Tribal System Research Articles

Synthesis of Current Knowledge of the Morphology of the Larval Stages of Paederinae (Coleoptera; Staphylinidae), with a First Insight into the Mature Larva of Pseudomedon Mulsant & Rey, 1878, in the Light of a New Systematic Division.

This is the first morphological description of the mature larva (L2) of the genus Pseudomedon, belonging to the tribe Lathrobiini and subtribe Medonina. Detailed illustrations of its structural features are provided. Based on earlier published and new data, 10 and 18 diagnostic larval morphological characters for Paederinae and Pseudomedon, respectively, are proposed. In the light of the new tribal system established for the subfamily Paederinae and based on the current knowledge (including Pseudomedon) concerning the larval morphology of these staphylinids, a comparative analysis of the traits at different taxonomic levels was carried out: intertribal-between Lathrobiini and Paederini sensu nov., intersubtribal (Lathrobiini)-between Medonina and Lathrobiina, and intrasubtribal for Medonina. As a consequence, 12 intertribal, 2 intersubtribal and 3 intrasubtribal distinguishing features were selected. These features, appearing on the head, antennae and mouthparts of the larvae, confirm the validity of the recent proposals to alter the systematics of these staphylinids at higher taxonomic levels. Our proposed practical identification key to Paederinae larvae at the generic level is a synthesis of the current knowledge of Paederinae larvae, including new data. The work also gives a thorough review of the literature and the state of knowledge of the morphology of Paederinae larvae.

The Role of Tribal Leaders/Traditional Leaders in Regulating Land Use and Biodiversity Among the Gurune-Speaking People of the Upper East Region in Ghana

Regulating land use and the biodiversity of a region requires lasting accords between those who make the decisions and those who are affected by the rules and regulations. In Africa, these accords depend on the effectiveness of the collective efforts of the representatives of the legal authorities and the civil society (the traditional leaders in the tribal system). In this study, we investigated the role of tribal leaders in conserving biodiversity (which is a base for obtaining accords with statutory regulations), the value of biodiversity for the tribal communities, and the role of the interaction between tribal leaders and legal authorities in successfully implementing the objectives of biodiversity. Successful collaboration requires indigenous regulatory systems to be merged with existing modern or statutory laws to ensure sustainable land use, the conservation of natural resources, and the promotion of biodiversity. To examine this relationship, we conducted in-depth interviews with key stakeholders of the Gurune-speaking people in the Upper East Region of Ghana. We found that the indigenous people still preserve and apply the norms for conserving nature that they inherited. These findings highlighted the importance of including indigenous tribal authorities in planning strategies and developing policies and regulations. This collaboration ultimately creates a harmonious balance between nature and the social well-being of the community.

The kipchak factor in the Golden Horde

The purpose of the study: based on the analysis of information from written sources and historiographic materials, to consider the influence of the Kipchak factor on the process of Kipchakization of the Mongols in the Golden Horde. Research materials: the work based on the study and analysis of materials of written monuments and historiographical literature. Research results and scientific novelty: it is revealed that the process of assimilation of Mongols into the Kipchak ethno-cultural environment took place in three chronological stages – from the conquest of Deshti Kipchak by Genghis khan and his descendants to the formation of the Ak Horde state on a local ethnic basis, which became the forerunner of the Kazakh Khanate. These stages reflect the processes of the struggle of the Kipchak and Mongol cultures, their state traditions, as well as complex ethnic processes in the Turkic-Mongolian tribal system/ Eventually, the Kipchak culture and state traditions prevailed over the Mongolian ones, and in ethnic terms the process of assimilation of the Mongolian nobility and its entourage into the Turkic Kipchak environment took place. The five main factors that influenced the process of Kipchakization of the foreign invaders in the Golden Horde state are identified (kinship, demographic, foreign policy, domestic policy, and culture). The process of assimilation of the Mongols into the Kipchak ethno-cultural environment should be examined as complex, considering all the indicated factors in connection with the Steppe civilization and the specifics of the Turkic and Mongolian nomadic societies. The results obtained are important for understanding the history of the Great Steppe as the history of the continuity of nomadic ancient Turkic traditions and culture from the Hunnic Empire and the Turkic Khaganate to the formation of the states of the Turkic peoples of Central Eurasia

BULGAR KENTLERİ VE BULGAR KENTLERİNİN KÖKEN SORUNLARI

Makalede İtil Bulgarlarının yerleşikleşme süreciyle bağlantılı olarak ilk sabit yerleşimlerin oluşumu, yerleşimlerin kent olarak değerlendirilme ölçütleri, kentlerin ortaya çıkışları ve kökenleri, kentlerin karakteristik özellikleri ve sınıflandırılma ile alakalı sorunlar incelenmiştir. Bu bağlamda Bulgar kentlerinin kökeninin, Bulgarların yerleşikleşme sorunu ve ilk sabit yerleşimlerinin ortaya çıktığı zaman ile bağlantılı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Genel olarak araştırmacılar, çok farklı formda sosyal yapıya sahip olan kentlerin kökeni ve ortaya çıkış süreçlerine dair çok çeşitli seçeneklere meyil etmiştir. Yazar bu hususta Bulgar kentlerinin ortaya çıkışı ve kökeniyle alakalı varsayımda bulunan araştırmacıların görüşlerini irdeleyerek, köken sorunsalının aydınlatılması adına kendi varsayımlarını dayanaklı olarak belirtmiştir. Yazara göre boylar sisteminin geç aşamasında yani büyük boylar ve boylar arası birlikteliklerin oluştuğu anda vücuda gelen ve etno-sosyal oluşumların merkezi olan erken kentler zamanla idari, dini veya kültsel, askeri-politik merkezler ve ticaret noktaları olarak gelişmiştir. Müstahkem yerleşimlerin bahsi geçen gelişme noktaları, kentlerin köken sınıflandırmasını yani ortaya çıkış yollarının tespitini de beraberinde getirmiştir. Ortaçağ kentlerinin ortaya çıkış yollarının çeşitliliği İtil Bulgar kentleri üzerinde tatbik edilmiş, bu yollar Moğol öncesi İtil Bulgar materyalleriyle tasdik edilmiştir. Fakat araştırmacılar İtil Bulgar kentlerinin ortaya çıkış kökenleriyle ilgili belli başlı üç yol üzerinde durmuştur: boy merkezi, ticaret-zanaat merkezi ve idari-askeri kale.

Pak Afghan Border Problems and its Inferences on Pushtoon Both Sides Residents

It is widely accepted that Pakistan is situated at a very important strategic location on world map. Russia, China and Central Asian countries in north, Middle east in south west and far east countries in east of Pakistan makes this country strategically very important among world nations. Because of its valuable strategic location, most importantly its sea connection to the central Asian states, China and Russia which connects trade, oil and gas routs to the rest of the world through warm waters increases the importance of the country at no-match level. As every big fortune brings a trouble, this strategic importance brings a lot of troubles for the country. After world war II, Soviet Union needed to access warm waters for its uninterrupted connectivity with the world through sea routs. For that Soviets need a good sea port, the options they had were limited. Either they would connect through Chabahar port, Iran or either they would touch Baluchistan region of Pakistan. Comparatively, they found Pakistan an easy target aimed their invasion to Afghanistan as their direct neighbor and Pakistan as a weak state and a sandwich between India and Russia through Afghanistan. Besides this scenario, since the foundation of Pakistan, mismanagement at Pakistan Afghanistan border has been a reason of conflicts. A well secure and managed border can bring stability in economic and security situation of the region. After Soviet invasion, federally administered tribal areas (FATA) became the heaven of militant groups and the symbol of resistance against Soviet forces. Since that time, cross border movement of militant groups is a huge security concern for both countries. Available data also suggests that Pakistan has suffered huge economic and security costs because of the mismanagement of its western border with Afghanistan. In order to maintain peace and stability in the region, Pakistan has proposed and started construction of fences and infrastructure in 2016 including gateways for trade and cross border activities of complex socio-economic tribal system on the both sides of Pak-Afghanistan border. These steps significantly reduced cross border terrorist activities.

The role of safety management to analyze the current situation of honour killing in Pakistan

Killing in the name of Honor is used as an instrument to keep up or recover the honor of family by rebuffing or killing females whose activities invite bits of gossip about sexual inappropriateness or misbehavior, Honor killing in Pakistan is emerging issue, the objective of this study is to analyse the current situation of honor killing and its impact on other members of the society. A descriptive study was carried out and data was collected from Islamic books, previous research papers and different reports. Therefore exploratory review of previous literature was carried out. It is concluded that there is a number of cases regarding honor killing in Sindh and Punjab province due to strong tribal system and weak management in government system. A number of cases does not reported due to strong feudal system. On the other hand Holy Quran and Sharia don't allow to murder somebody for the sake of honor nor empowers for doing as such. It is recommended that the federal and provincial government should take firm steps against those who are involve in honor killing.

Архетипы традиционной культуры в XXI веке

The article deals with the archetypes of traditional nomadic culture in Kazakhstan that were abolished in the Soviet period as remnants of the tribal system. However, polygamy and abduction of women in order to force them into marriage occur quite often nowadays. The author examined the transformation of the legal status of women in Kazakhstan in the XX – early XXI centuries. The research focused on the Soviet transformations of traditional family and marriage institutions in Kazakhstan, which were caused by the radical change in social relations, state power, and nomadic lifestyle. The author analyzed criminal statistics on offenses against the rights and freedoms of women and compared the current situation with abductions of women and polygamy in neighboring post-Soviet states. The research objective was to find out the motives behind the revival of the archetypes of traditional culture, as well as the latency of committed offenses related to the use of Kazakh customary law and Sharia. The methodology was based on legal comparative studies, i.e., diachronization and synchronization of legal phenomena and processes. The diachronic method made it possible to compare the traditions of bride kidnapping and polygamy in Kazakhstan in different historical periods. The legal-dogmatic method was used to analyze the customs, norms of Islam, pre-revolutionary imperial law, Soviet and post-Soviet legislation, etc.

The Complexity of Intra-Afghan Dialogue Civil War Looms in Afghanistan

The US and NATO through a peace deal got a safe exit from Afghanistan. In this backdrop, the economic future of Afghanistan is more important. On the other hand, Pakistan has a short period to format its policies because after the US withdraws, there are serious threats of civil war and chaos in Afghanistan. India, Pakistan, Russia, and China are the rival states in the regions, which have strategic interests in Afghanistan. Regional, religious, ethnic, political, social, and economic complexities are the major obstacles to the Intra-Afghan peace deal. All these factors are indicating more complexes in the intra-Afghan peace process, which may lead to civil war. The possible solutions are the traditional Pashtuns Loya Jirga. This work attempts to analyze the stakeholders and trends in the Intra-Afghan peace process, and the complexities of the peace process. Keywords: Civil War, Peace Deal, NATO, Loya Jirga, Shura, Tribal system, Taliban

Tribal health care system of the gonds of Nuapada District of Odisha in India

The study of health care practices of the Gonds of Nuapada district of Odisha is one of significant aspects of the tribal health system of Odisha in Eastern India. As many as 62 types of Tribes are found in the state of Odisha, Among these, Gond is one of important tribes which noticed in the western part of Odisha. The Gond people of Nuapada are not conscious about their health and sanitation, for which they are facing different types diseases in their day to day life. The Gond community living in different eco-systems face heath and genetic problems of varying natural. Nothing is known about the health and nutritional status and also about the medico-genetic problems which are prevalent among the primitive section of the Gond tribe as no comprehensive study of this nature has yet been undertaken among these sections of the Gond tribe. The present study centers round this problem and its coverage is limited to two different sections of the Gond tribe, one residing in Sinapali village of Nuapada areas of Nuapada district and the other residing in Komna village of Boden areas of Nuapada district. 

Антична цивілізація: народження поліса-держави

This article continues the series of publications on the universum evolution of ancient civilization, its subcivilizations and is devoted to the consideration of controversial socio-economic and political processes in the Athenian area of Ancient Greece in the second half of the 8th - the first half of the 4th century. BC e. Attention is focused on the characteristics of the important stages of state formation in Athens. It is shown that the accelerated development of market and commodity-money relations in the 7th - 6th centuries. BC e., catalyzed, among other things, by the great colonization, multiplies the ranks of unborn, but rich artisans, merchants, merchants, usurers, debtor fetes, contributes to the displacement of patriarchal slavery by the classical one. The deepening gap between the changed and growing economic role of these clusters and their political lack of rights, as well as the split of Eupatrides into marketers and traditionalists, stimulated important pro-state reforms, including the codification of customary law, the establishment of courts, the beginning of the formation of administrative-territorial districts that do not coincide with the tribal territorial division. It is shown that the decomposition of the tribal system took place with the participation of the tribal nobility itself, pursuing selfish interests, which led to the victory of the diacrii and the emergence of the state. The role of Solon’s political activity in the formation of the Athenian state, the tyranny of Peisistratus, the reforms of Cleisthenes-Pericles, which contributed to the birth of the polis-state, are analyzed. And if in the overwhelming majority of cases political regimes drift from democracy to authoritarianism and totalitarianism, then in Athens, on the contrary, democratization dominates. It is concluded that it is with the reforms of Pericles in Athens that the formation of a democratic system in its classical form is completed.

Classification of female archetypal images in a literary text

The article gives a brief overview of the existing classifications of female archetypal images. The author offers his own classification based on the developments of Tom Chetwind, which, in turn, are based on the works of C.G. Jung and are widely used in domestic and foreign psychoanalysis. The terminology of closely related ties used in the classification reflects the understanding of human ties inherited from the era of the tribal system: all members of the tribe were considered as relatives, united by one or another ties, standing in one or another relation to each other. It is noted that archetypal images can appear in a literary text from both the positive and negative (shadow) sides. The main conclusion reached by the author of the article is the following: the proposed classification seems to be the most appropriate for the purposes of literary analysis, since it describes archetypal images not as a set of static features, but as dynamic relationships within the plot. The novelty of the author's approach is also due to the introduction of the concept of "coordinator's point" (the term of I.N. Kalinauskas), which makes the model developed by the author applicable mainly for analyzing the features of the coexistence of "male" and "female" in a literary text. This approach assumes that the masculine and feminine are complementary, are simultaneously in opposition and interaction and are a condition for each other's existence: the masculine is manifested against the background of the feminine and vice versa.

Abstract IA-49: Facilitators and barriers to implementing low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in a tribal health system

Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), and many AI/AN communities have worse lung cancer incidence rates, survival, and death compared to the general population. Although lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography is a grade-B USPSTF recommendation, uptake of LCS has been slow in most healthcare systems. LCS implementation among AI/AN has not been studied before in detail. To address this knowledge and implementation gap, a multi-phase, 5-year “Tribally Engaged Approaches to Lung Screening" (TEALS) study was launched in 2019 in partnership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The overarching goal of this project is to co-design and test an LCS implementation program. This presentation will discuss what is being learned about potential facilitators and barriers to implementing LCS in a tribal health care setting. Findings may be pertinent to other health systems serving tribal, rural or underserved populations. Citation Format: Zsolt J. Nagykáldi. Facilitators and barriers to implementing low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in a tribal health system [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-49.

A Sociological Analysis of Employment Discrimination Against Women in Pakistan

In Pakistan, women treat not equally as a man in every stage of life. The patriarchal system of Pakistan retains women behindhand the man and generates inequalities to have equal social and economic opportunities of life enjoyment for the woman. A healthier lifestyle depends on the earning status of an individual. Without earning, the maintenance of the lifecycle cannot be possible. Pakistan is an underdeveloped country the half proportion of the population consists of women. Women’s participation in the labor force can improve the economy of the country and perform an active role in finishing poverty in Pakistan. The current study has been conducted from Balochistan, the most backward province of Pakistan. The people of Balochistan have strict cultural values and a tribal system, where the best place for women to stay is around the four walls of the home. They are not allowed to work outside the home. The number of working women is less as compared to men in the formal sector. The research aims to highlight the problems of women's employment due to male dominancy at the workplace. The nature of the study is quantitative; the area of study is higher educational institutes of Quetta Balochistan. Through simple random sampling, 500 respondents were selected. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. The hypothetical statement was tested by the chi-square test. The p-value of the chi-square is lesser than 0.05. The results of the study show that due to the male-dominancy women do not have equal opportunities of selection at the workplace. The males' strong positions in the labor market create hurdles regarding women's employment. This study will be helpful for economists, the social welfare department, women development programs, different NGOs working for women's development to introduce policies for women's employment.

Gender and the Paradox of Power in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart


 This paper focuses on issues of state power and power distribution in the tribal system of pre-colonial Africa from a gender perspective. The assumption is that this power system is based on patriarchal, male-oriented structures but practically functions through matriarchal, feminine oriented ones. The aim is to shed light on the paradoxical nature of such a system that culminates in its collapse under the impact of a gender-balanced colonial power system. The hypothesis is that a male-based power system oriented towards marginalizing women ends up being marginalized by an integral female-based one through which it functions. To validate this hypothesis, a re-reading of formalistic elements of the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is attempted. The writer adopts a feministic approach to data hinging on formalistic analyses of aspects of the theme and characterization of the novel. The writer concludes that in the case of political regimes tilting the scale in favour of one sex or a single value will result in the collapse of the power system and the annihilation of the ruled individual and community alike.

Особливості державно-правового розвитку кочових народів півдня України стародавньої доби

The article analyzes the peculiarities of the formation, development, functioning of state formations, legal systems, state and legal institutions of the nomadic peoples of the Northern Black Sea coast of ancient Ukraine. The general features of proto-state and state formations of Cimmerians, Scythians and Sarmatians of the south of Ukraine are defined in the work, the reasons of origin of their first states on the territory of the Northern Black Sea coast are characterized. The peculiarities of the functioning of legal systems, the sources of the law of nations are also analyzed. The characteristic features of the main legal institutions of these entities are determined. The study notes that the Cimmerians, Scythians and Sarmatians created the first state formations in southern Ukraine, which, on the one hand, clearly reflected the elements of the transition period from tribal system to the state, on the other – began the formation of a new political and legal form of tribal unions – the state. The legal systems of these state formations were based on legal custom as the main source of law and were gradually supplemented by regulations of kings. Due to the lack of writing, strict devotion to the customs and traditions of life of the tribe, nomadic way of life, the peoples of southern Ukraine did not move to the formation of most state and legal institutions that were characteristic of other peoples of this era. These peoples actually lacked astructured central and local government. However, they were the first to switch to the state tradition in Ukraine and, in turn, established state-building traditions in Ukraine.

Simin Daneshvar’s “The Selection": Study and Analysis

Simin Daneshvar is considered one of the most prominent contemporary writers in Iran. She has gained an exceptional position in contemporary Iranian literature and is considered the lady of the modern Persian novel. She is considered so not only because she is the first woman to write the novel, but also because of the intellectual and social dimensions that her works carry. Her works focus on social issues such as Iranian women’s issues, the class system and its ramifications, and the problems of tribal bigotry in Iran. Simin has relied on real-life situations to write her novels and stories. Such writing has been consistent with real life as she is able to depict the details of the Iranian society in her stories. For example, “Daneshvar is familiar with her society’s issues, circumstances, and the suffering of its members of various social classes. This give us a bleak portrait of women and the marginalized group in Iran at a particult time.” This study deals with one of Simin Daneshvar's short stories titled “Selection” from a collection of short stories called Selection. This story personifies the reality of Iranian society at the time, and the suffering of each individual in the community who criticizes the tribal system, or refuses to acquiesce to it. The story also portrays the society's religious and moral corruption, along with the corruption of public institutions. The study uses the descriptive and analytical approach which is based on describing the phenomenon and then analyzing it to better understand the Iranian society's nature at the time, and its social, tribal, intellectual, and administrative problems. Keywords: Short Story in Iran, Simin Daneshvar, “The selection.”

Phylogenetic review of the tribal system of Aleocharinae, a mega‐lineage of terrestrial arthropods in need of reclassification

Recently published molecular and total evidence phylogenies of the mega-diverse rove beetle subfamily Aleocharinae defined a backbone for the greatly needed further detailed phylogenetic research and large-scale reclassification of this lineage. Given the enormous species diversity of Aleocharinae, wise taxon sampling is crucial for such research. To facilitate that and place future systematic investigations on a solid phylogenetic basis, here we provide a review of all 62 current tribes of Aleocharinae based on information from 191 references, where we summarize all outstanding phylogenetic questions ever considered about each tribe. For each tribe, we provide current diagnoses as they are understood now and, where possible, we stress emerging monophyletic clades within or across the current legacy tribes and provide their diagnostic features too.

Familial thrombocythaemia - a distinct entity from essential thrombocythaemia.

Familial thrombocythaemia (FT) includes a group of predominantly autosomal dominant conditions due to various mutations in the thrombopoietin (THPO), myeloproliferative leukaemia virus oncogene (MPL), or Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) genes.1 These disorders differ from essential thrombocythaemia (ET), one of the classical, Philadelphia chromosome breakpoint cluster region-Abelson tyrosine-protein kinase 1 (BCR-ABL1)-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (which are a group of diseases characterised by vascular and bleeding complications and risk of fibrotic or leukaemic transformation.) Of the three common drivers responsible for ET [JAK2, calreticulin (CALR) and MPL), MPL is responsible for <5% of ET cases.2, 3 In this issue, Al-Harbi et al.4 describe a cohort of 64 patients with familial thrombocythaemia due to four different MPL mutations. The cohort described in this paper is young, with a median age of 20 years (Table I) and approximately ˜40% of subjects being aged ≤14 years.4 While ET is the most common classical myeloproliferative neoplasm in young patients,5 it is classically a disease of older patients, with a median age in the 50’s.2 The median platelet count in this cohort was 707·5 × 109/l; two older cohorts of MPL-mutated ET patients had higher median counts (749 and 949 × 109/l).2, 3 The majority of patients in this cohort had the c.317C>T (Pro106Leu) mutation, which has previously been reported in patients with familial thrombocythaemia.2-4 Only one patient in this cohort had a thrombotic event, and this occurred after organ transplant. Thrombotic events have been reported in patients with familial thrombocythaemia harbouring the MPL Ser505Asn mutation.6 While there is a clear association between JAK2V617F mutation and thrombosis,7 the relationship between MPL mutations and thrombotic events is less well defined. Various series report rates of thrombosis in patients with MPL-mutated ET ranging from 0% to 40%.8 A portion of the patients in this cohort (11%) were treated with cytoreductive therapy with hydroxyurea, yet there are no clear guidelines for management of familial thrombocythaemia nor any data suggesting platelet count is associated with thrombotic risk. Management of ET is dependent on risk stratification, and cytoreductive therapy is generally not recommended in younger patients without JAK2V617F mutation and no other indications for cytoreduction (such as acquired von Willebrand disease or thrombosis).9 Alternatively, aspirin is often used for patients with ET with vascular symptoms, and 32% of this cohort received aspirin. While this paper was a retrospective analysis, it is reassuring that no patients were identified to have myelofibrotic or leukaemic progression. Development of marrow fibrosis and decreased survival has been reported in patients with familial thrombocythaemia and MPL Ser505Asn mutation.10 Progression to post-ET myelofibrosis or acute leukaemia has been reported in patients with MPL-mutated ET, and some series report poorer outcomes with MPL-mutated ET, which may be due to mischaracterisation of pre-myelofibrosis as ET.3 Given the difference in prognosis, it is important to distinguish between ET and FT. Obtaining a detailed family history and characterising the specific MPL mutation involved can help with this distinction, and when haematological complications or uncertainty are present, a bone marrow evaluation can help aid in the diagnosis of ET. One of the most interesting aspects of this cohort is the role of the tribal system and its relevance for genetic disease. There are numerous tribes in Saudi Arabia and tribal affiliation is often maintained through intra-tribal and intra-familial pairing.11 All of the patients in this cohort were members of only 26 tribes, and 48% of patients belonged to two tribes. While many forms of familial thrombocythaemia have autosomal dominant transmission, the authors suggest autosomal recessive transmission plays a role in this setting. More than half of the patients with MPL Pro106Leu were homozygous for the mutation, and autosomal recessive transmission has been previously suggested with this mutation.12 This is a large series of patients with familial thrombocythaemia and supports previous reports that for disease associated with many of the known MPL mutations there is a benign clinical course. Treatment with cytoreductive therapies involves potential risks and side-effects, and further insight into the clinical course of familial thrombocythaemia is important for physicians treating patients with these conditions. While management of vascular symptoms with aspirin when present is reasonable, reacting to the mere presence of thrombocythaemia with cytoreductive therapies does not seem appropriate or necessary. Nicole Kucine received support from a grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH/NHLBI) K23HL127223.

Qualitative insights into corporate governance reform, management decision-making, and accounting performance Semi-structured interview evidence

Purpose – To enhance our understanding of the relations between corporate governance reform, management decision-making, and firm accounting performance in Kuwait by focusing on the role of important but difficult to quantitatively measure factors, including culture, religion, tribal, and political circumstances. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis of data collected using semi-structured interviews using coding and quoting approaches. The coding approach categorises the responses into themes and sub-themes and the quoting approach adds depth to this categorisation. We interpret the results in the context of related studies concerning the factors affecting the corporate governance–firm performance relationship. Findings – A range of external cultural factors, including religion, politics, and Kuwait’s tribal system, along with economic and financial circumstances and accounting standards, influence the corporate governance–firm performance relationship in Kuwait. The in-depth semi-structured interviews reveal the incentives for shareholders and managers to achieve high firm performance through good corporate governance, but especially for better-performing firms. Suggestion of broad support by firm managers and directors for recent reforms concerning Kuwait’s corporate governance code and guidelines. Research limitations/implications – Qualitative research provides additional insights into the traditionally quantitative analysis of the corporate governance–firm performance relationship. It is particularly useful into developing market contexts where data is limited and regulatory frameworks are undergoing rapid change. Practical implications – The findings are of value to domestic and international investors gauging investment risk, firm managers operating within a growing and developing but still traditional market, and regulators seeking ongoing improvements in corporate governance, including disclosure, openness, and transparency. Originality/value – This is the first study to apply qualitative methods to the analysis of the corporate governance–firm performance relationship in Kuwait, particularly in light of recent and extensive corporate governance reform.

The Tribal Conciliar Experiment and Marginalisation of Local Public Opinion in Botswana, 1948–1957

ABSTRACT Indirect colonial rule in Botswana differed from practice elsewhere in British Africa because of the involvement of local public opinion expressed through the long-practiced kgotla forum. This had something to do with the ‘voluntary’ way Botswana fell under British colonial rule in 1885. However, problems sometimes arose, with aggressive agitation against and even violent confrontation with agents of the British colonial system. Starting in 1947 the British had plans for decolonising much of their African empire by introducing ‘democratic’ tribal conciliar systems for running local governments. But there were no immediate plans to do the same for Botswana until widespread turmoil, starting in the late 1940s, led to the introduction of the tribal conciliar system, even though the Tswana dikgosi (chiefs) wanted a more powerful legislative apparatus. Using archival sources this paper demonstrates how this development marginalised popular participation through the open kgotla.