Type Of Settlement Research Articles

PREREQUISITES FOR THE CREATION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK "SHKODOVA MOUNTAIN" IN ODESSA

The article examines ethnographic parks, open-air museums and cave settlements of Ukraine for the relevance of creating an ethnographic park in Odessa.
 Tourist centers of territorial tourism systems are, as a rule, historical settlements that have valuable objects of cultural heritage and are determined according to the List of Historical Settlements of Ukraine. The role of tourist centers, in addition to historical settlements, is played by almost all regional cities, which, in addition to monuments, also have notable objects of modern architecture. Most ethnographic parks and open-air museums are located in the northwestern part of Ukraine. One of the most famous open-air museums of our country is the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, better known as the Pirogov Museum, which is located in the village of Pirogov, Kyiv region. The open-air Ethnographic Museum "Frumushyka-Nova Bessarabian Village" (2008) has only recently appeared in Odessa region. Another interesting type of settlement found on the territory of our country is Cave settlements (fortresses, cities and monasteries), the most famous "Cave Cities" are located in Crimea. On the mainland of Ukraine, cave settlements are mainly represented by "Cave monasteries". Odessa "Shkodova Mountain" is the center of Usativ culture, on the top of the mountain there is the Usativ cemetery and the Usativ burial mound, at the foot of it – another Cossack cemetery and the famous "Cave Houses" – unique historical monuments of the end of the 18th century, which need to be preserved as a unique cultural heritage of the Cossack era in Odessa. This territory, with appropriate natural and landscape resources within the settlement, which has a natural landscape, historical monuments, a beach and bathing area (a good location on the shore of the Khadzhibey estuary) and the presence of recreational facilities (Sanatorium "Kuyalnik"), can become a wonderful a short-term recreation area for tourists and residents of Odessa.
 All this indicates the urgency of creating an ethnographic museum in the city of Odessa called "Shkodova Mountain", taking into account the historical and archaeological value of this territory.

Bulgarian General Practitioners' Communication Styles about Child Vaccinations, Mainly Focused on Parental Decision Making in the Context of a Mandatory Immunization Schedule.

The communication practices of general practitioners in relation with vaccines have not been a topic of wide scientific interest. In this article, we outline them in the context of Bulgaria. A representative, cross-sectional, quantitative, face-to-face survey was conducted among 358 Bulgarian general practitioners in 2022 using simple random sampling. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis using questions about the role of the GPs, which measure models of communication. Based on the factor analysis, we distinguished four communication styles. They were called: active communicator, restrictive communicator, informing communicator, and strained communicator. One-way ANOVA and the T-test were carried out to explore the connections between factor scores (communication styles) and other variables. One of the most important results in the study was that the informing physician (emphasizing the choice of the parents) was the most common model in Bulgaria. This is somewhat contradictory, because of the mandatory status of most vaccines. We found connections between the communication styles and other variables-such as the type of settlement, having a hesitant parent in the practice, recommendations of non-mandatory vaccines, and experience with vaccine-preventable diseases. On the basis of the factor analysis and analysis of relationships with other variables, we reached the conclusion that in Bulgaria, hesitant parents are not sufficiently involved in active, effective communication about vaccines by GPs.

Hungarian population norms for the 15D generic preference-accompanied health status measure

Objectives15D is a generic preference-accompanied health status measure covering a wide range of health areas, including sensory functions. The aim of this study was to establish population norms for the 15D instrument in Hungary.Methods2000 members of the Hungarian adult general population participated in an online cross-sectional survey in August 2021. The sample was broadly representative in terms of gender, age groups, highest level of education, geographical region, and settlement type. Index values were derived using the Norwegian 15D value set. In addition to providing population norms, mean index values were computed for 32 physical and 24 mental health condition groups.ResultsMost respondents (78.7%) reported problems in at least one 15D domain. The most problems were reported with sleeping (50.7%), followed by vitality (49.2%), distress (43.6%), discomfort and symptoms (31.2%), depression (31.1%), sexual activities (29.6%), breathing (28.1%), and vision (27.8%). The mean 15D index value was 0.810. With advancing age categories, the 15D index values showed an inverse U-shaped curve. Generally, mean index values in respondents with mental health conditions were lower [range 0.299 (post-traumatic stress disorder) to 0.757 (smoking addiction)] than those of respondents with physical conditions [range 0.557 (liver cirrhosis) to 0.764 (allergies)].ConclusionsThis study provided 15D population norms of the Hungarian general population; furthermore, this is the first study to provide population norms for the 15D in any country. The values established in this study can serve as benchmarks for evaluating efficacy outcomes in clinical trials, quantifying disease burden and identifying unmet needs.

An Investigation of the Densification Process of the Residential Areas of Dhaka

Dhaka is one of the most densely populated megacities of the world with demography of over 20 million people. With an annual population growth rate of 4.2% Dhaka is set to face the challenges of habitat crisis, lack of communal facilities, and constant pressure on transportation and infrastructure. In response to the demand of the rapidly growing population and scarcity of developable land, urban consolidation through vertical expansion was carried out without any proper diagnosis of the sites or any contextually appropriate densification policy. The unguided nature of densification not only brought a transformation in the urban landscape but also in the built form itself by infusing the concept of compactness into them. The compactness of multi-storied dwellings is often found to compromise with the livability condition posing questions on residential sustainability. Drawing on three residential areas of varied density, age and, settlement type this paper, therefore attempts to investigate the trend of densification of the densifying residential areas of Dhaka in terms of the spatial quality of the built form its effect on the built environment. Key methods of data collection employed extensive field surveys, observations, measurements, map analysis, satellite imagery analysis, interviews with officials, and block surveys for detailed analysis of FAR, land coverage in plot and block level, height, land use pattern, and other design aspects of the built form. The survey findings were analyzed through descriptive statistical methods including frequency distribution and presented through tables, charts, and cross-analysis charts contributing to a better understanding of the ongoing trend of densification. The findings indicate that the spatial quality of the built environment was largely compromised in terms of inadequate ventilation and solar access, loss of acoustic and visual privacy, obstruction of view, and leftover unusable open spaces. However, the interior dwelling spaces conforming to the acceptable standard is suggestive of a moderate degree of urban consolidation. By investigating how urban densification has transformed the urban fabric and residential environment, the study reveals the unintended consequences of unguided densification in Dhaka.

The emergence of a suburban penalty during the 1918/19 influenza pandemic in Malta: The role of a marketplace, railway, and measles.

The Malta 1918/19 influenza experience adds to our understanding of the pandemic by illustrating the importance of suburban populations, their vulnerabilities, and elevated mortality rates. Studies on the socio-geographical variation in the 1918/19 influenza mortality has largely overlooked the suburban experience, and thus the often-hidden heterogeneity of the disease experience is missing. A comparison of mortality rates across the three settlement types (urban, suburban, and rural) for the second wave of the pandemic revealed that there were significant differences across the settlement types (x2 = 22.67, 2df, p <0.0001). There was a statistically significant divide between suburban settlement type versus urban and rural communities. Further, the geographical division of the central suburban region had the highest mortality rate at 4.28 per 1000 living of all suburban regions. A closer examination of the central suburban communities revealed that the town of Birchicara was the driving force behind the elevated influenza mortality, with a rate of 5.28 per 1000 living. The exceedingly high rate of influenza mortality in Birchicara was significantly different from the other suburban communities (Z = 2.915, p = 0.004). Birchicara was notable as both a transmission and burden hotspot for influenza infection because of a unique conflation of factors not observed elsewhere on the island. Foremost, was the pitkali market, which was a produce wholesale distributing centre; second, was the fact that the train station was a central hub especially for Maltese labourers; third, was that the measles epidemic in 1916/17 contributed to elevated childhood influenza deaths because the presence of military personnel and their families. We argue that the interaction of the three factors, and in particular, the measles epidemic with childhood influenza, amounted to a syndemic. Factors associated with urbanization and high rates of infectious diseases, such as overcrowding and infant mortality, did not play a primary role in the syndemic.

Risk section classification of tunnel settlement based on land-use development simulation and uncertainty analysis

• Propose a method to identify the settlement risk section along metro lines. • Extend Artificial Neural Network–Cellular Automata on uncertainty analysis. • Present a detailed case study for verification. “Metro economy” has led to intensive land development along the metro lines. However, engineering activities associated with land development inevitably disturb the service environment, causing severe settlement of adjacent metro tunnel structures in soft soil areas. As a reference point for pre-treating this type of tunnel settlement, a method is proposed to classify settlement risk sections along metro lines based on a land-use development simulation and corresponding uncertainty analysis. First, the land-use development along the metro line was simulated by Artificial Neural Network–Cellular Automata (ANN-CA). Second, the land-use development process was considered a random event rather than a deterministic prediction as in a typical ANN-CA, with its probability quantified based on the cells’ conversion probability. The classification of the surrounding land-use development probability was used to allocate the settlement risk sections of metro lines. This method was applied to the Han–You section of the Nanjing Metro Line 2. The predicted settlement risk sections corresponded suitably with the actual settlement troughs, demonstrating the effectiveness of this method. Thus, this method provides a novel consideration for the pre-treatment of metro tunnel settlement from the perspective of interactions between the metro line and surrounding land development.

Dietary Pattern Indicators among Healthy and Unhealthy Weight Adolescents Residing in Different Contexts across the Otago Region, New Zealand.

Reported obesity rates for adolescents in different urban and rural areas are inconsistent. We examined indicators of healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns among 1863 adolescents aged 13-18 years with a healthy or excess body weight attending 23 secondary schools in four different settlement types across the Otago region, New Zealand. An online survey included demographics and dietary behaviours. Height and weight were measured, and body mass index was calculated. New Zealand defined urban and rural settlement types were used. Home addresses determined a small area-level index of deprivation. Data were analysed using Chi-square tests and ANOVA. A logistic model was fitted to estimate adjusted odds ratios of excess weight. The proportion of adolescents with a healthy weight differed (p < 0.001) between the most (64.9%) and least (76.4%) deprived neighbourhood areas. There was only indicative evidence of differences between settlement types (p = 0.087). Sugar-sweetened beverage and fast-food consumption was more frequent in the most deprived areas (p < 0.001), and in urban versus rural settlements (p < 0.001). The most important associations with excess weight were area-level deprivation and ethnicity, but not settlement type. Prioritising socioeconomic factors irrespective of settlement type is necessary when developing interventions to improve dietary patterns and body weight status among adolescents.

Assessment of the Ecological Condition of Informal Settlements Using the Settlement Surface Ecological Index

To manage urban ecological ecosystems adequately, understanding the urban areas’ biophysical characteristics is required. This study developed a settlement surface ecological index (SSEI) using tree, soil, impervious surface and grass covers, land surface temperature (LST), and soil moisture derived from Satellite Pour L’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) 7 and Landsat 8 satellite images. The assessment of the SSEI was conducted over twelve sites of 300 m by 300 m. The selected sites contained formal and informal settlements of varying building densities. The SSEI values ranged from −0.3 to 0.54. Seven assessed areas are in the worst ecological condition with an SSEI below zero. Only three settlement types had an SSEI index value of 0.2 and above, and two of these areas were informal settlements. The formal low-density settlement with higher tree coverage displayed the highest index value of 0.54, slightly higher than the medium-density informal settlement. Overall, there is no significant difference in the SSEI values between the surface ecological condition of formal and informal settlements. The results achieved in this study can be used to understand urban ecology better and develop urban greening strategies at a city or settlement level.

Renunciation of Inheritance in Istanbul Bāb Court Registry No. 3: Takhāruj

In the Ottoman Qadi Registers, it is seen that inheritance was shared in various ways. One of these is the takhāruj method. Takhāruj is an Islamic inheritance law term that refers to the renunciation of inheritance rights by heirs in exchange for property or for nothing. Based on court records, it is possible to see how people in Ottoman Istanbul three and a half centuries ago fought over their inheritance rights. Some of the heirs who did not receive their inheritance rights preferred to settle their inheritance through takhāruj. As can be seen in the documents, none of the heirs who made settlements through takhāruj could receive their original shares or a part of their shares, and they made settlements with other heirs in return for certain amounts. This study aims to analyze the takhāruj documents in the Istanbul Qadi Registers Bâb Court Registry No. 3 (H. 1077/M.1666-1667) and to evaluate the content and results of the takhāruj cases that were reflected in the court. İn this research, the methods of problem identification, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of the results were applied. Accordingly, 14 takhāruj cases were identified by scanning the Bāb Court Registry No. 3. The language (diplomatic) and content of the takhāruj documents, the parties involved in the takhāruj document, the identities of those who made settlements with this method, the amounts and with whom they renounced their inheritance rights were determined. It is observed that some of the heirs renounced their rights to the inheritance specified in the document and made a settlement with the person who held the inheritance. In all of the takhāruj cases in this register, the heirs made a settlement with the other heir in exchange for the amount of money specified in the document instead of their inheritance shares in the inheritance. In four of the 14 cases, the heirs settled for cash and some previous debts. In three of these cases, the participants were non-Muslims. In six of these cases, only women, in six cases, only men, and in two cases, both male and female heirs settled with the heir who seized the inheritance (wāzı al-yad) through takhāruj. In five of these cases, the mediation of mediators (tawassut al-muslihīn - wasātat al-muslimīn) resulted in the settlement of the case through takhāruj, and in two of these five cases, there was a great deal of dispute between the heirs (munāza‘āt al- kasīra). An analysis of takhâruj cases shows that it is not possible to claim that the settling party agreed to the settlement voluntarily. As is evident in some of the cases, some heirs consented to the settlement by takhāruj because they could not receive their rights from the other heirs who held the inheritance despite their demands. It is always possible for heirs to consent to takhāruj because the Sharī'ah courts do not intervene in inheritance matters without a request (although the right to intervene is reserved in some cases), the kassāms collect a certain amount of tax called resm-i kısmet from the inheritance if the heirs demand division, and the uneasiness of bringing family matters to court. Since takhāruj documents are in the nature of a charge, the release of the other party’s liability by the one who consented to the settlement was recorded, and possible future inheritance claims were prevented. Although takhāruj, which is seen as one of the ways to solve historical problems related to inheritance, seems to solve problems as a type of settlement, the satisfaction of the party consenting to takhāruj is questionable. Historical records also show that inheritance disputes are an ancient problem of humanity.

Residence in segregated settlements (colonies) rather than Roma identity increases the risk of unfavourable mental health in Hungarian adults.

Roma are the largest and most disadvantaged minority in Europe, but there is few research on how mental health and social support of Roma people living in segregated settlements compares to the majority population. Our aim was to compare the subjective well-being, life satisfaction, mental status, and social support of representative samples of adults living in segregated settlements (colonies) and identifying as Roma with those of the general population in Hungary. A cross-sectional study was conducted with random samples of 417 individuals from the general Hungarian adult population (55.6% female, mean age = 43.89 ± 12.61 years) and 394 adults living in segregated settlements (colonies) (73.9% female, mean age = 42.37 ± 12.39 years). Demographic questions were used as well as the WHO Well-Being Index (WBI-5), the single item Life Satisfaction Scale, the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3). Residents of colonies reported significantly lower levels of subjective well-being and life satisfaction than the general population. The proportion of individuals at high risk for mental morbidity was more than twice as high among colony dwellers (16.4%) as in non-colony dwellers (7.6%). Similar unfavorable differences were seen at the expense of self-identified Roma compared to self-identified Hungarians but no difference was found in terms of social support either by type of residence or ethnicity. 32.2% of colony-dwellers self-identified themselves as Hungarian. Mental health assessed by principal component was directly determined by settlement type of permanent residence, age, educational attainment, employment, financial status, and social support but not ethnic identity. The study based on representative data shows that residents of segregated settlements are in worse mental health than those not living in colonies; that housing segregation is not limited to Roma people, and that housing conditions and financial status are major social determinants of mental health for which data must be collected to avoid using self-reported Roma identity as a proxy measure of socioeconomic deprivation.

Die Deutschen im Banat, von der Kolonisation bis zur Integration in den rumänischen Staat Ein kurzer Rückblick

In the historical process of expelling the Ottomans from Europe, Habsburg rule spread across Central and Eastern Europe. In the context of the somewhat later dominant views that guided pol itics, such as the Enlightenment or the populationist politics, the settlement of colonists became more and more important, also in Banat, a depopulated area during the Turkish wars, which was mainly used for defense purposes. Here, the new colonists, the new types of settlements and the industrial activities in a highly multicultural environment made Banat one of the most developed and industrialized regions of the Habsburg Monarchy. In the description of the settlement of Ger man population groups that took place in the 18th century, the example of the Transylvanian Sax ons is used first, who were settled very early on by the kings of Hungary on the eastern border of the kingdom in order to protect them and also to farm. Over time they have developed and always defended their own identity and dialect as well as their own laws and constitutional status. The settlement of the Banat Germans, which took place in several waves, is followed along the social, geographical, economic and last but not least demographic coordinates. Later, the constitutional status of Banat also changed, until this multicultural region became part of Greater Romania after the First World War. All these changes always brought new challenges for the Banat Germans, who had their own organizational forms at that time. Political activity in defense of collective rights continued throughout the interwar period, marked by political instability.

Residential Choice – Urban and Suburban Areas

This paper deals with the topic of residential choice in two types of settlement – urban and suburban areas. The importance of selected factors of residential choice is evaluated, using the questionnaire survey. The findings point out the importance of these factors of residential choice in the both types of settlement. However, several ‘urban specifics’ as well as ‘suburban specifics’ are noticed. Additionally, some factors are residential choice are of higher importance for particular types of respondents defined on the basis of their socioeconomic status, age or household composition.

Бідність українських пенсіонерів: довоєнна ситуація і вплив війни

The purpose of the article is to determine the level of poverty among Ukrainian pensioners, assess deprivations, including those in different types of settlements, and forecast the impact of full-scale military actions on the increase in monetary poverty. Studying poverty among pensioners during wartime is very important, as retirement age is a time in life when a person can no longer ensure a stable income, except for their pension, and requires access to healthcare and various social services. Military actions in some parts of Ukraine make normal existence impossible and critically exacerbate the problem of poverty, while in other areas, they significantly increase the poverty level due to a general decline in the standard of living. Various methods are used to study poverty among pensioners in Ukraine, both specialized and general scientific methods. The monographic method, bibliometrics, and content analysis are used for preliminary study of the problem. The computational method, forecasting, and modeling are used to forecast the impact of full-scale military actions on the growth of monetary poverty. The scale of pre-war poverty levels among Ukrainian pensioners, including self-assessment, has been assessed. In 2021, 26.3 % of urban and 29.2 % of rural pensioner households were classified as poor according to the relative criterion. On average, 23.4 % of households across the country were classified as poor. The level of poverty has been determined based on deprivations. The poverty level based on deprivation indicators in different types of settlements (share of households experiencing 4 or more deprivations) in 2020 was 2.6 times higher in rural areas compared to the corresponding indicator in cities. Deprivations among Ukrainian pensioners have been assessed in terms of types of settlements. Forecasts for poverty among Ukrainian pensioners have been provided based on the absolute criterion of expenses below the actual subsistence minimum. According to the forecasts of experts from the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in 2023, the share of the population living on less than the actual subsistence minimum will increase by 1.7 times throughout the country, compared to 2021, and reach 67.8 %. Taking into account the fact that the poverty level among pensioners, especially older people, significantly exceeds the average indicators for the country from year to year, the majority of elderly people — 76.4 % in cities and 83 % in rural areas — will fall into the category of poor.

Econometric Modeling of the Maternity Capital Factor Effect on the Birth Rate in the Region

The article is devoted to assessment and modeling the maternity capital factor effect on the birth rate in one of the Russian Federation regions- the Udmurt Republic. The information base for the research is official the statistical data on a set of demographic indicators within the region for the period of 1990-2021. A structural-dynamic analysis of the birth rate is carried out. An indicator reflecting the number of births per 1,000 people of the population, as well as per 1,000 women of childbearing age, is calculated and analyzed for the period under review. Curves of birth distribution coefficients for the social and economic system of the Udmurt Republic by the mother age in the context of the territory are plotted. It has been established that in the region there are significant differences in birth rates in urban and rural areas. Econometric modeling is carried out to identify the relationship between the birth rate and the maternity capital factor. Econometric models of time series are constructed with the introduction of a fictitious binary variable, taking the values 0 - before the introduction of maternity capital, 1 - after the introduction of maternity capital. The identification of model parameters and statistical verification of the significance of the coefficient of the dummy variable are performed. The study is conducted both in the division by the type of settlement, and in the division by mothers’ age. It was found that maternity capital increases the average annual birth rate in urban areas by 15.2 %, and in rural areas - by 16.5%. Econometric modeling results disaggregated by maternal age show an increase in the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. Before the introduction of maternity capital, there were on average 36 children per 1,000 women of childbearing age in the UR, while after the introduction - 43 children.

The Influence of Owner Characteristics on the Utilization of Yards in Planned and Unplanned Settlements

Yard is important for the community of Salatiga City. Salatiga City has two types of settlements, namely planned and unplanned settlements. The utilization of yards in both types of settlements differs. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the influence of yard owner characteristics on yard utilization, which was assessed by the visual condition of yards in planned and unplanned settlements. Yard owner characteristics were assessed by length of stay, age, and occupation. The sample selection method used was purposive sampling, with a total of 35 respondents. 10 respondents were from planned settlements and 25 respondents from unplanned settlements. The data analysis method used was Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE), which was used to assess visual quality. Visual quality was divided into three categories: low, medium, and high. Subsequently, the Kruskall Wallis test was used to examine the influence of owner characteristics on yard utilization. The results showed that out of 10 yards in planned settlements, two yards were in the high category, five yards in the medium category, and three yards in the low category. Meanwhile, in unplanned settlements, out of 25 yards, 11 yards were in the high category, nine yards in the medium category, and five yards in the low category. The owner characteristic that influenced yard utilization was the owner occupation, which was seen from the Asymp. Sig. value &lt;0.05, which was 0.049.

Current status of infectious diseases among migrants and non-citizens in Malaysia.

The mass movement of migrants to Malaysia for employment is one of the factors contributing to the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases in this country. Despite mandatory health screening for migrants seeking employment, prevalence records of infectious diseases amongst migrant populations in Malaysia are still within negligible proportions. Therefore, the present review highlights the incidence, mortality and overall status of infectious diseases amongst migrants' populations in Malaysia, which maybe be useful for impeding exacerbation of inequalities among them and improving our national health system thru robust and effective emergency responses in controlling the prevalent diseases found among these populations and maybe, Malaysian citizens too. Peer-reviewed articles from January 2016 to December 2020 were searched through online platform including SCOPUS, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Non-peer-reviewed reports and publications from ministry and government websites including data from related agencies were also scoured from in order to ensure that there are no cases being overlooked, as most published articles did not have migrants as the research subjects. A total of 29 studies had been selected in the final analysis. Migrants in Malaysia were at higher risk for tuberculosis, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, cholera, leprosy and leptospirosis. Lymphatic filariasis was still endemic among this population while thousand cases of TB and cholera had been reported among them due to cramp living conditions and poor sanitation in their settlements respectively. While malaria had gradually decreased and become sporadic, the influx of migrant workers had led to the rising of imported malaria cases. Low cases of leprosy had been recorded in Malaysia but a significant proportion of it was contributed by migrant workers. As for leptospirosis, studies found that there are prominent cases among migrant workers, which particularly highest within workers with lower educational attainment. Infectious diseases are still prevalent among migrants in Malaysia due to various interplay factors including their working sectors, country of origin, immunization status, type of settlement, impoverished living conditions, and language and cultural barriers that impeding access to health facilities.

The Drivers of Changes in the State of Agrobiodiversity

The diversity of agricultural genetic resources is decreasing over the years and sites across the world. With the objectives of determining the drivers and their impact on agrobiodiversity particularly in Nepal, different methods e.g., focus group discussion, transact walk, key informant survey, and literature survey were used. Among the 16 broad categories of drivers, the most 5 important drivers in terms of negative impact on agrobiodiversity were the: 1) advancements and innovations in science and technology, 2) changes in land and water use and management, 3) alternative business and information flow, 4) population growth and urbanization, and 5) markets and trade. The most important specific driver is exotic varieties and breeds among 90 specific drivers. The earthquake of 2015 was a major disaster having damaged much local agricultural diversity in more than 14 districts of Nepal. Expansion of area for agricultural production, the establishment of a new settlement and various types of developmental activities have caused a loss of many wild relatives of agricultural species and wild edible species. Threat to crop diversity is high in rice, banana, cucumber, and tomato due to replacement of old cultivars by modern varieties. Threat to rice bean, horse bean, and foxtail millet is due to low priority given by growers and consumers. Invasive alien species like Parthenium, Eupatorium spp. and Lantana camara have had a significant effect on diversity and ecosystem services. The least affected agrobiodiversity components are microbial genetic resources. The important drivers e.g., exotic genotypes, external inputs, monogenotype-based monoculture policy and climate changes, should be given due attention to control and manage for better management of agrobiodiversity.

Decreasing Incidence of Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinoma in People with HIV in South Africa.

The main risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva (SCCC) are immunodeficiency and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Little is known about the SCCC epidemiology among people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa. We used data from the South African HIV Cancer Match study, a nation-wide cohort of PWH in South Africa, created through a privacy-preserving probabilistic record linkage of HIV-related laboratory records from the National Health Laboratory Service and cancer records from the National Cancer Registry from 2004-2014. We calculated crude incidence rates, analyzed trends using Joinpoint models and estimated hazard ratios (HR) for different risk factors using Royston-Parmar flexible parametric survival models. Among 5,247,968 PWH, 1,059 incident SCCC were diagnosed for a crude overall SCCC incidence rate of 6.8/100,000 person-years. The SCCC incidence rate decreased between 2004 and 2014 with an annual percentage change of -10.9% (95% CI -13.3 to -8.3). PWH residing within latitudes 30°S-34°S had a 49% lower SCCC risk than those residing at < 25°S (adjusted HR 0.67; 95% CI 0.55-0.82). Other risk factors for SCCC were lower CD4 counts and middle-age. There was no evidence for an association of sex or settlement type with SCCC risk. An increased risk of developing SCCC was associated with lower CD4 counts and residence closer to the equator, indicative of higher ultraviolet exposure. Clinicians and PWH should be educated on known SCCC preventive measures such as maintaining high CD4 counts and protection from ultraviolet radiation through sunglasses and sunhats when outdoors.

Composite Characteristic and Mechanism Analysis of Human Settlements in Jinan City Based on Demand Hierarchy Theory

The composition of human settlements is important to resolving urban issues, such as land shortage, and to rationally distributing human settlements and social resources. Based on the demand hierarchy theory, this paper comprehensively used the methods of location entropy, information entropy, and geographic detector to analyze the characteristics and driving mechanism of the specialization, composition, and compatibility of human settlements at all levels. (1) The composite characteristics of human settlements were influential; that is, clear concentration differences were found among various types of human settlements, with the specialization of primary human settlements having the highest concentration. The specialization of human settlements was characterized as center–periphery; that is, the centrality of basic and high-level human settlements was obvious and the discreteness of primary human settlements was obvious. (2) The spatial differences in the north–central–south compositions of human settlements were also influential. These spatial differences showed that the composite characteristics of the basic high-level and intermediate high-level human settlements were similar, and the composite features were weakly affected by the scale of the elements. (3) Furthermore, single human settlements were dominant, and the multi-level human settlements that were compatible with the comprehensive composite form were the primary form of expression. The interactions between the primary and other human settlements were relatively high. Finally, (4) the high-level human settlement elements and regional economic vitality were the dominant factors of the composite characteristic heterogeneity of human settlements. Residential self and social attributes have an impact on the diversity of their needs, and they interact with human settlements through human settlement elements. The results of the study are of great significance to the rational allocation of human settlements and the promotion of the composition of human settlements.

Effects of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on CO2 Emissions in the Port Areas of the Strait of Messina

The Strait of Messina is characterised by a significant ship flow, especially of ferries, between its two shores. The ferry services involve four harbours, located on the Sicilian and Calabrian shores. During the epidemic emergency related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, due to the restrictions adopted to counteract the spread of the infection, a significant reduction in ferry activities and vehicle flow occurred. These circumstances made flow data, related to different actual scenarios, available and allowed the assessment of the environmental impact of the port area. Therefore, the port area became a noteworthy case study, suited to draw conclusions regarding possible future courses of action designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions in these types of settlements. In the study, in order to assess the effect of different levels of human activity on pollutant emissions, the total CO2 emissions from ferry activities in two successive years, 2019 before the spread of the virus and 2020 when the epidemic was at its peak, were evaluated and compared. The EMEP/EEA methodology was used and, as a result, an overall reduction of 13.2% in CO2eq yearly emission rates was observed, with the major reduction of 2784 tCO2eq due to maritime traffic.