Popular Categories Research Articles

Description of Weight-Related Content and Recommended Dietary Behaviors for Weight Loss Frequently Reposted on X (Twitter) in English and Japanese: Content Analysis.

Both obesity and underweight are matters of global concern. Weight-related content frequently shared on social media can reflect public recognition and affect users' behaviors and perceptions. Although X (Twitter) is a popular social media platform, few studies have revealed the content of weight-related posts or details of dietary behaviors for weight loss shared on X. This study aims to describe body weight-related content frequently reposted on X, with a particular focus on dietary behaviors for weight loss, in English and Japanese. We collected English and Japanese X posts related to human body weight having over 100 reposts in July 2023 using an application programming interface tool. Two independent researchers categorized the contents of the posts into 7 main categories and then summarized recommended weight loss strategies. We analyzed 815 English and 1213 Japanese posts. The most popular main category of the content was "how to change weight" in both languages. The Japanese posts were more likely to mention "how to change weight" (n=571, 47.1%) and "recipes to change weight" (n=114, 9.4%) than the English posts (n=195, 23.9% and n=10, 1.2%, respectively), whereas the English posts were more likely to mention "will or experience to change weight" (n=167, 20.5%), "attitudes toward weight status" (n=78, 9.6%), and "public health situation" (n=44, 5.4%) than Japanese posts. Among 146 English and 541 Japanese posts about weight loss strategies, the predominant strategies were diet (n=76, 52.1% in English and n=170, 31.4% in Japanese) and physical activities (n=56, 38.4% and n=295, 54.5%, respectively). The proportion of posts mentioning both diet and physical activity was smaller in Japanese (n=62, 11.5%) than in English (n=31, 21.2%). Among 76 English and 170 Japanese posts about dietary behaviors for weight loss, more than 60% of posts recommended increasing intakes of specific nutrients or food groups in both languages. The most popular dietary component recommended to increase was vegetables in both English (n=31, 40.8%) and Japanese (n=48, 28.2%), followed by protein and fruits in English and grains or potatoes and legumes in Japanese. Japanese posts were less likely to mention reducing energy intake; meal timing or eating frequency; or reducing intakes of specific nutrients or food groups than the English posts. The most popular dietary component recommended to decrease was alcohol in English and confectioneries in Japanese. This study characterized user interest in weight management and suggested the potential of X as an information source for weight management. Although weight loss strategies related to diet and physical activity were popular in both English and Japanese, some differences in the details of the strategies were present, indicating that X users are exposed to different information in English and Japanese.

Yogasana classification using Deep Neural Network: A Unique Approach

Yogasana, often simply referred to as “asana”, is a Sanskrit term that encompasses the physical postures or poses practiced in yoga. Traditionally, there are almost 90 classical Yogasanas, each with its unique benefits and variations. It's very important to identify the postures and benefits of each asana. Classifications of Yogasana can have a significant impact on the practice and promotion of yoga, making it more accessible, educational, and safe for people of all skill levels. In this research work, we have automatically identified different Yogasanas from images using a deep neural network. For our work we have considered 10 very popular categories of Yogasana and built a dataset of volume 800 images. Furthermore, the data augmentation (DA) technique is utilized to increase the volume of data by including slightly modified replicas of existing data. Xception, combined with a self-attention network, has been employed to classify various Yogasanas based on diverse images. The model attains an impressive validation accuracy of 99%, surpassing the performance of all other contemporary state-of-the-art models.

Bibliometrics of the current state of application of teletechnology in the rehabilitation of patients with heart and large blood vessel disease.

The first publication on the use of teletechnology in heart and large blood vessels dates back to 1961. Since then, the study of teletechnology in heart and large blood vessels has become popular, and the number of publications has drastically increased. Hence, it is imperative to establish a comprehensive research framework that enables researchers and other stakeholders to understand the use of remote technologies in heart and large blood vessels. To bridge this gap, bibliometrics was used, a novel approach to determine the most prolific countries, institutions, journals, authors, source topics, funding agencies, and the most popular category of remote technologies and solutions for disease rehabilitation. The corpus was extracted from the WOS core database and analyzed using CiteSpace 6.2R7 and VOS Viewer 1.6.18 versions. The number of publications has grown since the start of the 21st century, with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy being the most productive nations. The most commonly used remote technology was a 24 h dynamic electrocardiogram (ECG) and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The most researched objective indicators were heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output. The primary research focused on daily life, physical activity, exercise endurance, and quality of life. Moreover, heart failure and coronary artery disease were the most extensively researched diseases.

Protection of personal data in the sphere of tourist activities

Relevance. The largest share of online purchases by Russians was made in the popular category "travel and accommodation" which requires the transfer of personal data by a tourist. It follows from statistical reports on the development of the tourism industry. Personal data of a tourist as a consumer of services are used in contracts with tour operators, hotels, carriers, guides who carry out individual activities. Such data are taken into account in business processes to form personal tourist experience and customize targeted advertising with its help. In this regard, the issue of improving the mechanisms for protecting tourists personal data is becoming relevant.The purpose is to establish the content of personal data protection in the field of tourism.Research objectives: to determine the state of personal data protection; establish legal requirements for tour operators to ensure personal data protection of tourists; summarize the jurisprudence on research subject.Methodology. The article is based on such methods as: analysis, description, interpretation, generalization, formal-legal.Results. In the course of the study, it was found that the protection of tourists personal data is carried out by the norms of several federal legislative acts; tour operators independently establish a list of necessary information about the tourist for conducting activities and determine the policy regarding customers personal data processing; claims against tour operators with reference to the norms of civil legislation on the protection of personal data as independent requirements are not presented.Conclusion. Personal data of tourists are protected by special federal legislation and many departmental regulations prescribing the obligation to ensure the safety of personal confidential information about the tourist and the customer of the service. In cases of this category, other legal methods of protecting the intangible good in question are used (norms of the law on personal data, administrative and criminal legislation), the explanation for which is seen in the unresolved issues related to the legal regime of two phenomena - personal data and private life.

Protocol for Oligonucleotides Characterization Using Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography.

Oligonucleotides (ONs) are an increasingly popular category of molecules in the pharmaceutical landscape, particularly attractive for the treatment of genetic and rare diseases. However, analyzing these molecules presents significant challenges, due to their highly hydrophilic nature, multiple negative charges, and the presence of closely related impurities resulting from the complex solid-phase synthesis process. Ion pairing reverse-phase liquid chromatography (IP-RPLC) is the preferred technique for ONs analysis but is not ideal for mass spectrometry (MS) coupling. Consequently, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative strategies with hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) emerging as one of the most promising options. As HILIC is not yet fully established for the analysis of ONs, we have prepared this protocol paper to facilitate entry into this field. It not only provides best practices, opportunities, and potential advantages but also caveats and other important considerations for using HILIC to characterize ONs. The paper addresses the selection of stationary and mobile phases, optimization of gradient conditions, MS coupling, and key aspects to consider when manipulating ON samples. We hope this protocol will help establish HILIC as a more universal solution for ONs analysis.

Unveiling the flavor and quality variations in dried Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim from China's diverse regions

Dried Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim (DZM) is one of the popular categories in spices and condiments market. The flavor and quality of DZM products determine its value and application scope. This study evaluated the flavor and quality of DZMs from various origins, considering physical, chemical, and safety attributes. Notable variations were observed, with DZMs from Maoxian and Jinyang excelling in aroma, pungency, and appearance. Chromatic analysis distinguished green and red DZMs from Meishan and Hancheng. HPLC results revealed high pungency compound levels in Maoxian and Wudu samples, while GC–MS identified 173 volatile compounds, dominated by linalool and d-limonene. Microbial contamination was minimal in DZMs from Hanyuan and Jiangjin, and the lowest heavy metal levels were in samples from Hanyuan, Hancheng, and Jingyang, indicating superior environmental conditions. The research offered insights into origin and processing influences on DZM, aiding in selection and food safety assurance.

Public Interest in Online Information on Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Is Greatest for Information with the Poorest Publication Quality.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most prevalent bacterial infections. With many patients turning to the Internet as a health resource, this study seeks to understand public engagement with online resources concerning recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), assess their reliability, and identify common questions/concerns about rUTIs. Methods: Social media analysis tool BuzzSumo was used to calculate online engagement (likes, shares, comments, views) with information on rUTIs. The reliability of highly engaged articles was evaluated using the DISCERN questionnaire. Highly engaged categories were entered as keywords in Google Trends to quantify search interest. To categorize patient-specific concerns, a database containing anonymously collected patient questions about rUTIs was created. Results: BuzzSumo revealed four search categories: general information, treatment, causes, and herbal remedies. DISCERN scores indicated moderate reliability overall; however, the "herbal remedies" category demonstrated poor reliability despite high engagement. Google Trends analysis highlighted "causes" and "treatment" searches as highest in relative interest. The 10 most popular categories of concern were antibiotics, microbiome, vaccines, prevention, pelvic pain, sex, testing, symptoms, diet/lifestyle, and hormones. Conclusions: People living with rUTIs demonstrate key concerns and often seek information online, yet articles with high engagement often contain unreliable information. Healthcare professionals may consider counteracting misinformation by providing evidence-based information online about rUTIs.

Demographic and Geographic Characteristics Associated with the Type of Prescription and Drug Expenditure: Real World Evidence for Greece During 2015-2021.

Electronic prescribing has allowed for the collection of prescription data in real time in Greece for the first time. Hence, the aim of the current study was to present the characteristics of prescriptions for the Greek population during the period from 2015 to 2021. This retrospective study was based on data extracted from the nationwide Greek electronic prescription database between January 2015 and December 2021. Descriptive statistics methods were used for the needs of the study. As the basic figures examined depend on the size of the population, in order for the results to be comparable, we estimated the corresponding measures per inhabitant, using population data from the Greek Statistical Authority. Appropriate indicators for the comparison of consumption and expenditure over time were estimated. A study of the trend was also carried out using time series and linear regression models. In order to facilitate the design and implementation of specialized policies, it is useful to identify the drug categories with the highest consumption and expenditure, as well as the geographical areas that present similar characteristics. For the first, ABC analysis was used, which helps to identify the most popular categories of drugs, while for the second, cluster analysis was carried out. Agglomerative clustering was used to divide the regions into similar groups. This hierarchical clustering algorithm classifies the population into several clusters, with areas in the same cluster being more similar, and areas in different clusters being dissimilar. The Ward linkage method with Euclidean distance was used. The analysis of prescription drug consumption and expenditure from 2015 to 2021 revealed significant fluctuations and trends across various drug categories, age groups, and geographical areas. Notably, the quantity of prescriptions increased by 20% since 2015, while expenditure surged by over 30%, with significant spikes following the end of the MoU in 2019 and the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In terms of expenditure, antineoplastic and immunomodulation agents (category L) held the largest share, driven by the introduction of new, costly drugs. The expenditure per inhabitant revealed gender and age disparities, with older populations, particularly women, incurring higher costs. Geographically, drug expenditure, and consumption varied significantly, with distinct regional clusters identified. These clusters, while showing some overlap in consumption and expenditure patterns, also highlighted unique regional characteristics. The insights into prescription drug consumption and expenditure trends offer a valuable basis for developing targeted interventions aimed at optimizing healthcare resource allocation. Moreover, the findings underscore the importance of addressing regional and demographic disparities in pharmaceutical use, thereby contributing to more equitable and cost-effective healthcare strategies. More specifically, the age distribution of prescriptions shows the increase in younger ages, which, as a result, anticipates the overall increase in prescriptions. The knowledge of the most convex categories of medicine, as well as the percentages of the use of generic drugs, shows where interventions should be made, with financial incentives and information through new information channels. The geographic disparities recorded should lead to policies that help the residents of hard-to-reach areas to access prescriptions. In addition, the present study provides a strategic framework for policymakers and healthcare managers to guide future studies and inform decision-making processes.

What is Most and Least Enjoyable in the EFL Classroom? A Large-scale Inductive Qualitative Study

The growing emphasis on learner well-being and the flourishing of positive psychology in foreign language (FL) education have caused a recent upsurge of research into enjoyment in FL learning. However, most existing studies are quantitative in nature and many focus on tertiary-level/adult learners. Featuring an inductive qualitative design, the current study investigated what 486 grade 7 English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners perceived to be most and least enjoyable in class in the context of Hong Kong. In total, 1031 aspect responses together with 1086 reasons were collated. The responses were categorized into 36 groups, leading to the emergence of five themes (from most to least popular): activities, classroom characteristics, teachers, students, and materials. The most commonly mentioned areas of highest enjoyment were use of multimedia and speaking-related activities, while those of least enjoyment were class exercises and assessments. Teacher-centred instruction was a popular category in both aspects of enjoyment. Activities accounted for close to 90% of the responses, in both the most and least enjoyable categories. This is noteworthy as activities are not very clearly represented in many existing FL classroom enjoyment scales, hence suggesting a need to reconceptualize what enjoyment in the FL classroom means for learners from their perspectives.

Characteristic of mental health app usage: a cross-sectional survey in the general population

BackgroundMental health apps (MHA) have gained popularity in recent years. Most freely available apps are of low quality and lack evidence for effectiveness. Yet, download rates indicate high usage. MHA are potentially beneficial for individuals with no/low symptom severity as prevention, or as an option to reach underserviced populations. However, currently very little is known about the characteristics of MHA users in the general population, about the kind of MHA used, or the motivation behind MHA usage.MethodsWe collected survey-data from N = 1,247 individuals from the general population to investigate MHA usage.ResultsDescriptive statistics revealed that 41% had used MHA in the past 12 months; prescription app-use however was low (1.5% of MHA users). Mindfulness, moodtracking, and relaxation were the most popular categories of MHA. Perceived helpfulness, fun, and availability were the top reasons for MHA usage. Non-users reported distrust, lack of perceived need, and data security concerns as usage barriers. MHA users and non-users did not differ regarding sociodemographic variables. Multiple regression analyses revealed that sub-threshold symptoms of psychological disorders as well as higher levels of anxiety and stress were linked to higher probability of MHA usage. Higher levels of depression were associated with lower likelihood of MHA usage in general, but increased likelihood of usage of self-help apps specifically for depression.ConclusionsIt follows that MHA use is common in the general population independent of sociodemographic characteristics. MHA can reach people who might benefit, but more awareness and better structure of the market is needed to reduce distrust, increase usage of high-quality MHA, and improve the fit between app and user.

CMS's Drug Price Negotiation Program 2023 Patient-Focused Listening Sessions: A Descriptive Analysis of Speaker Remarks.

The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held patient-focused listening sessions in Fall 2023 for each of the first ten drugs selected for the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) Drug Price Negotiation Program (DPNP). This study aimed to quantitatively describe speaker input at the sessions, including the absolute and relative time allocated to key areas of interest for the DPNP. In this descriptive analysis of speaker remarks from ten CMS-hosted patient-focused listening sessions, speaker demographics were examined using video streams, time-stamped transcripts, public data, contextual clues, validated tools, and visual assessment when necessary. Audio recordings were transcribed using a speech-to-text application programming interface, followed by human review for accuracy. Transcripts included speaker identification and sentence-level timestamping. Two researchers coded each sentence into predefined categories on the basis of CMS's optional discussion topics, DPNP goals, and potential unintended consequences of the IRA: speaker background, evidence about selected drugs or therapeutic alternatives, drug prices, patient access/benefit design, therapeutic advancements, and other. The total and proportion of time spent by category were calculated per speaker. Out of an anticipated 200 speaker slots, 106 total speakers (median per session: 10; range 5-17) and 70 unique speakers participated, most of whom were patients (n = 38, 54.2%), female (n = 40, 57.1%), and below Medicare age (n = 40, 57.1%). The most popular categories discussed included evidence about the selected drug or therapeutic alternatives (median per slot: 36.5% of time; range 0-93.0%) and patient access/benefit design (median per slot: 12.1%; range 0-75.5%). CMS received a median of 12.3 total minutes of evidence about selected drugs or therapeutic alternatives per listening session across all speakers (range per session 3.9-22.6 minutes). The first listening sessions provided an important, but limited, first step toward patient engagement with the DPNP. Speaker demographics suggest the sessions fell short of capturing the voices of diverse and Medicare-representative patient populations. While speakers often focused their time on patient experience and evidence, CMS received less than 15 minutes of patient-focused evidence about therapeutic alternatives for more than half of the drug listening sessions. CMS has indicated its intent to improve upon the design of the patient-focused listening sessions for drugs selected in the second round of the DPNP. Future iterations should prioritize robust, two-way dialogue, transparency surrounding the impact of patient input on CMS's price determination process, and improvements to event logistics and outreach that facilitate the participation of diverse patients and stakeholders.

Komparasi Visual Karakter Hero Video Game Mobile Legends dan Arena of Valor

Video games have become a medium of entertainment that is needed by almost everyone. One of the most popular categories of online video games today is MOBA. Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor are examples of the most played MOBA games. These two games are similar in the visual aspect of their hero characters because they are inspired by predecessor characters such as legendary figures, mythological creatures, or even inspired by categories of creatures on earth which are then combined with humans. Mobile Legends has 4 hero characters that are visually similar to Arena of Valor. This makes both games modify, add, or even change the visual elements of each hero to avoid plagiarism. The modification of these heroes makes each character have its own impression/value. Analysis of visual elements is carried out by comparing the visuals of heroes from two games that are similar using matrix system theory so that the impression/value created by each visual can be found. The results of the visual analysis of the heroes of the two games that have been compared will determine which visual character is more suited to the impression presented.

ANALYSIS OF THE OBJECT-SUBJECT AREA OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS ON THE FORMATION OF FINANCIALLY LITERATE BEHAVIOR OF THE POPULATION

The article is devoted to the analysis of the object-subject area of scientific publications on the formation of financially literate behavior of the population, in particular the scientific development and relevance of the topic. A content analysis of 84 935 titles and annotations of scientific publications for 2017-2023 by keywords was carried out. As a result, the most popular categories of the object-subject area were identified, which were of greater interest in the scientific community. The topics of financial literacy, culture and financial behavior are widely covered in scientific papers, but the topic related to the tools for the formation of financial literate behavior is significantly less studied. A deeper dive into this topic can help identify the tools and ways to improve financial literacy that are most suitable for a particular category of the population. Based on this, it will be possible to develop an effective strategy aimed at solving specific problems using the most effective methods.

Health Use Cases of AI Chatbots: Identification and Analysis of ChatGPT Prompts in Social Media Discourses

The popularity of ChatGPT has raised questions surrounding AI’s potential for health use cases. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, social media users have shared their prompts and ChatGPT responses on different topics such as health. Despite editorials and opinion articles discussing the potential uses of ChatGPT, there is a lack of a systematic approach to identify and analyze the use cases of ChatGPT in health. This study establishes a framework for gathering and identifying tweets (i.e., posts on social media site “X”, formerly known as Twitter) that discuss health use cases of ChatGPT, integrating topic modeling with constructivist grounded theory (CGT) to organize these topics into common categories. Using this framework, nine topics were identified, which were further grouped into four categories: (1) Clinical Workflow, (2) Wellness, (3), Diseases, and (4) Gender Identity. The Clinical Workflow category was the most popular category, and included four topics: (1) Seeking Advice, (2) Clinical Documentation, (3) Medical Diagnosis, and (4) Medical Treatment. Among the identified topics, “Diet and Workout Plans” was the most popular topic. This research highlights the potential of social media to identify the health use cases and potential health applications of an AI-based chatbot such as ChatGPT. The identified topics and categories can be beneficial for researchers, professionals, companies, and policymakers working on health use cases of AI chatbots.

Bibliometric Analysis of Smartwatches Adoption Using Scopus

Using the Scopus database, this report provides a bibliometric analysis of studies focusing on the adoption of smartwatches. Smartwatches have become a popular category of wearable technology, providing more features than just keeping track of the time. These features include productivity boosts, communication, and health monitoring. Although their growing appeal, a thorough examination of the academic literature on smartwatch adoption is necessary. This study's bibliometric analysis provides information about publishing patterns, well-known authors, and the development of this field's knowledge. This study improves our understanding of the factors affecting smartwatch adoption while highlighting areas for future research and improvement in this quickly developing sector by looking through a large dataset of academic articles.

Review of Smart-Home Security Using the Internet of Things

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to revolutionize the way we interact with our living spaces, the concept of smart homes has become increasingly prevalent. However, along with the convenience and connectivity offered by IoT-enabled devices in smart homes comes a range of security challenges. This paper explores the landscape of smart-home security. In contrast to similar surveys, this study also examines the particularities of popular categories of smart devices, like home assistants, TVs, AR/VR, locks, sensors, etc. It examines various security threats and vulnerabilities inherent in smart-home ecosystems, including unauthorized access, data breaches, and device tampering. Additionally, the paper discusses existing security mechanisms and protocols designed to mitigate these risks, such as encryption, authentication, and intrusion-detection systems. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of user awareness and education in maintaining the security of smart-home environments. Finally, the paper proposes future research directions and recommendations for enhancing smart-home security with IoT, including the development of robust security best practices and standards, improved device authentication methods, and more effective intrusion-detection techniques. By addressing these challenges, the potential of IoT-enabled smart homes to enhance convenience and efficiency while ensuring privacy, security, and cyber-resilience can be realized.

Statistical Analysis of Cultural Items in the International Chinese Education Network Course Resource Database: Based on the “Chinese Bridge” Delegation Online Experience Platform

This research aims to analyze cultural items in the international Chinese education network course resource database found in the “Chinese Bridge” delegation online experience platform. Data were collected from 878 culture-themed courses implemented by 106 schools (including 64 universities, and 39 vocational colleges, 3 high schools) around China during the year 2023. After utilizing “The Framework of Reference for Chinese Culture and Society in International Chinese Language Education” as classification criteria and applying statistical analysis method, three primary cultural items categories and 27 secondary cultural items categories were showcased. The results showed that schools focused more on society and lifestyles (N=350; 39.9%) and traditional culture (N=301; 34.2%) compared to contemporary China (N=227; 25.9%) in the primary category. The most popular secondary category items were leisure (N=178), art (N=109), cultural heritage (N=102), food (N=83), and inventions (N=59) the above five accounted for more than 60%. These two category levels systematically reflected the synchronic and diachronic characteristics of cultural teaching from supra-regional and regional cultural content. However, two shortcomings were identified, namely homogenization of cultural items presentation and simplification of teaching medium language. The high-frequency recurring cultural items were Chinese tea, Chinese painting, and Tai Chi, which in total were presented in 107 courses and accounted for more than 12%. English is the most important medium language after Chinese, while teaching other languages is relatively lacking. The results of this study also provide valuable insights of improvement strategies proposed by precise learning demands, diversified cultural narration and technology assisted teaching to inspire the schools’ international Chinese education network course resources.

Exploring the relationship between extensive graded book reading and writing performance among third-grade students: a correlation analysis

This study examines the impact of long-term extensive book reading activities on students’ writing skills in a distinct context lacking prior research. Employing technology to monitor students’ reading, the research focuses on first language long-term reading activities, a domain unexplored in Taiwan’s education system. Tracking book reading over three years, the study unveils the gradual fulfillment of reading goals and explores the connection between extensive book reading and writing performance. The investigation also found that graded reading and Bridge Books’ roles in enhancing students’ reading and writing outcomes. Employing rigorous data analysis, the study offers a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between extensive book reading and writing performances. Findings reveal Picture Books and Basic Books as popular reading categories, influencing writing quality and word count during the revision process. However, there are potential trade-offs between quantity and quality of the writing performances, specifically observed in Bridge Books’ impact on initial draft and revision quality. The complex interplay between different grades of the book and writing performance emerges, suggesting implications for educational interventions and further research in enhancing writing performances through extensive reading.

The relevance of F. Barth's ideas for modern studies of ethnicity

The concept of ethnicity continues to be an important factor for the analysis of modern society of the XXI century. This text is devoted to a critical analysis of the relevance of Frederick Barth's research conducted in 1969 and presented in the work “Ethnic Groups and Borders”. Barth's theoretical model reveals diversity and consistency at the junction of ethnic boundaries, the connection between which is due to the heuristic correlation of the author's concepts reflecting the static and dynamic identity in the aspect of ethnicity. Of particular interest are the less popular categories of Barth's discourse, which represent the positive and negative labeling of ethnic groups in acts of nomination and discrimination. An attempt to draw attention to F.'s ideas, which have already become classic and therefore somewhat outdated. Barth's work is due to the incredible plasticity of his methodology, which, combined with modern approaches (for example, symbolic interactionism) can become a very useful tool for studying ethnic issues in our time. Addressing the ethnic issues of Barth's works contributes to a deeper rethinking of the reality around us and an understanding of the principles of functioning of modern society.

SALTOV POTTERY IN MOKHNACH P SETTLEMENT

The pottery of the Saltiv cultural-historical community period (8th — mid-10th centuries) found in Mokhnach-P settlement is analyzed in the paper. This settlement is the best researched one in the microregion of the hillfort Mokhnach, Chuhuiv district in Kharkiv region. The settlement was a part of the Khazar Khaganate forest-steppe territory at the late 1st millennium AD. All pottery found in the settlement was wheel-made. The traces of local ceramic manufacture, such as two pits for clay homogenization, pointed to this fact. However, it related to the production of the most popular ceramic categories (cooking pots) and was at the level of homemade manufacturing. High-quality imported pottery occupied a dominant position. It was supplied from the Northern Pontic region and neighboring pottery centers of the Khaganate’s forest-steppe. The tableware set was of high quality and diversity. Almost all of its groups and categories are mentioned here. Tare pottery are presented by amphorae, big tare pithoi, hydria, flasks and big ceremonial pithoi. Pots and jugs can be found among cooking ceramics. Tableware includes jars, mugs, kubyshkas, table pithoi, pots, and also a ceremonial vessel with two containers. Form and ornamentation of these vessels are traditional and have a lot of analogies to all territories of the Saltiv cultural-historical community. The peculiarity of the local ceramic complex is in the extremely small amount of remains of thick-walled tare pithoi made of chamotte clay for grain storage. Other features include a lot of high-quality ceremonial pithoi and separate rare ornaments on cooking pots. The volume of pots indicates the domination of a small couple family; it completely correlates with a tiny useful amount of the researched dwellings here. The only vessel with two containers belongs to an extremely limited category of ceremonial and cult ceramics, and has a very restricted range of analogies, mostly on Saltiv sites of the Siverskyi Donets. It reflects the traditions and culture of Iranian-speaking, Turkic and also Caucasian nations, beginning, at least, from the early Iron Age. These vessels could be used in a ritual of fraternity, inter-family reconciliation, and also could serve as an honorable drinking bowl for the most respected guest during a feast.