History Of Region Research Articles

Unveiling the Mathematical Tapestry: A Comparative Journey of Bharatvarsh and the World

The study aims to investigate the fundamental knowledge of the number system and its evolution, particularly in the context of Bharatvarsh (the Indian subcontinent) and its historical regions such as Awadh, Mithila, Pandecherri, Nepal, Gandaki desh, Bajhang, Tamsaling, Goa, Sindh, Delhi, and Gwalier.The research compares the mathematics developed in Bharatvarsh or South Asia with that of the European Union, drawing insights from the field of Jyotish Shastra (Astrology), where mathematics plays a crucial role. The findings highlight the unique aspects of mathematics in Bharatvarsh, revealing its distinct applications and development within the framework of Jyotish Shastra. The study emphasizes the importance of studying mathematics for undergraduate students and provides suggestions to facilitate their understanding of this subject. The research offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of the number system and of mathematical concepts, contrasting the approaches taken in Bharatvarsh and the European Union while underscoring the significance of Jyotish Shastra in shaping the mathematical traditions of South Asia.

Textbooks, hunger, and humanitarian narratives: representations of U.S. food policies to Germany on a regional scale (1949–89)

AbstractThis article investigates the significance of United States (U.S.) post-WWII food aid to Germany in West German textbooks from a regional angle during the Cold War period. Previous studies have predominantly focused on interpreting the significance of U.S. aid in West Germany from a national standpoint, overlooking regional variations in humanitarian narratives. This study challenges the national scale as the exclusive basis of collective meaning. By exploring educational materials from three different German regions—Berlin, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, it examines the different afterlives of U.S. aid in West German humanitarian narratives. Further attention for nuances in reconstructing humanitarian narratives not only does justice to the distinct regional histories and memory cultures, but also gives scope to reassessments of dominant narratives.

Writing about the Middle East in a Postmodern Era. A Critique

In this paper the complexities of ongoing conflicts in the MENA region are scrutinized through a critical lens. Acknowledging the influence of multiple actors and factors in shaping political history, the paper challenges the prevailing use of postmodern and post-colonial paradigms in framing and assigning responsibility for these conflicts. While recognizing their contributions, the paper argues against their limitations in providing a nuanced understanding of the underlying dynamics and roots of MENA conflicts. The paper argues that postmodern and post-colonial lenses oversimplify conflicts by presenting them in binary terms and focusing solely on the role of Western colonialism. Instead, it advocates for a broader perspective that considers the complexities of the region's history, including the legacies of the Ottoman Empire and local social structures and actors. It suggests a contextual realist approach analysing conflicts at both internal and external levels, examining state formation processes and regional dynamics. While acknowledging the challenges, it asserts that with the right analytical and methodological tools, a deeper understanding of the region's conflicts and the underlying dynamics of its political landscape is possible.

Songs of War

Russia's war on Ukraine has highlighted how Russia and Ukraine conceptualize differing narratives of the region's history, and how this is reflected in current popular music. This article looks at how popular music is used by both conflict partners by analyzing songs published on social media during the full-scale invasion's first phase. Here, a pattern emerges: songs being reworked, memetic songs drawing on specific occurrences or weapons emerging, and previously existing songs being used as anthems. While these strategies have been heard in past wars, a new dynamic is at work: The output from the current war is interesting due to the use of footage from the battlefield, the speed of reaction and the distribution of the songs aided by social media, and the continuity of musical material as well as support from outsiders. These processes have made social media platforms an important part of the ongoing war.

Buying and selling in the Balkans: the case of Kosovo

The study analyzes from the anthropological viewpoint the transformation of trade relations, trade transactions, the inclusion of men and women of different ages, representatives of various ethnic groups, religions and strata of society in the circulation of goods and services in the territory of Kosovo/Kosovo and Metohija at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. From a quiet “province” of the Ottoman Empire, royal Yugoslavia and the SFRY, the historical region has turned into the forefront of confrontation between both Balkan elites and international forces. Leaving aside, as far as possible, the multi-vector discussion regarding the status of the territory/region/state, the author focuses on the social and cultural aspects of the type of activity and economic sphere that directly and acutely affect all residents of the region without exception – be they Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorans or Roma, Muslims or Christians, rich, poor or middle class – namely, trade. Growing all over the world, both in the business community and among professional researchers studying culture and society, the interest in corporate anthropology is due to the importance of the ethnic factor in the development strategy of individual states and the global economy, and this involves the collection of empirical data and an attempt to assess the risks of conducting business, trade, scientific and other projects that directly affect people’s lives and influence their social “well-being”.

Mengenal Kebudayaan Suku Bugis

Bugis tribal culture is a very complex reality in the lives of Indonesian people. The Bugis tribe, as part of the Deutero Malay group, came to the archipelago after the first wave of migration from mainland Asia, especially Yunan. The name "Bugis" comes from "To Ugi," which refers to the Bugis people. La Sattumpugi, the first king of the Chinese Kingdom in Pammana, Wajo Regency, played a key role in Bugis history. The epic story "La Galigo," the world's greatest literary work, depicts the life journey of Sawerigading, We Cudai's husband, and creates the cultural foundation of the Bugis people. The Bugis community formed several classical kingdoms, such as Luwu, Bone, Wajo, Soppeng, Suppa, Sawitto, Sidenreng, and Rappang. However, the Bugis tribe has a marriage relationship with the Makassar and Mandar tribes. Currently, Bugis people are spread across various districts, creating a transitional area between Bugis and Makassar and Mandar. The Luwu Kingdom is considered to be one of the oldest kingdoms along with Cina, Mario, and Siang. History in the Bone region records seven generations of chaos, which was overcome by the To Manurung figure, known as Manurungnge ri Matajang, who was appointed Arumpone and formed the legislative council "ade pitue."

Mpox Vaccine Acceptance, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

We report general acceptance (61.0%) of an mpox vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo among 5,226 survey respondents. Healthcare workers and respondents in historic mpox-endemic regions had higher acceptance rates. These data highlight the need for increased community engagement and sensitization before widespread deployment of mpox vaccines.

3D Morphology and Motions of the Canis Major Region from Gaia DR3

The Canis Major (CMa) region is known for its prominent arc-shaped morphology, visible at multiple wavelengths. This study integrates molecular gas data with high-precision astrometric parameters of young stellar objects (YSOs) from Gaia DR3 to provide the first three-dimensional (3D) insights into the dynamical evolution and star formation history of the CMa region. By utilizing the average distances and proper motions of the YSOs as proxies for those of the molecular clouds (MCs), we confirm the presence of a slowly expanding shell-like morphology in the CMa region, with an estimated radius of 47 ± 11 pc and expansion velocity of 1.6 ± 0.7 km s−1. Further, the dynamical evolution of the shell supports its expansion, with an expansion timescale of ∼4.4 Myr obtained by the traceback analysis assuming constant velocities. Finally, a momentum estimate suggests that at least two supernova explosions are needed to power the observed expanding shell, reinforcing the previous hypothesis of multiple supernova events. This study effectively combines CO data with the astrometric data of YSOs from Gaia, offering significant support for future studies of the 3D morphology and kinematics of MCs.

Locating the State: Between Region and History

If anthropology once concerned itself with politics in stateless societies outside Euro-America over and against prevailing Euro-American political theory, today anthropologists see the state at work everywhere. Anthropologists have sought to trouble spatial metaphors of state power that assumed, among other things, its centralization and the unitary character of sovereignty. Locating the state through an attendant question of region, we explore recent literatures on everyday state practices in Central and Eastern Europe and South Asia to show how different regional histories and configurations of knowledge continue to structure our assumptions about the state and its functions as well as the grammar of our descriptions. We suggest that the state could prove to be a useful optic for the study of region, which provides an alternative to an overly rigid local/global dichotomy that continues to shadow our theorizations.

Cultural-Environmental Systems and the Archaeology of Climate Change and Social Complexity: Midwest and Southeast United States

The investigation of dynamic fully integrated cultural-environmental systems is one grand challenge facing archaeologists in this century. In the Midwest and Southeast United States, archaeologists recently increased their study of Mississippian social systems (ca. AD 1000–1600) in relationship to paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental data. Significant differences in chronological control between archaeological chronologies and paleoenvironmental records pose challenges to the study of cultural-environmental systems in this region and often result in equifinal results. Three major lines of paleoenvironmental records are reviewed: bald cypress tree-ring records, the Living Blended Drought Atlas (LBDA), and lake-bottom sediment cores. The strongest approaches include local and regional multiproxy environmental records from the same location as a well-investigated archaeological site(s) or region(s). In the rare case where the cores also encode a regional population history, it may be possible to develop stronger inferences that consider variation within and between communities and their vulnerability to climate change and environmental catastrophes.

Agricultural legacy shapes plant diversity patterns in mountain grasslands of Maramureș and Bukovina: A cross‐border perspective (Ukraine, Romania)

Abstract We investigated farming practices and grassland plant diversity patterns in the historical regions of Maramureș and Bukovina, located in the central Eastern Carpathians of Romania and Ukraine. We explored the influence of social and historical factors on recent grassland plant diversity, including changes and modifications in land use and grassland management practices. We used stratified random sampling to select 48 grassland parcels in eight villages on the Ukrainian‐Romanian borderlands. We identified the factors that affect the composition and diversity of grassland vascular plants and bryophytes at multiple spatial scales and compared the frequency and timing of historical and recent grassland management practices to distinguish between preserved and modified agricultural traditions. In most of the grassland parcels studied (83% in Romania and 78% in Ukraine), traditional land use persisted. Local plant species richness was primarily influenced by management practices, outweighing the impact of topography and soil factors. Regular mowing at appropriate intensity increased the richness of vascular plants, while grazing promoted the richness of bryophyte species. Modifications to farming systems, observed in all studied villages, were mainly due to declining population and livestock numbers. Although the timing of spring and autumn grazing in hay meadows still adhered to tradition, mowing schedules shifted earlier, especially for the first cut of two‐cut hay meadows. Traditional corralling, fertilization and hayseed application have become rare or discontinued in certain villages, while controlled burning has increased. Past use of mineral fertilizers in Ukrainian villages during the Soviet era influenced the recent diversity and composition of vascular plant species, favouring nutrient‐demanding species. Social factors and agricultural policies indirectly affect biodiversity in semi‐natural grasslands, leaving a tangible footprint even in the most remote areas of the Carpathian Mountains. We provide basic recommendations to preserve the remarkable biodiversity of the region. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Stroganov, M. (2023). Tver and environs after Pushkin: Essays on regional history through Pushkin studies. Tver: SFK-Ofis. (In Russ.)

The review discusses M. Stroganov’s new book of essays devoted to the problems of Pushkin studies by Tver-based scholars. The book includes written records about Pushkin’s contemporaries penned by the regional historians V. Mirolyubov and S. Fessalonitsky and treated as original sources, as well as N. Zhuravlyov’s account of the preparations for the centennial anniversary of Pushkin’s death in 1936. It is worth mentioning that the book also features documents invaluable from historical and literary perspectives: namely, family legends in the reminiscences of the Vulf clan: A. Ponafidina, O. Vulf, A. Bolt, and V. Bubnova. In his preamble to their publication, the author specifies the characteristics of family legend as a type of memoir and their genesis. Polemizing with the 20th-c. Pushkin scholars from Tver (G. Khodakov, N. Tsvetkov and others), Stroganov deconstructs the popular mythological notion of Pushkin’s itinerary in the Tver region and corrects the attribution of a whole host of poems allegedly written during Pushkin’s stay in the area.

Position of Persia on the problem of «Russian transit» in the XVI–XVII centuries: a plot about Shirvan cities

The article attempts to consider the position of the Persian Safavid state on the question of using the territory of the Muscovy empire for the development of the European-Asian relations in the period of the XVI–XVII centuries with the use of the method of diachronic analysis and historical periodization. The aforementioned problem is studied as a separate aspect of scientific topics related to the place of the then Russia in the process of the European expansion into the countries of the East. The object of the analysis is the practical activities of the Persian administrations, which had both a direct and indirect relationship to the conventional topic of «Russian transit». Nowadays the experience of the comprehensive and conceptual study of this issue is absent not only in the domestic, but also in the foreign historical science. The specific subject of the study is related to the repeated promises of official Iran to transfer control over the largest centers of the historical region of Shirvan to the Russian tsars. The source base for this work was an array of diplomatic documents on the history of Russian-Persian interstate relations of the XVI–XVII centuries. These materials, in particular, reflected Moscow’s reaction to the Safavid proposals for territorial concessions. The scientific works of Russian-speaking and foreign specialists, including the largest representatives of classical and modern historical Iranian studies, were also used. The analysis made it possible to fit the diplomatic issue about the fate of the Shirvan cities into the context of the general problem of «Russian transit». It is hypothesized that the Persian government deliberately initiated this discussion taking into account the economic potential of the Volga-Caspian trade route. It is concluded that if the appropriate agreements between the two states were reached, the Russian empire could in the future produce a certain revolution in the intercontinental trade, especially in the silk market.

Research on the Path to High-Quality Development of Grassroots Libraries in the Era of Artificial Intelligence in Henan

Since the age of digital intelligence, the government has introduced policies to actively promote the intelligent transformation of grassroots public cultural services. Based on the investigation and analysis of the development status quo of grassroots libraries in Henan Province, we put forward the path of high-quality development of grassroots libraries in Henan, namely, improving the mechanism and system, leading with digital intelligence technology, empowering by Yellow River culture (the heritage and values rooted in the history and traditions of the Yellow River region), and driven by users’ demand.

Chronology and geofluids characteristics of calcite cement in the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation tight sandstone reservoir, Western Sichuan Basin, SW China

Geological fluid activities significantly influence diagenesis and hydrocarbon accumulations in reservoir rocks. However, it remains challenging to precisely determine the timing of these activities. This study aims to investigate the chronology and geofluids characteristics of calcite cement that leads to reservoir tightness in the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Foreland Basin, which is a critical exploration target for hydrocarbon resources. We examine calcite cement as a marker of fluid activities, employing petrological analyses, U-Pb dating, and in-situ carbon-oxygen isotope analysis. These methods are integrated with simulations of regional burial and thermal histories to assess pore evolution and hydrocarbon accumulation mechanisms in these tight sandstone reservoirs. Results reveal two main calcite cementation stages within the second member of the Xujiahe Formation (Xu-2 Member): early cements from the Middle Jurassic around 175 ± 11 Ma and late cements from the Late Jurassic between 161 and 156 Ma. Initially, basin-derived alkaline fluids and near-surface atmospheric freshwater supplied the calcium and carbon for early cements during ongoing basin subsidence. Calcium and carbon for the late calcite cements came from the dissolution of carbonate rock fragments by organic acids. The heavier δ13C is primarily associated with in-situ generation and consumption of carbon within the system, while the δ18Ofluid, which is close to modern seawater values, is mainly related to active water-rock reactions induced by processes such as the dissolution of carbonate rock fragments by organic acids. The closed diagenetic system due to calcite cementation in the Late Jurassic led to reservoir tightening. Therefore, basin-scale chronological constraints on calcite cement are of great significance for quantitatively studying sandstone reservoir densification and exploring the mechanism and control factors of hydrocarbon accumulation.

Early diagenesis, sedimentary dynamics and metal enrichment reveal deep-sea ventilation in Magellan Seamounts during the middle Pleistocene

Seamounts are ubiquitous topographic units in the global oceans, and the Caiwei Guyot in the Magellan Seamounts of the western Pacific is a prime example. In this study, we analyzed a well-dated sediment core using magnetic properties, sediment grain size, and metal enrichment to uncover regional ventilation history during the middle Pleistocene and explore potential linkages to global climate changes. Our principal findings are as follows: (1) The median grain size is 3.3 ± 0.2 μm, and clay and silt particles exhibit minimal variation, with average values of 52.8 ± 1.8% and 38.2 ± 1.6%, respectively, indicating a low-dynamic process; (2) Three grain-size components are identified, characterized by modal patterns of ~3 μm (major one), ~40 μm, and 400–500 μm, respectively; (3) Magnetic coercivity of the deep-sea sediments can be classified into three subgroups, and their coercivity values are 6.1 ± 0.5 mT, 25.7 ± 1.0 mT, and 65.2 ± 2.1 mT. Based on these results, we propose a close linkage between magnetic coercivity and metal enrichment, correlating with changes in deep-sea circulation intensity. Conversely, sediment grain-size changes seem to be more strongly influenced by eolian inputs. Consequently, we suggest that regional ventilation has weakened since ~430 ka, likely linked to a reduction in Antarctic bottom water formation.

Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history

Societal Impact StatementDespite strong historical declines, Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee sectors remain important to rural communities' livelihood and resilience. Coffee also holds value as part of the islands' historical legacy and cultural identities. Furthermore, it is often grown in agroforestry systems providing important ecosystem services, which will become more important as these vulnerable islands work to adapt to a changing climate. Current efforts to revitalize coffee farms and target strategically important specialty markets would benefit from understanding existing genetic resources and the historical factors that shaped them. Our study reveals the rich history reflected in current coffee stands on the islands.Summary The West Indies, particularly former French colonies like Haiti and Guadeloupe, were central to the spread of coffee in the Americas. The histories of these Islands are shared until the 19th century, where they diverged significantly. Still, both Islands experienced a strong decline in their coffee sector. Characterizing the genetic and varietal diversity of their coffee resources and understanding historical factors shaping them can help support revitalization efforts. To that end, we performed Kompetitve Allele‐Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping of 80 informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on field samples from across main coffee‐growing region of Guadeloupe, and two historically important ones in Haiti, as well as 146 reference accessions from international collections. We also compared bioclimatic variables from sampled geographic areas and searched for historical determinants of present coffee resources. At least five Coffea arabica varietal groups were found in Haiti, versus two in Guadeloupe, with admixed individuals in both. The traditional Typica variety is still present in both islands, growing across a variety of climatic environments. We also found Coffea canephora on both islands, with multiple likely origins, and identified C. liberica var. liberica in Guadeloupe. These differences are explained by the Islands' respective histories. Overall, Guadeloupe experienced fewer, but older introductions of non‐Typica coffee. By contrast, several recent introductions have taken place in Haiti, driven by local and global factors and reflecting the history of Arabica varietal development and spread. Diversity on these islands is dynamic, and our results reveal opportunities and limits to the future of Guadeloupean and Haitian coffee.

Phylogeography of Y-chromosome haplogroup I-P37.2 in Serbian population groups originating from distinct parts of the Balkan Peninsula

Genetic structure of the contemporary Serbian population was shaped by a long history of turbulent historical and demographical events. The most important migrations of Serbs towards present day Serbia, in the recent history, occurred between the 15th to the 18th century from the regions of Old Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija. Previous haplogroup analysis revealed wide spectrum of main haplogroups, among which haplogroup I-P37.2 was the most frequent one in Serbian population groups originating from the Balkan Peninsula. Within this study 464 Serbian males samples from three geographical regions in the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by Serbs: present-day Serbia, regions of Old Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija, previously classified as haplogroup I-P37.2, were genotyped using the 22 Y-single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) in order to determine deeper phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of haplogroup I-P37.2. Based on SNP typing all samples in the Old Herzegovina and present-day Serbia dataset and 122 out of 128 samples from Kosovo and Metohija were assigned to haplogroup I-L621. Further SNP typing revealed very similar haplogroup distribution in all datasets, with the predominant haplogroup being I-PH908, followed by haplogroup I-Z17855. Analysis within haplogroup I-PH908 distinguished haplogroup I-FT14506 as the most frequent in the Kosovo and Metohija dataset, while haplogroup I-FT16449 was the most frequent in the Old Herzegovina dataset. In the present-day Serbia dataset, occurrence of haplogroups I-FT14506 and I-FT16449 was almost equal, comprising 40.2 % and 34.4 %, respectively. Low level of differentiation, within haplogroup I-PH908, was detected between all datasets, with the lowest one detected between present-day Serbia and Old Herzegovina datasets and highest one between Kosovo and Metohija and Old Herzegovina datasets. Furthermore, median-joining network analysis and shared haplotypes statistics revealed closer genetic relationship between Old Herzegovina and present-day Serbia haplotypes. Results obtained within this study support the thesis that migrations from historical region of Old Herzegovina and geographical region of Kosovo and Metohija, had great contribution on the present-day Serbian population genetic structure. Furthermore, here presented results, gave insight into geographic distribution of detected haplogroups I-Z17855, I-Y4460, I-PH908, I-Y5596, I-Y4882, I-FT14506, I-FT16449 and I-A5913 and analyzed SNPs, enabling further improvement of the geographic resolution of paternal ancestry inference.

Optimization of a roller coaster bogie considering fatigue life

This study explores the effectiveness of fatigue-life constrained topology optimization in roller coaster engineering, a previously unexplored field. Emphasizing the importance of fatigue life considerations, the research focuses on key components of roller coasters: the wheel assemblies. By integrating stress–life fatigue constraints, such an approach can lead to longer lasting and more efficiently designed roller coaster components. Multiaxial fatigue topology optimization using the method of moving asymptotes gradient-based optimization is examined to address the complex loading experienced by these bogies given a substantial load-time history in the high-cycle fatigue region. Using a validated optimization methodology, this study aims to reduce the bogie volume in selected domains while ensuring structural integrity and potentially extending service life. The optimization process successfully reduces the number of designable elements, resulting in decreased global volume and mass, and the results quantifiably demonstrate the impact of applying high-cycle fatigue constraints on the bogie’s performance.

Study on the relationship between Kumarajiva and Mahayana Buddhism in western regions of China

Kumarajiva is a Chinese Buddhist master who came from the western regions of China. His religious thoughts went through a conversion from Hinayana Buddhism to Mahayana Buddhism. Based on the process of Kumarajiva’s thought transformation, this article creatively proposes the consistency between Kumarajiva’s thought transformation and the localisation process of Buddhism in the western regions of China. The article aims to explore Kumarajiva’s special historical status in Chinese Buddhism history, especially the important impact of his Buddhism thoughts on Mahayana Buddhism in the western regions of China, such as Kucha and Gaochang, etc.Contribution: This study reveals the thought transformation process of Kumarajiva, which is paralleled with the localisation process of Buddhism in the western regions of China. This study can offer references towards scholars in the field of religious history, especially in the field of Buddhist history in the western regions of China.