Keeping up with revolutions: evolution of higher education in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan's higher education system has undergone some dramatic changes in the past century, evolving from largely traditional religious colleges to fully state-funded communist-atheist institutions. Since the end of the communist administration and subsequent market-oriented reforms, the institutions of higher education (IHE) in Uzbekistan have had to reinvent and reform themselves again, as the demand for different kind of education increased. This paper puts the current changes and trends in IHEs into an historical perspective and highlights some important effects of the market reforms on the educational scene

The state of specific immunity of population of the Republic of Tajikistan to measles, rubella, poliomyelitis viruses

Relevance. To achieve the goals of measles and rubella elimination and poliomyelitis eradication programs, immunization coverage of at least 95% of the target population is required. Objective data on the state of specific herd immunity are provided only by the results of serosurveys. In the Republic of Tajikistan, such monitoring is not carried out regularly. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to assess the actual state of the specific herd immunity to measles, rubella, and poliomyelitis viruses. Materials and methods. The blood sera of 563 children and adults collected in 7 cities and 13 districts of Tajikistan in 2020 were investigated. The level of antibodies (ABs) to measles and rubella viruses was determined using enzyme immunoassay. Test systems VectoKor-IgG (VECTOR-BEST, Russia) and Ecolab, Russia were used to determine ABs to measles and rubella virus, respectively. Neutralizing antibodies (nABs) to the 3 types of poliovirus (PV) were determined in 359 sera using a neutralization reaction with Sabin strains of types 1, 2, 3. Results. The conducted serosurvey showed the level of the specific herd immunity to rubella to be 87.9% in total population, including 86.2% in children, 93.1% in adolescents, and 93.5% and adults, that is sufficient to prevent transmission of the rubella virus. The proportion of individuals seropositive to measles was 54.5%, which is not enough to prevent sustained secondary transmission of infection and the resumption of circulation of the endemic strain of measles virus. The children under 15 years of age should be considered a population at risk of the infection, since children accounted for 38% among seronegative individuals. In general, less than 95% of the examined patients had nABs to PV: 94.4% to PV1, 86.1% to PV2, 83.6% to PV3; 3.3% did not have antibodies to all three types of PV. The level of herd immunity varied in the examined groups depending on the vaccination schedule and the composition of the poliovirus vaccines used: nABs to PV2 had 59.6% of children born during the period when vaccines containing PV2 were not used, and 85.7% of children born after the introduction of trivalent IPV. Deficiency in immunity to PV2 was the cause of a polio outbreak in 2021 caused by circulating vaccine-derived PV type 2. Conclusion. A high level of humoral immunity to the rubella virus was determined. Shortcomings of routine immunization against measles and polio associated with insufficient coverage and lack of IPV have been identified. Conducting regular serological monitoring in the Republic of Tajikistan is advisable to obtain objective information about the level of herd immunity, identify vulnerable groups of the population, and plan additional immunization activities

Law, Social Norms and Welfare as Means of Public Administration: Case Study of Mahalla Institutions in Uzbekistan

Despite numerous challenges, since its independence, Uzbekistan, with the exception of the May 2005 Andijan events, has enjoyed extraordinary political stability and not recorded any considerable cases of interethnic or interfaith conflict, regime change or civil war, whereas neighboring Kyrgyzstan, labeled an “island of democracy” by the Western world, has experienced numerous conflicts and chaos, ranging from “color revolutions” to ethnic conflict. However, for understanding Uzbekistan’s ability to cope with internal and external challenges, little recourse is made to the post-independence discourse on public administration known as “mahalla reforms”. In spite of the significant existing body of literature on the mahalla, there has been little systematic scholarly investigation of the role of mahalla in maintaining political stability and security in Uzbekistan. Previous studies did not provide an account of how the law, social norms and welfare come to interplay in the mahalla system and how this influences the public administration developments in Uzbekistan. This paper begins to redress this lacuna by analyzing public-administration reforms in post-independence Uzbekistan, namely mahalla reforms, with an effort to show how political and social stability is established through mahalla, and to what extent those reforms have affected the position of individuals vis-à-vis the public-administration system. In undertaking this task, the paper employs three theoretical concepts: the theory of norms, the welfare-pentagon model and the theory of social control. In this paper, I argue that public-administration reforms since 1991 have transformed mahalla into a comprehensive system of social control; and therefore, mahalla can be places of democratic involvement or sites of authoritarianism in Uzbekistan

НАЗЕМНЫЕ МОЛЛЮСКИ УЗБЕКИСТАНА - ПРОМЕЖУТОЧНЫЕ ХОЗЯЕВА ПРОТОСТРОНГИЛИД (NEMATODA: PROTOSTRONGYLIDAE)

Objective of research: To determine the intermediate hosts of nematodes and their role in the distribution of causative agents of animal protostrongylidosis in Uzbekistan. Materials and methods: Research was conducted in 2010-2015 in biogeocenoses of Fergana valley (Namangan, Fergana, Andijan regions), in the north-west of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Syrdarya and Zhizzakh regions). Natural invasion of land mollusks - intermediate hosts of helminths was investigated under field conditions. To identify the species belonging of land mollusks, we carried out a standard anatomization of reproductive system of mollusks using Magnifier MBS-9. 10554 individuals of land mollusks were investigated by the method of Azimov et al. and by compressor method of Boev. To conduct a morphological study of third-stage protostrongylid larvae, feet of infected mullusks were separated and placed into artificial gastric juice where the cap was destroyed and infected larvae released. Results and discussion: Terrestrial mollusks of 11 genera Vallonia, Gibbulinopsis, Pupilla, Pseudonapaeus, Bradybaena, Angiomphalia, Xeropicta, Deroceras, Candaharia, Maсrochlamys and Succinea were identified as intermediate hosts of Protostrongylidae in Uzbekistan. Their infestation with protostrongylid larvae was on average 21,0 %. Among the mollusks examined, X. candaсharica (33,3 %) proved to be the most infected with nematode larvae. In plain and foothill-mountain zones, protostrongylid larvae are detected in these mollusks in May. In plain, the peak of invasion was registered in July (18.3%), in foothills and mountain range characterized by two rises in July (38.2%) and October (43.5).Цель исследования - установление промежуточных хозяев нематод и их роли в распространении возбудителей протостронгилидозов животных Узбекистана. Материалы и методы. Исследования проводили в 2010-2015 гг. в биогеоценозах Ферганской долины (Наманганской, Ферганской и Андижанской областях), северо-востока Узбекистана (Ташкентской, Сырдарьинской и Жиззахской областях). В полевых условиях изучена естественная зараженность наземных моллюсков - промежуточных хозяев гельминтов. Для установления видовой принадлежности наземных моллюсков проводили стандартное анатомирование репродуктивной системы моллюсков с использованием бинокулярной лупы МБС-9. Исследовано 10554 особей наземных моллюсков по методу Азимова и др. и компрессорным методом Боева. Для морфологического изучения личинок третьей стадии протостронгилид отделяли ножки зараженных моллюсков и помещали их в искусственный желудочный сок, в котором разрушался чехлик и освобождались инвазионные личинки. Результаты и обсуждение. В качестве промежуточных хозяев протостронгилид Узбекистана зарегистрированы наземные моллюски 11 родов: Vallonia, Gibbulinopsis, Pupilla, Pseudonapaeus, Bradybaena, Leucozonella, Xeropicta, Deroceras, Candaharia, Macrochlamys и Succinea. Зараженность их личинками протостронгилид составила, в среднем, 21,0 %. Среди исследованных моллюсков широко распространенными и наиболее зараженными личинками нематод оказались X. candaсharica (33,3 %). В равнинном и предгорно-горном поясе личинки протостронгилид в этих моллюсках обнаруживают в мае. Пик инвазии в равнинном поясе приходится на июль (18,3 %), в предгорно-горном поясе характеризуется двумя подъемами: в июле (38,2 %) и октябре (43,5 %)

Achievement of maximal SARS-CoV-2 collective immunity among the Tajik population by March 2022

Despite all efforts of the world community, the COVID-19 pandemic remains one of the main epidemiological challenges of our time. Even with its widespread distribution, the infection may have certain local features due to social, geographic, and climatic factors. Objective: to study collective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in the population of the Republic of Tajikistan.A cross-sectional, randomized study of herd immunity was carried out according to a program developed by Rospotrebnadzor and the St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, taking into account WHO recommendations. The ethics committees of the corresponding entities approved the study: Tajik Ministry of Health and Social Protection; and the St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute (Russia). Based on questionnaire results, 4,022 people were selected, representing 0.15% (95% CI: 0.14-0.15) of the total population randomized by age and region. In subsequent laboratory analysis, 3682 people took part. The distribution and quantitative content of antibodies (Abs) to viral nucleocapsid (N Ag) and receptor binding domain (RBD Ag) were determined by ELISA. When questioned, a history of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was indicated by 69.7% (95% CI: 68.2-71.2) of the volunteer cohort. Vector vaccines were most frequently used (50.6%; 95% CI: 48.7-52.5), with whole-virion inactivated preparations in second place (23.0%: 95% CI: 21.4-26.6) and mRNA vaccines in third place (21.0%; 95% CI:19.4-22.6).The cohort (n = 3682) featured 27.5% men and 72.5% women. The overall seroprevalence was 98.5% (95% CI: 97.7-99.2) in men and 99.4% (95% CI: 99.0-99.6) in women (differences statistically insignificant). Overall seroprevalence in the cohort was 99.2% (95% CI: 98.8-99.4) and ranged from 97.2 to 100% in certain subgroups. Asymptomatic seropositivity in the whole cohort was 98.4% (95% CI: 97.6-99.1). As a result of a mandatory vaccination program introduced in Tajikistan under a COVID-19 Emergency Project, the level of herd immunity among vaccinated individuals reached 99.5% (95% CI: 99.1-99.7), which is similar to the level reached in the cohort as a whole.The epidemic situation that developed in Tajikistan by mid-March 2022 was characterized by an almost absolute level of herd immunity, as evidenced by an absence of detected overt COVID-19 cases since the end of February (2022)

How Do Non-Democratic Regimes Claim Legitimacy? Comparative Insights from Post-Soviet Countries

The analysis using the new Regime Legitimation Expert Survey (RLES) demonstrates that non-democratic rulers in post-Soviet countries use specific combinations of legitimating claims to stay in power. Most notably, rulers claim to be the guardians of citizens' socioeconomic well-being. Second, despite recurrent infringements on political and civil rights, they maintain that their power is rule-based and embodies the will of the people, as they have been given popular electoral mandates. Third, they couple these elements with inputbased legitimation strategies that focus on nationalist ideologies, the personal capabilities and charismatic aura of the rulers, and the regime's foundational myth. Overall, the reliance on these input-based strategies is lower in the western post-Soviet Eurasian countries and very pronounced among the authoritarian rulers of Central Asia

Effect Of Plant Hormones In Different Stages Of In Vitro Micropropagation Of Paulownia Shan Tong (P. Tomentosa & P. Fortunei)

In vitro propagation conditions of Paulownia Shan Tong (P. tomentosa & P. fortunei), especially effect of 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) in multiplication media and effect of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in rooting media were studied. Shoot proliferation was induced by the mean of MS medium containing different concentrations of BAP (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/L-1 ) and supplementation of the culture medium by 1.0 mg/L-1 of BAP induced the highest mean length of shoots / explants (4,38 cm) and number of nodes per shoot (5,86). For root induction, elongated shoots were transferred into MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of IBA (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/L -1 ). 98 % of shoot cuttings produced roots when they were cultured in the medium with 0.5 mg/L -1 IBA. The highest number of roots per microcutting was 5.2 and the maximum root length was 6,383 c

TERRESTRIAL MOLLUSKS OF UZBEKISTAN - INTERMEDIATE HOSTS OF PROTOSTRONGYLIDS (NEMATODA: PROTOSTRONGYLIDAE)

Objective of research: To determine the intermediate hosts of nematodes and their role in the distribution of causative agents of animal protostrongylidosis in Uzbekistan. Materials and methods: Research was conducted in 2010-2015 in biogeocenoses of Fergana valley (Namangan, Fergana, Andijan regions), in the north-west of Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Syrdarya and Zhizzakh regions). Natural invasion of land mollusks - intermediate hosts of helminths was investigated under field conditions. To identify the species belonging of land mollusks, we carried out a standard anatomization of reproductive system of mollusks using Magnifier MBS-9. 10554 individuals of land mollusks were investigated by the method of Azimov et al. and by compressor method of Boev. To conduct a morphological study of third-stage protostrongylid larvae, feet of infected mullusks were separated and placed into artificial gastric juice where the cap was destroyed and infected larvae released. Results and discussion: Terrestrial mollusks of 11 genera Vallonia, Gibbulinopsis, Pupilla, Pseudonapaeus, Bradybaena, Angiomphalia, Xeropicta, Deroceras, Candaharia, Maсrochlamys and Succinea were identified as intermediate hosts of Protostrongylidae in Uzbekistan. Their infestation with protostrongylid larvae was on average 21,0 %. Among the mollusks examined, X. candaсharica (33,3 %) proved to be the most infected with nematode larvae. In plain and foothill-mountain zones, protostrongylid larvae are detected in these mollusks in May. In plain, the peak of invasion was registered in July (18.3%), in foothills and mountain range characterized by two rises in July (38.2%) and October (43.5)