Inhabitants Of Region Research Articles

Preliminary Investigation into the Anticonvulsant, Sedative and Muscle Relaxant Effects of the Methanolic Extract of Capparis spinosa L. Leaves in Mice

Abstract Background Capparis spinosa L is a Mediterranean plant. In Libya, the plant grows in rocky areas and at high altitudes. It is commonly used by the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region in their kitchen and treatment of many diseases. Aim This study was undertaken to investigate the central nervous system depressant, anticonvulsant, and the muscle relaxant activities of orally administered methanolic extract from the leaves of C. spinosa L. (MECS) in mice. Methods The oral administration of three doses of the MECS in mice (500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg) were evaluated in the picrotoxin (PC)-induced convulsion model, ketamine-induced sleep, and rota rod test. Diazepam was used as a reference drug for comparison. Results were analyzed using SPSS program version 16. Data are presented as mean ± SEM, and compared using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's test. The significance level was set at p < 0.05 Results Oral administration of MECS (1000 and 2000 mg/kg) significantly prolonged the onset of seizures (p < 0.01) and produced dose-dependent protection against PC-induced seizures compared with the control group (12.5% and 50% protection, respectively). MECS significantly (p < 0.05) and dose dependently reduced ketamine sleep latency (from 3.16 ± 0.16 to a minimum of 1.5 ± 0.22 minutes) and prolonged ketamine-induced sleeping time (from 11.33 ± 1.99 to a maximum of 33.33 ± 0.95 minutes). In the accelerated rotarod test, MECS significantly (p < 0.01) decreased the riding time on the rotarod (from 128.83 ± 14.6 to a minimum of 1.83 ± 0.47 seconds) as compared with the normal saline control group. Conclusion The results showed that the MECS possesses anticonvulsant, sedative, and muscle relaxant properties in mice.

The Influence of Urbanization on the Development of a Convective Storm—A Study for the Belém Metropolitan Region, Brazil

One of the main problems faced by the Belém Metropolitan Region (BMR) inhabitants is flash floods caused by precarious infrastructure and extreme rainfall events. The objective of this article is to investigate whether and how the local urban characteristics may influence the development of thunderstorms. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used with three distinct configurations of land use/cover to represent urbanization scenarios in 2017 and 1986 and the forest-only scenario. The WRF model simulated reasonably well the event. The results showed that the urban characteristics of the BMR may have an impact on storm systems in the urban areas close to the Northern Coast of South America. In particular, for the urban characteristics in the BMR in 2017, the intensification of the storm may be linked to a higher value of energy available for convection (over 1000 J kg−1) and favorable wind convergence and vertical shear in the urban area (where the wind speed at the surface was more than 3 m s−1 slower than in the forest-only scenario). Meanwhile, the other land cover scenarios could not produce a similar storm due to lack of moisture, wind convergence/shear, or convective energy.

Non-economic determinants of the behavior of the Kaliningrad oblast residents on the Polish border market

Dynamic changes in international relations as well as political, economic and social conditions make it necessary to study the behavior of inhabitants of border regions. The article aims to present non-economic determinants of the behavior of the inhabitants of the Kaliningrad Oblast on the Polish border market. The article describes the specificity of the market behavior of Russians, the causes and effects of changes in these behaviors. Selected political and economic, socio-cultural and psychological factors as well as situational factors such as local border traffic are described. The analysis of bibliographic materials was used to achieve the goal. The behavior of Russians is influenced by the decisions of the authorities and the social, emotional and existential values created in l, but geopolitical factors seem to take precedence over socio-cultural and psychological factors.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE MAIN WATER NETWORK FOR MIDDLE CITY

In systems of centralized water supply, the givining-distribution complex (GDC) has the highest cost, including pumping stations, water pipes and water supply networks: main, street, intra-quarter. The economic efficiency of the operation of this complex directly depends on the technical condition of the facilities and equipment. But over time, the technical characteristics of both pumping units and pipelines deteriorate due to wear. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically check their technical characteristics, as well as evaluate the topological characteristics of the water network in the process of its development. This requires regulatory documents and research by specialists in this field of technical sciences. This paper presents an example of such an approach for the givining-distribution complex of the water supply system the medium-sized city Borispol (65 thousand inhabitants) of the Kiev region. To set the throughput of the main water network, hydraulic calculations were performed on a computer using the HIDRO program. It has been established that the main water network has sufficient capacity, as evidenced by the constructed piezometric maps. It has been established that the topological structure of the water network is imperfect. To improve the structure, it is proposed to loop the network by introducing an additional section. This section is introduced in parallel to two existing dead-ends. This improvement made it possible to reduce the pressure at pumping stations by 2.4 m and obtain an annual energy saving of 19.57 thousand kWh. Due to the commissioning of an additional section, a new network ring was formed and the reliability of water supply to a number water consumers increased more than 5.6 times. The indicated increase in the reliability of water supply is due to the fact that this section is introduced in parallel with 2 existing dead-end sections.

Multinational corporations’ oil exploration, poverty and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

In recent years, there has been much discussion and attention on the amount of poverty and environmental damage in Nigeria’s Niger Delta area as a result of oil drilling by international oil firms. There is little doubt that the actions of international oil firms have caused significant harm to this region’s oil producing areas. The ecological damage caused by oil exploration has rendered farming and fishing, which are the primary professions of this region’s rural population, obsolete. Several years of oil exploration by major international oil firms, as well as the risks of spills and gas flaring that accompany it, have destroyed the region’s ecosystem and left the town barren. As a result, this research investigates the effects of oil exploration on the inhabitants of the Niger Delta region. It also investigates the region’s level of environmental deterioration and deplorable poverty. The study will also address the interconnectivity dynamics that exist between environmental degradation and poverty in Nigeria’s Niger Delta area. In other words, the research investigates the extent to which oil exploration and environmental degradation are responsible for abject poverty and underdevelopment in Nigeria’s Niger Delta area.

Development and shelf-life study of date-based product (Date spread)

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) has been known for as long as recorded history. The dates are vary in shape, size, weight and also in organoleptic, physical and chemical characteristics-based regions of its origin. The date palm has provided food to inhabitants of the hot dry regions of the world. The leading date producing countries are Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, Algeria, U.A.E, Sudan, Oman, Libya, Tunisia, China, Morocco, India etc. However, India imports a huge quantity of dates. Dates are one of the few foods having high potassium content and at a certain stage of development, have low sucrose content due to conversion of sucrose to fructose and glucose by the enzymatic action of invertase. Dates are rich in minerals and vitamins that help to enhance immunity. This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of producing date based spread and to evaluate the physico-chemical, nutritional and sensory properties. The shelf-life of the date spread was observed to be more than 12 months at room temperature.

Microstructural features of the thyroid gland in far eastern region goiter endemic zone inhabitants

Background. At present, the use of informative integration criteria for assessing the ecological well-being of the populations health is relevant. Monitoring of the morphofunctional parameters of the thyroid gland and its functional indices in inhabitants of different regions makes it possible to control the degree of tension of adaptive reserves in response to environmental influences.
 Aim. Establishment of the features of the morphofunctional status of the thyroid parenchyma in inhabitants of the territory endemic for goiter in the Far East region.
 Material and methods. 168 sectional thyroid glands without morphological signs of tissue pathology were used. Approaches were applied taking into account the age periodization of a person, depending on the mass of the gland and colloid-epithelial relations of the thyroid tissue (I epithelial, II epithelial, colloid types of glands). The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of thyroid gland macro- and microanatomy were studied.
 Results. Based on cluster analysis, three morphological groups (types) of thyroid glands were identified: colloidal (61.9%), I epithelial (33.3%), II epithelial (4.7%). In the discriminant analysis, structural components that determine the assignment of the gland to a specific type (hormonal colloid and interfollicular epithelium) were established. In normal-weight glands, variants of the histostructure of colloidal and epithelial type I were equally found. For hypertrophied glands, the morphology of the colloidal type was characteristic (86.67%), the I epithelial type was slightly expressed (13.33%) and the II epithelial type was practically not found. It is determined that in the age aspect the colloidal type is the leading one.
 Conclusion. Two factors morphological stability and functional activity, have been established, which can be considered as informative markers of compensatory-adaptive reactions and the level of activity of the thyroid tissue of far eastern region goiter endemic zone inhabitants.

Monumental Inhumanity beyond Tears: Lamentations of Despoil in Nagaland and Niger Delta Eco-poetics

This paper examines the social interventions, inclinations and paradigms in Temsula Ao’s poem “My Hills” and Tanure Ojaide’s poem “Delta Blues” as reflections and interrogation of deplorable human actions propelling the degradation eco-heritage in Nagaland Northeast India, and Niger Delta south-south Nigeria. Thus, our focus will be on how both poets present similarities in their lamentations and advocacy against monumental inhumanity destroying natural environment. Therefore, drawing from the concepts of eco-criticism, this paper examines nuance of advocacy and interrogation of the direct/indirect complicity and disinterest subsumed in the shades of actions and inactions of both ‘insiders’ and ‘others’ who are in many ways, interwoven in the social malaises and negativities Ao and Ojaide project. To add rigor to the analysis, this paper adopts ‘eco-criticism’, to discuss the portrayal of social identity questions, environment despoil, and the subsisting human/environment symbiosis in Nagaland and Niger Delta as portrayed in the selected poems. In the end, the study observes that the selected poems are advocacy texts subsumed in nuances of social intervention paradigms that project certain universal commons reflective of inhabitants of regions in despoil and environment degradation.

Estimation of metal concentrations in marine biota and associated health risk assessment for inhabitants of a coastal region in Northwestern Mexico.

Marine ecosystems are subject to contamination by metals and metalloids and other elements and compounds that are emitted due to various human activities. These substances subsequently induce changes in marine biota after entering the marine environment. Marine organisms are frequently consumed worldwide because they constitute relatively cheap and accessible food items of high nutrient quality. The aim of this study was to estimate metal accumulation in frequently consumed marine species and to evaluate the associated health risks for particular population groups in a coastal region of northwestern Mexico. The marine species were consumed in different quantities between spring (from 0.29kgyear-1 for white clam, to 38.40kgyear-1 for blue crab) and autumn (from 0.34kgyear-1 for white clam, to 15.02kgyear-1 for leopard grouper). The general distribution of metal concentrations in the marine species (n = 13 in each season) evaluated in this study followed the trend of Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr with the highest metal concentrations detected during autumn. Although many metal concentrations were above the international standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values for the women in this study indicated that their health was not at risk due to the consumption of either fish or seafood. In contrast, the HQ and HI values determined for groups of men and children indicated that they are at risk due to the frequent consumption of most species evaluated in this study.

Subaltern soldiers: Overshadowed Bunong highlanders in the Khmer Republic's army, 1970–75

Little is known about Cambodia's highland minorities during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese communists were infiltrating their homelands on the ground and American bombers attacking them from the sky. When inhabitants of the northeastern regions are mentioned in histories about the Khmer Rouge's coming to power, it is mainly as bodyguards of Pol Pot, who represented them as remnants of an uncorrupted ‘primitive democracy’. However, stories heard in the highlands raise different narratives, notably those of Bunong men and their families who left Mondulkiri province for Phnom Penh, where they enlisted in the weak pro-American Khmer Republic's army. These stories, told by the few who survived the mission and by the many who lost relatives to it, complicate the history of this convoluted period by bringing to light the Bunongs’ previously unmentioned involvement within the Forces Armées Nationales Khmères. Neither visceral rebels, nor unconditional allies, these Cambodian highlanders were and still are complex actors, whose engagements constitute a much-needed disturbance of dominant (historical) records.

The Violation of Human Rights in Latin America Derived from the Covid-19 Pandemic Administration

There is no doubt at this stage of the solid evolving global relevance of universal human rights in a complex global scenario like everyone faces today. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have produced, and are still causing, an overwhelmingly negative impact on the standard citizens’ lives. As drastic as it is, such affirmation is sustained in the serious deterioration in a considerable number of democracies around the world, but especially reflected in Latin America, a region of six hundred (600) million inhabitants (Werthein & Abrantes, 2021). This research aims to assess the scope of the violation of individuals’ basic human rights caused by the COVID-19 pandemic administration in Latin American countries. Unreasonably extended lockdowns and other misleading and inappropriate measures implemented by different Latin American administrations have had unsurmountable and dramatic consequences for the region's inhabitants. Many Latin American governments have inadvertently put in place two (2) excluding options for their populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It had to be either healthcare and fight against COVID-19, on the one side, or economic sustainability, on the other, but not the two (2) simultaneously. Losses of thousands of lives, economic devastation, thousands of business shutdowns, millions of job losses, and educational catastrophes have all affected essential freedoms and individuals’ basic universal human rights recognized by modern constitutions, including those in Latin America. As discussed, these are the resulting consequences of governments’ failure to build up necessary resources, be readily prepared to face catastrophes of this sort, and act with integrity and transparency in managing public funds. Both quantitative (i.e.numbers and statistics) and qualitative (i.e., secondary data) methodologies have been used to arrive at very relevant conclusions. Sustainable results of this research reflect how mismanagement of the pandemic, including corruption practices by certain Latin American governments, has led to catastrophic consequences in healthcare and the economic field.

Linguistic and Cognitive Essence of Relations in Dialect Worldview of Kuban Region Inhabitants (Based on the Example of Blood Relatives Microfield) (part 2)

The second part of the article presents a description of the linguistic and cognitive essence of blood relatives relations in the dialect worldview of Kuban region inhabitants. The study defines the connotation content of the analyzed microfield representatives by stereotyping the family role and position of blood relatives, their interrelations and qualities, which are vital from the Kuban dialect carriers’ point of view. It demonstrates various cognitive potential of microfield constituents which involves some notions having (in peoples’ mind) conjoined meanings and others lacking some. The article demonstrates, that children are a cognitive dominant idea of the Blood Relatives microfield, that leads to their natural ranking into categories, which is manifested in a range of relevant concept-building characteristics. Statements of dialect carriers prove the importance of a traditional role of the family in younger generation upbringing. The research demonstrates, that means оf the described microfield representation, refer to the idea of blood relatives relations, inherent in this ethnical culture, which contains both archaic and modern beliefs of Kuban dialect carriers.

Evaluation of classification techniques in Very-High-Resolution (VHR) imagery: A case study of the identification of deadwood in the Chilean Central-Patagonian Forests

During the past three decades, various methods have been developed to improve the classification accuracy in very high resolution (< 2 m) satellite data. This study's main goal was to evaluate and select the most suitable classification approach for detecting deadwood potentially useful for energy projects that would satisfy part of the demand for heating in the area. We compare five classification approaches using a WorldView-2 (Digital Global, Ins) standard, an orthorectified image of the Aysén region of the Chilean Patagonia. The five classifiers were evaluated and selecting the best one was carried out through a confusion matrix and Kappa coefficient. The results showed that the two non-parametric classifiers used (neural net and support vector machine) offered the best performance (98%) and the best Kappa coefficient (0.97). We conclude that it is essential to promote the development of innovative projects in native forests by local owners can contribute, to the formulation of public policies that directly benefit the Aysén region's inhabitants.

Activities of Public and Political Actors to Preserve Monuments of Industrial Heritage of Sverdlovsk Region in 1960—1980s

The activity of the inhabitants of the Sverdlovsk region in identifying, studying and preserving the monuments of the industrial past is considered. The author limits the chronology of the study to the 1960s—1980s, when objects of the industrial past of the country were also affected in the framework of security activities in relation to the historical and cultural heritage. The material for the study was both archival documents stored in the Center for Documentation of Public Organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region (Yekaterinburg) and published sources. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the activity to preserve the industrial heritage in the Sverdlovsk region has not yet been sufficiently developed, so the study of previous experience may be useful for intensifying this type of activity now. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time on the material of the Sverdlovsk region an attempt is made to analyze all aspects of security activities in relation to industrial heritage monuments. The author distinguished and considered six directions of this activity on specific examples, the most successful of which turned out to be the direction of identifying monuments of the industrial past and putting them on state records. The reasons for the subsequent stop of activities to identify, study and preserve industrial monuments are indicated.

Stability and change in patterns of cultural participation in the events of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016

ABSTRACT This study analyses the extent to which the exposure to cultural events of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 resulted in more inclusive participation in culture. Drawing from the data from a representative survey of city and region inhabitants (N = 1000) , we examine the impact of the pre-existing habits of cultural participation on engagement in events offered during ECOC 2016. Relationships between the cultural habits of participants, their socio-demographic characteristics, and attendance at ECOC events divided into four categories (mass, ludic, artistic, niche) are analysed. The study indicates the role of the cultural habits preceding participation in ECOC as a determinant of involvement in cultural events. We found that people oriented towards cultural participation were more likely to attend diverse ECOC events. For people culturally oriented to leisure at home, a massive and diverse cultural offer was not enough to expand their interest beyond mass and ludic events. We conclude that – contrary to ECOC values emphasising egalitarianism and open access to culture and contrary to cultural policy goals aimed at broadening cultural participation – ECOC 2016 was a selective event, which can be considered more broadly as a foreseeable failure in achieving the cultural policy aims underlying ECOCs.

Der ‚lange Atem‘ der bäuerlichen Empörung

The Persistence of Peasant Outrage. Conflicts over Forest Use, Poaching and Fraternity Revolts in the Zillertal from the 16th to the End of the 18th Century When I tried to follow the traces of Salzburg poachers in the 18th century more than twenty years ago, I was not aware of how deeply rooted their social protest was in earlier, less spectacular but much more widespread forest conflicts between peasants and the archepiscopal state. Of course, these were different conflicts fought by different opponents, but they aimed at the same goal: to resist increasing restrictions from a bureaucratic state whose existence brought the peasants no benefits. The inhabitants of this extreme mountain region wanted to remain autonomous in their traditional economical and social practices and resisted the introduction of a forest economy by a state that was unable and unwilling to support and compromise with them. Thus, the remote forests, whose economic use was in many ways legally unclear, became the centre of social conflict. The article reconstructs two protest traditions – that of illegal forest use and that of poaching – in a micro-historical analysis of the situation in the Zillertal. It argues that the intermingling of these traditions ultimately created an Alpine protest culture in the minds and memories of the peasantry that was stable and persistent enough to undermine the episcopal state during the Napoleonic wars.

Der ‚lange Atem‘ der bäuerlichen Empörung

The Persistence of Peasant Outrage. Conflicts over Forest Use, Poaching and Fraternity Revolts in the Zillertal from the 16th to the End of the 18th Century When I tried to follow the traces of Salzburg poachers in the 18th century more than twenty years ago, I was not aware of how deeply rooted their social protest was in earlier, less spectacular but much more widespread forest conflicts between peasants and the archepiscopal state. Of course, these were different conflicts fought by different opponents, but they aimed at the same goal: to resist increasing restrictions from a bureaucratic state whose existence brought the peasants no benefits. The inhabitants of this extreme mountain region wanted to remain autonomous in their traditional economical and social practices and resisted the introduction of a forest economy by a state that was unable and unwilling to support and compromise with them. Thus, the remote forests, whose economic use was in many ways legally unclear, became the centre of social conflict. The article reconstructs two protest traditions – that of illegal forest use and that of poaching – in a micro-historical analysis of the situation in the Zillertal. It argues that the intermingling of these traditions ultimately created an Alpine protest culture in the minds and memories of the peasantry that was stable and persistent enough to undermine the episcopal state during the Napoleonic wars.

Distributive Justice Narratives among Different Ethnic Groups in the Niger Delta Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Processes

Oil exploration and exploitation is characterised with inequality, marginalisation, neglect, divide and rule in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. There are different ethnic groups in this region. It worrisome to note that one ethnic group is favoured above others when it comes to the distribution of oil wealth. Distributive injustice gives room for lack of cohesion and unity among the inhabitants of the Niger Delta region. Policy makers, peace entrepreneurs, government, and international oil companies failed to realise effects of distributive injustice on peacebuilding processes in the Niger Delta. This article therefore, sets to identify reasons for protracted Niger Delta conflict. It sets to examine the nature of distributive injustice in the region. It also examines the impacts of distributive injustice on ethnic relations in the region. It examines how ethnicity brings about distribute injustice in the Niger Delta. This paper posits that resolution of ethnic divisions would lead to enduring peace in the Niger Delta. Distributive Theory is the theoretical explanation adopted in the study. The theory pointed out that equity, equality and fairness will reduce inequality in the distribution of oil wealth in the region. The total number of participants in the study was seventy-two. It was found that the general demands of the inhabitants of the Niger Delta could be stated as sharing of political offices, the creation of State structures, the creation of Local Government Headquarters, apology, oil bloc allocation, more compensation and the monetisation of benefits but distribution of these were ethnic based. Most ethnic groups in the region were neglected, abandoned, and discriminated against. Distributive justice including fairness, equity, and equality should be the focus of socio-political actors in order to ensure enduring peace in the Niger Delta, Nigeria Keywords: Distributive, Justice, Conflict, Oil, Ethnicity, Conflict, Peacebuilding

Linguo-Cognitive Essence of Relations in Dialect World View of Kuban Region Inhabitants (Based on the Example of Blood Relatives Microfield) (Part 1).

The first part of the article deals with the description of the linguo-cognitive essence of blood relatives’ relations in the dialect world view of the Kuban region inhabitants through revealing some specific character of connotive content of Blood Relatives microfield representatives. The research is synchronous and diachronous, as well. As a result, it reflects the dynamics of some Blood Relatives microfield representatives and no development of others. Moreover, its ethnical identity consists of the grandparents :: grandchildren binary opposition, which is absent in the literary language. It is based on priority ranking (formed in the mind of dialect carriers) of time assessment in Cossack reference system. It reveals the dual nature of relations between grandparents and grandchildren in the Kuban sub-dialect carriers’ perception. And it discovers the dialect nominations which have no counterparts in the lexical-phraseological system of literary language and which demonstrate the conceptualization of corresponding notions in the mind of Kuban region inhabitants.

Bioguided Phytochemical Study of Ipomoea cairica Extracts with Larvicidal Activity against Aedes aegypti.

Vector-borne diseases, such as those transmitted by Aedes aegypti, are a constant threat to inhabitants of tropical regions of the planet. Synthetic chemicals are commonly used as a strategy to control them; however, these products are known to persist in ecosystems and drive the appearance of resistance genes in arthropod vectors. Thus, the use of natural products has emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative in integrated vector control strategies. The present bioguided study investigated the larvicidal potential of Ipomoea cairica extracts, fractionated using thin-layer and open-column chromatography, because this species has been shown to exert larvicidal effects on the genus Aedes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nonvolatile components in ethanolic extract of I. cairica stems as a potential natural larvicidal, and coumarins, such as 7-hydroxy-6-methoxychromen-2-one (scopoletin) and 7-hydroxychromen-2-one (umbelliferone), were identified as major compounds; however, they were not shown to be responsible for the larvicidal activity. Based on the results of the larvicidal action tests, these coumarins are not directly responsible for the larvicidal activity, but this activity might be attributed to a synergistic effect of all the compounds present in the most active secondary fraction, called F.DCM, which had an LC50 value of 30.608 mg/L. This type of study has yet not been conducted in the region; therefore, it is an important contribution to recognizing a natural and easy-to-cultivate source of vector control, such I. cairica.