History Research Articles

The Transitional Period in Japanese Translation: Children’s Literature

ABSTRACT This article focuses on a study of the transitional period in Japanese translation that was initiated by Yuri Furuno in 2002. This transitional period refers to a time when Japanese-speaking translators shifted their approach from adequacy to acceptability in translation. Specifically, my study examines the situation with children’s literary fiction translation during the transitional period identified by Furuno. It conducts an analysis of the translator’s afterthoughts and a comparative analysis of the translated texts to gain a better understanding of whether or not Furuno’s transitional period is applicable to children’s literature translation in Japan. The analysis conducted in this research reveals that while both translators, whose works are investigated, claimed they opted for acceptability in their afterthoughts, only one of them managed to achieve that goal in their actual writing. In this article, I conclude that my findings align with Furuno’s, and the transitional period could be applied to other genres of literature in Japan, including children’s literature. In light of these findings, this study creates a basis for further research on transitional periods in Japanese book history.

Geochemical Indicators on the Central Tibetan Plateau Lake Sediments: Historical Climate Change and Regional Sustainability

Geochemical Indicators on the Central Tibetan Plateau Lake Sediments: Historical Climate Change and Regional Sustainability

Using acoustic-phonetic simulations to model historical sound change

Abstract We introduce a method for investigating sound change using audio proxies and interpolation between them. Using this method leads us to consider the possible trajectories of attested sound changes in acoustic space and allows us to run speech perception experiments with the interpolated sounds to examine the patterning of perceptual judgements. We discuss the implications for understanding rate and magnitude of sound changes and present the approach as one which might fruitfully be applied to a wide range of studies.

Influence of social cleavage and media usage on political behavior: a case of Pakistan

Increasingly media provides ample opportunities for the audiences to make media choices and form different levels of exposure along political lines. Predominately, Pakistan’s media is recognized as an irreplaceable tool in sparking change in the political landscape, forgoing national-regional identities, and bridging social gaps. Due to recent technological advancements citizens’ media usage brought changes in the political behavior of citizens regarding party choices and voting behavior. Such changes in the political behavior of citizens affect decision making which is influenced by social cleavage of education, gender, and age. However, contrary to similar historical changes, these advances have widened rather than narrowed societal cleavages. The objective of the paper is to explore the influence of social cleavage and media usage on political behavior of students and faculty in Pakistan specifically NUML university, Islamabad. This research explores how social cleavage and recent advances in digital media access changed the political behavior of faculty and students of NUML university. The paper employed survey-based research with a sample of 250 faculty members and students of NUML, Islamabad. According to results, it is concluded that social cleavage of education, age, and gender plays a vital role in transforming the political behavior of both faculty members and students. Likewise, persistent use of social media portrays positive political participation along with accountable voting behavior, whereby males are more active in participating in political activities as compared to females. The paper has policy implications for a one-dimensional media approach for ignoring solutions to political problems and understanding citizenship rights. Focused and well-defined policies are required to bring youth back to broadcasting media.

Shaping Identity

This essay examines the formation of national identity in Azerbaijan during the early twentieth century through an analysis of works by Azerbaijani authors. This period was a crucial time for the country as it faced significant historical changes that challenged its sense of identity. Azerbaijan was situated between the Islamic and Christian worlds and had been under the control of the Russian Empire for many decades, making the search for national identity difficult. The essay analyzes the writings of two prominent Azerbaijani thinkers, Kurban Said and Ahmed bey Aghaoghlu, to reveal the main tendencies in Azerbaijani society during this period. The authors’ suggestions for building a better society serve as insights into the tendencies and atmosphere at that important time. The essay argues that these works may chronicle the formation of the national identity during a historically obscured time when the Soviet regime erased all traces of identity issues. The study draws on Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined communities, which emphasizes the role of discourse and media in forming and transforming national identities. The essay discusses the importance of understanding national identity in crucial historical periods and how it aids in the process of its formation. Finally, the essay provides historical context on Azerbaijan’s situation at the beginning of the twentieth century, including its short-lived independence, the influence of diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious values, and the challenges of Russian domination, cultural restrictions, and falsification of historical facts.

The Influence of Colonial Trauma on the Masculine Characteristics of Georgian Identity

The present paper explores two Georgian literary texts written at the beginning of the twentieth century, at the early stage of Sovietization: Sanavardo by Demna Shengelaia, and Jaqo’s Dispossessed by Mikheil Javakhishvili. I aim to explore the traumatic effects of colonization on Georgian national consciousness and analyze its influence on the masculine characteristics of the Georgian identity. The issue of national self-identification has been raised, with all its sharpness, at every stage of fundamental historical and political changes in Georgia. The permanency of the issue is an indication of the fact that the national self-identification process has been associated with certain historical facts and events that have not been fully realized and existed as not overcome trauma, by society. Such an event is the Russian occupation of Georgia at the end of the nineteenth century. Based on trauma theory, the research shows that in both novels, the writers describe the lives of the main characters who lost their abilities and were unable to make purposeful use of their potential. Therefore, their political and social functions were represented by disregarding reality and distancing themselves from the present. The reasons for the negation of the present refer to the so-called existential fear of reality, which has caused a weakening or disappearance of masculine characteristics of identity such as power, assertiveness, desire to own and control, and individual initiative.

Household Surveys Integration: Household Budget Survey methodology in Czechia

The article aims at mapping the history of the Czech version of the Household Budget Survey (HBS), i.e. Statistika rodinných účtů (SRÚ), and on the historical changes in its methodology. Statistika rodinných účtů is a survey focused mainly on private household expenditure in all the regions of the Czech Republic. The first official SRÚ survey was conducted in 1920 by the Statistical office of the former Czechoslovak Republic. This article offers a brief overview of the more than 100 years of the survey, which have been shaped significantly throughout the different eras it had underwent, both by the socio-political contexts and by the gradual technological progress. Last but not least, methodological changes which occurred in 2017 are discussed, as well as some important aspects of the present-day form of the survey.

Eucarid and Peracarid Fauna of the Valencia Seamount, a Deep-Isolated Seamount of the Western Mediterranean: Colonisation Capacity and Historical Changes

Seamounts can have a strong influence on the distribution and diversity of species, creating an oasis effect that may favour diversification. In order to assess how and to what extent supra- and epibenthic crustaceans can colonise these environments, the eucarid and peracarid fauna collected from the summit of the Valencia Seamount (VS), a small deep seamount (summit depth: 1056 m), rising from a depth of ca. 1850 m, in the oligotrophic Balearic Basin, was analysed. Based on a first sampling (beam trawls, plankton nets and stomach contents), and a faunal reconstruction from a sediment core (MC2, at 1151 m), the supra(epi)benthic crustaceans at the VS summit (to 1300 m) were composed of nine Eucarida and 25 Peracarida. Polycheles typhlops, Munida tenuimana, and Aristeus antennatus were the dominant species among eucarids. Among Peracarida the most abundant species were the Mysida Boreomysis arctica, the Amphipoda Rhachtropis caeca, and the Isopoda Munnopsurus atlanticus. Among Decapoda, a species with a wide amplitude in their depth distribution and small eggs (i.e., with planktotrophic larvae), showed a higher colonisation capacity. In the absence of larvae, the colonisation of peracarids depends on the amplitude of their depth distribution and only those species that reach the highest depths in the entire Balearic Basin, at least 1600–1800 m, were able to colonise the summit of VS. The natatory capacity of the species also has some influence and whole groups with low natatory capacity, such as the Desmosomatidae, were completely absent on the VS summit; however, they are distributed throughout the Balearic Basin to depths (up to about 1500 m) exceeding the depth of the seamount summit. Therefore, colonisation by peracarids must not have occurred by swimming through the entire water column, but by swimming along or just above the bottom. Remains of some suprabenthic species (mainly the isopod M. atlanticus) in MC2 and another core collected in NW Mallorca (MC3, 1114 m), i.e., out of the VS, showed how isopod diversity and size distribution changed historically. Also, after the 1960s, a decrease in primary production due to a decrease in rainfall and river runoff associated with river damming could have reduced the abundance of M. atlanticus. These types of historical studies can be useful in interpreting long-term changes in deep-sea communities and optimising the management of these vulnerable areas.

Bibliographical foundations of information science: a review essay

PurposeThe narrow purpose of this article is to review de Fremery’s (2024) book about the bibliographic foundations of information science. The broader purpose is to consider the actual as well as the potential relevance of the field(s) of bibliography for information science besides the book under review.Design/methodology/approachThis review essay examines the arguments put forward by de Fremery (2024), introduces concepts and traditional lore from the study of bibliography and presents internal conflicts or paradigms in the field of bibliography. It relates this information to foundational issues in information science.FindingsDe Fremery’s basic ambition of basing information science in the field of bibliography is important, and so is the attempt to consider bibliography in relation to contemporary information technologies such as machine learning and data science. The book under review fails, however, to describe the relations between different positions in bibliography, such as enumerative, analytical, descriptive, critical and historical bibliography in relation to information science. It rather tends to make problematic claims, for example, that scientific experiments are based on bibliographical methods, and to describe the relation of bibliography to information science on the basis of such interpretations. Nonetheless, the book is a serious attempt to consider the field of bibliography and thereby support the focus on documents in information science.Originality/valueInformation science often suffers because of ambiguities in the concept of information. When information science is understood as the study of literature-based answering, much else falls into place. The field of bibliography is a core concept for this understanding and re-orientation of information science, for example, by establishing the core relation between bibliography, information searching and knowledge organization.

Global Distribution of Mammalian Cradles and Museums is Driven by Past Climate Dynamics and Present Water–Energy Balance

ABSTRACTAimTo describe worldwide distribution of mammalian cradles and museums using the rates of phylogenetic lineage turnover as a surrogate. Additionally, we investigated the influences of current water–energy dynamics, climate instability, past climate changes and elevational ranges on the distribution of these evolutionary zones.LocationGlobal.Time PeriodCurrent.Major Taxa StudiedTerrestrial mammals.MethodsWe developed a new methodology that consists of calculating the spatial phylogenetic turnover for non‐overlapping temporal segments of phylogenetic trees. By calculating the relative turnover in each tree segment, we quantified the rate of accumulation of phylogenetic turnover through time. We depicted cold and hotspots of rates of lineage turnover using bivariate maps and examined the effects of environmental factors using a path model.ResultsThe distributions of cradles and museums of biodiversity are primarily driven by water–energy dynamics. Environments with higher water availability than energetic demand predominantly act as cradles, as seen in tropical rainforests, while xeric‐like environments predominantly serve as museums. Conversely, regions undergoing higher historical climate changes become cradles, such as in higher northern latitudes, while climatically stable areas function as museums. Mountains play a dual role, acting as both cradles and museums by generating new lineages along their elevation bands while simultaneously providing climate refuges for ancient mammal lineages.Main ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that cradles and museums are not merely a dichotomy but exist along an evolutionary continuum. Furthermore, they reveal how spatial patterns of mammalian cradles and museums are intricately shaped by biogeographical processes governed by environmental forces. Uncovering these hidden effects provides insights into the ecological mechanisms by which ongoing climate changes continually shape evolutionary assemblages over time.

Commodity production and African migration to Turkey, Now and in the premodern past

African Migration in Turkey is an under-researched area despite the long history of migration between West Africa and the Ottoman Empire and the large number of African migrants in Turkey. The connection of this historical and contemporary migration movement with commodity production reveals not only the basic dynamics and patterns but also the global character of this mobility. While the flow of labor and commodities between Africa and Turkey continues, especially with Turkey's new Africa policy after 2002, African migrants are also implementing their own interests and agendas. Thus, an interdisciplinary approach encompassing history, economics, and anthropology reveals intertwined transformations and networks that provide a perspective for historical changes.

DERIVATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF AGRICULTURE ANDRURAL TOURISM TERMS

The article talks about the historical-genetic roots (etymology) of tourism terms used in the field of rural tourism in the English, Uzbek and Russian languages related to the field of tourism, fundi-genefundi and improvement in the stages of historical development, specific changes and updates in their semantics are evidenced on the basis of factual-analytical materials.

A capable defiler

Focusing on the pacittiya offenses (minor rules) pertaining to the body of the bhikkhunis (Buddhist nuns) in the vinaya, the monastic law codes, the article argues that the vinaya’s depiction of the bhikkhuni’s ‘body’ reveals two important notions about women in early Buddhism. While the portrayal demonstrates the ‘intellectual’ and ‘soteriological capability’ of bhikkhunis that kept them on a par with the bhikkhus, or monks, it also presents how the female body functioned as the site of regulation, thereby emerging as a bigger ‘defiler’ than the monk’s body. Building on Alan Sponberg’s concepts on attitudes toward women in early Buddhism, the article argues that, on the one hand, the body of the bhikkhunis came to be defined in the vinaya text as upholding the principle of ‘soteriological inclusiveness’ of Buddhism. For example, the bhikkhunis look similar in appearance to the bhikkhus, signifying through their appearance (shaved head) and dress an equal intellectual capability for attaining nibbana, or awakening. On the other hand, the stringent regulations regarding the female body reveal instances of ‘ascetic misogyny’ and ‘institutional androcentrism. ’ I argue that while an attitude of ‘soteriological inclusiveness’ gradually diminished, ‘ascetic misogyny’ grew more prevalent over time. This shift contributed to the historical changes that led to the diminishing status of the bhikkhunis within the monastic order, which culminated in the disappearance of the bhikkhunis’ monastic order from almost all Buddhist schools.

Significance of correcting magnesium deficiency in different groups of women in surgical menopause

Background. In the 21st century, there is a clear trend towards an increase in the proportion of women with climacteric syndrome (CS) and surgical menopause. Medical care for such patients usually includes menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), which often causes changes in magnesium and pyridoxine metabolism and their deficiency, leading to the development of adverse reactions. Therefore, it is necessary to improve rehabilitation programs designed to increаse the quality of life (QoL) for this category of gynecological patients.Objective: to assess the profile of women with CS and surgical menopause receiving and not receiving MHT and to identify the significance of magnesium deficiency (MD) effect on the recovery process.Material and methods. The observational non-interventional study included a total of 9168 women, of which 1528 patiеnts with CS and surgical menopause were taking MHT (Group 1), and 1528 patients with CS and surgical menopause were not taking MHT (Group 2). The Magnesium Deficiency Questionnaire (MDQ) was used to determine the number of participants with MD. A biochemical blood test was also performed, including determination of plasma magnesium concentration. The patients’ profile was analyzed for general somatic pathologies, obstetric and gynecological history, complaints, and MD symptoms using visual analogue scale. To assess QoL before the start of 4-week MD replenishing course and at the end of therapy, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQL-26) was applied.Results. The MDQ data showed that the prevalence of DM in Group 1 was higher compared to Group 2. In both groups, women with hypomagnesemia had a higher incidence of viral infections, vegetative-vascular dystonia, osteochondrosis and arterial hypertension, more pronounced sleep disorders, irritability, back pain, rapid fatigue, and higher MDQ scores. After completion of the course of therapy with magnesium citrate and pyridoxine combination, the MDQ scores in patients with DM decreased along with an increase in plasma magnesium concentration. Besides, women's satisfaction with their physical, psychological, social wellbeing and microsocial support increased, and self-perception improved. A decrease in the severity of DM and a significant improvement in QoL according to WHOQOL-26 were demonstrated in patients with CS and surgical menopause after therapy.Conclusion. The profile of patients with CS and surgical menopause, regardless of MHT, is often characterized by DM and decreased QoL. It seems reasonable to include blood magnesium level monitoring and DM correction in the comprehensive rehabilitation program for such patients.

The Bulgarian Catholic Book in the System of the Bulgarian Publishing (1878–1944). Geographic Information Systems as a Tool in Presenting and Preserving Literary Cultural Heritage

The paper introduces the concept and framework of a scientific project concerning the printed Catholic books in the Bulgarian publishing system between 1878 and 1944. It describes the purpose and the outcomes of implementing Geographic Information Systems within interdisciplinary studies in the Bibliography and Book History scholar fields.

Comparison of the risks and drivers of compound hot-dry and hot-wet extremes in a warming world

Abstract Compound hot-dry (CHD) and compound hot-wet (CHW) extremes have both intensified under global warming, posing exacerbated socio-economic threats compared to univariate extremes. This study presents a comprehensive assessment and comparison of the historical changes and driving factors behind CHD and CHW using observational data and climate model simulations. Findings indicate a notable surge in CHD and CHW occurrences, with CHW experiencing a higher increasing rate. Our investigation further reveals that anthropogenic climate change predominantly drives the increase in both types of compound extremes, especially for CHW. In contrast, land-atmosphere feedbacks have a limited impact on CHW at a global scale, but substantially contributes to the rise in CHD by reinforcing the negative precipitation-temperature coupling. This influence even surpasses that of anthropogenic climate change in specific regions. Understanding these variations and underlying causes is crucial for improving prediction accuracy and mitigating the impacts of compound extremes.

The small and inconspicuous majority: Revealing the megadiversity and historical biogeography of the Pristimantis unistrigatus species group (Anura, Strabomantidae)

With more than 600 recognized species, the genus Pristimantis is already the most diverse among vertebrates, but described species only represent a fraction of the actual diversity in this clade. This genus is widely distributed throughout the Neotropics and represents an interesting model for biogeographic studies because Pristimantis spp. are direct developing and generally have narrow ecological niches and low vagility. The P. unistrigatus species group is one of the most important components in the genus (ca. 200 recognized species) and has been supported by morphological but not by molecular evidence. We assessed the species boundaries and distribution in the P. unistrigatus species group and infer spatiotemporal patterns of diversification related to historical landscape changes in the Neotropics. We gathered three mitochondrial, and two nuclear DNA loci from 416 specimens throughout the range of the group and including 68 nominal species. We redefine the group based on the obtained phylogeny and found 151 candidate species that composes it, with 83 of these remaining undescribed. We recovered 11 major clades within the group that diverged before 13 Ma. The diversification of the group started during the early Miocene most likely in northwestern South America, currently corresponding to western Amazonia and northern Andes. The other neotropical areas subsequently acted as sinks, receiving lineages mostly during the last 10 Ma, after the demise of the Pebas System and the setup of the modern Amazonian hydrographic system.

DIAGNOSTIC YIELD OF AN INHERITED RETINAL DISEASE GENE PANEL IN RETINOPATHY OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN.

Evaluating the presence of class 3, 4, and 5 genetic variants in inherited retinal disease (IRD) genes in patients with retinopathy of unknown origin (RUO). Multicentric retrospective study of RUO cases diagnosed between January 2012 and February 2022. General and ophthalmologic history, complete ophthalmologic examination, antiretinal antibodies, and IRD gene panel results were analyzed in every patient. Four RUO categories were defined: nonparaneoplastic autoimmune retinopathy, unilateral pigmentary retinopathy, asymmetrical pigmentary retinopathy, and acute zonal occult outer retinopathy. The authors included 12 patients (9 females) across these four RUO categories. Mean age at inclusion was 45.6 years (20-68 years). Seven patients demonstrated class 3 variants in IRD genes. Of these, two also demonstrated class 5 variants in other IRD genes. The remaining five patients had negative panel results. IRD gene panel analysis allowed diagnosis refinement in 1 (8.3%) nonparaneoplastic autoimmune retinopathy patient in the RUO cohort. When considering the nonparaneoplastic autoimmune retinopathy subpopulation only, a higher diagnostic yield of 20% (1/5 patients) was achieved. Every suspected nonparaneoplastic autoimmune retinopathy patient should benefit from gene panel testing to not overlook undiagnosed IRDs. By contrast, unilateral pigmentary retinopathy, asymmetrical pigmentary retinopathy, and acute zonal occult outer retinopathy subpopulations did not benefit from genetic testing in this study.

Can Optimized Genetic Algorithms Improve the Effectiveness of Homestay Recommendation Systems in Smart Villages? A Case of Thailand

ABSTRACTThis paper introduces a novel approach to optimize genetic algorithms (GAs) for homestay recommendation systems, specifically designed for smart village tourism destinations. Researchers developed an advanced GA focused on maximizing user satisfaction, the main quality metric. The algorithm was tailored to address the dynamic nature of homestay offerings and the varied preferences of travelers, using users' reviews, listing attributes, and historical booking data. The GA framework included a custom encoding scheme, fitness function, and parameters. Validation occurred through a case study in a smart village, with the algorithm's effectiveness tested via user surveys and ratings. Results showed that GA‐driven recommendations surpassed traditional methods, enhancing user satisfaction, trust, and booking rates while benefiting hosts with positive reviews. The optimized GA improved recommendation accuracy and efficiency, boosting economic benefits for local communities and contributing significantly to recommendation system research.

A Study on the Historical Changes and Spatial Structure of Pyeongtaek City’s Prostitution Gathering Places

A Study on the Historical Changes and Spatial Structure of Pyeongtaek City’s Prostitution Gathering Places