Mountain People Research Articles

Gruusia-Abhaasia sõja (1992–1993) retseptsioon eesti meedias sõja ajal ja järel

In the minds of Estonians Abkhazia is associated mainly with Estonians living there. When the Georgian-Abkhazian war broke out in August 1992, the Estonian state evacuated about 170 Estonians and their families from Abkhazia in the autumn of the same year. The reception of the war itself in the Estonian media was low and related to the situation of Estonians there, but the motives and direct causes of the war and the development of war events were also examined. One Baltic News Service journalist observed the evacuation of Estonians and wrote about the events of the war on the spot, but most of the authors operated in Estonia and used various sources. In today’s context, it may seem surprising to what extent materials from Russian information channels were used, but at that time it was understandable: Russia covered events in its border countries more actively than Western agencies. Materials translated directly from Russian newspapers were also published in the Estonian press. The choice of sources also influenced the framing in which the events of that time were mediated. The coverage of the war in the Estonian media has undergone significant developments over the decades. The articles published during the war presented the events in a neutral way, rather sympathizing with the Abkhazians than the aggressor. While in the first half of the war the fighters of the Confederation of Mountain People of the Caucasus were presented as allies of the Abkhazians, the articles published at the end of the war sometimes included Russians, although the contribution of the Russians was not explained. However, even at the end of the war, the coverage remained largely neutral, conveying the views of both Georgians and Abkhazians. From the middle of 1994, the reception of the war began to change, which was related to Georgia’s international self-assertion. Reports from international organizations increasingly highlighted the issue of Georgian war refugees and Georgia’s claim to territorial integrity. This was also reflected in the Estonian media, where Abkhazians were increasingly called separatists without the right to independence. However, until the end of the 1990s, some articles were published that also provided Abkhaz views on events. Estonia had taken a clear direction towards integration with the West, but there was no clear understanding of Georgia’s orientation, which also influenced the attitudes of Estonian media towards Georgia-Abkhazia relations. Georgia’s leader, Eduard Shevardnadze, maneuvered between the West and Russia, pushing Abkhazia into an economic blockade and concluding agreements with Russia, while seeking integration with NATO and the European Union. The situation changed dramatically after the Rose Revolution in Georgia, when Mikhail Saakashvili, who had come to power, began to move unequivocally on the path of Western integration. At the same time, Georgia’s relations with Russia deteriorated. Georgia, a small brave country in conflict with Russia, suddenly became Estonians’ ally and friend. The common enemy unites, and when Saakashvili’s rhetoric gained a firm foothold in Georgia’s territorial integrity, Abkhazia was clearly positioned in the Estonian mainstream media as a separatist Russian puppet. Retrospectively, the reception of the Georgian-Abkhazian war changed – the pluralistic approach of the 1990s was replaced by the Georgian version. In this connection, the portrayal of the role of the Russians in the war also changed: peace mediators in the early 1990s or postcolonial implementers of the divide et impera principle now became allies of the Abkhaz. After the Law of Occupied Territories was adopted in Georgia on 23 October 2008, the concept “occupied Georgian territory” as an epithet of Abkhazia appeared in the Estonian media. As Russia continues to be in the position of a negative external “stranger” for the Estonian media, Russia’s relations with Georgia continue to influence our media attitudes towards Abkhazia and interpretations of the Georgian-Abkhazian war.

Validation of traditional claims of anti-arthritic efficacy of trans-Himalayan snow mountain garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) extract using adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model: A comparative evaluation with normal garlic (Allium sativum L.) and dexamethasone

Ethnopharmacological relevanceSnow Mountain Garlic (SMG) (Allium ampeloprasum L.) is a wild trans-Himalayan member of the genus Allium, valued for its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties in the mountain folk medicinal system (Sowa-Rigpa). Despite its age-old medicinal usage by traditional therapists and the native population for various ailments including rheumatism, there is no scientific validation of its phyto-pharmaceutical merits. Aim of the studyThe present pre-clinical study compared the in-vivo anti-arthritic effects of SMG with reported efficacy doses of normal garlic (Allium sativum L.) extract and dexamethasone in a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis rat model. Materials and methodsThe female Wistar rats were immunized by the subplannter injection of CFA into the right hind footpad. Aqueous extracts of SMG and normal garlic were administered orally at a dose of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg for 28 days. Dexamethasone was used as positive control drug. Behavioral parameters including paw markers, arthritis index, joint stiffness, body weight change, etc. were measured. Also, the changes in histopathological indices, hematological profile, inflammatory mediators, and serum cytokines level was determined. ResultsTreatment of rats with SMG extracts significantly (p < 0.001) prevented the reduction in body weight and hematological changes as well as ameliorated clinical symptoms such as arthritic index, joint stiffness, arthritis score, edema, hyperalgesia, and histopathological indices. This was associated with a significant reduction in the serum levels of RF, CRP, anti-CCP, and proinflammatory cytokines exhibiting strong anti-arthritic potential. SMG extracts could also significantly down regulate the NF-κB, COX-2, and iNOS expression in the ankle joint tissues. ConclusionsThe present study is the first attempt to validate the phyto-pharmaceutical efficacy of this folk garlic variety from the trans-Himalayan region. Overall, SMG extract showed remarkable preventive anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities which were closely comparable to therapeutic effects of dexamethasone and at par or even better than normal garlic w.r.t. several study parameters.

Revitalizing Collective Resources in Mountain Areas Through Community Engagement and Knowledge Cocreation

The ongoing global and large-scale changes in markets, demographics, and use of resources are impacting mountain peoples and regions. In mountain areas, resources have been governed through community-based systems for resource management for centuries, ensuring stewardship and local decision-making over the resources. Due to the importance of such systems to mountain societies, there is a need to understand local effects of global changes and reconfigure community-based resource management (CRM) to meet local needs while tackling global challenges. Changes include biodiversity loss and the climate crisis, as well as increasing social and economic disparities. Studies on the role of knowledge cocreation in the process of CRM innovation in response to ongoing changes in mountain social–ecological systems are missing. This study aimed to explore the reconfigurations that enable CRM to foster sustainable development and thriving communities. The study focused on an intervention promoting community entrepreneurship in community-based tourism for the revitalization of collective resources in 2 mountain communities in Northern Italy. We adopted a transdisciplinary approach and a research action methodology to codesign the interventions and research. Data from focus groups, a survey, participatory activities, interviews, and participant observation were collected and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method. Results show that emerging reconfigurations in CRM include recognition of new values and uses of collective resources, inclusion of new stakeholders, and innovation of the organizational model, shifting the perspective from resource management to resource governance. The study recommends striking a balance between pushing innovation and increasing power imbalances. It is important to pay attention to the inclusivity of the process and to avoid excessive commodification of resources.

Peculiar Places: A Queer Crip History of White Rural Nonconformity

Peculiar Places: A Queer Crip History of White Rural Nonconformity

Identification of candidate genes related to highland adaptation from multiple Chinese local chicken breeds by whole genome sequencing analysis.

Understanding the genetic mechanism of highland adaptation is of great importance for breeding improvement of Tibetan chickens (TBC). Some studies of TBC have identified some candidate genes and pathways from multiple subgroups, but the related genetic mechanisms remain largely unknown. Different genetic backgrounds and the independent genetic basis of highland adaptation make it difficult to identity the selective region of highland adaptation with all TBC samples. In this study, we conducted pre-analysis in a large-scale population to select a TBC subgroup with the purest and highest level of highland-specific lineage for the further analysis. Finally, the 37 samples from a TBC subgroup and 19 Lahsa White chickens were used to represent the highland group for further analysis with 80 samples from five Chinese local lowland breeds as controls. Population structure analysis revealed that highland adaptation significantly affected population stratification in Chinese local chicken breeds. Genome-wide selection signal analysis identified 201 candidate genes associated with highland adaptation of TBC, and these genes were significantly enriched in calcium signaling, vascular smooth muscle contraction and the cellular response to oxidative stress pathways. Additionally, we identified a narrow 1.76 kb region containing an overlapping region between HBZ and an active enhancer, and our identified region showed a highly significant signal. The highland group selected the haplotype with high activity to improve the oxygen-carrying capacity, thus being adapted to a hypoxic environment. We also found that STX2 was significantly selected in the highland group, thus potentially reducing the oxidative stress caused by hypoxia, and that STX2 exhibited the opposite effects on highland adaptation and reproductive traits. Our findings advance our understanding of extreme environment adaptation of highland chickens, and provide some variants and genes beneficial to TBC genetic breeding improvement.

Sarcoptic mange is an emerging threat to biodiversity in the Qinling Mountains in China.

Sarcoptic mange, a disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is globally endemic and an emerging threat to wildlife. Although many studies have shown that wildlife diseases play key roles in biodiversity conservation, knowledge about sarcoptic mange is still insufficient. In this study, we aim to improve the understanding of the impacts of sarcoptic mange on wildlife populations, the mechanisms involved in its eco-epidemiology and the associated risks to public and ecosystem health by investigating mass death events in gorals and serows in the Qinling Mountains. We conducted interviews with practitioners and local people in the central Qinling Mountains. From the same locations, we collected 24 cutaneous samples from various animals and surveillance data from infrared cameras. Pathological, parasitological and microbiological examinations of the samples were performed. Mite-induced cutaneous lesions, mites and eggs were observed in samples from dead gorals and one dead serow but not in other species. Molecular analysis confirmed the mites to be S. scabiei and shared the same cox 1 genotype. The data obtained from the interviews and infrared cameras indicated that the death of wildlife was related to sarcoptic mange infection and that there had been a decrease in the goral population since the outbreak of the disease. We confirmed that sarcoptic mange was the major cause of the mass death events and may have spread from the western to eastern Qinling Mountains. Based on our findings, we propose several protection strategies to help preserve biodiversity in the Qinling Mountains.

Components of stigma and its impact on maternal and child health service and outcomes: perspective of Akha hill tribe women in Thailand

BackgroundMaternal and child health (MCH) is crucial to the well-being of mothers and children. Stigma regarding access to MCH services is a major challenge, especially for hill tribe people in Thailand. The study aimed to understand the components of stigma and its impact on MCH service and outcomes including experiences and expectations to address the stigma in perspective of Akha hill tribe women in Thailand.MethodsA phenomenological qualitative approach was used to gather information from Akha women who had attended MCH service one year prior and had an experience with stigma. A validated question guide was used in the study. The interview was conducted in private and confidential rooms in the Akha hill tribe villages between June and September 2021. A thematic analysis was used to extract the major and minor themes and develop the findings.ResultsA total of 61 Akha postdelivery participants were recruited to provide information; the average age was 28.9 years, 32.8% had no Thai ID card, and 93.4% were married. Language, traditional clothing, poverty, and name were identified as drivers of stigma, while health care providers’ background, gender differences between clients and health care providers, and knowledge gaps facilitated the stigma. Being a member of a hill tribe acted as the stigma marker. Stigma manifestation was presented in the forms of verbal or physical abuse, refusal to provide treatment, and intentional disclosure of personal information to the public. Accepting the situation with no better option, defending oneself to receive better care and services, and using a private care service were experiences in addressing the stigma. Gender matching, active MCH service, mobile emergency clinics, and appropriate, permanent medical equipment in health care facilities located in their villages were the expectations.ConclusionAkha women face a variety of stigmas in access to MCH services, with substantial impacts on health outcomes, especially the rate of services in women and child health. Creating laws to prevent the occurrence of any forms of stigma and implementing gender matching in MCH services should be considered.

Кабардино-Балкария в административно-территориальной системе Северного Кавказа в первой половине 1920-х годов

During the first half of the 1920s, with the processes of searching for forms of the national-state structure of the mountain peoples, the mechanisms for their administrative-territorial control were developed. The solutions to these issues were interrelated and interdependent. The policy of the Soviet state was based on the principle of economic gravity of territories and the economic unity of the North Caucasus. At the same time, the regional systems of administrative-territorial admin-istration became a crucial instrument for the national policy of the Soviet government. An effec-tive system was designed that integrated the federal, local, and regional levels of government and management. In this regard, the administration of national autonomies, the South-Eastern region was created, and then the North Caucasus Territory, where a new trend associated with the consol-idation of the administrative and political elite of national autonomies occurred. During that time, the regional systems of administrative-territorial direction became a crucial instrument of the na-tional policy of the Soviet government. In general, an effective system was designed that integrat-ed the federal, regional levels of government and management. It lies in the need to ease territorial conflicts between the mountain peoples and to strengthen the political and economic foundations of national autonomies. The regional systems of administrative-territorial administration became an important instrument of the national policy of the Soviet government. An effective system was designed that integrated the federal, regional and local levels of government and management.

Пресса как источник исследования национально-государственной политики большевист-ской партии на Северном Кавказе в ходе социалистической модернизации края

The leading instrument of ideological support of the proletariat dictatorship in the Russian nation-al regions after the October revolution in 1917 served the local press, which was formed and func-tioned under the control of the Bolshevik party. Especially difficult was strengthening Soviet power in the North Caucasus because socialist ideas were unknown and poorly understood by the highlanders. Bolsheviks propagated, first through the local press, the slogan of the right of nations to self-determination to attract the mountain peoples to their side. Large-scale propaganda of the national policy of the Bolshevik Party was carried out in the pages of newspapers and magazines. Meanwhile, publications devoted to these issues in periodicals during the first decades of the So-viet power have been insufficiently studied in the Caucasus studies. At the present stage of histor-ical-journalistic science, the need to rethink the provisions and conclusions of scholarly works of the recent Soviet past has increased. The article attempts to reveal the peculiarities of coverage in the North Caucasus regional press of the Bolshevik party policy in the sphere of national-state building during the Bolshevik totalitarian regime, based on the critical understanding of the pub-lished scientific literature, the study of archival materials, content analysis of regional newspapers and magazines.

Farming in the mountains of Nepal: crops, soil fertility, livelihoods and farm-forest linkages

In national plans, policies, and earlier development programs, livelihoods of mountain people in the Nepal Himalayas were overlooked, rendering them more susceptible to climatic risk and disaster. The management of marginal mountain agricultural land is crucial for food security, improved living conditions, and environmental protection. For enhancing livelihoods and ecological benefits, mountain agriculture is vital, however, a consolidated review on mountain farming is limited in Nepal. We used "mountain" AND "Nepal" AND "farming" OR "agriculture" in the literature's title published between 1978 and 2021 on Google Scholar and did an in-depth review of papers on the four thematic areas: mountain crops, soil fertility, livelihoods, and farm-forestry linkages. We observed a variety of nutrient-rich mountain crops with a market potential as niche products, low and deteriorating soil fertility of agricultural lands, a weakening of the farm-forest links, and an increase in the diversity of mountain livelihood choices. Small landholdings, labor outmigration mainly men, feminization of mountain farming, and food insecurity are the greatest challenges to the growth of agriculture in mountainous regions. There are, however, ample opportunities to make mountain regions green through agroforestry and community forests, to improve livelihoods by introducing niche value chains for products, to explore payment for ecosystem services through downstream-upstream linkages, and to recognize their traditional knowledge and practices through citizen science research and development.

Поширеність факторів ризику, особливості жирнокислотного спектра плазми крові та стан надання медичної допомоги хворим на ішемічну хворобу серця – мешканцям різних висотних зон Закарпаття

Мета роботи – виявити фактори ризику та особливості клінічного перебігу різних форм ішемічної хвороби серця в жителів гір і рівнин Карпатського регіону та оцінити ефективність і обсяг медичної допомоги цим хворим.Матеріали і методи. У дослідження було залучено 296 осіб, з яких 105 мешканців гірських населених пунктів та 191 житель рівнинних населених пунктів. У пацієнтів, які перенесли інфаркт міокарда з елевацією та без елевації сегмента ST, оцінювали стан надання медичної допомоги. При обстеженні пацієнтів використовували загальноклінічні методи, оцінювали антропометричні дані, визначали загальний серцево-судинний ризик та серцево-судинний ризик за шкалою SCORE, вимірювали офісний артеріальний тиск, реєстрували ЕКГ, досліджували показники ліпідного обміну. У частини пацієнтів зі стабільною ішемічною хворобою серця (ІХС) оцінювали показники жирнокислотного складу плазми крові – з використанням методу газової хроматографії. Результати та обговорення. У дослідженні порівняли дві групи пацієнтів: група 1 – хворі з ІХС, що проживають у гірській місцевості (n=54); група 2 – хворі з ІХС, що проживають у рівнинній місцевості (n=62). При порівнянні жирнокислотного складу плазми крові виявлено суттєві відмінності між мешканцями рівнинних та гірських населених пунктів. Гірські мешканці порівняно з жителями рівнини мали статистично значуще вищі рівні насичених міристинової та стеаринової жирної кислоти, пальмітолеїнової мононенасиченої жирної кислоти та двох ω6-поліненасичених жирних кислот (γ-ліноленової та дигомо-гамма-ліноленової жирної кислоти); ці відмінності виявлялися в загальній групі порівняння і окремо в підгрупах чоловіків, осіб віком понад 40 років, у осіб з надлишковою масою тіла чи ожирінням (за показником індексу маси тіла), в осіб з абдомінальним ожирінням (за показником обводу талії), які мали хоча б одне коморбідне захворювання (артеріальну гіпертензію, стабільну ІХС або цукровий діабет 2-го типу). У мешканців гірських населених пунктів з надлишковою масою тіла чи ожирінням наявність цукрового діабету 2-го типу або артеріальної гіпертензії асоціювалася також з нижчими рівнями ω3-докозагексаєнової жирної кислоти.Висновки. Вищі рівні міристинової жирної кислоти, ω6-андренової та нижчі рівні ω3-докозагексаєнової жирної кислоти в горян з ожирінням є ймовірними предикторами виникнення та прогресування коморбідних патологій. При проведенні первинного черезшкірного коронарного втручання смертність хворих з гострим коронарним синдромом не залежить від регіону проживання (гірське, рівнинне населення). Чим далі розташований катетеризаційний центр, тим меншій кількості хворих виконується ургентне первинне черезшкірне коронарне втручання, що пов’язано із запізнілою діагностикою гострого коронарного синдрому, а відповідно і з несвоєчасним транспортуванням населення до катетеризаційної лабораторії. Таким чином, катетеризаційні центри мають бути розташовані максимально наближено, щоб транспортування хворого забирало найменше часу. Жителі гірської зони, із врахуванням обмеженого доступу до медичної допомоги, порівняно з мешканцями рівнинних населених пунктів (стан доріг, комунікаційних зв’язків, віддаленість від районних центрів) потребують регулярних медичних оглядів для зниження ризику виникнення та поліпшення прогнозу пацієнтів із серцево-судинними захворюваннями.

Healthcare service utilization of hill tribe children in underserved communities in thailand: Barriers to access

BackgroundHill tribe children, an ethnic minority group in Thailand, experience wide-ranging social and health inequalities. Previous reports indicate that hill tribe children, especially age under 5 years, face social health disadvantages but little is known about the underlying causes. Exploring healthcare utilization among hill tribe children is therefore essential and it may well provide some insight.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted using purposive sampling techniques to recruit participants based on our criteria. In-depth interviews and focus-group discussions were employed to explore the experiences of parents (n = 20), community leaders (n = 20), and healthcare providers (n = 20) when caring for children aged under 5 years. Interview transcripts were coded, and thematic analysis was then performed.ResultsThe participants shared their experiences with accessing healthcare services in underserved areas. Barriers to access was the central theme identified. Sub-themes included: (1) distance matters, (2) education and socioeconomic deprivation, (3) lack of cultural sensitivity, (4) communication problems, (5) tradition, beliefs, and differences in cultural practice, (6) lack of child health professionals, and (7) bureaucratic hurdles.ConclusionsHealthcare services and environments must be transformed to provide healthcare services, education, and information appropriate to the cultures and beliefs prevalent in the hill tribe population.

ПРОСВЕТИТЕЛИ СЕВЕРНОГО КАВКАЗА О ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИИ МОДЕРНИЗИРУЮЩИХ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННО-ПРАВОВЫХ РЕФОРМ И ЭТНИЧЕСКИХ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННО-ПРАВОВЫХ КУЛЬТУР ГОРСКИХ НАРОДОВ В ХIХ ВЕКЕ

The article examines the approaches of some educators of the North Caucasus to the problems of interaction between the state-legal reforms of the Russian Empire carried out in the 19th century and the ethnic state-legal cultures of the mountain peoples. The author emphasizes that the North Caucasian enlighteners proceeded from the compatibility, harmonization of European forms of state-legal life and legal consciousness with the preservation of the national specifics of the mountain state-legal cultures. According to the enlighteners, the need to study the fundamental spiritual foundations of national and cultural existence was dictated not only by the purely scientific tasks of in-depth ethno-graphic study of the Caucasian peoples, but also by the tasks of state management practice in the region.

Cardiorespiratory function, resting metabolic rate and heart rate variability in coal miners exposed to hypobaric hypoxia in highland workplace.

BackgroundOwing to intermittent/acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia, highland miners may often suffer, the physiological characteristics between highland and lowland miners, however, are rarely reported. The objective of this study was to compare the physiological characteristics of coal miners working at disparate altitudes.MethodsTwenty-three male coal mining workers acclimating to high altitude for 30 ± 6 days in Tibet (highland group; approx. 4500 m above sea level; 628.39 millibar), and 22 male coal mining workers in Hebei (lowland group; less than 100 m above sea level; 1021.82 millibar) were recruited. Tests were conducted to compare ventilatory parameters, circulation parameters, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and heart rate variability (HRV) indices between the two groups in resting state.ResultsVentilation volume per minute (VE) of the highland group was markedly raised compared to that of the lowland group (11.70 ± 1.57 vs. 8.94 ± 1.97 L/min, p = 0.000). In the meanwhile, O2 intake per heart beat (VO2/HR) was strikingly decreased (3.54 ± 0.54 vs. 4.36 ± 0.69 ml/beat, p = 0.000). Resting metabolic rate relevant to body surface area (RMR/BSA) was found no significant difference between the two groups. Evident reduction in standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) and remarkable increase in ratio of low- and high- frequency bands (LF/HF) were manifest in highland miners compared to that of lowland ones (110.82 ± 33.34 vs. 141.44 ± 40.38, p = 0.008 and 858.86 ± 699.24 vs. 371.33 ± 171.46, p = 0.003; respectively).ConclusionsThese results implicate that long-term intermittent exposure to high altitude can lead miners to an intensified respiration, a compromised circulation and a profound sympathetic-parasympathetic imbalance, whereas the RMR in highland miners does not distinctly decline.

HLA genetic study in Iran Saqqez-Baneh Kurds: no genetic trace of Aryan invasions in Anatolian Turks and Kurds is found

Kurds are living at Middle East region comprising several countries (38 million people) and also have emigrated to Asia, Europe and America. Kurds from Iran have been HLA typed in the present work from Saqqez and Baneh towns, Kordestan province, Iran. Origin of Kurds is considered autochthonous from Anatolia and surrounding mountains :they have been referred as “the mountain people” by classic Persian, Greek and Roman authors. Present day Turks are also autochthonous from Anatolia, but they were not recognized by classical authors as living in the mountains and they speak a language of Asian origin that was imposed to Anatolia by a “elite” invasion without a noticeable high Asian gene input. Most frequent class I and class II HLA alleles found in Iranian Kurds population are: HLA-A*24:02, A*02:01 and HLA-B*35:01, and HLA-DRB1*11:01, DRB1*03:02 and HLA-DQB1*03:01; also, most frequent HLA extended haplotypes from this Iran Kurdish sample are not shared with Iranians but with Mediterranean, Turkish and Caucasus people. This is confirmed by Neighbour-Joining and correspondence analysis studied together with the corresponding populations. Finally, our studies show that both Kurds and Turks are genetically original from Anatolian Peninsula and surrounding countries and that an apparent Asian genetic or Aryan invasion does not exist in the area.

제주4･3을 통해 본 제주도민의 귀순과 반공주체로서 순응

This paper looked into surrender of islanders in the Jeju April 3rd Incident. One of the most notable phenomena from March 1, 1947 to the Jeju April 3rd Incident in 1948 was the very surrender. These phenomena were sluggish in the early stage of the incident, but later they escalated more in the suppression. The number of people who surrendered increased more and more as pacification maneuver was reinforced. It was especially pronounced in 1949. The state power pronounced that ‘Sansaram’(Mountain People), denoted as armed bands should be banished permanently from the territory of the Republic of Korea. Families and those connected or even might be connected to the armed bands were treated as they had to be excluded from the nation of the Republic of Korea. As pacification and submission maneuvers were unfolded with this idea, promises by the military and the police, agency of the state power, to treat defectors tolerantly were not kept. Most defectors were sent to prisons on the mainland after perfunctory trial. Inmates who were left in rehabilitation camps were released only when they submitted to the ‘anti-communist’ ideology of the government of Syngman Rhee. Those released from camp confinement were not free. They were mobilized into pro-government actions or forced to support the military and the police for pacification maneuvers. Additionally, they were watched in poor collective village and forced to adapt themselves to the ultra-right anti-communism system.

Epidemiology of prediabetes mellitus among hill tribe adults in Thailand.

Prediabetes is a major silent health problem that leads to the development of diabetes within a few years, particularly among those who have a low socioeconomic status. Hill tribe people are vulnerable to prediabetes due to their unique cultural cooking methods and their hard work on farms, as well as their low economic status and educational levels. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes among hill tribe people in Thailand and identify the related factors. This cross-sectional study included participants who belong to one of the six main hill tribes: Akah, Lahu, Hmong, Yao, Karen, and Lisu. The study was conducted in 30 hill tribe villages in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A validated questionnaire was administered, and 5-mL blood specimens were collected. Data were collected between November 2019 and March 2020. Logistic regression was used to determine the associations between independent variables and prediabetes. A total of 1,406 participants were recruited for the study; 67.8% were women, 77.2% were between 40 and 59 years old, and 82.9% were married. The majority worked in the agricultural sector (57.2%), had an annual income ≤ 50,000 baht (67.5%), and had never attended school (69.3%). The prevalence of prediabetes was 11.2%. After controlling for age and sex, five factors were found to be associated with prediabetes. Members of the Akha and Lisu tribes had 2.03 (95% CI = 1.03-3.99) and 2.20 (95% CI = 1.10-4.42) times higher odds of having prediabetes than Karen tribe members, respectively. Those with hypertension (HT) had 1.47 (95% CI = 1.03-2.08) times higher odds of having prediabetes than those with normal blood pressure. Those with a normal total cholesterol level had 2.43 (95% CI = 1.65-3.58) times higher odds of having prediabetes than those with a high total cholesterol level. Those with a high triglyceride level had 1.64 (95% CI = 1.16-2.32) times higher odds of having prediabetes than those with a normal triglyceride level. Those with a high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level had 1.96 (95% CI = 1.30-2.96) times higher odds of having prediabetes than those with a normal LDL-C level. Appropriate dietary guidelines and exercise should be promoted among hill tribe people between 30 and 59 years old to reduce the probability of developing prediabetes.

Affection, Not Scorn

ABSTRACT Literary historians note that Jesse Stuart’s impetus for his satirical portrait of a hill-country clan in his 1943 novel Taps for Private Tussie was his scorn for government aid. Close readings support a common interpretation of the cultural work performed by the novel: that it ridicules the Tussie clan and links welfare programs to laziness. A reception study of Stuart’s archived correspondence, however, indicates that Stuart’s fans read his characters as pastoral, authentic, and endearing. Readers’ bemused and antimodernist appreciation for white hill people, understood as a category apart, transpired as part of Americans’ imaginations of race and poverty and attitudes toward public policy. In some cases, readers’ jealousy of the Tussies hint at an anti-capitalist stirring. Insights drawn from a combination of close reading, reader reception analysis, and attention to public policy over time suggest just how much the study of fiction and its audiences matters.

Acceptance and accessibility to the early phase COVID-19 vaccination among the healthcare workers and hill tribe population in Thailand

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious emerging disease and an extreme threat to human life. This study aimed to understand the perceptions of hill tribe people living in the border areas of Thailand-Myanmar and health workers regarding the acceptability and accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine and health workers’ perceptions of the readiness to implement the vaccination program during the early period of national COVID-19 vaccination. A qualitative method was applied to elicit information from key informants who lived in hill tribe villages and the health professionals who served them. The study was conducted in seven hill tribe villages located along the Thailand-Myanmar borders in Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. The participants were hill tribe villagers aged 20 years and over; public health care professionals working in village health centers who had primary roles in implementing disease prevention and control measures; and public health care professionals working in districts and provincial public health offices who had primary roles in policy development and implementation. A total of 63 participants (26 men and 37 women) from seven hill tribe villages provided information. Three acceptance choices regarding receiving the COVID-19 vaccine were found among the hill tribes: definite acceptance, likely acceptance, and no preference. Two factors related to obtaining access to the new COVID-19 vaccine were found: Thai citizenship and the level of literacy related to the vaccine. There was no process or protocol in place for implementing the new vaccine among health professionals working at the district, subdistrict, or community levels, but the national expanded immunization program (EPI) system was clearly demonstrated to extend throughout the health service chain in Thailand. During the early period of national COVID-19 vaccine implantation in Thailand, not all members of the hill tribes accepted the vaccine; participant acceptance depended on several factors, including a participant’s previous experience with vaccination, whether he or she required more information before making a decision, etc. While acceptance of the vaccine depended on the individual’s background, not everyone had an equal opportunity to access the vaccine. The new COVID-19 vaccine should be available at the village level, including in hill tribe villages, to reduce the systemic threat to the country.

Ecology in Lakshmi Saravanakumar's novel ‘Kanagan’

The primary cause of deforestation is Man and also, he is the first to suffer from deforestation. The study is set to illustrate this under the title ‘Ecology in the Kanagan novel’. The novel sets out to explain who is responsible for deforestation and why they are doing it. The destruction of elephants at the instigation of big bosses also highlights the irresponsibility of forest officials who do not see them. The novel also reveals that the hill people, ‘Pali’, are being blamed for the ongoing deforestation and killing of elephants for their selfish ends. Along with these, the medical team that visits from time to time in the name of medical help can find out about the rare herbaceous plants in the forest, which are known to steal vines and eventually become extinct. The novel depicts the opposition of the hill people to this disgrace and sets out to bring about social change which is caused as a consequence of that. This article explains the role that elephants play in augmenting forest resources and the benefits they bring to wildlife. It also suggests that elephants have evolved into tools that work for humans during the twentieth century. Laws enacted by the government to protect wild elephants are being scrutinized in this review article. The tigers are threatened as an endangered species, revealing the steps taken by the government to protect the tigers. The study also says that the people have to protect the forests and the rare species of elephants and tigers that live in them from the brink of extinction.