Geographical Zones Research Articles

Analysis of Balanites aegyptiaca wood extractives and their variation across different ecological zones

This study focuses on the analysis of extractives from the wood of Balanites aegyptiaca, an endemic and iconic species of dry African regions, and the impact of climatic and geographical conditions on these extractives. The wood samples were collected from three distinct geographical zones: the Sahelian Chadian zone, the Sudanian Chadian zone, and the Sahelian Senegalese zone. A total of nine trees were analyzed in this study. The results showed that samples from the Sahelian Chadian zone, characterized by more arid conditions, had a significantly higher extractive content compared to those from the other two regions. The extractive compounds characteristic of these samples included stereoisomers of inositol, pinnitol, diosgenin, and sesquiterpenes. These compounds were found to be identical in samples from the Sahelian Senegalese and Sudanian Chadian zones, except for disaccharides, which were additionally present in the Senegalese samples. For the same species, pinnitol remained the most dominant compound in the wood from the Sahelian Chadian zone, alongside monosaccharides. This marked difference in extractive compounds is explained as a response of the tree to local constraints, particularly water stress and high temperatures, which stimulate the production of secondary metabolites such as tannins, polysaccharides, and pinnitol. These compounds are essential for the tree's resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions. The study highlights the influence of climatic factors on the biosynthesis of secondary compounds and suggests that Balanites aegyptiaca could offer promising opportunities for pharmacological and industrial applications.

Current data on the circulation of the Q fever pathogen in the Republic of Guinea

Background. Q fever is the one of the best-studied zoonoses, which is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Africa, excluding the territory of the Sahara. However, the current data on the incidence of coxiellosis and the circulation of Coxiella burnetii on this continent are limited and vary according different sources. In 1980–1990, the Soviet-Guinean Research Virology and Microbiology Laboratory conducted studies to estimate the distribution of the Q fever pathogen, assess the herd immunity in humans and identify specific antibodies in the sera of livestock. However, in subsequent years, the research was suspended. The aim of this study is to obtain up-to-date data on the distribution of C. burnetii in all landscape and geographical zones of the Republic of Guinea. Materials and methods. The study was carried out in the laboratory of the Russian-Guinean Center for Epidemiology and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (Kindia, Republic of Guinea). The study involved 332 sera of febrile patients and 3156 sera from practically healthy volunteers, 1074 blood samples of livestock, 1648 suspensions of ticks, 319 specimens of small mammals and 298 of bats. The study was carried out using ELISA and PCR methods, selected samples were subjected to in-depth genetic analysis. Results and discussion. The study of the distribution of C. burnetii on the territory of all landscape-geographical zones of the Republic of Guinea was carried out. For the first time, an officially registered case of human Q fever case has been identified. The role of livestock, small mammals and bats in the circulation of the pathogen has been established. It has been shown that the main vectors in Guinea are ixodid ticks of the Amblyomma variegatum, Hyalomma truncatum and Rhipicephalus decoloratus species. Employing molecular methods, C. burnetii strains carrying the QpH1 plasmid, capable of causing diseases in humans and animals were identified. For the first time, the complete nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA of the Q fever pathogen (OQ152497–OQ152500) identified on the territory of Guinea was determined and registered in the GenBank database. Conclusion. Taking into account the high epidemiological significance of Q fever, the study of the specifics of C. burnetii circulation in Guinea remains an urgent task. Regular monitoring and assessment of risk factors for diseases caused by coxiella are necessary for the development of an algorithm for laboratory diagnosis and recommendations for clinicians.

Comparison of global and zonal modeling strategies - A case study of soil organic matter and C:N ratio mapping in Altay, Xinjiang, China

Digital soil mapping (DSM) based on remote sensing is the dominant method for soil monitoring. Currently, the global modeling strategy (GMS) is used in most soil mapping studies. In the GMS, it is assumed that the relationship between soil and the landscape is the same throughout a region. However, the soil–landscape relationship varies in different geographic zones, such as among different land cover types. In the zonal modeling strategy (ZMS), a region is divided into multiple geographic zones on the basis of zoning rules, and each geographic zone is modeled individually, to fully capture the soil–landscape relationships within different zones. This study was conducted in Altay, Xinjiang, China. The soil organic matter (SOM) content and C:N ratio were mapped on the basis of the GMS and the ZMS to compare the performance differences between the two strategies. The ZMS mapping results exhibited better spatial heterogeneity across different land cover types. Moreover, the ZMS mapping results displayed lower uncertainty and were closer to the observed values than were the GMS results, which included more outliers. Overall, we recommend the ZMS. The accuracy validation results indicated that the accuracy of the ZMS is not necessarily higher than that of the GMS in some zones, but the overall accuracy is similar. Combining similar zones for modeling can improve the accuracy of the ZMS, surpassing that of the GMS. Moreover, the importance of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data was analyzed. The results revealed that SAR data are highly important for mapping the SOM of bare land and cropland and the C:N ratio of bare land and forest. SAR data may provide soil nutrient information indirectly from moisture levels; therefore, we believe that SAR data have great potential for soil nutrient mapping.

Exceeding expectations increases satisfaction among Louisiana waterfowl hunters

AbstractLouisiana surveys waterfowl hunters every 5 years to assess hunter effort, harvest success, demographics, and preferences for proposed regulations and management practices. The 2020 Survey of Louisiana Waterfowl Hunters addressed hunter satisfaction patterns, hunter perceptions on waterfowl migration, associations of field experiences to satisfaction, associations among distribution waves, the efficacy of sample coverage by an email survey, and allowed comparison with hunter satisfaction with surveys in 2005, 2010, and 2015. We distributed a 31‐question survey by email to 73,554 Louisiana waterfowl hunters following the 2019–2020 season. We received 13,483 total responses, of which 8,218 were usable (licensed respondents actively hunting waterfowl during the 2019–2020 season), resulting in a qualified response rate of 12.0%. We compared qualified respondents to the overall population of Harvest Information Program registrants (169,891) and found no significant differences for age class, geographic distribution, and license type. Our results indicated that surveys should be distributed in 3 waves, as the number of days hunted would be overestimated by 7% (mean of 15 days [95% confidence interval = 14.7–15.7] compared to a mean of 14 days [95% confidence interval = 13.7–14.4]) by a single survey. Hunters' satisfaction was independent of which geographic zone they hunted, whether they were members of conservation organizations, or how many waterfowl were seen. Our results also indicated that the probability of greater hunter satisfaction was increased by 98% as the number of waterfowl harvested surpassed 57, by 68% for respondents reporting that their actual harvest exceeded expected harvest by at least one bird, and by 61% for respondents reporting that their actual days hunted exceeded expected days hunted by at least one day.

Traffic complexity assessment on the malacca strait with traffic zone matrix based on AIS data

This study proposes a novel and feasible framework for assessing maritime traffic complexity, utilising historical Automatic Identification System data to extract dynamic traffic characteristics of sea waters and quantify the corresponding maritime traffic complexity. The processed historical statistics are initially segmented into subsets according to different geographic traffic cells based on traffic zones. Subsequently, a Radial Basis Function regression model with a Gaussian kernel is employed to extract dynamic traffic parameters at the central coordinates of each geographic traffic zone based on subsets. The dynamic parameters derived from nonlinear regression and complexity sub-models are ultimately applied in maritime traffic complexity identification. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is validated through complexity assessments in selected areas of Malacca Strait. Empirical results are significant for maritime shipping research on data-driven traffic complexity monitoring and digitalised decision support.

The economic potential for area‐yield crop insurance: An application to maize in Ghana

AbstractRainfall index insurance can enable farm households to manage production risk, but demand in developing countries remains low at market prices, in part because the insurance trigger may not correlate well with individual farm losses. Area‐yield crop insurance, which links payouts to average yield in a geographic zone, attempts to increase demand by more accurately targeting insurance payouts to production shortfalls. However, shifting from an exogenous weather‐based to an endogenous yield‐based index introduces concerns of asymmetric information, which can lead to market failures that constrain supply from providers. These features are inversely related: larger insurance zones inhibit index manipulation, but average yield is less informative about any individual plot. We quantify this tradeoff for maize in Ghana using a spatial yield model calibrated to match observed production. Insurers must demarcate zones of no more than 5000 farmers for area‐yield insurance to outperform weather insurance. The framework presented in this paper allows assessment of the relationship between index performance and asymmetric information in new crop insurance products.

Trends of the second measles vaccine (MCV2) over time after its launch as part of routine immunization in Nigeria: a brief research report.

Nigeria has one of the highest measles burdens and the lowest vaccination coverage in the world. Geographical disparity in the coverage has also been persistent. Between 2019 and 2021, the Nigerian government introduced the second Measles vaccine (MCV2) into routine immunization (RI). This study evaluated the trends of the MCV2 coverage over time across geographical zones. The monthly data on the MCV2 coverage from District Health Information Software (DHIS2) for all the health facilities in Nigeria were aggregated by the geopolitical zone, and the trend of the MCV2 coverage was analyzed over time. The MCV2 coverage in each zone was approximately 20% when the MCV2 program was launched. The MCV2 coverage was higher in the northern zones (35-42%) than in the southern zones (22-31%) 1 year after the launch. Similarly, at 2.5 years, the MCV2 coverage ranged from 38 to 46% in northern zones, while in southern zones, it ranged from 23 to 37%. The introduction of MCV2 as part of the RI schedule potentially narrows down the health inequity in Nigeria.

Harnessing the Link between Climate Change and Traditional Food Preservation Methods: Implications for Global Food Security and Public Health

Climate change is a global issue, which impacts the different geographical zones in different levels. It is also linked to numerous human health issues, which are a concern to human health. The impact of climate change on traditional methods of food preservation in Nigeria and the consequences for food security and health are examined in this research. Information from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) show that average temperatures are increasing and rainfall is decreasing, which are effects of climate change that affect agriculture, water resources, and traditional food preservation methods that are detrimental to public health.Traditional food preservation methods are critical for understanding the link between climate change and food security.This paper uses a case study of Nigeria to examine the effects of climate change on traditional food preservation practices and public health. The research focuses on the shifts in the conventional preservation techniques, the impact of these shifts on nutrition, and policy interventions for enhancing sustainable preservation of food. Climate change indicators such as temperature and rainfall were used as surrogates for climate change, food insecurity such as undernourishment rates were used for food security and nutritional health outcomes such as child stunting and micronutrient malnutrition. The study shows that climate change has a negative effect on food security since it reduces crop yields and enhances post-harvest losses. Sun-drying and smoking are the common preservation techniques that are now less efficient because of high humidity and unpredictable weather. As such, people are experiencing increased incidences of food wastage, nutritional imbalance, and food borne diseases especially with those people in rural regions. Furthermore, the study confirms the relationship between climate change and food insecurity, which has a negative impact on the health of pregnant women and children, especially under five years, and high under-five mortality despite a decrease in child mortality in the last decade.The results provide important regional information relevant to the entire Sub-Saharan Africa and useful to the international community in matters of climate change, food security and health. This study calls for the use of innovation that combines the conventional and contemporary methods of food preservation in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security systems. Furthermore, it underlines the need for the policy interventions that may prevent food borne illness and other diseases. These insights are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) 2, 3, and 13, namely; Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, and Climate Action, respectively.This research addresses a significant gap in the literature by linking climate change effects with food preservation practices and offering recommendations for improving food system vulnerability to climate change. It provides a clear picture of the prospects and constraints of mitigating climate change impacts on food insecurity and enhancing food security and health in the world.

A Global Analysis of Historical and Future Changes in Mediterranean Climate‐Type Regions

ABSTRACTMediterranean climate‐type regions (MCRs) are characterised by warm‐to‐hot dry summers and mild‐wet winters. These regions are typically found on the western or southern edges of continents, for example, in the Mediterranean Basin, the west coast of North and South America, southern Africa and southwest Australia. The MCRs are vulnerable to climate variability and change related to their unique characteristics, such as pronounced rainfall seasonality and prolonged hot and dry summers. Based on historical observations and CMIP6 climate projections, we apply an empirical bio‐climatic assessment of how the geographic distribution of MCRs has changed during the last century and how these zones will be further impacted under continued warming. Results indicate a poleward and eastward expansion of MCRs in the Mediterranean Basin, North America‐California and South America‐Central Chile regions. For parts of Southern Africa and Southern Australia, a retreat of the MCR margins and an expansion of more arid climate zones are projected. These shifts are particularly profound according to high emission and radiative forcing pathways and future scenarios. The warming in MCRs is projected to accelerate (e.g., mean regional warming of up to 5.5°C under a 4°C global warming scenario), and precipitation will decrease by about 5%–10% for every additional degree of global warming. One exception is the California MCR, where rainfall will likely increase. Such changes can challenge water resources, food security and other aspects of human livelihood and ecosystems in these unique geographical zones.

Quantitative Analysis of Land Degradation in Mongolia from the Perspective of Geographical Zone

Quantitative Analysis of Land Degradation in Mongolia from the Perspective of Geographical Zone

Medical geographical zoning in part of Uzbekistan – A regional synthesis

This study delves into the nuanced realm of medical geography, focusing on the intricate interplay between geographical factors and public health outcomes in the Samarkand and Navoi regions of Uzbekistan. Over the decades, the field of medical geography has evolved, embracing a holistic perspective that integrates ecological, socioeconomic, and accessibility elements to elucidate the complex dynamics of disease distribution and healthcare provision. Utilizing a comprehensive methodology, this research employs a combination of GIS tools, statistical analysis, and expert input to delineate medical geographical zones within the study area. By synthesizing data from diverse sources including administrative records, environmental assessments, and demographic surveys, the study constructs a detailed picture of the region's health landscape. The analysis revealed five primary medical geographical zones and a sub-zone, each characterized by distinct natural features, economic activities, and health challenges. From the bustling urban centers of Samarkand and Navoi to the remote desert expanses of Uzguduk - Tomdi North, each zone presents unique opportunities and obstacles for healthcare delivery and environmental management. Key findings highlight the disproportionate distribution of healthcare resources, with densely populated areas in the southern part of the study area benefitting from greater accessibility to medical facilities compared to remote rural regions. Moreover, environmental factors such as air pollution, water contamination, and climatic variability emerge as significant determinants of public health, exacerbating respiratory ailments, cardiovascular diseases, and other health conditions. The study underscores the importance of spatial analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex health issues within diverse geographical landscapes. By mapping medical geographical zones and understanding their specific health concerns, policymakers and healthcare professionals can develop targeted interventions to improve healthcare access, mitigate environmental hazards, and promote community well-being. In conclusion, this research contributes valuable insights to the field of medical geography, shedding light on the multifaceted interactions between geography, environment, and health in the Samarkand and Navoi regions of Uzbekistan. Moving forward, further research and collaborative efforts are needed to address the underlying determinants of health disparities and foster sustainable development in the region.

Examining the roles and relationships of actors in community health systems in Nigeria through the lens of the expanded health systems framework

BackgroundCommunity health system (CHS) exists through the actions and activities of different actors within and outside communities. However, these actors, their roles and their relationships with one another have not...

The North-South problem: on the possibilities of comparing interregional inequalities in Italy and Russia

The article examines the possibilities and scientific prospects of comparative studies of interregional differences and inequalities in Russia and Italy. These countries, located at a considerable distance, belonging to different geographical zones, cultural environments and civilisational areas, differ significantly in their global status. Despite the self-evident nature of these differences, they have long been perceived in both the Russian and Italian research traditions as countries subject to comparison. They act for each other - and to a large extent because of the same differences - as a conceptual resource, an element of the external environment and external surroundings, a source and factor of development. This comparability has its regional dimension. It extends to the field of research on interregional inequalities and contradictions, examining the dialectic of "center - regions" and forming a special comparative direction in terms of research methodology. This study is an excursion into the field of historical, sociological and political regional studies. The author evaluates the achievements and results obtained by domestic and Italian authors, as well as the prospects for scientific developments in this area. Interregional inequalities, inevitable for Italy, which was among the countries that "came second", given their relatively late introduction to the technogenic civilisation, have acquired the meaning and significance of a national problem. Almost from the moment of the emergence of a single Italian state, it has been known as the southern question. The North-South dichotomy in Italy is the embodiment of regional differences, disproportions, and contradictions. It reflected the conflict between the unification of traditionalist social structures and the need to preserve their diversity. This dichotomy remarkably seemed to anticipate the formula of the same name of modern times, which denotes the division and split of the modern global world into rich northern and poor southern countries. In conceptual schemes of variability, that is, on the one hand, unity and similarity, and on the other, differences between Russia and Italy, including in the field of comparative regional studies, contrasting comparisons, which were more or less rightfully attributed a constant character, have long prevailed. This established picture of variability has undergone significant modifications in the process of erosion of political subcultures of both the left and right persuasion, secularisation and rationalisation of public consciousness. The author concludes that the example of Italy shows how archaic social practices can be combined with modern technologies, and this can give rise to very bizarre social collisions.

Dissecting the immune infiltrate of primary luminal B-like breast carcinomas in relation to age.

The impact of aging on the immune landscape of luminal breast cancer (Lum-BC) is poorly characterized. Understanding the age-related dynamics of immune editing in Lum-BC is anticipated to improve the therapeutic benefit of immunotherapy in older patients. To this end, here we applied the 'multiple iterative labeling by antibody neo-deposition' (MILAN) technique, a spatially resolved single-cell multiplex immunohistochemistry method. We created tissue microarrays by sampling both the tumor center and invasive front of luminal breast tumors collected from a cohort of treatment-naïve patients enrolled in the prospective monocentric IMAGE (IMmune system and AGEing) study. Patients were subdivided into three nonoverlapping age categories (35-45 = 'young', n = 12; 55-65 = 'middle', n = 15; ≥70 = 'old', n = 26). Additionally, depending on localization and amount of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, the tumor immune types 'desert' (n = 22), 'excluded' (n = 19), and 'inflamed' (n = 12) were identified. For the MILAN technique we used 58 markers comprising phenotypic and functional markers allowing in-depth characterization of T and B lymphocytes (T&B-lym). These were compared between age groups and tumor immune types using Wilcoxon's test and Pearson's correlation. Cytometric analysis revealed a decline of the immune cell compartment with aging. T&B-lym were numerically less abundant in tumors from middle-aged and old compared to young patients, regardless of the geographical tumor zone. Likewise, desert-type tumors showed the smallest immune-cell compartment and were not represented in the group of young patients. Analysis of immune checkpoint molecules revealed a heterogeneous geographical pattern of expression, indicating higher numbers of PD-L1 and OX40-positive T&B-lym in young compared to old patients. Despite the numerical decline of immune infiltration, old patients retained higher expression levels of OX40 in T helper cells located near cancer cells, compared to middle-aged and young patients. Aging is associated with important numerical and functional changes of the immune landscape in Lum-BC. © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Superficial Zoonotic Mycoses in Humans Associated with Cattle.

Dermatophytosis in cattle is most often caused by infection with Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum), but also with Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes) and others, regardless of the geographical zone. The infection is transmitted through direct contact between animals as well as infected environmental elements. The human-to-human transmission of fungal infection is also possible.. This retrospective study was conducted based on a detailed analysis of the results of the mycological examination and medical documentation of 40 patients from Greater Poland, diagnosed with cattle-to-human dermatophytoses from March 2017 to November 2023. T. verrucosum accounted for 97.5% of infections and T. mentagrophytes for 2.5%; no other species of dermatophytes from cattle were found. Superficial skin mycosis in humans associated with cattle was more often diagnosed in small children and men directly engaged in cattle breeding. The dominant etiological factor of the superficial fungal skin infection was T. verrucosum, which mainly affected the scalp in children and upper limbs in adult men. In relation to the cattle population in Greater Poland, the number of cases of superficial skin mycoses among cattle breeders and their family members over the period of more than six and a half years of observation does not seem to be high.

Whole-Genome Sequences of 13 Chinese Indigenous Pinewood Nematodes, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

The pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, PWN) induces pine wilt disease in Pinaceae plants, causing severe destruction to pine forests. Previous studies report that by 2023, 663 cities across 18 provinces in China had been infested by the PWN, necessitating immediate control measures. To identify the genetic variations associated with the PWN's adaptation to new environments, we conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 13 indigenous PWN samples from two distinct geographic zones within China, specifically Anhui, Liaoning, and Jiangxi provinces. We identified genetic variants and analyzed the genetic structure of these populations, followed by functional gene enrichment analyses. Our findings reveal genetic variants associated with secretion, immune system function, membrane processes, metabolism, catabolism, and cell wall regulation, supporting the hypothesis that the PWN genome has been shaped by local ecosystems.

A comparative investigation of the biodiversity, assembly, and interaction of epiphytic and epipelic biofilms in shallow lakes from four geographical zones

Epiphytic and epipelic biofilms are two types of microbial assemblages growing on biotic and abiotic substrates, respectively, in shallow lakes. Nevertheless, little is understood about the factors governing the microbial community assembly and interaction of biofilms in shallow lakes located in different geographical zones. This study explored the differences in microbial community in biofilms on Ceratophylum demersum leaves and surface sediments in Lake Ulansu (China), Silkeborg Langsø (Denmark), Gaharwa (Rwanda), and Weija (Ghana). The results show that nutrients and environmental parameters differed significantly in overlying water among four lakes. The highest conductivity (2538.87 μS/cm) was detected in overlying water in Ulansu, and there were higher nutrient concentrations in two African lakes than Lake Ulansu and Langsø. Significant differences in bacterial and micro-eukaryotic α-diversity were detected between epipelic and epiphytic biofilms in each lake. Only 43 and 25 bacterial OTUs (6 and 1 micro-eukaryotic OTUs) were shared by epiphytic and epipelic biofilms in four lakes, respectively. The most dominant bacterial phyla were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes. For micro-eukaryotes SAR, Phragmoplastophyta, Rotifera, and Ascomycota were dominant in all four lakes. The neutral and null models reveal that deterministic processes significantly influence microbial communities in epipelic and epiphytic biofilms of four global lakes. EC, pH, temperature, and nitrogen compounds were the main driving factors for microbial communities in these lakes. The examination of co-occurrence networks revealed that microbial interactions in epipelic biofilms were more stable and complicated than those in epiphytic biofilms. Overall, the findings provide new and additional insights to better understand the influence and role of epiphytic and epipelic biofilms and environmental parameters on bacterial and micro-eukaryotic biodiversity, interactions, assemblages, and ecological functions in global shallow lakes.

Microbial laden mobile phones from international conference attendees pose potential risks to public health and biosecurity

IntroductionMobile phones, contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, have the potential to act as “trojan horses”. The microbial signatures present on their surfaces most probably vary across different geographical regions. As a result, mobile phones belonging to international conference attendees may serve as a model for global microbial dissemination, posing potential risks to public health and biosecurity. AimThis study aimed to profile the microbes present on mobile phones belonging to delegates attending an international scientific conference through use of metagenomic shotgun DNA sequencing. MethodsTwenty mobile phones, representing ten different geographical zones from around the world, were swabbed and pooled together into ten geographical-specific samples for high definition next-generation DNA sequencing. WONCA council members were invited to participate and provided verbal consent. Following DNA extraction, next generation sequencing, to a depth of approximately 10Gbp per sample, was undertaken on a v1.5 Illumina NovaSeq6000 system. Bioinformatic analysis was performed via the CosmosID platform. ResultsA total of 2204 microbial hits were accumulated across 20 mobile phones inclusive of 882 bacteria, 1229 viruses, 88 fungi and 5 protozoa. Of particular concern was the identification of 65 distinct antibiotic resistance genes and 86 virulence genes. Plant, animal and human pathogens, including ESKAPE and HACEK bacteria were found on mobile phones. Discussion/conclusionMobile phones of international attendees are contaminated with many & varied microorganisms. Further research is required to characterize the risks these devices pose for biosecurity and public health. Development of new policies which appropriately address and prevent such risks maybe warranted.

Pre-Mongolian Medieval Nomadic Monuments from the Saratov Region

The purpose of the article is to compile an up-to-date summary of the medieval nomad monuments dating back to the pre-Mongol period on the territory of the Saratov region. The following tasks are solved: cultural and chronological attribution of the complexes; their mapping; generalization and analysis of the data obtained in the context of the history of the Eastern European nomads. Various methods were used in the work: diachronic (periodization of the nomads existence in the studied territory), historical-systemic (study of nomadic society as a system) and historical-comparative (identification of general developmental patterns of nomadic societies), typological (typology and classification of the archaeological materials and complexes), and chronological (study of gradual development of the nomadic culture in the Lower Volga region). The main source of the study is the materials and publications on the nomadic archaeological sites from the Saratov region, as well as previous generalizing works on this topic. Data on 74 monuments are analyzed and mapped. The complexes are grouped into three natural and geographical zones (the basin of the Khopyor and Medveditsa rivers; the Volga Upland; and the Steppe Trans-Volga region). The complexes are also classified according to the three conditional chronological horizons: Saltovo-Mayaki (8th – 9th centuries); Oghuz-Pechenegs (9th – 11th centuries); and Polovtsian (late 11th – early 13th centuries). An attempt is made to correlate the well-known complexes of the Saltovo-Mayaki culture with its separate ethno-cultural groups (the Bulgars, the Khazars, and the Alans) and among the materials of the 9th –11th centuries to single out the Pecheneg and Oghuz components. The Polovtsian sculptures and the burials were correlated with written data on the groups of nomads from the Volga-Don steppes dating back to the middle of the 9th – early 13th centuries.

Tangible to Non-Tangible Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Life Satisfaction of Farmers in Kerala, India

While Kerala’s transition from an agrarian to a service-oriented economy is widely acknowledged, discussions are most often confined to material domains, overlooking overall life satisfaction, which is critical to pursue any profession. This state-wide community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted to gather data from farmers residing in three geographical zones of Kerala, India, North, South and Central, to understand their life satisfaction and how it correlates to their access to resources and social support. From each zone, we randomly chose two districts, and from each district, two panchayats. From each panchayat, we chose one ward to identify a total of 580 eligible farmers. Structured interviews were conducted using door-knock surveys to elicit information from the respondents using a set of standardized questionnaires. The results suggest that the respondents had a mean age of 54.5, with 19.8% being over 65, indicating demographic ageing in the farming sector. Only 46% chose farming as their full-time occupation. Farmers with higher levels of education who owned large plots of land experienced life satisfaction. Interpersonal relationships and social support were significant determinants of life satisfaction, as these factors were pivotal in their access to formal and informal services. With social support being pivotal in life satisfaction, it is imperative to change the social mindset towards farming. Additionally, the government should promote advanced technologies and high-yielding agricultural practises to transform the economic landscape of Kerala in favour of agriculture, which is imperative for the food security of the state.