identity and local identity) influence firms’ product innovation performance by a) affecting the creation and success of innovative products and b) strengthening (positively moderating) the effects that a firms’ R&D has on its product innovation performance. The analysis of 48,176 firm-level observations from 49 emerging economies in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa confirms most of the above predictions. The study complements prior perspectives on innovation performance, which largely focus either on the firm or its industry, by explaining the mechanisms through which consumer characteristics influence firms’ innovation performance, identifying which consumer characteristics matter, and advancing a demand-based perspective that has not attracted sufficient attention in the literature.

Land of Strangers: The Civilizing Project in Qing Central Asia by Eric Schluessel

Reviewed by: Land of Strangers: The Civilizing Project in Qing Central Asia by Eric Schluessel David A. Bello Land of Strangers: The Civilizing Project in Qing Central Asia by Eric Schluessel. New York: Columbia University Press, 2020. Pp. xiv + 289. $140.00 hardcover, $35.00 paper, $34.99 e-book. As its subtitle declares, Land of Strangers engages with the concept of the Confucian "civilizing project" to understand the incorporation of Xinjiang into China's last dynasty, the Qing (1644–1912), during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Schluessel's book, however, centers on the experiences of ordinary southern Xinjiang Muslims. Their daily lives were largely uninformed by nascent struggles of Uyghur protonationalism in conflict with a monolithic Chinese state—struggles that increasingly structure the narrative assumptions of current work on the region. The author wants to let his sources "speak for themselves, without a predetermined theoretical framework" to allow "their concerns to guide the research" (p. 222). Work on the territory that Schluessel sometimes calls "Xinjiang" and sometimes calls "East Turkestan" seems to bring out contradictory impulses in its historians. In this respect, Land of Strangers is no exception. One of the central contradictions at issue is the degree to which the Qing project in Xinjiang—the empire's most restive borderland—can be understood as "colonial," in a Western nineteenth- or twentieth-century sense. Of equal import is the book's critical historicist approach to another project, "the genealogy of Uyghur ethnonational identity," that leads scholars "inexorably" to late Qing Xinjiang, mainly in the [End Page 187] form of elite politics (p. 4). These two "persistent concerns" appear to guide the research agenda of Land of Strangers at least as much as any of those attributable to the ordinary East Turkestani Muslims—generally referred to as "Musulmans" in the text—of the late Qing (p. 216). Schluessel covers the process of Muslim identity formation mainly as it responded to Qing imperial centralization pressures to convert the territory to full provincial status in 1884. The main narrative focus is the reconstruction of Xinjiang after the suppression of Ya'qub Beg and his emirate (1865–1877) by the famous Xiang 湘 (Hunan) Army—the throne's most effective force for quelling the period's numerous regional uprisings, including the Taiping 太平 (1850–1864). Chapter 1 covers the philosophical underpinnings of a civilizing project in Xinjiang's reconstruction under the tutelage of elite Hunanese statecraft (jingshi 经世) activists. Central to this project was an emphasis on sociomoral transformation in southern Xinjiang, which aimed at "civilizing" Muslims on the basis of conservative Confucian concepts of family relations, classically laid down as "ritual" (li 礼). Chapter 2 provides a general summary of the project's futile implementation, which amounted to a destabilizing devolution of authority from center to locality and entrenched local interests inimical to provincial government. Instead of transforming Xinjiang into a Central Asian extension of China proper, the many statecraft expedients employed to impose idealized Han norms on a Muslim populace unintentionally exacerbated Xinjiang's unsettled and exceptional status within the empire. The ad hoc formation of an administrative zone of "exception" was most problematically exemplified by the extraordinary legal policy of execution on the spot (jiudi zhengfa 就地正法) without the normal confirmation by the emperor. In the process, state institutions proliferated, but they were not consolidated into a functional system. This conundrum was not resolved by a subsequent shift to more explicit "colonialist" policies that perpetuated and exploited Xinjiang's exceptional status. The withdrawal of state budgetary support in 1896, partly due to the overall fiscal weakness of the dynasty, officially acknowledged the failure of the Xiang Army's civilizing project. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on the Xiang Army's implementation of Muslim assimilation policies. The effects were not assimilation but instead reinforced boundaries between Muslim and Confucian values. These chapters rely much more heavily on a rich, mainly judicial, local [End Page 188] archive from Turfan Prefecture. Although substantially Sinophone by its very nature, this archive contains extensive translations of the testimony of Muslim locals as petitioners or perpetrators. Chapter 3 specifically focuses on the social significance of translation embodied in tongchi (Chg., interpreters) as "skilled manipulators of cultural and linguistic difference...

A pilot implementation study to scale-up methadone in incarcerated persons with opioid use disorder and retain them on treatment after release in Moldova.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia have intertwined HIV and incarceration epidemics, concentrated in people who inject drugs. Moldova is one of the few countries in this region that offers methadone within prisons, but uptake and post-release retention remains suboptimal. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) procedures are a potential implementation strategy to address this problem. From June 1, 2017 to March 3, 2018, we conducted a 2-stage SBIRT strategy in nine prisons and four pre-trial detention facilities in Moldova among incarcerated persons with opioid use disorder (OUD; N=121) and within 90 days of release. Survey results were analyzed to evaluate the effect of the SBIRT strategy on the uptake of and post-release retention on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Among the 121 screened with OUD, 27 were on MMT at baseline within the prison and this number increased to 41 after the two-step SBIRT intervention, reflecting a 51.9% increase over baseline. Eleven (78.6%) of the 14 participants that newly started MMT did so only after completing both SBIRT sessions. The brief intervention did not significantly improve knowledge about methadone but did improve attitudes towards it. Among the 41 participants who received methadone during this trial, 40 (97.6%) were retained 6 months after release; the one participant not retained was on methadone at the time of the intervention and had planned to taper off. The SBIRT strategy significantly improved participant attitudes, but treatment initiation mostly occurred after completing both sessions, including soon after release, but remained low overall. Work within the Moldovan prison subculture to dispel negative myths and misinformation is needed to further scale-up OAT in Moldova.

Cohort profile: the Kyrgyzstan InterSectional Stigma (KISS) injection drug use cohort study

BackgroundIn Kyrgyzstan and other Eastern European and Central Asian countries, injection drug use and HIV-related intersectional stigma undermines HIV prevention efforts, fueling a rapidly expanding HIV epidemic. The Kyrgyzstan InterSectional Stigma (KISS) Injection Drug Use Cohort is the first study designed to assess the impact of drug use, methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and HIV stigma experiences among people who inject drugs (PWID) on HIV prevention service utilization.MethodsAdult PWID were recruited from Bishkek city and the surrounding rural Chuy Oblast region in northern Kyrgyzstan via modified time location sampling and snowball sampling. All participants completed a baseline rapid HIV test and interviewer-administered survey. A subsample of participants were prospectively followed for three months and surveyed to establish retention rates for future work in the region. Internal reliability of three parallel stigma measures (drug use, MMT, HIV) was evaluated. Descriptive statistics characterize baseline experiences across these three stigma types and HIV prevention service utilization, and assess differences in these experiences by urbanicity.ResultsThe KISS cohort (N = 279, 50.5% Bishkek, 49.5% Chuy Oblast) was mostly male (75.3%), ethnically Russian (53.8%), median age was 40 years old (IQR 35–46). Of the 204 eligible participants, 84.9% were surveyed at month 3. At baseline, 23.6% had a seropositive rapid HIV test. HIV prevention service utilization did not differ by urbanicity. Overall, we found 65.9% ever utilized syringe service programs in the past 6 months, 8.2% were utilizing MMT, and 60.8% met HIV testing guidelines. No participants reported PrEP use, but 18.5% had heard of PrEP. On average participants reported moderate levels of drug use (mean [M] = 3.25; α = 0.80), MMT (M = 3.24; α = 0.80), and HIV stigma (M = 2.94; α = 0.80). Anticipated drug use stigma from healthcare workers and internalized drug use stigma were significantly higher among PWID from Bishkek (p < 0.05), while internalized HIV stigma among PWID living with HIV was significantly greater among PWID from Chuy Oblast (p = 0.03).ConclusionThe KISS cohort documents moderate levels of HIV-related intersectional stigma and suboptimal engagement in HIV prevention services among PWID in Kyrgyzstan. Future work will aim identify priority stigma reduction intervention targets to optimize HIV prevention efforts in the region.

Experimental Infection of Domestic Pigs with an African Swine Fever Virus Field Strain Isolated in 2021 from the Dominican Republic.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the etiological agent of African swine fever (ASF), a disease of domestic and wild swine that has spread throughout a large geographical area including Central Europe, East and Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa. Typically, the clinical presentation of the disease in affected swine heavily depends on the virulence of the ASFV strain. Very recently, ASFV was detected in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti, constituting the first diagnosis of ASFV in more than 40 years in the Western hemisphere. In this report, the clinical presentation of the disease in domestic pigs inoculated with an ASFV field strain isolated from samples collected in the DR (ASFV-DR21) was observed. Two groups of domestic pigs were inoculated either intramuscularly (IM) or oronasally (ON) with ASFV-DR21 (104 hemadsorbing dose-50% (HAD50)). A group of naïve pigs (designated as the contact group) was co-housed with the ASFV-DR21 IM-inoculated animals to evaluate ASFV transmission and disease manifestation. Animals inoculated IM with ASFV-DR21 developed an acute disease leading to humane euthanasia at approximately day 7 post-inoculation (pi). Interestingly, animals inoculated via the ON route with ASFV-DR21 developed a heterogeneous pattern of disease kinetics. One animal developed an acute form of the disease and was euthanized on day 7 pi, another animal experienced a protracted presentation of the disease with euthanasia by day 16 pi, and the remaining two animals presented a milder form of the disease, surviving through the 28-day observational period. The contact animals also presented with a heterogenous presentation of the disease. Three of the animals presented protracted but severe forms of the disease being euthanized at days 14, 15 and 21 pi. The other two animals presented with a milder form of the disease, surviving the entire observational period. In general, virus titers in the blood of animals in all study groups closely followed the clinical presentation of the disease, both in length and extent. Importantly, all animals presenting with a prolonged form of the disease, as well as those surviving throughout the observational period, developed a strong ASFV-specific antibody response. These results suggest that ASFV-DR21, unless inoculated parenterally, produces a spectrum of clinical disease, with some animals experiencing an acute fatal form while others presented with a mild transient disease accompanied by the induction of a strong antibody response. At the time of publication, this is the first report characterizing the virulent phenotype of an ASFV field strain isolated from samples collected in the DR during the 2021 outbreak and provides information that may be used in developing epidemiological management measures to control ASF on the island of Hispaniola.

Corruption and life satisfaction: Evidence from a transition survey

AbstractFighting corruption cannot lie exclusively on appropriate formal institutions. It also requires social support and public engagement. Particularly in countries under institutional and economic transition. We embrace the recent perspective arguing that higher quality of life conditions makes people better citizens, more civically committed and more conformed to institutional rules. Accordingly, we study whether life satisfaction is a predictor of individuals' corruption aversion across 28 former socialist countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. We use data from the third wave of the Life in Transition Survey (2015–2016). 2SLS estimations suggest that individuals reporting higher scores of life satisfaction are more averse to corruption. Our results are robust to a series of sensitivity analyses. Additionally, we estimate predicted values of corruption aversion for different levels of institutional trust across low and high life satisfaction groups. We find that when institutional trust is very low, its impact on corruption aversion does not differ between life satisfaction groups. As institutional trust increases so does corruption aversion and this occurs even more amongst the group of respondents with high life satisfaction.

Paving the way to understanding female-headed households: Variation in household composition across 103 low- and middle-income countries.

BackgroundFemale-headed households (FHHs) are regarded as disadvantaged. There are multiple social trajectories that can lead to women heading households. It is important to distinguish between these trajectories, as well as societal norms and contextual factors, to understand how and when are FHHs represented as a dimension of gender inequity. Our analysis defines and describes a typology of 16 FHH types (FHH16) based on demographic characteristics.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used national Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) in 103 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to identify a typology of FHHs based on the family composition and additional household members. We performed descriptive analyses at the household level to generate median proportions of the FHH16 types and selected household characteristics. We conducted cluster analyses to explore FHH16 patterns across naturally grouped clusters of countries and described selected social and economic indicators at the ecological level.ResultsThe most common FHH16 types were those where the women household heads lived with children only, were alone, or lived with men, women, and children, but without a husband. In Africa and South Asia, the most common FHH was one where women heads resided with children only. In East Asia and the Pacific, the highest proportion of FHHs were those with men, women, and children. In MENA and Eastern Europe & Central Asia, households with women heads living alone were the most prevalent. Latin America had more FHHs with husbands, comparatively, and the most common FHHs were those with heads living alone or with children. Our exploratory cluster analysis generated five clusters with unique FHH16 patterns. The clusters had distinct geographic, contextual and economic characteristics.ConclusionsOur typology showed that FHHs are heterogeneous within and between countries. The ecological analysis emphasized further variation created by different societal and cultural factors. Research around their vulnerabilities and strengths needs to consider these factors and their influence on socioeconomic status and health-related outcomes within households headed by women.

Strongest chemical weathering in response to the coldest period in Guyuan, Ningxia, China, during 14-11 Ma.

Moisture evolution in Central Asia including Northwest China shows less similarity with its surroundings and attracts a growing number of studies. In this study, a well-dated thick lacustrine sequence is chosen in Northwest China and detailed geochemical analysis is conducted during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT, 14–11 Ma). The multi-proxy records (Na2O/Al2O3, CIA, Rb/Sr) revealed that chemical weathering was the strongest during 11.85–11 Ma, the coldest period in 14–11 Ma as evidenced by the global deep-sea oxygen isotope records. Accordingly, we conclude that global climate cooled during MMCT and reached the coldest during 11.85–11 Ma. Thus, the westerly circulation became the strongest during this period, which brought more water vapor to Northwest China and the chemical weathering was significantly improved. On the other hand, the significant decrease in temperature led to the marked weakening of evapotranspiration, and thus the effective humidity was relatively increased. Both aspects contribute greatly to the significant enhancement of chemical weathering in eastern Central Asia. This weathering history of the sediments in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is of great scientific significance to understanding tectonism and climate change in Asia during MMCT.

Triple-stage India-Asia collision involving arc-continent collision and subsequent two-stage continent-continent collision

The enigmatic geodynamic processes involved in the India-Asia collision shape our understanding of uplift and deformation of the Tibetan Plateau and the subsequent changes in the land-sea distribution pattern, monsoon-arid environments and biotic evolution in Central-Eastern Asia. However, the current geodynamic models dealing with the India-Asia collision history exhibit significant discrepancies in how, when and where exactly the collision of India with Asia occurred. Recently, we proposed a new hypothesis that favored the opening and closure of a North India Sea during the late Cretaceous to Paleogene. Here we present new additional paleomagnetic data from the red siliceous shales and cherts of the Sangdanlin Formation, which were deposited on the most distal continental margin of the Tethyan Himalaya terrane, i.e. the southern margin of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, during the middle Paleocene. The combination of our new and previously reported paleomagnetic data shows that the Tethyan Himalaya was at a paleolatitude of 14.1° ± 1.9°N during the interval 62.5–59.2 Ma and refines the maximum size of the North India Sea to about 2200 ± 500 km. Combining our geodynamic model with recently published paleomagnetic data from the Kohistan-Ladakh arc, we conclude that the India-Asia collision was a triple-stage process, which involved an arc-continent collision followed by a two-stage continent-continent collision. The arc-continent collision occurred at ca. 64 Ma between the Tibetan Himalaya (Tethyan Himalaya plus Greater Himalaya) and the Trans-Tethyan subduction zone at a paleolatitude of ~8°N. The initial continent-continent collision took place at ca. 61 Ma between the Tibetan Himalaya (plus the accreted Trans-Tethyan subduction zone) and Lhasa terranes at a paleolatitude of ~14°N. The final continent-continent collision occurred during 53–47 Ma between India and the Tibetan Himalaya, diachronously suturing the North India Sea from west to east. The triple-stage collision scenario is in agreement with the history of India-Asia convergence rates, and is reflected by the presence of three slab remnants below Tibet and India as documented by seismic tomographic imaging. Our updated collision scenario reconciles multidisciplinary evidence for the India-Asia collision and provides better constraints on the resulting paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes in Central-Eastern Asia. • The Tethyan Himalaya was paleomagnetically constrained to a paleolatitude of 14.1° ± 1.9°N at ca. 61 Ma. • The arc-continent collision between the Tibetan Himalaya and the Trans-Tethyan subduction zone was estimated to be ca. 64 Ma. • The India-Asia collision was a triple-stage process.

Periodic decadal swings in dry/wet conditions over Central Asia

Periodic variability in the hydro-climatic system has important implications not only for climate prediction but also for planning and managing water resources. Here we identify periodic decadal variability of dry/wet conditions in Central Asia (CA) since the mid-20th century, which are tied to the Pacific quasi-decadal oscillation (PQDO) with a period of 8–16 years (r = 0.87). The periodically varying forcing in the Pacific modulates zonal winds and moisture transport and profoundly affects the precipitation on the decadal time scale. The PQDO-related equatorial central Pacific warming significantly heats the overlying troposphere, increasing the meridional temperature/geopotential gradients in the subtropics. As a result, the strengthened westerly jet in CA transports more water vapor from the North Atlantic and increases local precipitation. The plateau to the east further amplifies the increased precipitation in eastern CA through orographic influence on the convection and large-scale circulation. The atmospheric model forced by the PQDO signal reproduces an overall consistent mechanism with the observation, indicating a robust synchronization of the Central Asian hydro-climatic system to the PQDO. The newly discovered oscillatory feature in this study may advance the predictability of Central Asian precipitation on the decadal time scale, which promotes the mitigation and prevention of natural disasters like droughts and wildfires.

Petrogenesis of Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks in the Songnen Massif (northeastern China): Implications for basement composition and crustal growth

This paper reports new zircon U–Pb geochronological, whole-rock geochemical, and zircon Hf isotopic data for Neoproterozoic intrusive rocks in the Songnen Massif in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), with the aim of revealing the petrogenesis of the Neoproterozoic intrusive rocks, and constraining the basement composition and crustal growth process of the Songnen Massif. Dating results identify three episodes of Neoproterozoic magmatism at ca. 950, ca. 856, and ca. 790 Ma in the eastern Songnen Massif. The ca. 950 Ma magmatic rocks consist of syenogranites, the ca. 856 Ma magmatic rocks comprise mainly gneissic monzogranites, and the ca. 790 Ma magmatic rocks consist of gneissic monzonites and monzogranites. The Neoproterozoic granitoids have high contents of SiO2 and K2O, low contents of total Fe2O3 and MgO, and show characteristics of enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (e.g., K and Rb), and depletion in high-field-strength elements, implying that their primary magmas could have been derived from partial melting of the lower crust. However, compared with the ca. 790 Ma monzogranites [εHf(t) = +7.3 to +9.5] in the south of the Songnen Massif, the ca. 950 and ca. 856 Ma granitoids in the north have much lower zircon εHf(t) values (−2.0 to −0.2 and −10.6 to −8.9, respectively), suggesting that the ca. 950 and ca. 856 Ma magmas were generated by the reworking of ancient mafic lower crust, whereas the ca. 790 Ma granitic magma was generated by the reworking of juvenile mafic lower crust. In contrast, the ca. 790 Ma gneissic monzonites were formed by mixing of the mantle-derived and crust-derived melts. Considering the Precambrian magmatism, detrital and captured zircons, and zircon Hf model ages together, the Precambrian basement of the Songnen Massif includes not only the Neoproterozoic crustal materials, but also the Neoarchean–Mesoproterozoic components. Zircon εHf(t) values of the Neoproterozoic granitoids in the Songnen Massif appear to progressively decrease from south to north, reflecting a lateral heterogeneity of basement composition of the eastern Songnen Massif, and indicating that crustal growth occurred mainly during the late Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic in the south, while during the late Paleoproterozoic in the north.

Countermeasures for “East Turkistan” Terrorism

Under China’s high-pressure counter-terrorism situation, the characteristics of “East Turkistan” terrorist organizations’ looseness, risk liquidity and behavioral uncertainty are becoming more and more obvious, challenging the established counter-terrorism model. To adapt to the new situation and new risks, we must not only rely on military means to suppress East Turkistan terrorism, but also strengthen the social governance of East Turkistan terrorism and dismantle its social base and extremist ideology, so as to break away from the “more counter-terrorism” approach. The more we fight against terrorism, the more we can cut off the root of the development of East Turkistan terrorism.

Age and genesis of the Lamahanshan Ag-Pb-Zn deposit, southern Great Xing'an Range, northeastern China: Constraints from sphalerite Rb-Sr dating, fluid inclusions and H-O-S-Pb isotopes

The Lamahanshan deposit in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is a newly-discovered Ag-Pb-Zn vein deposit in the southern Great Xing'an Range (GXR). Vein-type Ag-Pb-Zn orebodies are mainly hosted in the fracture zones of gneissic plagiogranite, granite porphyry, and quartz porphyry. Mineralization comprises four stages: (I) quartz-magnetite, (II) quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite, (III) quartz-polymetallic sulfides, and (IV) quartz ± sphalerite. Sphalerite Rb-Sr dating yielded an isochron age of 137.7 ± 6.1 Ma, coeval with the regional Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Pb-Zn polymetallic mineralization. Three types of fluid inclusions (FIs), namely vapor-rich two-phase (LV-type), liquid-rich two-phase (VL-type), and daughter mineral-bearing three-phase (SL-type), are distinguished at Lamahanshan. Stage I and II contain all FI types with homogenization temperatures (Th) of 383–418 °C and 350–392 °C and salinities of 0.9–38.1 wt% and 0.7–35.0 wt%, respectively, whereas stage III contain VL- and LV-type FIs with Th = 318–349 °C and salinity = 0.7–10.5 wt%. Only VL-type FIs occur in stage IV, with Th of 271–320 °C and salinities of 4.3–7.8 wt%. The microthermometric and H-O isotope data (δ18OH2O = −9.4 to 0.9‰ and δD = −137.0 to −124.7‰) indicate that the ore-forming fluids were initially magmatic with later meteoric water incursion. Fluid boiling, cooling, fluid-rock reactions, and meteoric water mixing were the major ore precipitation mechanisms at Lamahanshan. The sulfide S (δ34S = 4.0–6.7‰), Sr ((87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.698957–0.700069), and Pb (206Pb/204Pb = 17.230–18.193, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.440–15.627, and 208Pb/204Pb = 37.664–38.407) isotopes also support that the metals were magmatic-derived. Integrating the available geological, mineralization, fluid inclusion, and H-O-S-Sr-Pb isotope evidence, we propose that the Lamahanshan deposit shares many similar features with distal magmatic-hydrothermal vein-type ores, and was formed in an extensional setting related to the Early Cretaceous Paleo-Pacific subduction rollback.

Pollen R-values in arid central Asia for quantitative palaeo-vegetation reconstruction

Establishing the relationship between surface pollen assemblages and related modern vegetation provides a bridge for reconstructing the palaeo-vegetation succession and related climate changes. Numerous contributions have demonstrated an inconsistency between the relative abundance values of surface pollen assemblages and corresponding modern vegetation for some taxa, which is attributed to differences in their pollen production, dispersal mode and preservation potential. Consequently, the concept of R-value was introduced as a correction coefficient to counterbalance this discrepancy. Unlike most of the complex forest and grassland ecosystems, desert vegetation with fewer dominant taxa provides a simpler model to demonstrate how to use the R-value to correct this deviation. Here, we propose a scheme of Rrel median values from modern desert vegetation types based on calculated R and Rrel adjustment coefficients of the dominant taxa using surface pollen and related modern vegetation data from 145 sample plots along an east-west desert transect in the eastern arid central Asia (ACA). These data revealed that 1) taking Nitraria as a reference, Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia and Ephedra are highly represented, while Tamaricaceae, Zygophyllaceae, Asteraceae (excluding Artemisia), Calligonum and Poaceae are poorly represented. 2) the pollen representation was constrained by their pollination strategies. For example, anemophilous plants (e.g., Ephedra, Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae) are mostly over-represented, while those of entomophilous taxa (e.g., Nitraria, Tamaricaceae, Zygophyllaceae and Calligonum) are under-represented. The scheme and findings mentioned above cast a new light on the future of quantitative reconstruction of palaeo-vegetation succession in the ACA.

Is mir125-a rs12976445 a significant predictor of the development of breast cancer in women?

Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality worldwide and the cancer deaths figure is estimated to reach 11 million by 2030 (Momenimovahed and Salehiniya, 2019). Among the cancers, breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide affecting more than 1 million women annually (Stuckey, 2011; Ghoncheh, et al., 2016). Breast cancer incidence varies widely, ranging from 27/100,0002 (Central-East Asia and Africa) to 85-94/100,0002 (Australia, North America and Western Europe) indicating that the environmental and genetic factors play significant role in incidence of breast cancer occurrence worldwide (Sancho-Garnier and Colonna, 2019). Considering the development and pathology of breast cancer, it is a highly heterogeneous cancer in its pathological characteristics, some cases showing slow growth with excellent prognosis, while others being aggressive tumors (Tao, et al., 2015). Despite many studies carried out to investigate the etiology of breast cancer, much of the etiology of this disease is unknown, however, many gene polymorphisms of breast cancer have been described as possible neoplasm etiologic factors (Bugano et al., 2008).MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to have a pivotal role in gene regulation and the control of cancer-related mechanisms such as apoptosis and metastasis. miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miRNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase II. The primary transcript is cleaved by the Drosha ribonuclease III enzyme to produce pre-miRNA, which is further cleaved by the cytoplasmic Dicer ribonuclease to generate the mature miRNA. The mature miRNA is incorporated into a RNA-induced silencing complex, which recognizes target mRNAs through imperfect base pairing with the miRNA and most commonly results in translational inhibition or destabilization of the target mRNA. Studies have shown that the miR-125 family acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer and inhibits ERBB2, ERBB3 and other target genes at post-transcriptional level. The miR-125 family has three homologues, hsa-miR-125a, hsa-miR-125b-1 and hsa-miR-125b-2 located at (19q.13.41), (11q.23) and (21q.21), respectively. Research shows ERBB2, HUR, ROCK-1, KLF13 and ARID3 genes are controlled by miR-125a. However, increased expression level of the genes is related to decreased expression of miR-125a, in breast cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the miRNA encoding genes are believed to be involved in cancer development (Bahreini et al., 2020). Single nucleotide polymorphisms such as rs143525273, rs12975333, rs10404453 and rs12976445 are effective in miR-125a expression. Due to the increasing incidence of breast cancer and important role of miR-125a rs12976445 in the disease many studies have cited this single nucleotide polymorphism (Tang et al., 2015; Tang et al., 2019; Duna et al., 2007; Inoue et al., 2014; Deng et al., 2017; Bahreini et al., 2021).In this study, blood samples were prepared from two groups: patients with breast cancern (approved by an oncologist) (n=51) and control healthy women (n=50) after obtaining written informed consent form. PCR-RFLP technique was used to determine miR-125a genotype. The data were analyzed using Chi-Square.Our findings indicated that there was significant difference regarding rs12976445 genotype distribution between the control group and patients with breast cancer indicating that rs12976445 might be a predictor of the development of breast cancer in women.

A crustal growth model for the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Constraints from granitoids in the Songnen Massif and Duobaoshan terrane

The crustal growth and reworking processes of accretionary orogen such as the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) have been a controversial issue. Here, we present in situ zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic data for granitoids from a microcontinent (the Songnen Massif) and an arc terrane (the Duobaoshan arc terrane), which generally represent two main crustal components in the eastern CAOB to establish a crustal growth model for an accretionary orogen and to trace the influence of the assembly and breakup of supercontinents on crustal evolution in an accretionary orogen. Neoproterozoic–Mesozoic granitoids distributed in the Songnen Massif show a step-like crustal growth pattern over time with three major periods of development: Paleoproterozoic crustal growth at 2.2–1.8 Ga, Mesoproterozoic growth at 1.6–1.0 Ga, and a third pulse of growth at 0.85–0.6 Ga, along with two short pauses at 1.8–1.6 Ga and 1.0–0.85 Ga. The assembly and collision phases of supercontinents corresponded to the enhanced and degressive crustal growth rates of the Songnen Massif, respectively, suggesting that the supercontinent cycles are responsible for the episodic crustal growth pattern in the region. Crustal reworking of the Songnen Massif occurred during 1000–180 Ma, with a fluctuation at 800–600 Ma, which provided a major contribution to the isotopic heterogeneity of lower continental crust. Isotopic compositions of granitoids from the Duobaoshan arc terrane located between the Xing'an and Songnen massifs, together with those of granitoids from other microcontinents, suggest that most of the continental crust beneath the microcontinents in the eastern CAOB generated during the Precambrian, whereas a significant amount of lateral crustal accretion occurred in continental arc settings during orogenies and amalgamation of microcontinents during the Phanerozoic.

Complex drought patterns robustly explain global yield loss for major crops

Multi-purpose crops as maize, rice, soybean, and wheat are key in the debate concerning food, land, water and energy security and sustainability. While strong evidence exists on the effects of climate variability on the production of these crops, so far multifaceted attributes of droughts—magnitude, frequency, duration, and timing—have been tackled mainly separately, for a limited part of the cropping season, or over small regions. Here, a more comprehensive assessment is provided on how droughts with their complex patterns—given by their compound attributes—are consistently related to negative impacts on crop yield on a global scale. Magnitude and frequency of both climate and yield variability are jointly analysed from 1981 to 2016 considering multiscale droughts, i.e., dry conditions occurring with different durations and timings along the whole farming season, through two analogous and standardized indicators enabling comparison among crops, countries, and years. Mainly winter wheat and then spring wheat, soybean and the main maize’s season reveal high susceptibility of yield under more complex drought patterns than previously assessed. The second maize’s season and rice present less marked and more uncertain results, respectively. Overall, southern and eastern Europe, the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa presents multi-crop susceptibility, with eastern Europe, Middle East and Central Asia appearing critical regions for the most vulnerable crop, which is wheat. Finally, yield losses for wheat and soybean clearly worsen when moving from moderate to extreme multiscale droughts.

Multistage evolution of the Keluo Complex in the northern Da Hinggan Mountains: Implications for the Mesozoic tectonic history of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The Da Hinggan Mountains (DHM) are located in the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and represent a prominent geomorphic marker of NE China, although its evolution history and exhumation/uplift mechanisms remain equivocal. Here, we present results from a comprehensive study on the field and micro-structures, kinematics, rheology, quartz EBSD fabrics, geochemistry and geochronology of the Keluo Complex (KC) exposed in the northern DHM. The KC is dominated by deformed Early Carboniferous to earliest Permian rocks (337–297.1 Ma) and is invaded by Early Mesozoic multi-stage granitic intrusions (219.8–175.5 Ma). These were further overprinted by magmatism, metamorphism, and deformation during the Late Jurassic (152.0–157.7 Ma) and late Early Cretaceous (118.3 Ma). The latest Carboniferous/earliest Permian rocks formed in a post-collisional extensional environment that might be related to the collision of the Xing'an and Songnen massifs. The Early Mesozoic rocks were derived from magma generated by partial melting of the lower continental crust within an active continental margin setting related to the subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean. Two prominent deformation events (D1 and D2) were recognized in the KC, which occurred in Late Jurassic and late Early Cretaceous. The D1 is dominated by SW-trending sinistral ductile shearing accompanied by moderate to high-temperature deformation (500–600 °C) resulting from NW–SE compression. The D2 is a bi-directional extensional and detachment deformation corresponding to a low temperature (300–400 °C) deformation developed at a shallow-level ductile regime resulting from NW–SE extension. The D1 deformation was influenced by subduction and closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean, whereas the D2 deformation is correlated to the superposition of the extension after the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean and the rollback of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. Our results provide new insights into the tectonic history of the DHM domain of the CAOB.

Female participation and financial performance of microfinance institutions: Evidence from transition economies

SummaryMotivationAlthough female clients are the main target of most Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), male–female workforce ratio in microfinance operations is not proportionate. There is a consensus that a greater female presence in the workforce at all hierarchical levels could enhance the financial performance of MFIs thanks to women’s tougher commitments and better managing capacity.PurposeThere is scarce research investigating which hierarchical levels of female workforce contribute to MFIs’ financial performance. This study aims at filling this gap by jointly analysing the effect of female participation at all hierarchical levels of MFIs, which is relatively rare in the existing literature, especially in microfinance.Methods and approachWe use data from 172 MFIs in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries (EECA) for the period 1996–2014. The data were then analysed by ordinary least squares, fixed, and random effects models, along with several diagnostic tests.FindingsWe find that female board members and female clients contribute positively to the financial performance of MFIs. The literature presents these outcomes as being due to women’s’ better organizational and monitoring techniques, and more responsible use of loans, respectively. However, our analysis shows that female managers and loan officers may impair financial performance to some extent, possibly because they face cultural limitations and safety obstacles, resulting in their being less persuasive and effective than men, especially in the process of collecting arrears payments.Policy implicationsOur study suggests that MFIs in the EECA context may improve their financial sustainability by reconsidering their organizational choices, such as operational recruitment, placing women at the top of the decision‐making process. At the lower levels of the hierarchy, particularly loan officers, it would be advisable to support them in the interaction with male customers, so that they can adopt more effective techniques in the loan collection phases. MFIs can also scale up their loan activities to more women since their representation in the client base is relatively low in the EECA region.

A revision of the Palaearctic Pimeliini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): a comparative analysis and systematic position of Eastern European and Asian taxa with dorso-lateral eyes

A taxonomic review of tenebrionid platyopoid genera of the subfamily Pimeliinae from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan is given. This group of taxa was known before 1994 as the tribe Platyopini Motschulsky, 1849, which is now interpreted as a junior synonym of Pimeliini Latreille, 1802. The group is different from other Pimeliini in having dorso-lateral eyes, located above the level of the genae, and it includes the following ultrapsammophilic genera at least from Central and Southern Asia: Apatopsis Semenov, 1891, Habrochiton Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907, Habrobates Semenov, 1903 [= Kawiria Schuster, 1935 syn. nov.], Dietomorpha Reymond, 1938, Przewalskia Semenov, 1893, Mantichorula Reitter, 1889, Platyope Fischer von Waldheim, 1820 [= Homopsis Semenov, 1893 syn. nov.], Earophanta Semenov, 1903. These genera are distributed in almost all large deserts of Palaearctic Asia: Karakum, Kyzylkum, Muyunkum, Taklamakan, Gobi, Registan, Dasht-e-Kawir, Dasht-e-Lut, as well as in other arid and semi-arid sandy landscapes from European Russia to the south of Eastern Siberia. The group of platyopoid genera is polyphyletic. We propose at least two monophyletic branches: the Habrobates genus group (the first four genera mentioned above), which represents the subtribe Habrobatina Nabozhenko &amp; S. Chigray subtrib. nov. and the Platyope genus group (latter four genera) within the nominotypical subtribe. A new species is described from Pakistan (Balochistan): Dietomorpha gonzalesi S. Chigray &amp; Nabozhenko sp. nov. Platyope granulata Fischer von Waldheim, 1820 is recorded for Kazakhstan for the first time. The following synonymy is resurrected: Apatopsis grombczewskii Semenov, 1890 = Apatopsis conradti Semenov, 1890, syn. resurr. Two new combinations resulting from the synonymy of genera are given: Habrobates gabrieli Schuster, 1935 comb. nov. (from Kawiria), Platyope grumi Semenov, 1893 comb. nov. (from Homopsis). Lectotypes are designated for the following taxa: Apatopsis grombczewskii (Semenov, 1891), Apatopsis conradti Semenov, 1891, Habrochiton vernus Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907, Habrobates vernalis Semenov, 1903, Kawiria gabrieli Schuster, 1935, Platyope dilatata Reitter, 1887; Mantichorula semenowi Reitter, 1889, Mantichorula grandis Semenov, 1893, Homopsis grumi Semenov, 1893, Platyope serrata Semenov, 1893, Platyope planidorsis Reitter, 1889, Platyope tomentosa Semenov, 1893. Additional information for type specimens studied by the authors is given for Habrochiton primaeveris Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907 (holotype), Habrobates vejisovi Kelejnikova, 1977, Platyope ordossica Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907 (holotype), Earophanta autumnalis Semenov, 1903 (holotype, junior synonym of E. planidorsis Reitter, 1889), Earophanta loudoni Semenov, 1903 (holotype, junior synonym of Earophanta pilosissima Reitter, 1895), Earophanta pubescens Skopin, 1960 (holotype, paratypes), Earophanta beludzhistana Bogatchev, 1957 (holotype).