Eastern Counties Research Articles

How Can Digital Villages Improve Basic Public Services Delivery in Rural Areas? Evidence from 1840 Counties in China

Digital transformation is spreading from urban to rural areas, and the construction of digital villages has become a key growth point for rural sustainable development globally. Digital villages improve the level of basic public services delivery in rural areas via the penetration of digital technology. However, few studies have empirically investigated the theoretical mechanisms underlying the impact of digital villages on various aspects of rural basic public services. To address these gaps, this study investigates the impact mechanisms of digital villages on rural basic public services delivery in terms of accessibility, equity, agility, holistic nature and participation. Using 1840 counties in China as the research sample, this study applies the entropy method to extract a composite index of basic public services and performs correlation, regression, and heterogeneity analyses to examine the effects of digital villages on basic public services delivery. Empirical analysis results show that the construction of digital villages is positively associated with the level of basic public services in rural areas. Meanwhile, heterogeneity analysis results confirms that this relationship is mainly observed in eastern counties but not observed in central and western counties. These findings provide a basis for using digital inclusion to improve basic public services delivery in rural areas and achieve balanced development across regions.

Factors Influencing the Health of Cities: Panel Data from 22 Cities in Taiwan

There is an increasing emphasis on creating healthier living spaces and improving quality of life, making the planning and establishment of healthy cities a pivotal policy and a developmental goal worldwide. This study adopted WHO-recommended indicators for healthy cities and employed stochastic frontier analysis to estimate the correlation between influencing factors and efficiency in developing healthy cities across 22 counties and cities in Taiwan from 2001 to 2022. This study yielded several key findings: (1) there was significant room for improvement in the development of healthy cities in Taiwan; (2) western metropolitan areas demonstrated higher efficiency compared to eastern counties, cities, and outlying islands; and (3) key indicators of a healthy city included nursing manpower, air quality, employment rates, income levels, and the availability of kindergartens. Developing healthy cities requires integrating various factors including policy, environmental conditions, societal aspects, and economic considerations. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential for fostering sustainable, healthy cities.

Impacts of landscape dynamics on terrestrial ecosystem health in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

Forest landscapes changed notably due to natural disturbances and human activities, and are threatened by environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Evaluating terrestrial ecosystem health is beneficial for promoting vegetation protection and restoration efforts. This study analyzed the spatial-temporal evolution of three landscapes (i.e., natural/semi-natural vegetation, agricultural vegetation, and non-vegetation landscapes) of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) from 1990 to 2020, and explored their impacts for terrestrial ecosystem health (EH) which was estimated by vigor-organization-resilience (V–O-R) model. The results demonstrated that terrestrial EH improved during 1990–2020 because of the increasing natural/semi-natural vegetation landscapes of >1000m and >25° areas. Regions of higher EH levels were the northern and eastern counties dominated by natural/semi-natural vegetation, while regions of lower EH levels were the middle counties dominated by agricultural and non-vegetation landscapes. The relationships between natural/semi-natural vegetation landscape and EH were positive, while agricultural and non-vegetation landscapes were negatively related to EH. Moreover, climate and socioeconomic factors exerted a negative correlation with EH, while soil and topography factors were positively correlated with EH. Our findings support the importance of considering landscape dynamics in promoting ecological restoration and enhancing EH, providing scientific references for ensuring sustainable development of the TGRA and other similar ecological vulnerable regions.

Soil erosion prediction and spatiotemporal heterogeneity in driving effects of precipitation and vegetation on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain

Soil erosion changes become more unclear in the future due to climate change and increased human activity. However, the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the driving effects of key factors on soil erosion remains inadequately understood on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NSTM). In this paper, the spatiotemporal evolution of soil erosion on the NSTM was evaluated in the historical period (2000–2015) by the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. Subsequently, the FLUS-CMIP6-RUSLE model was employed to predict soil erosion in the future period (2030–2050). Then, the GTWR model was used to dissect the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the driving effects of precipitation and vegetation. The results indicated that soil erosion on the NSTM fluctuated from 2000 to 2015, increasing by 1.77 t ha −1 yr −1. Soil erosion areas mainly occurred in Changji City, Fukang City, Hutubi County, Mulei County, Qitai County, and Turpan City. The soil erosion modulus in 2030, 2040, and 2050 under different climate scenarios will be 26.56,28.83, and 37.49 t ha −1 yr −1, respectively. The spatial pattern of soil erosion is similar to the historical period. Precipitation was the main factor intensifying soil erosion in the eastern and western counties from 2000 to 2020, while the soil erosion change in central counties was affected by vegetation. In the future, soil erosion change in the counties (i.e., Karamay, Yili, Tacheng, Shihezi, Manas, Qitai, and Mulei) will be driven by precipitation. The vegetation will be the main driver of soil erosion change in central and eastern counties (i.e., Urumqi, Turpan, Fukang City, Jimsar County, and Changji City). This study firstly attempts to explore the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the driving effects of precipitation and vegetation using Spatial-Temporal Geographically Weighted Regression (GTWR) in urban agglomerations of NSTM. It is meaningful to explore erosion-prone regions and to implement rational soil conservation measures in the study region and similar regions in the world.

Impact of transport superiority on ecosystem health in arid regions: A case study of southern Xinjiang, China

The increasingly improved transportation infrastructure network is the prerequisite and foundation for driving regional development. Scientifically investigating the mechanisms by which the transport superiority degree (TSD) in arid regions affects the health of ecosystems holds significant practical value and importance for ecosystem protection and regional sustainable development. This study investigates the impact of the TSD on the Ecosystem Health Levels (EHL) in Southern Xinjiang, China, an area characterized by its arid climate and ecological vulnerability. Arid regions, such as Southern Xinjiang, often face unique ecological challenges, including water scarcity, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss, which can be exacerbated by human activities including transportation infrastructure development. By leveraging multi-source remote sensing data, this research aims to uncover the intricate dynamics between TSD and EHL in such a fragile ecological context. The findings of this study are critical for understanding the balance between infrastructural development and environmental conservation in arid regions and provide valuable insights for sustainable planning and policy-making in similar ecological settings. The research results show the following: (1) Over the study period, county-scale TSD in southern Xinjiang generally increased, while the conditions of EHL deteriorated, with higher EHL in the eastern counties than in the western counties. (2) Bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis reveals a significant spatial dependency between county-scale TSD and EHL, with primary relationship types being LH (Low TSD − High EHL) and HL (High TSD − Low EHL). (3) Spatial regression model results indicate that an increase in TSD leads to the deterioration of county-scale EHL, and during the study period, it was observed that the interference of TSD on EHL gradually weakened.

An Exploration of Rural Housing Insecurity as a Public Health Problem in California's Rural Northern Counties.

Although widely acknowledged as an important social determinant of health, until recently researchers and policymakers have primarily approached housing insecurity as an urban issue, obscuring the visibility of its impacts in rural contexts, including the ways in which housing insecurity intersects with other health and structural inequities facing rural populations. Working to address this gap in the existing literature, this paper explores the experiences of housing insecurity in a rural context by reporting on an analysis of 210 in-depth interviews with 153 adults between the ages of 18-35, living in California's rural North State, a relatively overlooked far northern region of the state comprised of 12 north central and north eastern counties. Using in-depth qualitative interview data, we conducted an exploratory pattern-level analysis of participants' narratives structured by four dimensions of housing insecurity defined in the literature (housing affordability, housing stability, housing conditions, and neighborhood context). Drawing attention to the pervasiveness of rural housing insecurity within our sample, this analysis highlights the unique ways in which rurality creates distinct experiences not currently captured in the existing literature. Further research is needed across different types of rural communities to better understand the various ways that housing insecurity affects the everyday lives and health of rural residents. By grounding research within the experiences of rural residents, we are better able to respond to the crisis of rural housing insecurity and develop solutions that are tailored to rural residents' unique needs.

Pathways to sustainable transitions in a complex agricultural system: a case study of swine waste management in North Carolina

North Carolina has a high density of swine farms with nearly half of the commercial operations located in two eastern counties. Lagoon and sprayfield (LS) is the dominant method of swine manure management despite pressure to transition to environmentally superior technologies. LS is an efficient and cost-effective method of waste management but has negatively impacted the environment and local communities from both discreet events (breeches, flooding) and ongoing issues (odor, disease vectors). The Multilevel Perspective Theory (MLP) is a frame for understanding the relationships between a sociotechnical regime, its surrounding landscape, and emerging niches for sustainable technology development to help align these different levels of perspective and support transitioning toward more sustainable practices. Here, a farm level is added to represent the user perspective of regime technology in complex agriculture systems (MLP + F). We demonstrate how change may influence the North Carolina swine waste management (NC SWM) system through alternative scenarios applied to a conceptual model developed with the MLP + F frame in a methodology for analyzing complex agricultural systems with input from a diverse panel of experts. This case study demonstrates how the methodology can be applied through two NC SWM model scenarios analyzed with fuzzy cognitive mapping techniques. The first scenario explores whether panel recommended changes generate a shift toward sustainable manure management. Inference results suggest that experts have a broad understanding of how these goals may be achieved, but strategies are needed to enhance the specificity of proposed changes. Testing scenarios with more targeted interventions within specific subsystems could provide greater guidance with regard to policy, economic factors, farm practices, or societal demands. The second scenario considers the systemic effect of introducing a manure dewatering process on swine operations, with and without landscape support. Results from this scenario indicate that the more landscape support is engaged, the greater the impact on desirable outcomes. However, contradictions emerged between different versions of this scenario such as increased negative public perceptions despite positive community outcomes. This may require further investigation to tease out potential misalignment between perceptions of a complex system and actual system behaviors.

Standardized precipitation index analysis and drought frequency tendencies in lower eastern counties of Kenya

The standardized precipitation index (SPI) is a fundamental indicator of meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural droughts in the world. This study aims to evaluate different timescales, 3 months (SPI-3), 6 months (SPI-6), 9 months (SPI-9), and 12 months (SPI-12) indices from meteorological data in quantifying drought characterization in lower eastern counties of Kenya from 1990 to 2018 for observed data and from 1986 to 2018 for Climatic Research Unit Time Series (CRU) data. Precipitation in-situ data (annual) and high-resolution (0.5 × 0.5 degree grid) monthly-scale precipitation data were sought from Kenya Meteorological Department and CRU TS, respectively. Z-Score (SPI) was computed for each year (in-situ data) and month (CRU TS data) using the SPI algorithm, expressed as the departure from the mean in standard deviation units. Quality control of CRU TS data was done by checking outlier values and comparing the data with precipitation data obtained from the meteorological department as well as ERA5 reanalysis data. Results showed that extreme to mild drought was experienced across the Kenyan counties for both annual in-situ and monthly gridded data. Machakos county experienced a year of extreme drought, while Makueni and Taita-Taveta have had 2 and 4 years of severe droughts, respectively. The monthly SPI indices of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months showed a remarkably consistent behavioral pattern detecting extreme droughts across the counties. Considering the uncertainties, unpredictability, and shifting of the long and short rainy seasons in Kenya, results were obtained related to dry and wet episodes and to their relationship with agricultural production as well as water availability and environmental management.

EARTHQUAKES of 2018–2019 FELT in MOLDOVA (Romania – Moldova)

All earthquakes felt in 2018–2019 on the territory of Moldova occurred outside its borders, in the Vrancea region (Romania), with intermediate depths in the range hрР=117–151 km. In 2018, the population of Moldova felt three earthquakes: March 14th, April 25th and October 28th. The article describes all of them, but with more details for the strongest of them on October 28th. The earthquake of March 14th with mb=4.5 and hрР=140 km was felt in the eastern and southern counties of Romania in seven localities. In Moldova, the earthquake was felt in Cahul with intensity I=3 and in Chisinau with I=2 by MSK-64. The epicenter was in the Vrancea Mountains. The earthquake of April 25th with mb=4.5 and hрР=151 km was felt in eight localities of the eastern and southern counties of Romania. Also it was felt in two localities in the central and southern regions of the Republic of Moldova. The earthquake of October 28th with mb=5.6 and hрР=151 km was most evident in the eastern and southern parts of Romania, but it was also felt in the north of Bulgaria, in Moldova and in the south-west of Ukraine. In 2019, the population of Moldova felt the earthquake on September 3rd with mb=4.5 and hрР=117 km. It was felt in six localities of the eastern and southern counties of Romania, as well as in the central and southern regions of the Republic of Moldova (in Cahul I=3–4, in Chisinau I=3). The focal mechanisms given in the article indicate that all the considered earthquakes occurred under the influence of the prevailing near-horizontal compression and intermediate extension.

How does transport development contribute to rural income in China? Evidence from county-level analysis using structural equation model

Transport development has often been regarded as a solution for increasing rural income. However, most existing studies focusing on the promotion effects of transport development on rural income fail to provide quantitative analysis of its influencing pathways. This study investigates the pathways linking county-level transport development to rural income in China. We first examined the spatial pattern of transport development, including density, proximity, and accessibility, in all Chinese counties from 2014 to 2019. Then, we analyzed both the association and influencing pathways between transport development and rural income using structural equation modeling (SEM). Finally, we compared the various effects and pathways among counties with different terrains, geographical locations, and poverty conditions through multigroup SEM analysis. The results suggest that transport development is associated with an increase in rural residents’ income primarily through the pathways of increasing nonfarm employment ratios, improving agricultural labor productivity efficiency, boosting urbanization rates, and enhancing access to basic public services. The most significant pathways through which transport development contributes to rural income growth in China are changes in nonfarm employment ratios and urbanization rates. The impact of transport development on rural incomes is more pronounced for counties in plain areas than counties in hilly and mountainous areas, more substantial in eastern counties than in central and western counties, and more pronounced in non-poverty-stricken counties than poverty-stricken ones. It is argued that transport alone cannot lead to significant rural revitalization in rural China; it must be accompanied by industrial development strategies.

Zapadnaya Sibir' i kochevniki v XVII – nachale XVIII v.

Since the beginning of the 17th century, the nomads Oirats came to the southern borders of Siberia, who often attacked the lands of Russian counties. In the 17th century, the eastern counties of Siberia - Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, Tarsky - suffered from the raids of nomads. In the first decades of the 17th century, Russian colonization occupied the lands along the Ture River with tributaries Tagil, Nice and Pyshma. In the 1620s, at the request of the population, the government organizes the construction of prisons and other fortifications in the settlements in the south of Siberia. In the 1630s in the south of Siberia, local Cossacks appeared to protect the settlements. In the 1650s, the construction of prisons along the river Iset’ began. In Siberia, military people were the numerically predominant group of the Russian population throughout the 17th century.

Analysis of Short-Term Drought Episodes Using Sentinel-3 SLSTR Data under a Semi-Arid Climate in Lower Eastern Kenya

This study uses Sentinel-3 SLSTR data to analyze short-term drought events between 2019 and 2021. It investigates the crucial role of vegetation cover, land surface temperature, and water vapor amount associated with drought over Kenya’s lower eastern counties. Therefore, three essential climate variables (ECVs) of interest were derived, namely Land Surface Temperature (LST), Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC), and Total Column Water Vapor (TCWV). These features were analyzed for four counties between the wettest and driest episodes in 2019 and 2021. The study showed that Makueni and Taita Taveta counties had the highest density of FVC values (60–80%) in April 2019 and 2021. Machakos and Kitui counties had the lowest FVC estimates of 0% to 20% in September for both periods and between 40% and 60% during wet seasons. As FVC is a crucial land parameter for sequestering carbon and detecting soil moisture and vegetation density losses, its variation is strongly related to drought magnitude. The land surface temperature has drastically changed over time, with Kitui and Taita Taveta counties having the highest estimates above 20 °C in 2019. A significant spatial variation of TCWV was observed across different counties, with values less than 26 mm in Machakos county during the dry season of 2019, while Kitui and Taita Taveta counties had the highest estimates, greater than 36 mm during the wet season in 2021. Land surface temperature variation is negatively proportional to vegetation density and soil moisture content, as non-vegetated areas are expected to have lower moisture content. Overall, Sentinel-3 SLSTR products provide an efficient and promising data source for short-term drought monitoring, especially in cases where in situ measurement data are scarce. ECVs-produced maps will assist decision-makers with a better understanding of short-term drought events as well as soil moisture loss episodes that influence agriculture under arid and semi-arid climates. Furthermore, Sentinel-3 data can be used to interpret hydrological, ecological, and environmental changes and their implications under different environmental conditions.

Land cover diversity: Reshaping the socioeconomic value of land

The land is a vital resource to support economic growth. Previous studies have mainly taken urban and agricultural areas as the major factors of economic boost. However, the supporting role of diversified land in sustainable economy has not been fully valued. This study analyzed the relationship between land cover diversity and socioeconomic outputs from 1992 to 2019 on up to 2086 counties in China. The results showed the regional disparity in the eastern and western counties. In the western counties, land cover diversity was positively correlated with per area socioeconomic indicators throughout the period. In the eastern counties, the correlation with per area indicators has gradually changed from negative to positive. The correlation with per capita indicators was more significant in the east than west. The regional disparity and temporal trends may come from the influence of water resources, demographic pressure and other constraints in different regions. The refreshed land value can help to achieve sustainable development and improve human well-being in the long term.

Retrospective Assessment of Preparedness for Mosquito Control Post-Hurricane Florence in North Carolina.

Ideally, mosquito control programs (MCPs) use surveillance to target control measures to potentially dangerous mosquito populations. In North Carolina (NC), where there is limited financial support for mosquito control, communities may suffer from mosquito-related issues post-hurricane due to lack of existing MCPs. Here, study objectives were to (1) investigate the emergency response of a subset of NC counties post-Hurricane Florence and (2) develop guidelines and policy recommendations to assist MCPs in post-hurricane mosquito control response. A survey was administered to a subset of eastern NC counties (an area previously impacted by hurricanes) with various levels of MCPs (from none to well-developed). All respondents indicated that having Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training would be helpful in developing a post-hurricane emergency response plan for mosquito control. There was concern related to a lack of knowledge of emergency control methods (eg, aerial/ground, adulticiding/larviciding) post-hurricane. MCP structure (eg, infrastructure, resources, operational plans/policies) could facilitate response activities and help ensure necessary emergency financial support from agencies such as FEMA. Mosquito control post-hurricane protects public health. Public health and other agencies can be networking resources for MCPs. Policy recommendations include implementation of routine FEMA assistance training workshops to improve an understanding of processes involved in assistance and reimbursement.

EARTHQUAKES of 2016–2017 FELT in MOLDOVA (Romania–Moldova)

All earthquakes felt in 2016–2017 on the territory of Moldova occurred outside its borders, in the Vrancea region (Romania), with intermediate depths in the range hрР = 95–135 km. In 2016, the population of Moldova felt 2 earthquakes: September 23th with Mw=5.7, hрР=95 km and December 27th with Mw=5.6, hрР=100 km. For them, data on quakes in 113 and 150 localities, respectively, were collected, according to which isoseismal maps were made. The earthquake of September 23, 2016 was most evident in the eastern and southern parts of Romania. But it was also felt in the north of Bulgaria, in Moldova and the south-west of Ukraine, in Serbia and Macedonia. The echoes of the earthquake reached Istanbul in the south, Tirana in the west, Gomel in the north and Mariupol in the east from the epicenter. The maximum intensity of 6 points on the Mercalli scale was noted in Buzau. The earthquake of December 27, 2016 was most evident in the eastern and southern parts of Romania, as well as in northern Bulgaria, Moldova, southwestern Ukraine and Serbia. The maximum intensity of I=5 on the Mercalli scale was noted in Vanatori. In 2017, the population of Moldova felt 4 earthquakes: February 8th, May 19th, August 1st and 2nd. The earthquake on February 2nd with Mw=4.5 and hрР=126 km manifested itself in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova with an intensity of I=2–3. The earthquake on May 19 with Mw=4.3 and hрР=124 km was felt in the eastern and southern counties of Romania (in 6 localities), in the central and southern regions of the Republic of Moldova. Tremors from the August 1st earthquake with Mw=4.3 and hрР=107 km were felt in the eastern and southern counties of Romania, as well as in the central and southern regions of Moldova (Cahul and Chisinau, I=2–3). The earthquake on August 2nd with Mw=4.9 and hрР=135 km was felt in the eastern and southern counties of Romania, in Cahul with an intensity I=3 and in Chisinau – I=2. The solutions of the focal mechanism given in the article indicate that all the considered earthquakes occurred under the influence of the prevailing compression close to horizontal. It is noted that the value of the total seismic energy released in 2016 in the focal area of Vrancea is the maximum annual energy for this area in the 21st century.

A methodological framework for assessing pastoral socio-ecological system vulnerability: A case study of Altay Prefecture in Central Asia

Vulnerability analysis is important for enhancing sustainability, especially for highly interlinked pastoral socio-ecological systems. This study presents a modified methodological framework for assessing the vulnerability of pastoral socio-ecological systems based on the interactions between social and ecological subsystems and their vulnerabilities. Altay Prefecture (Northwest China), a typical pastoral area located in Central Asia, was chosen for the case study. The ecological vulnerability index (EVI) and socio-ecological vulnerability index (SEVI) of Altay Prefecture from 2001 to 2018 were assessed and classified into five levels. The results showed that the distribution pattern of EVI was spatially heterogeneous, with EVI increasing from north to south and from west to east. The EVI was high in low-altitude deserts, decreased with altitude rising from 1300 m to 2200 m, and increased when the altitude exceeded 2200 m. The average EVI increased from 2001 to 2010 and decreased from 2010 to 2018, with the highest EVI in 2010 and the lowest in 2018. The SEVI of western counties was lower than that of eastern counties; the SEVI of all counties continuously decreased from 2001 to 2018, with a higher rate from 2010 to 2018. Social adaptive capacity, increased by the policies that aim at protecting grasslands and improving livelihoods, was the main influencing factor of the SEVI dynamic. These results will help to identify key areas with high EVI for grassland ecosystem management and strengthen the adaptive capacity for addressing vulnerability. Furthermore, the presented methodological framework can be adopted in vulnerability assessments of similar pastoral areas or natural resource-based socio-ecological systems.

Ukrainians in Slovakia: settlement and language

Problem formulation. The Ukrainian diaspora is an important object for geographical research. Features of ethnic composition of the country of residence, its language and religious composition, age structure of Ukrainians straight affect to the processes of assimilation and preservation of ethnic identity. The purpose of the study is to analyze and process population censuses data, which had conducted in Slovakia in 1991, 2001 and 2011. Methodology and materials. We found the materials necessary for our article in the public domain on the website of the Department of Statistics of the Slovak Republic and on the resource “Population statistics of Eastern Europe & former USSR”. To analyze the ethnic and linguistic environment in which Ukrainians live, in study used calculations of indices of ethnic and linguistic diversity, the coefficient of ethnic compactness. Results. According to population censuses, which had been conducted in Slovakia after 1980, the number of Ukrainians is declining. At the same time, the number of Ruthenians is growing, some of whom do not identify themselves as part of the Ukrainian ethnic group. Ukrainians live compactly in Presov and Kosice regions. In particular, these are the northern and eastern counties of the country, such as Presov, Snina, Humenne, Bardiiv, Svidnik, Mikhailovtse, Medzhilabortse and others. Ruthenians and Ukrainians are fourth and sixth largest ethnic groups in Slovakia. The country is relatively homogeneous in ethnic composition, as evidenced by the value of the index of ethnic diversity, which in most districts does not exceed 30%. However, in those districts where Hungarians, Ukrainians and Ruthenians live compactly, this value can be over 60%. Often in the process of ethnic and linguistic assimilation, belonging to a certain religion (denomination) is preserved. In terms of counties, the largest centers where Greek Catholics and Orthodox live coincide with the settlement of Ukrainians and Ruthenians. If Ukrainians and Ruthenians together do not make up 1% of the total population, the share of Greek Catholics and Orthodox in the population is almost 5%. The indicators of linguistic diversity according to the criteria of “native language” and “language of communication at work” are clearly correlated with the index of ethnic diversity. That is, on the one hand, it reflects the clear links between "ethnicity and language", and on the other – the language policy of the country, where Slovak predominates in all areas. Scientific novelty. The index of ethnic and linguistic diversity in terms of settlements and counties of Slovakia has been determined. According to the determinate indices and the main results of the census, a number of thematic maps were prepared with the help of GIS, which reflect the settlement of Ukrainians and Ruthenians, indices of ethnic and linguistic diversity and the share of Greek Catholics and Orthodox in the population. Practical meaninig. The obtained results and thematic maps can be useful in further research of Ukrainians living in Slovakia for historians, demographers, linguists, ethnologists, etc.

Registros de Rhopalocera (Lepidoptera) como presas de Asilidae (Diptera) en el este de Nuevo México y el oeste de Texas, Estados Unidos de América

Robber flies with their prey were collected from 2014-2021 in several eastern New Mexico counties and one county in west Texas. A few were merely photographed in the same areas in 2022. One hundred and one asilid-butterfly pairs were collected representing 17 species of robber flies and 19 species of butterflies. Three pairs were photographed representing one robber fly species with two species of butterflies. The prey taxa consisted of five species of Hesperiidae, three species of Pieridae, four species of Lycaenidae, and four species of Nymphalidae. Efferia helenae (Bromley, 1951) was the most frequently collected asilid predator of butterflies, 33 individuals preying on 10 butterfly species followed by Proctacanthus micans Schiner, 1867, 15 individuals preying on seven butterfly species. Nathalis iole Boisduval, 1836 (Pieridae) was the most commonly collected butterfly prey with 21 specimens. However, at the species level, Echinargus isola (Reakirt, [1867]) (Lycaenidae) was found to be preyed upon by the most robber fly species, i.e., seven, followed by Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval, 1852) (Hesperiidae) and Nathalis iole (Pieridae), each by six robber fly species.

Strategic Leadership and Performance of Health Care Workers in the Northeastern Counties of Kenya

The Kenya Constitution in 2010 devolved health services provision to counties. Under the county governments, the provision of the health services have faced many challenges relating to human resource management, remuneration, service delivery and turnover hence begging the question as to whether counties have the capacity to manage the health function. Hence, the study sought to establish the relationship between strategic leadership and performance of health care workers in North Eastern Kenya counties. The study was anchored on the upper echelons theory. A descriptive cross sectional research design was used. The study target population was 3,000 Health care workers and 10 health managers in the counties. The sample size for the health care workers was 353 obtained using Yamane Formular. Besides, a census approach was undertaken for the health managers in the counties. The number of the health managers are few and manageable. Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Both descriptive and inferential analysis was done on the collected data. The study findings indicated that strategic leadership (idealized influence, vision development, inspirational motivation and contingent reward) is positively and significantly related performance of health care workers in North Eastern Counties of Kenya. The study recommended the management within the counties (health managers) need to exercise strategic leadership and all health professions be registered with a professional regulatory body. The health workers should be encouraged to remain in North Eastern regions despite the circumstances. The authorities mandated with quality health provision to coordinate and harmonize the development of health policies and laws that are effective and applicable to all. Keywords: Strategic leadership, performance, health care workers, northeastern counties, kanya

Intervening Effect of Employee Retention on the Relationship between Strategic Leadership and Performance of Health Care Workers in North Eastern Kenya

The efficiency of the healthcare workers determines the overall performance in a healthcare setting. The performance of the employees can be affected by internal and external factors. Thus, the study sought to examine the intervening effect of employee retention on the relationship between strategic leadership and performance of health care workers in north eastern Kenya. The study was anchored on job embeddedness theory. The research study adopted a correlation research design. The study target population was 3,000 Health care workers and 10 County leadership who included health managers working with County Health Department of Garissa, Wajir and Mandera. The sample size for the health care workers was 353 obtained using Yamane Formular. A census was undertaken for the health managers in the counties. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Both descriptive and inferential analysis was done on the collected data. The study findings indicated there is a partial intervening effect of employee retention on the relationship between strategic leadership and performance of health care workers in North Eastern Counties of Kenya. The study concluded employee retention is influenced by employee empowerment, recognition, and remuneration. The regression model of strategic leadership on health worker performance was positively and significantly related. The study recommended the need of encouraging the health workers to remain in North Eastern regions despite the circumstances. There is a need of the county governments and other health care stakeholders to emphasize empowerment, recognition, remuneration and training and development of the health care workers. Keywords: Employee Retention, Strategic Leadership, Performance, Health Care Workers, Kenya