Different Groups Of Population Research Articles

Time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance in African, Caucasian, and Asian ethnic groups.

COVID-19 may become a seasonal disease. SARS-CoV-2 active circulation coupled with vaccination efforts has undoubtedly modified the virus dynamic. It is therefore important investigate SARS-CoV-2 dynamic in different groups of population following the course of spatiotemporal variance and immunization. To investigate SARS-CoV-2 clearance in different ethnic groups and the impact of immunization, we recruited 777 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients (570 Africans, 156 Caucasians, and 51 Asians). Participants were followed and regularly tested for 2 months until they had two negative tests. The vaccination rate was 64.6%. African individuals were less symptomatic (2%), Caucasians (41%) and Asians (36.6%). On average, viral clearance occurred after 10.5days. Viral load at diagnosis was inversely correlated with viral clearance (p < 0.0001). The time of SARS-CoV-2 clearance was higher in Africans and Caucasians than in Asians (Dunn's test p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05, respectively). On average, viral clearance occurred within 9.5days during the second semester (higher rate of vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 exposition), whereas it took 13.6days during the first semester (lower rate of vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 exposition) (Mann-Whitney t-test p < 0.0001). In conclusion, ethnicity and spatiotemporal changes including SARS-CoV-2 exposition and immunization affect SARS-CoV-2 clearance.

A potential antiviral role for CCR5+CD8+ T cells in children with hepatitis B.

While dysfunctional exhausted CD8+ T cells hamper viral control when children acquire hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, it's crucial to recognize that CD8+ T cells have diverse phenotypes and functions. This study explored a subset of CD8+ T cells expressing C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) in children with HBV infection.Thirty-six patients in the immune tolerantgroup, 33 patients in the immune activegroup, 55 patients in the combined responsegroup, and 22 healthy controlchildren were enrolled. The frequency, functional molecules, and effector functions of the CCR5+CD8+ T cell population in different groups were evaluated.The frequency of CCR5+CD8+ T cells correlated positively with the frequency of CCR5+CD4+ T cells and patient age, and it correlated negatively with alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen, and lactic dehydrogenase levels. CCR5+CD8+ T cells had higher levels of inhibitory and activated receptors and produced higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α than CCR5-CD8+ T cells.CCR5+CD8+ T cells were partially exhausted but possessed a stronger antiviral activity than CCR5-CD8+ T cells. The identification of this subset increases our understanding of CD8+ T cell functions and serves as a potential immunotherapeutic target for children with HBV infection.

Socio Economic and Demographic Analysis of Bhitaha Village of Gorakhpur District, India

The present study was conducted in Village Bhitaha, Block Khaijani, Tehsil Bansgaon, District Gorakhpur. The Data Collection based on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise, a meeting of the villagers along with the Sarpanch, Niab Sarpanch and Lamardar was conducted in the village for rapport building. In this research paper an attempt has been made to find out the actual socioeconomic status of rural population in different groups. Study shows that literacy rate in this area is 82.68 per cent, majority of the population belong to the schedule caste (218) and families (95 per cent) are marginal farmers, Paddy is the main kharif crop, while wheat is the main rabi crop and it shows the availability of various ICT tools in Bhitaha, including TVs, mobiles, computers/laptops, internet access and where productivity of meat and milk is very well, the number of different transportation vehicles available such as cars, motorcycles, cycles, and other forms of transport, shows different Farm machinery available such as Sprayer 286, Tractor 09, Cultivator 09, Disc Harrow 07, Thresher 07 and Seedcum Fertdrill 01,s it shows that irrigation facilities are available in the village. The findings of this study have significant implications for policy interventions and rural development initiatives in the region.

Vaccines for prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection

Respiratory syncytial virus is a virus that causes infections in lower respiratory tract among infants aged under 5 years old, older adults aged above 65 years old and populations with other potential complications. Some susceptible populations to RSV may develop pneumonia and bronchiolitis. The mechanism of RSV virus transmission is through air droplets. The burden of hospitalization causes by the infection of RSV is severe and episodic, with the prevalence mainly concentrated in winter periods. The development of vaccines against RSV virus statutes in the early 1960s, but was paused and halted due to the failure of formalin inactivated vaccine. The current study first reviewed the prevalence, structure, mechanism and development history of RSV and its vaccines, following which the present work focus on a summary of the results of clinical trials of vaccines against RSV on different groups of populations, especially those with special condition, such as older adult and pregnant women.

Demography of Epistaxis at Tertiary Level Hospital

Background: Epistaxis is a common otolaryngological emergency worldwide. Many of the population suffer from it in their lifetime. This study was conducted to describe the demography of epistaxis among the patients who came to Pabna Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Objective: To evaluate the frequency of epistaxis among populations of different groups of age, sex, habitat, and circadian variation. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 patients who came with epistaxis at Pabna Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital of Bangladesh from January 2021 to December 2021. Results: Male was found to be affected more than female with male to female ratio of 3:1. Eighty percent of the patients were from 5th to 7th decade, 60% were from urban and 40% were from rural habitat. Regarding etiology and sex, there were no significant differences between rural and urban habitats. The frequency of epistaxis showed circadian variation, 40% reported to the hospital in the evening, 35% in the morning, and the remaining 25% at late night. The frequency (55%) of epistaxis was more from November to March. Conclusion: A high incidence in young adults was reported with the preponderance of male over female. The occurrence of epistaxis was strongly related to certain demographic factors. These are the age, sex, and habitat of the patient. This study supports the credibility of management procedure by finding some factors that make a difference in the frequency of epistaxis. J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll 2022; 14(1): 8-11

Health Care Utilization in Russia: Public Health Survey Findings

Introduction: Different groups of population vary in whether and how often they seek help from health care providers. Determination of such intergroup differences in health care utilization contributes to identification of disparities in access to care. Andersen’s model of health care utilization (commonly used for exploring patients’ behaviors) was chosen as the theoretical basis for this study. Objective: To identify groups of individuals who are more likely to seek medical attention in Russia and to establish differences in their preference between public and private health care providers. Materials and methods: Statistical regression analysis was applied to public health survey data collected in 2022. The sample of 2,150 respondents was representative for the adult population of Russia. Results: Every four out of five respondents sought medical help (79.0 %) in the previous year. Two third of them reported going to a private provider at least once (65.3 %) over the previous year. Being female, younger, married, with higher education, employed, having monthly incomes over 20 thousand rubles, rating their own health as bad were associated with being more likely to seek medical assistance. The first four characteristics of the respondents listed above and belonging to the highest income group (earning more than 60 thousand rubles monthly) were also found to be associated with higher probability of utilizing paid services. Conclusions: This study revealed no differences in access to care between the respondents living in cities of different sizes; rather, such differences were associated with the employment status and income of the participants.

To the Question of a Need for a Complex Approach to Researching Terrorism and Extremism with the Purpose of Ensuring National Security

The author uses a complex approach to research crimes of terrorism and extremism. Scholars who study the spread of radicalism, separatism, nationalism and other negative social phenomena both in the Russian Federation and in the world pay considerable attention to researching terrorist and extremist activities of different groups of population, who are mostly represented by illegitimate organizations or communities. The author studies the measures of counteracting crimes of terrorist and extremist nature according to the best practices of other countries. The causes of the spread of terrorism and extremism in their new quality are analyzed. The link between common crime and radical youth groups is traced. The author pays special attention to the spread of extremist ideology, which is a breeding ground for terrorism. The author also establishes a correlation between ideologists and followers of radical movements while taking into consideration their social status, financial situation and educational level. The article presents valid conclusions on the measures of counteracting crimes of terrorism and extremism, which are based on the idea that the research community should use a complex approach to researching this type of crime involving sociological, criminal law, criminalistic and other methods and means.

Microbiological Status, Physico-chemistry and Plant Performance in Spent Lubricating Oil (SLO) Polluted Soils Amended with Spiked Organic Fertilizer

Soil contaminations by spent lubricating oil (SLO) have been reported to be threatening as it can negatively impact soil macro/micro-flora, destroy the food chains, disrupt biogeochemical cycling of elements, thus reducing soil fertility/productivity, with attendant economic implications. This study evaluated the changes in microbial population and performance of plant in SLO polluted soils amended with different organic fertilizers. The fertilizers were produced from organic waste materials using aerobic composting technique; pollution was simulated in potted soils; soil toxicity were determined using Zea mays L. as test crop; microbial counts and physicochemical properties of the test soils were determined using standard microbiological and chemical protocols respectively. Apart from significant (P˂0.05) decrease in population of total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) and total fungal counts (TFC) (2.6×108 to 6.1×107 cfu/g and 2.3×105 to 1.7×105 cfu/g respectively), and increase in populations of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) and hydrocarbon utilizing fungi (HUF) (7.3×103 to 4.6×104 cfu/g and 8.0×103 to 1.7×104 cfu/g respectively) following contamination of soil with SLO at pollution level., results also revealed increase (improvements) in counts of all microbial groups at the end of remediation treatments. Mean microbial count in soils amended with different levels of fertilizer treatments (5%, 10%, and 15%) reflected a dose-dependent increase as follows: Ft2 ˃ Ft0 ˃ Ft4 for the 5% (3.7×108 cfu/g), 10% (9.2×107 cfu/g) and 15% (6.9×107 cfu/g) respectively. At 5% application, post remediation pH increased following the order: Ft0 ˃ Ft2 ˃ Ft4 (6.00, 5.34, and 4.90 respectively). The test crop, Zea mays L. recorded 100% and 62.5% germination in amended and unamended soils respectively. Leave length and chlorophyll index of Z. mays L. grown on remediated soils ranged between 35.10±0.40 – 52.85±0.05 (at 5% treatments); 32.60±0.10 – 56.55±0.35 (at 10% treatments); and 35.35±0.15 – 42.45±0.25 (at 15% treatments), compared with 30.30±0.80 – 50.55±0.75 (for PS) and 18.05±0.85 – 25.50±0.70 (for unamended CS). All test crops yielded except those grown on unamended soils. Conclusively, application of organic fertilizers to SLO polluted soils increased population of different groups of soil microbes, leading to increased breakdown of the pollutant and reduced soil toxicity.

Life beyond life: Perceptions of post-mortem organ donation and consent to donate-A focus group study in Italy.

Many factors such as personal and cultural beliefs, misinformation, fear of death and inadequate will registering procedures can influence post-mortem organ donation. The present study aimed to explore the perceptions, beliefs and information around post-mortem donation and will expression in different groups of the Italian population, to orient future interventions and raise awareness. Qualitative research with focus groups. A total of 38 focus groups involving 353 participants including the general population (young adults: 18-39, mature adults: 40-70), local and hospital health professionals, critical area health professionals (emergency room and intensive care), registry office employees and opinion leaders, were conducted in six regions from different parts of Italy between June and November 2021. Thematic analysis was conducted with the use of Atlas.ti9. Five overarching themes were identified: dilemmas regarding donation, resistance to donation, facilitators of donation, difficulties in terms of will expression and proposals to encourage will expression. Possible facilitators were having personal and professional experiences with organ donation, feeling useful for society, having reliable information and trust in the health care system. Potential barriers to donation were doubts and fears about brain death, bodily integrity concerns, religious beliefs, misinformation and distrust in the health care system. These results highlighted the significance of a bottom-up perspective with regard to identifying the personal perceptions and beliefs with regard to donation, underlining the urgency of creating tailored interventions to sensitize different groups of the population in terms of promoting an informed choice and a culture of donation.

Cardiac digital twins of the adult population: linking electrophysiological functions to anatomy

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This project is supported by the Wellcome Trust and EPSRC Centre for Medical Engineering. Background QRS duration derived from 12-lead ECGs provides an estimate of the ventricular depolarization time and is an important metric to assess cardiac function. The QRS duration is determined in part by the combination of heart size and conduction velocity (CV). Differences in QRS duration in terms of gender, body mass index (BMI) and age have been well-documented, however, the relative impact of concurrent changes in heart size and CV on QRS duration is poorly understood. Cardiac digital twins, as in-silico replicas, provide a non-invasive physics and physiology-constrained framework to separate the impact of CV and heart anatomy on the QRS duration across populations. Purpose This study aims to identify the impact of CV and heart size on differences in QRS duration and quantify their difference in the general population in different groups of gender, BMI and age. Methods Patient-specific biventricular models (n=400) were constructed using long- and short-axis cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images from patients without self-reported cardiovascular diseases in the UK Biobank. Cardiac electrophysiology was simulated using a physiological-detailed model that includes fiber orientation, anisotropic conductivity, the His-Purkinje system activation, and fast endocardial conductivity[1]. 12-lead ECGs were reconstructed from the simulations and the QRS duration was computed based on corresponding vectorcardiogram (VCG) reconstructed from ECG data [2]. We calibrated patient-specific CVs to match the clinically measured QRS duration in ECGs at rest and then compare the heart size, QRS duration and estimated CVs for different patient groups. Results QRS duration was approx. 7% longer in males than females (median: 90ms vs 84ms, P&amp;lt;0.001). Consistent with a longer QRS duration in males had larger hearts (male: 165.5 mL vs 123 mL, P&amp;lt;0.001), while the median CVs were the same between genders (both: 0.594 m/s). QRS duration was longer for obese (BMI≥30) and overweight group compared to healthy (BMI&amp;lt;25) groups (88ms and 86 ms vs 84 ms, P=0.05 and 0.3). Again, the change in QRS duration with BMI was reflected with a corresponding increase in heart size (healthy: 127 mL, overweight: 147.6 mL, obese:160 mL), while CV remained unchanged (healthy: 0.58 m/s vs overweight and obese: 0.594 m/s, P=0.051 and 0.32). There was no significant difference in QRS duration, CV or myocardial volume for different age groups (medians: 86-88 ms and 0.573-0.594 m/s and 138.7-143 mL). Conclusions QRS duration is shorter in females and individuals with healthy weights. Most of the change in QRS duration can be explained by heart size, with the estimated CV remaining consistent across groups.

Digital Divide and the Use of Digital Public Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic enhanced digital transformation. With the spread of the pandemic and the introduction of epidemiological measures, citizens were enforced to use the Internet to an increased extent. The digital divide among citizens and the capability of citizens to get an equal level of services has also come to the fore. The paper explores the changes in the use of e-government services and the impact of the pandemic on the citizens’ attitudes toward Internet use in Croatia. The analysis is based on the survey data. The results show that due to the pandemic, citizens became more dependent on IT equipment. Citizens spend more time using digital public services than in the pre-pandemic period. The results also reveal differences in the COVID-19 impact on the use of digital public services between different groups of population.

COVID-19 Severity in Different Group of Population: A Review Article

COVID-19 Severity in Different Group of Population: A Review Article

Обзор работы государственной стоматологической службы Тверской области в 2021 году

Taking care of the health of the population of the Tver region is an important direction of social regional policy. The main task of the dental service of the Tver region is to preserve and strengthen the health of the citizens of the Tver region, to increase the role of preventive care of dental diseases, to form a model of organization of the dental industry that ensures the availability and quality of dental care, to increase the efficiency of dental services, the volume, types and quality of which should correspond to the level of morbidity and the needs of the population, advanced achievements of medical science. The aim of the research is the analysis of the statistical data of the stomatological service of the state public health institutions of the Tver region. Materials and methods. Analysis of the statistical data reflecting demographic indexes, statistics of the stomatological service structure, staffing, distribution of dentists among the institutions of the Tver region, quality of dental care, the main indexes of the stomatological service of the Tver region, indexes of treatment and preventive work. Results. The present study is devoted to the analysis of the activity of state medical institutions of health care of the Tver region that provide dental care to the population of the Tver region. The indices of the provision of dentists in this region (not taking into account orthopedists and orthodontists) makes 3,82 posts for 10 thousand population (426,25 rates in total). Indicators of provision of the region’s population with dentists are 4,3 positions per adult population of the region. The deficit specialties have been revealed: pediatric dentists, orthodontists, in the regional institutions there is a shortage of orthopedists. The share of occupied staff positions in the specialty of pediatric dentistry was 49%, which reflects the need for training in this area. The difficulties in the organization of preventive examinations of the children’s population were revealed, and the low percentage of the examined persons. Conclusions. The municipal, district and regional medical institutions of health care rendering dental treatment to the population are functioning on the territory of the city of Tver and the Tver region in general. The statistical analysis has revealed a number of difficulties that require further action on the part of the medical community and public organizations. It is necessary to develop comprehensive measures to solve the shortage of pediatric dentists at the level of the Ministry of Health and educational institutions. The difficulties of preventive examinations among the population of different groups are highlighted. It is important to strengthen the preventive profile in order to reduce the cases of complicated caries, tooth extraction. Development of hygienic direction will increase awareness of the population about the peculiarities of dental and oral hygiene, methods of prevention and treatment of dental diseases.

Supraorbital Foramina and Supraorbital Notches in Unknown Dry Human Skulls- A Review of Literatures

In craniofacial surgery and supraorbital nerve block, the anatomy of the supraorbital region is crucial. Injury to the supraorbital neurovascular bundle is a frequent complication during the anterior orbital approach, blepharoplasty, fronto-glabellar reconstruction flap, and in the supraorbital nerve blocks during treatment of maxillofacial wounds and treatment of migraine. However, there are a lot of variations of supraorbital foramina and notches among different groups of populations of various races. Morphometric analysis of supraorbital foramina and notches have been carried out on unknown dry adult human skulls by authors. In these studies, two planes have been made use of, namely sagittal and transverse planes of the skulls along with vertical &amp; horizontal dimensions. In addition, the positions of notches and foramina in relation to midline as well as frontozygomatic sutures were also measured. Various combinations of the presence or absence of supraorbital foramina and notches were also noted. The study on supraorbital foramina and notches has profound anthropological importance, anesthetics importance, and surgical importance. Various studies' findings and conclusions on notches and foramina are being considered for the study of review articles&#x0D;

Variability in Phenolic Compounds, DPPH Scavenging Activity, and Essential Oil Profile of Pulicaria gnaphaloides (Vent.) Boiss. Populations: An Opportunity for Industrial Products

Intra-species diversity is a feature of plant responses to different ecological conditions of the habitat. Due to the lack of reports on the Pulicaria gnaphalodes chemotypes in the literature, in this work, five populations (Mayduk, Koohpayeh, Dalfard, Sarcheshmeh, and Khabr) were evaluated in terms of phenolic compounds, 2,2-diphenyl-1--picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, and essential oil (EO) quality and quantity in Iran based on a completely randomized design (CRD) in 2018. The results showed EO content ranged from 0.30% to 0.61% (w/w) and DPPH scavenging activity was obtained in a range of 37.1-70.7%. The P. gnaphalodes populations represented different amounts of total phenolic content (5.19-6.48 mg garlic acid g-1 DW) and total flavonoid content (3.08-3.79 mg rutin g-1 DW). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis represented that the main EO profile of P. gnophalodes populations were 1,8-cineole (11.80-23.98%), terpinen-4-ol (4.84-20.29%), α-terpineol (7.94-11.46%), geraniol (1.61-7.51%), and cedr-8(15)-en-9-α-ol (2.52-11.05%), which were mainly oxygenated monoterpenes. Different groups of populations were revealed via principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), with Khabr being notably different from the others. Heat map analysis revealed that EO compounds, especially geraniol, cedr-8(15)-en-9-α-ol, and terpinen-4-ol possessed higher variability than other phytochemical variables. The findings are beneficial in determining the preferred chemotype for pharmacological and therapeutic purposes based on phenolic content and EO profile.

The preference for Front-of-Pack Labeling and its association with the understanding of Nutrition Facts Panel among residents aged 18 to 70: results of a survey in 6 provinces of China

Objective: To investigate the preference for Front-of-Pack Labeling (FOP) and its association with the understanding of the Nutrition Facts Panel among Chinese residents. Methods: A multi-stage sampling strategy was adopted to select 3 002 people aged between 18 and 70 years old from the eastern region of China (Beijing, Jiangsu Province, Guangdong Province), the northeast region (Heilongjiang Province), the central region (Henan Province) and the western region (Sichuan Province) from July 2020 to March 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics of participants and their understanding of the Nutrition Facts Panel and preference for FOP were collected. The χ² test was conducted to compare the preference for FOP in different groups of population, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the preference for FOP and the understanding of the Nutrition Facts Panel. Results: The mean age of 3 002 participants was (42.3±13.4) years, of which 1 914 (63.8%) were females and 69.3% could not understand the Nutrition Facts Panel. About 2 458 respondents (81.9%) suggested that FOP could be promoted. The top three nutrients that should be labeled were sugar (68.4%), salt (68.2%) and total fat (62.4%). The number of participants who believed that the Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL) could be easier to help consumers to quickly choose healthy food, attract attention and provide the most needed information was 1 064 (35.4%), 1 026 (34.2%) and 1 140 (38.0%), respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) system, participants who could not understand the Nutrition Facts Panel preferred (1) Nutri-Score, Warning labels, and Health logos: Smart Choice in terms of"Which format of FOP could quickly help you choose food more easily?"[OR (95%CI): 2.21 (1.62-3.02), 1.64 (1.22-2.22), 1.79 (1.31-2.45), respectively]; (2) Nutri-Score, Warning labels, and Health logos: Smart Choice in terms of"Which format of FOP could attract your attention the most?"[OR (95%CI): 2.62 (1.92-3.59), 1.96 (1.45-2.66), 2.25 (1.66-3.04), respectively]; and (3) Nutri-Score, Warning labels, and Health logos: Smart Choice in terms of"Which format of FOP could provide you with the most needed information?"[OR (95%CI): 2.33 (1.70-3.21), 2.21 (1.66-2.95), 2.01 (1.50-2.71), respectively]. Conclusion: The residents from six provinces in China have a supportive attitude towards FOP. The interpretive FOP with color information, specific nutrient information and summary indicator can be launched. The nutrition information of sugar, salt and total fat could be prioritized to be labeled on the FOP.

The Social Spaces of Music Traditions in Baghdad before and after Destruction

The Social Spaces of Music Traditions in Baghdad before and after Destruction

Eskimo Problem in the Light of New Data

Purpose. The problem of the origin of the Eskimos has received considerable attention, at the same time also providing insights about human presence in far Northeast Siberia and America. I review earlier studies and discuss some of the more exciting recent results emerging from ancient DNA data sets. I also highlight important features of genetic and archeological data and discuss key questions and future research directions. Results. The Paleo-Eskimos and Neo-Eskimos ancestors along the Q-NWT01 Y-DNA line lived in the Kolyma River basin at the turn of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. The migration of the East Asian ancestors of the Paleo-Eskimos was associated with the representatives of the Neolithic cultures of Northeast Asia, which brought the ancestral haplotype for mtDNA haplogroup D2a to Alaska. The emergence of the Neo-Eskimo cultures took place in the Bering strait area on the basis of the local Paleo-Eskimo tradition and under the influence of the cultural traditions of Southwestern Alaska and Chukotka. The Ust'-Belaya culture of Chukotka could act as a genetic source for the development of the Neo-Eskimo cultures.Conclusion. Analysis of ancient DNA from human remains over the past decade has had a transformative effect on the study of the origin of the Eskimos. Data sets of ancient DNA have revealed an increasingly complex picture of human demographic history in North-East of Asia and America and development of Paleo-Eskimo and Neo-Eskimo traditions, suggesting multiple waves of migration over the Bering Strait and episodes of admixture of different groups of population, including Ancient Paleosiberian, East Asian, Paleo-Indian, Paleo-Eskimos, Neo-Eskimos and others.

The development of physical culture and sports social institution: the sociological analysis

The article provides an overview of theoretical and methodological concepts presented by domestic and foreign researchers on the development of physical culture and sports social institution, in order to study its role in the formation of personality and the production of social changes. The emphasis placed on the prerequisites and conditions for the emergence of the sociology of sports as a direction of sociological science in our country and abroad seems to be important. The analysis of researchers' opinions on understanding the specifics of the categories "physical culture" and "sport" is presented. Some theoretical and methodological approaches, such as institutionalism which substantiates the role of social institutions sports in the social practice of different groups of population; a historical approach that allows to analyze the transformation of meanings of terms "physical culture" and "sport"; a sociocultural concept that makes it possible to consider physical culture and sports as elements of a broader category of "culture", as well as the work of modern domestic and foreign scientists in the field of sociology of sports are presented in the article. The author uses the following research methods: analysis, synthesis, generalization, content analysis of documents; analysis of statistical data. The novelty of the research issue lies in the critical understanding of the current state of physical culture and sports as social institutions from the standpoint of theoretical and methodological sociological concepts, including the analysis of different points of view on the content of the terms "physical culture" and "sport". The author comes to the conclusion about the absence of a unified approach and interpretation of concepts, their hierarchy: on the one hand, physical culture, considered as a derivative of the concept of "culture", which is basic and includes the concept of "sport"; on the other hand, despite the close semantic meaning, the terms are independent and have characteristic distinctive features. The current situation of instability, high risks caused by a conglomerate of political, economic, epidemiological and other problems affects all spheres of life, including the field of sports, which dictates the need for further sociological research to make motivated decisions at all levels of government in a nutshell and long term.

Environmental awareness study in Kazakhstan: a critical literature review

Environmental problems in Kazakhstan are serious issues to be dealt with, as it ranges from problems of water shortages to nationwide land degradation issues. Within that, one particular problem sticks out that has yet not been significantly scholarly studied. The problem of environmental awareness issue has been known to play a crucial role in sustainable development and pro-ecological programs and policies, as for more than five decades’ various Western researcher works have outlined the positive effects of raising the level of environmental awareness among different groups of population. However, this spe- cific research area has not been thoroughly studied in the context of a Central Asian region, particularly that of Kazakhstan. In light of these problems, this research paper aims to provide a critical literature review on environ- mental awareness studies in the context of Kazakhstan by examining prominent local and international scholarly works on this subject matter. Hence, the objectives of this paper is to provide a foundation of knowledge on the topic; identify research gaps to prevent research inconsistencies; uncover previous research findings and research methodologies used; and compare and contrast the research findings in order to answer unresolved open questions. For that, a total of 82 studies were analyzed. Key words: Kazakhstan, environmental awareness, literature review, content analysis.