Fragmentary Data Research Articles

Geotargeting spatial and temporal data of Italian freshwater high-altitude macroinvertebrates

A data set including information on macroinvertebrates identified to genus/species group/species level was created within the monitoring activities of several European and national projects. The data set includes 2111 macroinvertebrate records on temporal fragmentary data from lakes Paione (upper, middle, and lower lakes Paione), and 530 records on spatial data relative to eight other high-altitude lakes from the Ossola Valley (North-western Italy, Piedmont, Central Alps). The study area is included within the Lake Maggiore watershed. All records are georeferenced because, since the beginning of the studies, temporal data were taken in the same sampling sites over years. The temporal data span over the period 1989-2020, the spatial data refer to the 2019-2020 sampling activity. The dataset is available for download as csv format at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data infrastructure.

Design knowledge graph-aided conceptual product design approach based on joint entity and relation extraction

Design knowledge is critical to creating ideas in the conceptual design stage of product development for innovation. Fragmentary design data, massive multidisciplinary knowledge call for the development of a novel knowledge acquisition approach for conceptual product design. This study proposes a Design Knowledge Graph-aided (DKG-aided) conceptual product design approach for knowledge acquisition and design process improvement. The DKG framework uses a deep-learning algorithm to discover design-related knowledge from massive fragmentary data and constructs a knowledge graph for conceptual product design. The joint entity and relation extraction model is proposed to automatically extract design knowledge from massive unstructured data. The feasibility and high accuracy of the proposed design knowledge extraction model were demonstrated with experimental comparisons and the validation of the DKG in the case study of conceptual product design inspired by massive real data of porcelain.

Challenges of Documenting Historic Water Systems

ABSTRACT Geospatial research in archaeology often relies on datasets previously collected by other archaeologists or third-party groups, such as state or federal government entities. This article discusses our work with geospatial datasets for identifying, documenting, and evaluating prehistoric and historic water features in the western United States. As part of a project on water heritage and long-term views on water management, our research has involved aggregating spatial data from an array of open access and semi-open access sources. Here, we consider the challenges of working with such datasets, including outdated or disorganized information, and fragmentary data. Based on our experiences, we recommend best practices: (1) locating relevant data and creating a data organization method for working with spatial data, (2) addressing data integrity, (3) integrating datasets in systematic ways across research cohorts, and (4) improving data accessibility.

МАРІУПОЛЬСЬКИЙ НЕКРОПОЛЬ ДОРАДЯНСЬКОГО ПЕРІОДУ ЯК ФАКТОР ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ПАМ’ЯТІ ЄВРЕЙСЬКОЇ ГРОМАДИ ПРИАЗОВ’Я

The article presents a complex analysis of the Mariupol necropolis as a phenomenon of the ethno-religious and sociocultural life of the Jewish community of Mariupol and the Azov region before the Soviet period. Based on the data contained in the register books of the Mariupol synagogue, the mortality statistics of the Jewish community of Mariupol and partly in the Azov region were calculated. These data are compared with fragmentary data on the statistics of quantitative development of the community during the 1860s and early 1920s. It was concluded that these data are correlated with the growth process of the Jewish community during the second half of the 19th century. It was concluded that the necessary conditions and appropriate institutions were gradually formed in the city to ensure this important aspect of the spiritual life of the Jewish community (cemetery, burial brotherhood of Hevra Kadish). Since the end of the 1860s the Jewish cemetery begins to function, which has become an important element of the full-fledged spiritual and religious life of the Jewish community of Mariupol and the Azov region. Residents of Mariupol and surrounding settlements where Jews lived were buried on it. The article reflects the results of the author's analysis of the Mariupol Jewish cemetery, the history of its origin and functioning, the inscriptions on gravestones as monuments of lapidary epigraphy are read and brought into scientific circulation for the first time. This made it possible to supplement the data on the Mariupol Jewish community, its pre-Soviet state, in particular in the aspect of social stratification of the Jewish community. Key words: Mariupol Jewish community, pre-Soviet period, burial practices and rituals, Jewish necropolis, Azov region.

“Working at full speed here”: The Department of Classical Philology at the Leningrad State University in evacuation to Saratov (1942–1944)

The history of classical philology in the USSR during the Great Patriotic War is not yet adequately covered in science. Despite domestic and material difficulties, breakdown of communication and lack of access to literature, the pursuit of science and the training of young people continued. This article reveals how the staff of the LSU Department of Classical Philology, which was evacuated to Saratov, adapted to wartime conditions in terms of scholarly organization and research (1942–1944) based on fragmentary archival data and personal sources. With a staff of five, headed by I. M. Tronsky, the department was able to teach Latin and Ancient Literature at the Faculty of History and Philology, as well as to train a small number of “classical” students using pre-revolutionary manuals that had survived in Saratov. The research work of the department’s scholars ran counter to the general theme of the department: “Literature and War”. The titles of the papers by I. M. Tronsky, J. M. Borovsky and G. A. Stratanovsky testify to the desire to continue, as far as the book fund allowed, the themes initiated before the war, or to develop the subjects of the reception of the ancient heritage. In the beginning of 1944, under the supervision of I. M. Tronski, T. N. Chikalina presented a traditional dissertation on the syntax of the “Laws of the Twelve Tables”. The wish not to interrupt the genuinely scientific philological research and to be in the course of world science is also proved by the theme chosen for the department in 1944 — “Lucretius” — to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the poet’s death.

Otnoshenie naseleniya SSSR k Kitayu s 1960-h po 1980-e gg.

The article deals with the issue of developing an integrative view of the attitudes of the population of the USSR towards China from the 1960s to the 1990s from the point of view of analyzing data from mass surveys. Starting from the earliest attempts to analyze the mass attitudes of Soviet citizens towards China, undertaken by emigre scientists, in the literature persists a thesis about a predominantly negative, or even sharply negative, attitudes of the population of the USSR towards China in the period of the 1960s - 1980s. However, based on a comparative analysis of fragmentary data from mass surveys of the late 1960s and late 1980s, it seems possible to present some arguments against this thesis.

Проблема определения места шира-югурского языка в классификации монгольских языков в отечественных и зарубежных исследованиях

Eastern Yugur is a Mongolic language spoken in Kangle and Mati districts of Gansu Province, China. Eastern Yugur is one of the languages spoken by the Yellow Uyghurs divided into two groups: the endonym of the Mongolic-speaking group is ‘Šera Yogor’, and that of the Turkic-speaking one is ‘Sarïg Yogïr’. Results. The article introduces data on the history of Eastern Yugur-related investigations and mentions researchers to have provided earliest descriptions of the language. Only in the mid-20th century Eastern Yugur started being explored by many scientists, and before that period only fragmentary data on this language had been available. Despite there are different classifications of Mongolic languages, the place of Eastern Yugur therein still remains a subject of research. The article presents a brief review of works to have approached Eastern Yugur in relation to its place in classifications of Mongolic languages, and describes key methods employed thereto.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Financial Performance of Polish Public Hospitals Owned by Local and Regional Governments

Theoretical background: The COVID-19 pandemic has put a great strain on healthcare systems and hospitals. Although the effects of COVID-19 have affected almost all aspects of the economies and health systems of most countries around the world, relatively little research has been done on the consequences of the pandemic on the financial performance of hospitals around the world. This literature gap is mainly the result of a short research period and difficulties in obtaining reliable and good quality empirical data. The review of the literature shows that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial performance of hospitals is ambiguous. Most of them focused primarily on the first year of the pandemic and were mostly based on fragmentary financial data and sometimes only on the case study method. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial performance of the largest public hospitals owned by local and regional governments. The research, covering mainly the years 2019–2021, was carried out based on financial statements obtained from 40 public hospitals in the form of independent public healthcare institutions (SPZOZ). Research methods: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial performance of Polish hospitals, a ratio analysis was carried out. Due to the specificity of public health facilities, ratios included in the Ministry of Health Regulation of 12 April 2017 were used, which refer mainly to independent public healthcare facilities. Main findings: The research revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the deterioration of the financial performance of Polish public hospitals owned by local and regional governments. However, the impact was not dramatic, but only intensified the financial difficulties experienced by Polish hospitals before.

Seeking Protection and Reconciliation: A Pashtun Legal Custom in Recorded Tribal Histories

AbstractAvailable essays on Pashtunwali describe this system of customary laws and ethics for the most part as a static model of ideal conduct, without a diachronic perspective. Offering a historical approach to Pashtunwali, this article introduces and analyzes fragmentary data on the nənawāte custom from early modern Pashto sources—historiographical narratives of the Khatak chieftains in the Tarikh-i Murassaʿ (finished 1724) and the romantic poem Adam Khan aw Durkhaney (1706/7). Recorded cases of resorting to nənawāte, considered among the main pillars of Pashtunwali but still variously interpreted, prove that this is a complex legal custom based on the right to appeal for protection, mediation, and reconciliation. As a common means of dispute settlement, nənawāte originates with a binding request for help and favor in a conflict situation. The discussion of nənawāte is preceded by a brief overview of the existing scholarly definitions of Pashtunwali, underscoring its emic perception as an ethnic identity marker.

Radiothérapie et immunothérapie : avant, pendant ou après ?

Locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stage III patients, represent one quarter of the whole NSCLC patients at diagnosis. Historical studies and the LACE meta-analysis showed the superiority of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy over sequential radiotherapy with a survival benefit of 5% at five years. The main advance in recent years has been the PACIFIC trial, which compared durvalumab with placebo for one year, after induction chemo-radiotherapy, in non-resectable stage III patients. Maintenance durvalumab survival advantage was obvious, with a median survival of 47.5 months in the experimental arm, compared to 29.1 months in the placebo arm (HR = 0.68), with a median follow-up exceeding 5 years, such survival benefit being absent in patients whose tumor had an oncogenic addictive mutation. Durvalumab association with other immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti CD73, anti NKG2A) appears promising in phase 2 trials, in such maintenance indication, phase 3 results being awaited. Feasibility of chemo-immunotherapy association with concurrent radiotherapy is currently assessed in many preliminary studies, with a specific focus on pulmonary safety. Neo-adjuvant immunotherapy before radio-chemotherapy is less extensively studied, with only fragmentary available data. The improvement or immunotherapy strategies, in association with chemo-radiotherapy in stage III non-resectable NSCLC patients, is thus possible in close future, even though PACIFIC trail results will be difficult to outperform.1877-1203/© 2022 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

К вопросу о насильственных переселениях (депортациях) на территорию Центрального Казахстана

Central Kazakhstan, as a region rich in natural resources, became a link in the strategy of forced industrialization of the USSR during large-scale modernization processes. The practice of forced relocation, forced labor became the basis for the development of the territory. Based on a wide range of sources, mostly archival documents, facts are presented that indicate three stages of forced relocations (deportations) to the territory of Central Kazakhstan: 1930s; 1941–1945; 1946–1953. They were representatives of various nationalities from all over the Soviet Union. Fragmentary data on the number of arrivals in the region, imperfect methods of accounting for the population, or its absence at all do not allow us to establish the exact number of arrivals to the territory. Mass deportations have changed the demographic picture of the region, almost all aspects of economic, social, and cultural life.

SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES AND ZOOPLANKTON STRUCTURE IN WASTEWATER RESERVOIRS OF THE RIGHT-BANK SORBULAK CANAL SYSTEM

The annual increase in wastewater volumes necessitates comprehensive studies of water bodies subsidized by anthropogenic activities. An example of such reservoirs is Sorbulak and a system of shallow ponds into which pre-treated wastewater from Almaty and its environs is discharged. The published works provide fragmentary data on the hydrochemical and hydrobiological regimes of Sorbulak and ponds. There is no information on the seasonal dynamics of these variables. Our paper, aimed at studying the seasonal dynamics of pollutants and the zooplankton structure, partially fills this gap. Environmental and biological samples were taken in Sorbulak and two ponds by standard methods once a month, from April to September of 2021. The content of nutrients was high, and the heavy metals concentrations, except for copper, were low. The seasonal dynamics of pollutants in reservoirs were determined mainly by their entry from wastewater, with a more negligible contribution of natural factors. Zooplankton was represented by 80 species with an average abundance of 177.3-834.4 thousand ind./m3 and average biomass of 9.6-10.4 g/m3. The values ​​of the Shannon index were 1.98-2.12 bit/ind and 0.88-1.76 bit/mg, the average mass of an individual was 0.0140-0.0853 mg. The seasonal dynamics of zooplankton in the surveyed water bodies were different. The obtained results and comparison with the data of previous studies testified to the instability of the species composition of zooplankton communities both during one year and in individual years. Contradictions between the structure of zooplankton communities and the chemical variables of the studied reservoirs were identified. The results obtained to make a theoretical and practical contribution to understanding the formation of water quality in reservoirs with mixed pollution emphasize the need for further comprehensive studies of reservoirs of this type, and show specific differences between anthropogenic and natural successions of aquatic ecosystems.

Ancient mitochondrial diversity reveals population homogeneity in Neolithic Greece and identifies population dynamics along the Danubian expansion axis

The aim of the study is to investigate mitochondrial diversity in Neolithic Greece and its relation to hunter-gatherers and farmers who populated the Danubian Neolithic expansion axis. We sequenced 42 mitochondrial palaeogenomes from Greece and analysed them together with European set of 328 mtDNA sequences dating from the Early to the Final Neolithic and 319 modern sequences. To test for population continuity through time in Greece, we use an original structured population continuity test that simulates DNA from different periods by explicitly considering the spatial and temporal dynamics of populations. We explore specific scenarios of the mode and tempo of the European Neolithic expansion along the Danubian axis applying spatially explicit simulations coupled with Approximate Bayesian Computation. We observe a striking genetic homogeneity for the maternal line throughout the Neolithic in Greece whereas population continuity is rejected between the Neolithic and present-day Greeks. Along the Danubian expansion axis, our best-fitting scenario supports a substantial decrease in mobility and an increasing local hunter-gatherer contribution to the gene-pool of farmers following the initial rapid Neolithic expansion. Οur original simulation approach models key demographic parameters rather than inferring them from fragmentary data leading to a better understanding of this important process in European prehistory.

Model averaging for generalized linear models in fragmentary data prediction

ABSTRACT Fragmentary data is becoming more and more popular in many areas which brings big challenges to researchers and data analysts. Most existing methods dealing with fragmentary data consider a continuous response while in many applications the response variable is discrete. In this paper, we propose a model averaging method for generalized linear models in fragmentary data prediction. The candidate models are fitted based on different combinations of covariate availability and sample size. The optimal weight is selected by minimizing the Kullback–Leibler loss in the completed cases and its asymptotic optimality is established. Empirical evidences from a simulation study and a real data analysis about Alzheimer disease are presented.

The Paleolithic of northwestern Zagros. 2012–2019 MAFGS Survey: Data and preliminary results

Between 2012 and 2019, the surveys conducted by the French archaeological mission of the Soulaimanih Governorate in the Rania and Peshadar plains of Iraqi Kurdistan, previously devoid of Paleolithic records, have yielded numerous lithic assemblages from open-air sites, caves and rock-shelters. We present here six lithic assemblages from the three districts surveyed, Rania, Peshdar and Dukan. Despite the absence of chronostratigraphic contexts and the still fragmentary data, the first typo-technological analyses carried out allow us to propose a first techno-cultural attribution to the Paleolithic and, more specifically for some assemblages, to the Middle Paleolithic. Among the sites uncovered, it is certainly the Paleolithic shelter of Sarsyan-Rostam Agha that was the most distinctive and which represents, with the Shanidar cave, one of the rare Paleolithic sites preserved in the northwestern Zagros. Its preserved Paleolithic sequence, rich in archaeological remains, and explored in a test-pit conducted in 2018, shows clear affinities with the Mousterian Zagros industries, a well-defined entity based on sites such as Shanidar, Bisitun, Warwasi and Mar Tarik.

Эйдономия и внутривидовая изменчивость морского ерша Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) кавказского шельфа российского сектора Черного моря

There are only fragmentary data on the intraspecific limitation of the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 in scientific literature. The black scorpionfish is a background fish species attracted to the use of Black Sea fish community.The purpose of this work was to study the eidonomy of the black scorpionfish from the Caucasian shelf of the Black Sea, as a full-fledged study of its intraspecific variability.The morphological (plastic and meristic) parameters of black scorpionfish from three water areas of the Caucasian shelf of the Black Sea are compare in this paper. Samples from coastal waters in the areas of Bolshoi Utrish, Magri and Adler were studied in this paper. It is shown that the black scorpionfish of the water areas under consideration have very different sets of morphological features, which can be used to successfully distinguish representatives of different regions from each other.

Proceedings of the VI National Meeting of the Italian Group of Paleopathology (GIPaleo)

The presence of numerous scientific contributions in the program is certainly demonstrative of the fact that research in the field of paleopathology and anthropology has not stopped since the beginning of Covid-19. Furthermore, the same emergency that we are still partially feeling, has pushed our community scientific research to question itself more intensely in connection to the epidemic relationship and measures that repeatedly led to profound transformations in the societies of the past from different points of view: demographic, economic, social and the history buried under the bioarchaeological strata is today more capable than ever to show this connection.It can do this by bringing to light the paleodemographic data that is obtained from the study of human remains.Today we will listen to many paleopathological stories and among these I am very happy to also present ours.Twenty years ago, the University of Insubria started a collaboration with the Archaeological Superintendence of Lombardy for the study of osteological remains found mostly during emergency archaeology recoveries. These experiences led us to reach those bioarchaeological sites again with the aim of extracting all those cemetery layers that remained there because they were not subjected at that time by building reclamation interventions.Returning to those sites that in the past brought to light fragmentary anthropological data means allowing oneself the possibility of obtaining new palaeodemographic and palaeopathological data which are decisive for reconstructing the demographic and epidemiological history of the populations of the past.These new interventions led us to create an operational model that immediately intended to underline the importance of an evident continuity between the archaeological recovery and the anthropological study of the finds through the setting up of physical anthropology and paleopathology laboratories directly on the sites of the finds. All this in harmony with the final design of the projects or the museumization of bioarchaeological sites in their complexity aimed at enhancing cultural tourist routes in the area. In this regard, I would like to thank the community foundation of Varese and the Cariplo foundation for supporting our current initiatives.These include the project financed by the emblematic provincial tender and which has as its final objective the enhancement of three bioarchaeological sites in Valcuvia: the medieval sites of San Biagio in Cittiglio, Sant’Agostino in Caravate, and the modern crypt of the church of the Convent of Azzio.Today, our Research Centre works in Piedmont in different sites in the province of Vercelli and Alessandria.Aware of the importance of a physical anthropological approach in the field, our young Centre goes beyond the continental borders to reach Eritrea, the ancient city of Adulis, because it is in dissecting the taphonomic events and the funeral actions that will make it possible to identify the funerary ritual adopted by the ancient populations.The operational model of paleopathological research, which gradually enriches itself thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the interventions and thanks to the individual experiences in the field, is thus continuously transferred and adapted to other anthropological contexts that retain potential both in terms of investigative and enhancement of the bioarchaeological heritage. Through the musealization of the sites it is also possible to acquire an attractive force towards all those potentially bioarchaeological areas but which today are in conditions of neglect because they are marginal with respect to the conventionally understood cultural tourist good. And we all know how important it is to transfer the study data even outside the academic context because making this aspect of archaeology, the truly human one, usable too, cannot fail to arouse a strong awareness of our past. We also know how much more we will have to work, following in the footsteps of the professors who started this path, to ensure that the disciplines of paleopathology and physical anthropology arrive within all those degree courses still discovered today by these teachings to heal an important lack: knowing the human past from a physical and pathological point of view allows us to understand the evolutionary path of some pathologies, especially those of infectious nature.If my title of the speech “Paleopathology and osteoarchaeology in the province of Varese” does not respond to what is being said today, it is because my feeling about paleopathology and osteoarchaeology in the province of Varese is understood as that of carrying out research, what I could feel everywhere, through the operational model, the enthusiasm for paleopathological research and of course the people I am lucky enough to work with.

Фетальна топографія шкірних нервів гомілкової ділянки

The purpose of the study was to determine the topographic and anatomical relationships of the cutaneous nerves of the lower leg in human fetuses of 4-6 months. Materials and methods. The study was performed on 27 preparations of human fetuses of 81.0-230.0 mm parietal-coccygeal length, using the methods of macromicroscopic preparation and morphometry. Results and discussion. In most of the studied fetuses, there was a classic variant of innervation of the skin of the lower leg region, both on the right and left. In other fetuses, variability in the number and length of cutaneous nerves in the lower leg region was found. The most interesting, from our point of view, were the anatomical variants of innervation of the skin of the lower leg region in the fetuses of 90.0, 158.0, 182.0, and 190.0 mm parietal-coccygeal length. Taking into account the individual and age anatomy of the cutaneous nerves of the leg in human fetuses provides not only the scientific value of the results, but also the rational use of knowledge in the practice of traumatologists, anesthesiologists and surgeons. The study of variants of innervation of the skin of the lower leg region in human fetuses from the standpoint of modern macroscopic anatomy is considered relevant and promising. The need to clarify the topographic and anatomical features of the innervation of the skin of the lower leg region in human fetuses of different ages is due to the search for ways to prevent iatrogenic damage to the cutaneous nerves of the shin when performing surgical and anesthetic manipulations on the structures of this area, since the establishment of the anatomical variability of the skin nerves and branches allows to choose the optimal tactics of surgical intervention. In the literature, there are fragmentary data on the fetal topography of the cutaneous nerves of the lower leg region. Conclusion. In fetuses of 90.0 mm and 158.0 mm parietal-coccygeal length, the innervation of the skin of the anterior-upper surface of the lower leg region was provided by two cutaneous branches from the tibial nerve. In the fetus of 190.0 mm parietal-coccygeal length lateral sural cutaneous nerve was not involved in the formation of the sural nerve, the area of its innervation was limited to the proximal two-thirds of the tibia. Innervation of the lateral border of the foot and lateral bone, in this case, provided only the medial sural cutaneous nerve from the tibial nerve. In the fetus of 182.0 mm parietal-coccygeal length medial sural cutaneous branches are represented by a single independent nerve trunk, from which at different angles short sensitive branches began

The complexities of assessing volcanic hazards along the Cameroon Volcanic Line using spatial distribution of monogenetic volcanoes

Volcanic eruptions represent hazards for local communities and infrastructure. Monogenetic volcanoes (usually) erupt only once, and then volcanic activity moves to another location, making quantitative assessment of eruptive hazards challenging. Spatio-temporal patterns in the occurrence of these eruptions may provide valuable information on locations more likely to host future eruptions within monogenetic volcanic fields. While the eruption histories of many stratovolcanoes along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) are relatively well studied, only fragmentary data exist on the distribution and timing of this region's extensive monogenetic volcanism (scoria cones, tuff rings, maars). Here, we present for the first time a catalog of monogenetic vents on the CVL. These were identified by their characteristic morphologies using field knowledge, the global SRTM Digital Elevation Model (30 m resolution), and satellite imagery. More than ~1100 scoria cones and 50 maars/tuff rings were identified and divided into eight monogenetic volcanic fields based on the visual assessment of clustering and geological information. Spatial analyses show a large range of areal densities between the volcanic fields from >0.2 km−2 to 0.02 km−2 from the southwest towards the northeast. This finding is in general agreement with previous observations, indicating closely spaced and smaller edifices typical of fissure-fed eruptions on the flanks of Bioko and Mt. Cameroon in the southwest, and a more focused plumbing system resulting in larger edifices of lower spatial density towards the northeast. Spatial patterns were smoothed via kernel density estimates (KDE) using the Summed Asymptotic Mean Squared Error (SAMSE) bandwidth estimator, the results of which may provide an uncertainty range for a first-order hazard assessment of vent opening probability along the CVL. Due to the scarce chronological data and the complex structural controls across the region, it was not possible to estimate the number of vents formed during the same eruptive events. Similarly, the percentage of hidden (buried, eroded) vents could not be assessed with any acceptable statistical certainty. Furthermore, the impact of different approaches (convex hull, minimum area rectangle and ellipse, KDE isopaches) to define volcanic field boundaries on the spatial distribution of vents was tested. While the KDE boundary definition appears to reflect the structure of a monogenetic volcanic field better than other approaches, no ideal boundary definition was found. Finally, the dimension of scoria cones (approximated by their basal diameters) across the CVL was contrasted to the specific geodynamic setting. This region presents a complex problem for volcanic hazard analysis that cannot be solved through basic statistical methods and, thus, provides a potential testbed for novel, multi-disciplinary approaches.

О традициях народной медицины аларских бурят

Introduction. The article provides a first insight into local and regional folk medicine traditions of Alar Buryats (once a part of Balagansk Buryats) nowadays inhabiting Alarsky District of Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug (Irkutsk Oblast, Russia) and clustering with Buryats from the western coast of Lake Baikal, the latter therefore referred to as ‘western’ or ‘Cis-Baikalia’ (sometimes ‘northern’) Buryats. Healing practices of present-day Alar Buryats include richest experiences of previous generations, the former largely determined by a number of natural and geographic factors and conditions of the forest-steppe zone that resulted in consistent combinations of economic patterns, such as arable farming, semi-sedentary livestock breeding, seasonal hunting and fishing. Folk medicine of this sub-ethnic group retains strong ties to shamanic beliefs to have survived the long decades and centuries of persecution. The research topic proves interesting enough since the region under consideration — like the entire Baikal Region — is characterized by a lack of Tibetan medicine influence to have resulted from Orthodox Christianity’s resistance to the expansion of Buddhism. This factor made it possible to preserve the unique ancient traditional treatment techniques, while shamanic healing patterns based on a mythological worldview also constitute a large unexplored area of Baikalia at large. So, local healing traditions remain somewhat understudied. There are only fragmentary data in some works on this subject. Goals. The study aims to analyze the available data on traditional healing practices of Alar Buryats — publications, archival materials, and field notes. Results. The article classifies a set of animal and plant medicines, methods of psychological impact, irrational practices, preventive healthcare approaches and shamanic healing methods. Special attention is paid to etymologies of names of certain diseases and dialect medical terms. An effort is made to analyze the nature of some diseases and phenomena in comparison to healing traditions of other ethnic groups with due regard of modern medical knowledge.