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The NW Greater Caucasus and surrounding areas have a long history of petroleum production dating back to the mid‐19th century. However the origin of the oil and gas is still a matter of debate. This paper focusses on a study area to the north of the western Greater Caucasus covering the West and East Kuban Basins and neighbouring structural highs where oil and natural gas occur in reservoir units of Neogene, Paleogene, Cretaceous and Jurassic ages. The study is based on the results of organic geochemical and stable carbon isotope analyses of 21 samples of associated gases from 16 oil fields. The gas samples' compositions were investigated together with the δ13C values of C1 to C5 alkanes. Twenty of the gas samples were of thermogenic origin and one was mixed (thermogenic and secondary microbial). δ13C values for CH4 for all the gas samples varied over a wide range from ‐62.3 to ‐30.0 ‰, indicating major variations in the thermal maturity of the respective source rocks. In a previous study, three genetic types of oil were identified in the study area and are referred to here as Types 1, 2 and 3. Gaseous hydrocarbons associated with Type 1 oils were generated by source rocks in the Middle Eocene Kuma Formation and the Oligocene (lower) part of the Maikop Group which are inferred to have been deposited in anoxic, deep‐marine conditions. C2–C5 alkanes in gases associated with Type 1 oils have the lowest (most negative) δ13C values of the samples studied, and the lowest iso‐butane: n‐butane and iso‐pentane: n‐pentane ratios. These gas samples were recovered from wells in oilfields located in the south and SE of the West Kuban Basin, in the Akhtyrskaya fault zone which extends along the northern flank of the Greater Caucasus foldbelt. Higher δ13C values of C2–C5 alkanes were found in gas samples associated with Type 2 oils which were recovered from wells in the central West Kuban Basin. The associated source rocks are interpreted to have been deposited in weakly oxidizing subaqueous conditions and to contain mainly marine organic matter but with an input of higher land plant material. The precise age and stratigraphic identity of the source rocks is unresolved but they may comprise the Upper Oligocene – Lower Miocene (middle and upper) part of the Maikop Group. In gases associated with Type 3 oils, δ13C values of ethane to pentane are similar to those of gases associated with Type 2 oils. These gases were recovered from wells in oilfields located on the Adygeya Swell which divides the southern East and West Kuban Basins and from the Armavir‐Nevinnomyssk Swell to the north. The precise source of these gases and oils is not known but the oils are probably older than Late Cretaceous on account of the absence of oleanane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii was previously found in Russia in the Primorie region in 2001. This record is included in the EPPO Global Database. In 2017 and 2020, the first two authors of the present paper found D. suzukii in the Russian Caucasus, namely in the city of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory. This report was published as a scientific article in November 2020. The record from Krasnodar Territory was declared to be invalid before the confirmation of the species identification by official experts. Therefore, to verify the identification of this important pest of soft fruits, 10 specimens collected in Sochi were sent to international experts. Herewith the official confirmation of the identification of the specimens is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent archaeological research has highlighted the potential role of mobile pastoral groups in the diffusion of raw materials and technological innovations between the southern Caucasus and north‐western Iran from the Neolithic onwards. Two successive projects, PAST‐OBS and SCOPE, were designed to explore this hypothesis through the study of obsidian consumption patterns from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age using a flexible analytical strategy that considerably extends the scale of obsidian studies in these regions. By focusing on the exploitation of obsidian at multiple levels—local, regional and interregional—we hope to unravel the complexity of the obsidian networks under study. The aim of this paper is to present (1) a reassessment of the work so far carried out by previous obsidian studies, with a view to homogenizing and to clarifying the nomenclature in use; and (2) an introduction to the PAST‐OBS and SCOPE projects in order to initiate a discussion of our preliminary results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon reserves of the order of 1140 MM brl oe have been identified in the northern foreland of the eastern Greater Caucasus, principally in the Terek‐Caspian fold‐and‐thrust belt and the Prikumsk Swell in the north of the Terek‐Caspian foredeep. Despite the great economic significance of these areas and their long exploration history, the origin of the hydrocarbons is still poorly understood. In the present paper, geochemical data from 73 oil samples representing 28 fields are used to investigate the presence of oil families and to correlate the oils with potential source rocks. Biomarker composition of oils in Cretaceous and Miocene reservoirs in the Terek‐Caspian fold‐and‐thrust belt is mainly controlled by reservoir depth (100‐5700 m) and maturity (0.70‐1.15 %Ro), and it is therefore difficult to separate maturity and facies effects. For example, a downward increase in diasterane/sterane ratios may indicate a change in source rock facies or may be attributed to increasing maturity. Some shallow oils are biodegraded. The presence of short‐chain n‐alkanes in biodegraded oils indicates recent hydrocarbon migration. Biomarker data (e.g. the presence of oleanane) and compound‐specific isotope data suggest that the Khadum Formation in the lower part of the Maikop Group is the main source rock. However data from Cretaceous and Paleogene organic‐rich rocks, which may also have contributed to the accumulated oils, are urgently needed in order to quantify their possible input. In the Prikumsk Swell, at least two oil families, characterized by low and high C28/C29 sterane ratios respectively, can be distinguished in reservoir rocks of Triassic to Cretaceous age. Most oils are characterized by low C28/C29 sterane ratios and the absence of oleanane ("Group B oils"). These characteristics suggest a pre‐Upper Cretaceous source for the oils, which is also supported by the geological setting. Hierarchical cluster analysis suggests the presence of four sub‐groups (Sub‐Groups B1 to B4). Typically, biomarker ratios in oils in Cretaceous reservoirs are more uniform than those in Triassic and Jurassic reservoirs. Potential source rocks include Lower Triassic deep‐water clayey limestones and shales as well as Middle Jurassic and Aptian‐Albian marine shales. Three oil samples from Triassic and Cretaceous reservoirs form a separate oil family ("Group A"), which is genetically related to oils from the Terek‐Caspian fold‐and‐thrust belt. Group A oils have high C28/C29 sterane ratios and in general contain at least some oleanane. A contribution by Cenozoic source rocks to Group A oils is likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration efforts around the Greater Caucasus region started towards the end of the 19th century and established a wide range of petroleum play types in various basin segments around the orogen. All these plays are associated with the flanks of the inverted thrust‐fold belt and the adjacent foreland basin systems, but display significant variation among the basin segments depending on the tectonostratigraphic units involved and the degree of exploration maturity. Whereas the same main source rocks have generated most of the hydrocarbons in all the basins (namely organic‐rich shales in the Oligocene – Lower Miocene Maykop Group and the Eocene Kuma Formation), it is primarily the trapping style, both proven and speculative, which is responsible for the broad spectrum of play types observed. Eleven play type diagrams across six main petroleum provinces of the Greater Caucasus region are presented in this paper and summarize the current exploration understanding of the existing discoveries and potential new play targets. These play cartoons offer a prospect‐scale summary of both mature producing and underexplored basin segments in a coherent visual manner, and are therefore intended to promote future exploration efforts in the Caucasus region. The testing of new play types requires the proper risking of the two most critical elements in the region: hydrocarbon kitchen effectiveness, and post‐charge trap modification. The de‐risking of these factors will require properly designed, fit‐for‐purpose acquisition of modern geological and geophysical data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a recent geological and archaeological survey conducted in the Sarab district (Sabalan area) in Northwestern Iran. This survey aimed to identify potential obsidian outcrops in the region and to investigate archaeological sites in the vicinity to assess their obsidian exploitation patterns. We located a new obsidian source, Ideloo, and surveyed the previously known archaeological sites of Tepe Qalehjoogh, Kultepe Asbfrooshan, Tepe Emam Chay and Qaleh Tepe Abarghan. Here, we describe the methods and results of our surveys, along with the geochemical characterisation, using portable XRF and LA‐ICP‐MS, of both the new outcrop and the obsidian artefacts found on the sites. Our analyses have revealed the consumption of Ideloo obsidian on three of the four sites surveyed, confirming its exploitation by local communities. While validating previous assumptions regarding the existence of potential obsidian sources in Northwestern Iran, our study also highlights the consumption of raw materials originating from the Caucasus or Eastern Anatolia in complement to local resources. However, the diffusion of the Ideloo obsidian seems so far restricted to a small area, which suggests more complex consumption and trade patterns than previously expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes an empirical test of key themes of the literature on natural resource conflict. Survey and interview data from an ongoing project in Azerbaijan provide insights into an unexpected lack of conflict in Azerbaijan related to the environment, resources and energy despite the predictions of resource conflict literature. We contend that questions about public perceptions about the environment and other daily concerns are critical if we are to understand who is likely (or unlikely) to be involved in conflict and why. The data presented in this paper demonstrate that Azerbaijani citizens rank environmental and resource issues among their immediate concerns and their top concerns for the country. However, compared to other day-to-day concerns such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and economic concerns, environment-related concerns do not appear to be sufficient to motivate widespread violent conflict or citizen dissent related to environmental or natural resource conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the Chechen secessionist struggle against Russia. Although the Chechens had good moral grounds for claiming independence in November 1991, this paper shows that Yeltsin also had reasons, defensible in legal terms and liberal secessionist theory, for rejecting it. Even if Moscow had granted Chechnya independence, this would not have created peace and stability. Moscow had a right to defend its territorial integrity, but its conduct in the war has proved counter- productive. It has polarised opinion in Chechnya and made any solution to the crisis more difficult to achieve. On paper, Moscow's longstanding proposal of political autonomy for Chechnya looks the best way forward, but it is unlikely to satisfy Chechen nationalists or the Islamic fundamentalists who have more expansionist aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of the study `Morphometric analysis of Mousterian Era teeth from the Caucasus Mountains,' by A.M. Haeussler. Morphological analysis of the teeth found in the Caucasus Mountains.

Foundation species control biodiversity and ecosystem processes, but are difficult to identify. In this issue of the Journal of Vegetation Science, Elumeeva et al. show that Festuca varia and Nardus stricta act as foundation species in the Caucasus' alpine. This paper augments the piecemeal literature on foundation species while highlighting the need for more comprehensive approaches to their identification and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the French archaeological mission ' Caucasus', in a previous paper we have presented new geochemical analyses on geological obsidians from the southern Caucasus ( Armenia, Georgia) and eastern Turkey. We present here the second part of this research, which deals with provenance studies of archaeological obsidians from Armenia. These new data enhance our knowledge of obsidian exploitation over a period of more than 14 000 years, from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Late Bronze Age. The proposed methodology shows that source attribution can be easily made by plotting element contents and element ratios on three simple binary diagrams. The same diagrams were used for source discrimination. As the southern Caucasus is a mountainous region for which the factor of distance as the crow flies cannot be applied, we have explored the capacity of the Geographic Information System to evaluate the nature and patterns of travel costs between the sources of obsidian and the archaeological sites. The role of the secondary obsidian deposits, which enabled the populations to acquire raw material at a considerable distance from the outcrops, is also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large analytical programme involving both obsidian source characterization and obsidian artefact sourcing was initiated recently within the framework of the French archaeological mission ' Caucasus'. The results will be presented in two parts: the first part, this paper, deals with the presentation and characterization of obsidian outcrops in the southern Caucasus, while the second presents some results obtained from a selection of artefacts originating from different Armenian sites dated to between the Upper Palaeolithic and the Late Bronze Age. The same analytical method, LA- ICP- MS (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), has been used to characterize all the studied samples (both geological and archaeological). This method is more and more widely used to determine the elemental composition of obsidian artefacts, as it causes minimal damage to the studied objects. We present in this first part new geochemical analyses on geological obsidians originating from the southern Caucasus ( Armenia, Georgia) and eastern Turkey. These data enhance our knowledge of the obsidian sources in these regions. A simple methodology, based on the use of three diagrams, is proposed to easily differentiate the deposits and to study the early exploitation of this material in the southern Caucasus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper re-examines the evidence for early contacts between Proto-Indo-European (PIE) and the languages of the Caucasus. Although we were not able to find certain proofs of lexical borrowing between PIE and North Caucasian, there are a few undeniable areal-typological parallels in phonology and grammar. Some features generally attributed to PIE are not found in the majority of languages of North and Northeastern Eurasia, while they are common, or universally present, in the languages of the Caucasus (especially North Caucasus). Those features include the high consonant-to-vowel ratio, tonal accent, number suppletion in personal pronouns, the presence of gender and the morphological optative and, possibly, the presence of glottalized consonants and ergativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Causative agents of occupational asthma (OA) are well described in literature but far less is known about factors affecting the outcome of OA. Short duration of exposure, early diagnosis when symptoms appear and further avoidance of exposure have been suggested as good prognostic factors. This study was designed to investigate a short-term outcome of OA. The medical records of 47 Caucasian patients from a Finnish population diagnosed with OA in year 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Employment status at 6-month follow-up of all patients was determined. We assessed the following potential predictors of unemployment at follow-up: the causative agents of OA, asthma medication, spirometry results, smoking status, gender, age, occupation, atopy status, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and time to diagnosis. We calculated odd ratios (ORs) to predict employment status at follow-up. At the follow-up examination, 23 persons (49%) were not working. At the time of follow-up there were no significant differences in pulmonary function between those employed and those who discontinued to work. Atopy at baseline predicted diminished lung function at the 6-month follow-up. In addition, atopy was the only prognostic factor and was inversely related to the work discontinuation at the follow-up [OR 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04-0.79]. Work continuation as an OA outcome at 6 months could not be predicted by gender, age, occupational status, exposure antigen, smoking habits or duration of symptoms before diagnosis. The socio-economic short-term prognosis of OA was relatively poor since half of the patients were not at work at the 6 months follow-up. Please cite this paper as: Kauppi P, Hannu T, Helaskoski E, Toivio P and Sauni R. Short-term prognosis of occupational asthma in a Finnish population. Clin Respir J 2011; 5: 143-149. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of a decade of transition on living standards and welfare in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Following independence in 1991 all countries suffered a sharp decline in GDP per capita, with levels in some countries falling to below a quarter of the pre-transition level. Since then, all countries have experienced positive economic growth. The key questions are whether this growth has been accompanied by declines in inequality and poverty and, if so, how sustainable are these improvements. There is some evidence that recent growth has benefited the poor. However, at the start of the new century, an estimated 39 million people in Central Asia and the Caucasus were living in poverty, of whom over 14 million were living in extreme poverty. Moreover, there is evidence of growing inequalities in terms of access to health and education services, with implications for future human development. Continuing poor governance within the region represents a major barrier to future poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cease-fires in the Caucasus during the past five years have prevented large-scale life-threatening emergencies and created space for peace negotiations. Yet genuine conflict resolution and normalisation have proven elusive, frustrating the return of uprooted populations and constraining reconstruction. This paper reviews a series of seven strategy sessions held in Moscow and the Caucasus in late 1998 to reflect upon the performance of humanitarian agencies and stimulate greater synergies with diplomatic actors. An experiment in promoting discussion of recently conducted independent policy research throughout the north and south Caucasus, the series resulted in a fresh look at the issues in the region and at agency headquarters. The generic nature of the policy challenges gives the experience potential relevance well beyond the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this case study of territoriality in Armenia's Late Bronze Age Tsaghkahovit Plain we examine land claims and political relations among fortified communities with highly varied subsistence and economic practices, including mobile pastoralism. Integral to political relations between fortress-based institutions and mobile subjects was the need to create highly legible places for political subjection, authorization, and action. However, the same social, political, economic, and religious institutions that help elucidate the spatial dimensions of politics in the LBA-shrines, workshops, storage spaces, cemeteries-also demonstrate that political claims and commitments to land did not likely resemble the neat borders of absolutist cartographies essential to modern nation-states. We detail potential models of territorial organization that incorporate the strategies of rule and socioeconomic dynamics derived from a decade of archaeological survey and excavation on the plain by Project ArAGATS. [mobility, complex polities, land, landscape, political economy] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]