Scientific and methodological foundations for integrating remote sensing (RS) data into school geography

This article reports on teachers' perceptions of the application of science process in the teaching of Geography in secondary schools in the Free State province. A teachers' questionnaire on the application of the science process in the teaching of Geography was constructed and the questionnaire was content validated against the theoretical assumptions supported by the literature and practical applications of the subject. The questionnaires were distributed to 150 respondents and 71 completed questionnaires were returned for further analysis. The responses to the items of the questionnaire were subjected to a principal component factor analysis and a varimax method of rotation. Two prominent factors were identified and investigated. Factor 1 was labeled science process skills and reaffirmed teachers' understanding of the basic process as autonomous and independent functions. The second factor confirmed the existence of a higher level of advanced and integrated process that build upon the basic or foundational process skills. These results confirmed the researchers' assumption that respondents could distinguish cognitively between these two very prominent constructs. They were comfortable with the fact that the science processes applicable to the teaching of Geography could be grouped into two main distinctive clusters or factors. The homogeneous clustering of items also emphasized the understanding that the classical science process could easily be applied to the teaching of Geography. This assumption was supported by the empirical investigation and findings. In addition, the results supported the hypothesis that although teachers did not apply integrated science process to the teaching of Geography on a regular basis, they were well-acquainted with the fact that these remain an important facet in the teaching of Geography in schools. South African Journal of Education Vol.24(1) 2004: 10-17

Modelling species distributions with remote sensing data: bridging disciplinary perspectives

IntroductionMethods of genotyping of M. tuberculosis play an important role in tuberculosis (TB) infection control. These techniques are used to detect or exclude laboratory errors, control recurrent cases, and determine ways of TB transmission. Today, there are more than 10 methods of genotyping; MIRU-VNTR is one of the most widely used methods in the world. In this study we aimed to estimate biological diversity of clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis from different regions of Kazakhstan based on MIRU-VNTR analysis.Materials and methodsMIRU-VNTR was used to genotype 134 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis isolated from new cases and recurrent cases of TB from different regions of Kazakhstan. Amplification was done using 15 MIRU-VNTR loci. Determination of the number of tandem repeats in the corresponding locus was performed via Quantity One v.4.4.0 (BioRad, USA) software. H37Rv (NC_000962) reference strain was used as a positive control.ResultsPhylogenic tree was built using www.miru-vntr.org web-resource based on the results of MIRU-VNTR analysis. Beijing family strains associated with drug resistance to antituberculosis drugs were prevalent among all isolates of M. tuberculosis circulating in Kazakhstan. Strains of the Beijing genotype were prevalent in both new cases (65%) and recurrent cases (89.4%) of tuberculosis. The second meaningful genotype that is spread in the territory of Kazakhstan is LAM, the frequency of distribution is 7.3% in new and 4.5% in recurrent cases. Other families of M. tuberculosis such as Ural, Haarlem, CAS, NEW-1, S were found in less than 4% of cases.ConclusionPrevalence of Beijing family strains among all isolates of M. tuberculosis from different regions of Kazakhstan was shown. Strains of this family are prevalent among young people. This genotype is responsible for ongoing TB transmission in the present time. This genotype is more virulent; therefore, investigation of the epidemiology of the Beijing genotype plays crucial role in the monitoring of tuberculosis.

A methodology for using remotely sensed data to both generate and evaluate a hydraulic model of floodplain inundation is presented for a rural case study in the United Kingdom: Upton-upon-Severn. Remotely sensed data have been processed and assembled to provide an excellent test data set for both model construction and validation. In order to assess the usefulness of the data and the issues encountered in its use, two models for floodplain inundation were constructed: one based on an industry standard one-dimensional approach and the other based on a simple two-dimensional approach. The results and their implications for the future use of remotely sensed data for predicting flood inundation are discussed. Key conclusions for the use of remotely sensed data are that care must be taken to integrate different data sources for both model construction and validation and that improvements in ground height data shift the focus in terms of model uncertainties to other sources such as boundary conditions. The differences between the two models are found to be of minor significance.

The study of genetic resources using prolamin polymorphism in wheat cultivars from countries with different climatic conditions makes it possible to identify and trace the preference for the selection of the alleles of gliadine-coding loci characteristic of specific conditions. The aim of the study was to determine the "gliadin profile" of the collection of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from breeding centers in Russia and Kazakhstan by studying the genetic diversity of allelic variants of gliadin-coding loci. Intrapopulation (μ ± Sμ) and genetic (H) diversity, the proportion of rare alleles (h ± Sh), identity criterion (I) and genetic similarity (r) of common wheat from eight breeding centers in Russia and Kazakhstan have been calculated. It has been ascertained that the samples of common wheat bred in Kostanay region (Karabalyk Agricultural Experimental Station, Kazakhstan) and Chelyabinsk region (Chelyabinsk Research Institute of Agriculture, Russia) had the highest intrapopulation diversity of gliadin alleles. The proportion of rare alleles (h) at Gli-B1 and Gli-D1 loci was the highest in the wheat cultivars bred by the Federal Center of Agriculture Research of the South-East Region (Saratov region, Russia), which is explained by a high frequency of occurrence of Gli-B1e (86 %) and Gli-D1a (89.9 %) alleles. Based on identity criterion (I), the studied samples of common wheat from different regions of Kazakhstan and Russia have differences in gliadin-coding loci. The highest value of I = 619.0 was found when comparing wheat samples originated from Kostanay and Saratov regions, and the lowest I = 114.4, for wheat cultivars from Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions. Some region-specific gliadin alleles in wheat samples have been identified. A combination of Gli-A1f, Gli-B1e and Gli-Da alleles has been identified in the majority of wheat samples from Kazakhstan and Russia. Alleles (Gli-A1f, Gli-A1i, Gli-A1m, Gli-A1o, Gli-B1e, Gli-D1a, Gli-D1f, Gli-A2q, Gli-B2o, and Gli-D2a) turned out to be characteristic and were found with varying frequency in wheat cultivars in eight regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. The highest intravarietal polymorphism (51.1 %) was observed in wheat cultivars bred in Omsk region (Russia) and the lowest (16.6 %), in Pavlodar region (Kazakhstan). On the basis of the allele frequencies, a "gliadin profile" of wheat from various regions and breeding institutions of Russia and Kazakhstan was compiled, which can be used for the selection of parent pairs in the breeding process, the control of cultivars during reproduction, as well as for assessing varietal purity.

Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas (GHG). Enteric methane emissions from farmed ruminant livestock account for approximately 15% of global GHG emissions, with approximately 44% of livestock emissions in the form of methane. The purpose of the research is to study the influence of feeding types and regional characteristics of Kazakhstan on the microbiota of feces and the number of methane-forming archaea of beef and meat-and-dairy cattle productivity. For this purpose, fecal samples were taken rectally from 37 cattle heads from four regions of Kazakhstan (Western, Southern, Northern and Southeast). The taxonomic composition of the community in all samples was determined by 16S metabarcoding; additionally alpha and beta diversities were calculated. The dominant phyla were: Firmicutes (57.30%), Bacteroidetes (17.00%), Verrucomicrobia (6.88%), Euryarchaeota (6.49%), Actinobacteria (4.77%) and Patescibacteria (3.38%). Significant differences with regard to methanogens bacteria were found: Euryarchaeota were less present in animals from Western Kazakhstan (2.40%), while Methanobacteriales and Methanobrevibacter were prevalent in Southeast, and less abundant in Western region. Western Kazakhstan differs from the other regions likely because animals are mainly grazed in the pasture. Thus, grazing animals has an impact on their microbiota thus leading to a decrease in methane emissions.

The government of Kazakhstan is following many other national governments in promoting the development of renewable energy generation through adjustment of the policy environment and investment incentives. The government has started to invest in the construction of wind-, solar- and hydro-energy producing stations, some of which already operate in different regions of Kazakhstan. This paper aims to address the local challenges of the transition to renewable electric energy generation in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. The authors examine regional challenges associated with introducing renewable energy production, with a focus on the energy market, the regional grid and energy management practices. The findings show that the development of renewable energy in the Almaty region is complicated by the absence of decentralized consumption options, the unreadiness of the regional grid and traditional power stations to accept renewable energy and the centralized old-fashioned management of the energy system. Instead of the expected increase of cheap energy for the private sector, there is an increasing technological and financial burden on traditional energy producers. The findings of the study raise serious research questions for further exploration: what is the real cost of clean energy production for regions of Kazakhstan, and why does public investment in support of renewable energy production not consider the implications of increasing the efficiency of traditional energy production and modernizing regional energy grids?

This research is motivated by the inefficient use of Arabic learning methods, especially in memorizing mufrodat. Many students think that learning Arabic and memorizing mufrodat is difficult and unpleasant, resulting in a lack of interest in learning Arabic. This study has the main objectives of increasing: 1) the level of student learning activity during mufrodat learning; 2) achievement of mufrodat learning outcomes through the application of the singing method. This research was conducted at MIN 2 Purwakarta, Ciawi Village, Wanayasa District, Purwakarta Regency. The research subjects were grade 1 students at MIN 2 Purwakarta in the 2022/2023 school year, which consisted of 16 students. This research is a classroom action research with qualitative and quantitative analysis methods. Data collection techniques include interviews, observation, tests and documentation. The results of this study can be concluded that: 1) The application of the singing method can increase student learning activities, this is indicated by an increase in student activity presentation from 70% to 93%; 2) The application of the singing method can improve student learning outcomes regarding mufrodat baitii for class 1 students at MIN 2 Purwakarta, Ciawi Wanayasa Village, Purwakarta for the 2022/2023 academic year. This is indicated by an increase in learning completeness and the average student achievement during each cycle of actions implemented. 1) The application of the singing method can increase student learning activity, this is indicated by the increase in student activity presentation from 70% to 93%; 2) The application of the singing method can improve student learning outcomes regarding mufrodat baitii for class 1 students at MIN 2 Purwakarta, Ciawi Wanayasa Village, Purwakarta for the 2022/2023 academic year. This is indicated by an increase in learning completeness and the average student achievement during each cycle of actions implemented. 1) The application of the singing method can increase student learning activities, this is shown by the increase in student activity presentations from 70% to 93%; 2) The application of the singing method can improve student learning outcomes regarding mufrodat baitii for class 1 MIN 2 students in Purwakarta, Ciawi Wanayasa Village, Purwakarta, the academic year 2022/2023. This is shown by an increase in learning completeness and the average student learning achievement during each implemented action cycle.

The rapid advancement of technology and widespread access to digital resources have transformed teaching practices and enhanced educators’ competencies. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer new avenues for understanding global events and conducting multidimensional analyses. This study aimed to evaluate teachers’ potential use of geospatial technologies by analyzing the objectives of geography curricula for grades 7–11 in Kazakhstan. Additionally, this study investigated barriers to GIS adoption among geography teachers and strategies for cultivating geospatial thinking skills. The research employed curriculum analysis and a teacher survey involving 208 respondents from across Kazakhstan. The results indicated moderate adoption of geospatial technologies, with mobile GIS applications being most prevalent. However, obstacles such as equipment costs, lack of experience, and time constraints hinder their utilization. This study underscores the importance of integrating geospatial technologies in geography education to foster students’ spatial thinking, creativity, and information literacy. Moreover, this study highlights the role of a GIS in enhancing educators’ and students’ proficiency in modern geoinformation systems and digital technologies. The findings offer practical insights for educators and serve as a valuable resource for enhancing geography instruction and promoting geospatial technology integration in the classroom.

Salmonella Abortusequi is a significant etiological agent of equine abortions, yet limited genomic data exist, particularly in Central Asia. This study aimed to perform the first genome-wide characterization and phylogenetic analysis of three S. Abortusequi strains isolated from equine abortions in different regions of Kazakhstan. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted on three isolates using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Genomic assemblies were annotated using SPAdes and Prokka, while phenotypic traits were predicted through BioNumerics. Antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, and prophage elements were identified using established databases. Phylogenetic relationships were examined through whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (wgSNP) analysis against a global panel of S. Abortusequi and related serovars. All isolates displayed high genomic similarity and were classified as Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusequi with an antigenic profile of 4:a:e,n,x. Twelve Salmonella pathogenicity islands and three prophages were identified, with ST64B present in all isolates. The ac(6')-Iaa gene, which confers resistance to aminoglycosides, was detected in all strains. Each genome encoded 101-109 virulence factors, with 94 conserved across isolates. wgSNP analysis confirmed close phylogenetic clustering of the Kazakh strains, with regional variation between northern and southern isolates. Prophage-associated virulence elements, particularly virulence factor protein (SseK), were also documented. This study reveals the genetic uniformity and virulence potential of S. Abortusequi strains circulating in Kazakhstan. The presence of conserved resistance and virulence genes, including prophage-encoded elements, underscores the pathogenic risk posed by these isolates. These findings contribute valuable genomic data for surveillance, diagnosis, and control of salmonellosis in equine populations. Despite the limited sample size, the study establishes a foundation for future genomic epidemiological studies and targeted disease mitigation strategies.

240P - Morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Nowadays, camel milk is in high demand both in domestic and foreign markets. The potential value of camel milk is on average 3.6% of the total national milk production, and this proportion increased by 30% since its independence. In the last 20 years, the production of camel products increased 5 times. There is an upward trend in prices for camel dairy products, which create an attractiveness for breeding camels with high dairy productivity in the country. Specific physiology and adaptive capacity and increased interest for these animals as livestock species worldwide could lead to high productive camels becoming an important milk source for humans. In this article the difference in camel milk composition of Aruana breed and hybrids from different regions of Kazakhstan was determined.

Epizootological monitoring of some bacterial infectious diseases of animals on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Mental health of university students is becoming one of the key challenges in global public health. According to the World Health Organization, one in seven adolescents and young people suffers from mental disorders. The majority of these conditions manifest before the age of 24, which often coincides with the university period. In Kazakhstan, the issue is exacerbated by a shortage of preventive programs and concerning epidemiological indicators.Objective: to identify key factors affecting students’ mental health in different regions of Kazakhstan and to compare findings with international public health approaches.Methods. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 359 university students aged 17 to 25 from Astana, Almaty, and Atyrau. The study combined subjective self-assessment (Depression Scale – DOD) and physiological diagnostics using the LOTOS system (HRV-based). The DOD scale is a validated modification of the DEPS tool adapted for Kazakhstan. Results. Among respondents, 42.9% demonstrated mild depression, 20.3% medium, and 8.6% severe. Female students had significantly higher rates of moderate and severe depression compared to males. Regression analysis revealed that fatigue, insomnia, loneliness, and low life satisfaction were the strongest predictors of depression (Adjusted R² = 0.643, p < 0.001). Physical activity was associated with lower depression scores, while students with chronic conditions or alcohol use showed significantly higher levels. Physiological metrics did not predict depression significantly but showed moderate correlation with subjective scores.Conclusion. The most critical markers of deteriorated mental well-being in students are emotional fatigue, sleep problems, and social disconnection. A systematic university-based approach combining physiological monitoring and psychological support is essential to prevent stress-related disorders.Keywords: mental health, depression, students, stress, wellbeing, physiological monitoring.

Sustainable production of pure silica from rice husk waste in Kazakhstan