Huzhu County Research Articles

Building a Speech Dataset and Recognition Model for the Minority Tu Language

Speech recognition technology has many applications in our daily life. However, for many low-resource languages without written forms, acquiring sufficient training data remains a significant challenge for building accurate ASR models. The Tu language, spoken by an ethnic minority group in Qinghai Province in China, is one such example. Due to the lack of written records and the great diversity in regional pronunciations, there has been little previous research on Tu-language speech recognition. This work seeks to address this research gap by creating the first speech dataset for the Tu language spoken in Huzhu County, Qinghai. We first formulated the relevant pronunciation rules for the Tu language based on linguistic analysis. Then, we constructed a new speech corpus, named HZ-TuDs, through targeted data collection and annotation. Based on the HZ-TuDs dataset, we designed several baseline sequence-to-sequence deep neural models for end-to-end Tu-language speech recognition. Additionally, we proposed a novel SA-conformer model, which combines convolutional and channel attention modules to better extract speech features. Experiments showed that our proposed SA-conformer model can significantly reduce the character error rate from 23% to 12%, effectively improving the accuracy of Tu language recognition compared to previous approaches. This demonstrates the effectiveness of our dataset construction and model design efforts in advancing speech recognition technology for this low-resource minority language.

The Retrieval of Forest and Grass Fractional Vegetation Coverage in Mountain Regions Based on Spatio-Temporal Transfer Learning

The vegetation cover of forests and grasslands in mountain regions plays a crucial role in regulating climate at both regional and global scales. Thus, it is necessary to develop accurate methods for estimating and monitoring fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in mountain areas. However, the complex topographic and climate factors pose significant challenges to accurately estimating the FVC of mountain forests and grassland. Existing remote sensing products, FVC retrieval methods, and FVC samples may fail to meet the required accuracy standards. In this study, we propose a method based on spatio-temporal transfer learning for the retrieval of FVC in mountain forests and grasslands, using the mountain region of Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, as the study area. The method combines simulated FVC samples, Sentinel-2 images, and mountain topographic factor data to pre-train LSTM and 1DCNN models and subsequently transfer the models to HJ-2A/B remote sensing images. The results of the study indicated the following: (1) The FVC samples generated by the proposed method (R2 = 0.7536, RMSE = 0.0596) are more accurate than those generated by the dichotomy method (R2 = 0.4997, RMSE = 0.1060) based on validation with ground truth data. (2) The LSTM model performed better than the 1DCNN model: the average R2 of the two models was 0.9275 and 0.8955; the average RMSE was 0.0653 and 0.0735. (3) Topographic features have a significant impact on FVC retrieval results, particularly in relatively high-altitude mountain regions (DEM > 3000 m) or non-growing seasons (May and October). Therefore, the proposed method has better potential in FVC fine spatio-temporal retrieval of high-resolution mountainous remote sensing images.

Social Maintenance and Cultural Continuity—Folk Religion among the Tu Ethnic Group in Northwest China

Despite economic development and social changes, folk religion in China has not died out, but has survived and has even experienced a revival. Oscillating state policies have in general had a strong impact on religion in China. Though there is no official recognition of ethnic folk-religions, the state classifies them positively as manifestations of local cultural heritage and in this context has supported—not stifled—public folk religious practices among the Tu. This study deals with folk religious’ practice among the Tu ethnic group in Northwest China. The article highlights animist ontology as a theoretical perspective for analyzing the religious practices of the Tu ethnic group in China. The authors carried out anthropological procedures of participant observation and interviewing in the Tu community distributed in Qinghai Province and now present a portrait of the folk religion in typical Tu communities located in Minhe County and Huzhu County. The article also discusses the tripartite cosmology of the Tu and the positive interactions with national authorities. Quite apart from the issue of the impact of the state, the authors document, via prolonged ethnographic immersion in two regions, that the folk religion of the Tu is also closely linked to, and continues to have an impact on, daily life, particularly with regard to the construction and maintenance of ethnic community structure. This paper is organized as follows. First, we present ethnographic information on the religious beliefs and ritual practices of the Tu. The subsequent section then discusses how public folk-religious performances receive support from the state in the context of tourism and local economic development and how they contribute to the maintenance of community structure and social order. The conclusion summarizes the process by which ethnic folk religions have not only survived, but, in part as a result of state support for ethnic cultural heritage, experienced a revival.

Spatial distribution, source identification, and risk assessment of heavy metals in the cultivated soil of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau region: Case study on Huzhu County

Assessing the risk and sources of heavy metals in cultivated soil is important for the agricultural development of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. A survey was conducted in this study to determine the spatial distribution and possible sources of heavy metals in the agricultural soils in Huzhu county, a representative agricultural suburb in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of 120 surface soil samples were collected, soil pH and concentrations of chromium(Cr), cadmium(Cd), plumbum(Pb), arsenic(As), and hydrargyrum(Hg) were analyzed. The pollution risk degree of heavy metal pollution was also evaluated. The mean concentrations of the heavy metals were 70.8, 0.24, 23.7, 12.2, and 0.08 mg/kg for Cr, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg, respectively, higher than the soil background values of Qinghai Province with the exception of As, but lower than the guideline values of Chinese standard for soil contamination of agricultural land. The sampling point contamination risk of the heavy metals showed a site feature, and most sampling points of Cd and Hg was exhibit polluted. The potential ecological risk index indicated that most of the cultivated soils have low and moderate ecological risks. Multivariate and geostatistical analysis suggested that Cr, As, and Pb were due mainly to soil parent materials, Cd contamination was caused by agricultural and transportation activities, and Hg contamination was caused by coal combustion and industrial activities. The results of this study is a basis for undertaking more effective and accurate heavy metal control strategies to protect the safety of agricultural ecosystems. • Concentrations of heavy metals were measured in cultivated soils of Huzhu County in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. • The cultivated soils were mainly polluted by Cd and Hg. • Spatial heterogeneity of heavy metals was closely related with human activities.

Spatial variability of soil organic matter and total nitrogen and the influencing factors in Huzhu County of Qinghai Province, China

ABSTRACT The soil organic matter (SOM) and soil total nitrogen (STN) is a significant concern in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. This study analysed the spatial distribution of SOM and STN and determined their influencing factors to support the conservation of cultivated soil and development of sustainable agricultural strategies in the Plateau. In total, 120 soil samples were collected from the 0–20-cm soil layer in Huzhu County, Qinghai Province. Traditional statistical and geostatistical methods were used to analyse the spatial distribution of SOM and STN; a geographical detector (GeoDetector)was used to explore the factors influencing the spatial variation. The SOM and STN concentrations were 6.92–44.57 and 0.52–2.54 g/kg, respectively. The Cokriging interpolation map showed a similar spatial distribution pattern for SOM and STN concentrations, which decreased from the northeast to southwest directions in the study area. GeoDetector results revealed that the three primary factors influencing the spatial variability of SOM and STN were soil type, annual accumulated precipitation and elevation, with their explanatory power ranging between 38.4% and 59.5%. Two-factor interactions enhanced the explanatory power of the spatial variability of SOM and STN. The research results provide a reference for conservation tillage and precision agriculture.

Recognition of producing areas of Angelicae Sinensis Radix based on structure-texture image decomposition

The pharmacological effects of Angelicae Sinensis Radix from different producing areas are uneven. Accurate identification of its producing areas by computer vision and machine learning(CVML) is conducive to evaluating the quality of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. This paper collected the high-definition images of Angelicae Sinensis Radix from different producing areas using a digital camera to construct an image database, followed by the extraction of texture features based on the grayscale relationship of adjacent pixels in the image. Then a support vector machine(SVM)-based prediction model for predicting the producing areas of Angelicae Sinensis Radix was built. The experimental results showed that the prediction accuracy reached up to 98.49% under the conditions of the model training set occupying 80%, the test set occupying 20%, and the sampling radius(r) of adjacent pixels being 2. When the training set was set to 10%, the prediction accuracy was still over 93%. Among the three producing areas of Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Huzhu county, Qinghai province exhibited the highest error rate, while Heqing county, Yunnan province the lowest error rate. Angelicae Sinensis Radix from Minxian county, Gansu province and Huzhu county, Qinghai province were both wrongly attributed to Heqing county, Yunnan province, while most of those from Huzhu county, Qinghai province were misjudged as the samples produced in Minxian county, Gansu province. The method designed in this paper enabled the rapid and non-destructive prediction of the producing areas of Angelicae Sinensis Radix, boasting high accuracy and strong stability. There were definite morphological differences between Angelicae Sinensis Radix samples from Minxian county, Gansu province and those from Huzhu county, Qinghai province. The wrongly predicted samples from Minxian county, Gansu province and Huzhu city, Qinghai province shared similar morphological characteristics with those from Heqing county, Yunnan province. Most wrongly predicted samples from Heqing county, Yunnan province were similar to the ones from Minxian county, Gansu province in morphological characteristics.

Trends in complementary feeding practices and caregivers' feeding knowledge among children aged 6-23 months: Repeated cross-sectional surveys in rural Qinghai China 2012-18.

BackgroundAppropriate infant and young child feeding is the basis for child survival, growth and development. The aim of this study was to investigate trends in complementary feeding practices and caregivers’ feeding knowledge among children from 2012 to 2018 in Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, China.MethodsThis study took place during and after a controlled interventional evaluation trial in Qinghai Province, China, which aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based nutrient-dense complementary food supplements (YingYangBao) combined with dietary counseling on improving 6-23 month-old children's health status. We conducted four representative cross-sectional surveys on caregivers of children aged 6-23 months in Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, China (baseline survey for the trial (N = 1804) in August 2012, end-line survey for the trial (N = 2186) in August 2014, follow-up survey 1 (N = 496) in January 2016, and follow-up survey 2 (N = 754) in July 2018). In all surveys we used the same questionnaire to collect household information, infant feeding practices and caregivers’ feeding knowledge.ResultsDuring the trial period (2012-2014), the proportion of children aged 6-8 months that introduced (semi-) solid food increased from 86.1% to 96.3% (P < 0.0001), however, there was a downward trend from 2014 to 2018 (P = 0.0014 for trend). The prevalence of minimum dietary diversity also increased from 51.4% at 2012 baseline survey to 57.5% at 2014 endline survey (P = 0.0004), but the upward trend did not maintain from 2014 to 2018 (P = 0.7863 for trend). The minimum dietary frequency, the minimum acceptable diet, and continued breastfeeding at one year were nearly unchanged from 2012 to 2018 (P = 0.9529, P = 0.7602 and P = 0.6013 for trend, respectively), remaining around 30%, 10% and 20% respectively in the four surveys. Caregivers’ feeding knowledge on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and introduction of semi or solid foods at 6-8 months increased from 2012 to 2018 (18.6% to 39.5%, 43.2% to 64.3%, respectively).ConclusionThis study showed that the sustainability of community-based YYB and dietary counseling program was suboptimal. We suggest that multiple information delivery channels such as smartphones and the Internet should be explored as a supplement to existing channels for delivering counseling information.Trial registrationChiCTRPRC12002444.

Effects of phosphorus application rates on spring rape yield and soil phosphorus balance.

Excessive application of phosphorus fertilizer leads to high soil available phosphorus content but low phosphorus use efficiency in the main production areas of spring rape in eastern Qinghai. Understanding the effects of phosphorous application rates on the growth, phosphorus absorption, soil phosphorus balance in the field of spring rape could improve nutrient management of spring rape, and benefit for the sustainable development of agriculture in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A field experiment was carried out in Huzhu County of Qinghai Province from 2017 to 2018. We mea-sured seed yield, phosphorus uptake and oil content of spring rape under five phosphorous fertilizer rates (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg P2O5·hm-2). In 2017, the seed yield and oil production of spring rape with the rate of 60 kg·hm-2 were significantly higher than that of no phosphorus fertilizer treatment. In contrast, seed yield and oil production did not increase when the phosphorus rate exceeded 60 kg·hm-2 in 2017. Phosphorus rate did not affect seed yield, phosphorus accumulation, and oil production of spring rape in 2018. The phosphorus use efficiency was low in both years, with a mean value of 6.7%. Phosphorus fertilizer application caused phosphorus surplus in soils, which was low when the application rate was less than 60 kg·hm-2. Our results suggest that the rate of 60 kg·hm-2 is suitable for spring rape production in the eastern Qinghai Province.

Effectiveness of WeChat for Improving Exclusive Breastfeeding in Huzhu County China: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundThe benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and mothers have been well recognized. However, the exclusive breastfeeding rate in China is low and decreasing. Mobile technologies have rapidly developed; communication apps such as WeChat (one of the largest social networking platforms in China) are widely used and have the potential to conveniently improve health behaviors.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the effectiveness of using WeChat to improve breastfeeding practices.MethodsThis 2-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted among pregnant women from May 2019 to April 2020 in Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, China. Pregnant women were eligible to participate if they were aged 18 years or older, were 11 to 37 weeks pregnant with a singleton fetus, had no known illness that could limit breastfeeding after childbirth, used WeChat through their smartphone, and had access to the internet. A total of 344 pregnant women were recruited at baseline, with 170 in the intervention group and 174 in the control group. Women in the intervention group received breastfeeding knowledge and promotion information weekly through a WeChat official account from their third month of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. The primary outcome of exclusive and predominant breastfeeding rate was measured 0-1 month, 2-3 months, and 4-5 months postpartum.ResultsAt 0-1 month postpartum, the exclusive breastfeeding rate was significantly higher in the intervention group than that in the control group (81.1% vs 63.3%; odds ratio [OR] 2.75, 95% CI 1.58-4.78; P<.001). Similarly, mothers in the intervention group were more likely to provide predominantly breast milk (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.55-4.96; P<.001) and less likely to give dairy products to their children (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.21-0.75; P=.005). There was no statistically significant difference for exclusive breastfeeding rate 2-3 months (P=.09) and 4-5 months postpartum (P=.27), though more children in the intervention group were exclusively breastfed than those in the control group 2-3 months postpartum (intervention: 111/152, 73.0%; control: 96/152, 63.2%) and 4-5 months postpartum(intervention: 50/108, 46.3%; control: 46/109, 42.2%).ConclusionsThis study is the first effort to promote exclusive breastfeeding through WeChat in China, which proved to be an effective method of promoting exclusive breastfeeding in early life. WeChat health education can be used in addition to local breastfeeding promotion programs.Trial RegistrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800017364; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29325International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.1186/s12889-019-7676-2

Morphometric variations and growth of the profile of the face in Chinese boys aged 4-15 years.

Much research has been conducted on the morphological growth and development of Chinese children. However, very few facial measurements have been documented, especially of the sagittal plane of the face. Morphometric variations and growth of the sagittal plane of the face in children were analyzed using geometric morphometric method in this study. The studied sample consisted of 108 boys (4-15 years) from Huzhu County in Qinghai Province of China, which were divided into three groups: 4-6 years old, 7-11 years old and 12-15 years old. It was revealed that the landmark-groups of nose area were relatively long, indicating large variation in the direction of the nasal protuberance, which possibly reflected the vigorous growth of the children's nose. There were larger landmark-groups' variability ranges in children aged 7-11 years, which may be related to the rapid growth in this period. The average morphology of the sagittal plane of the face changed a lot with age, which was showed in the comparison of the averaged graph of three groups: (1) the proportion of the forehead to entire face became smaller; (2) the 7th landmark extruded more noticeably; (3) the nose became protruding; (4) the position of the mouth was relatively getting more upward, and the angle formed between the upper lip and the lower lip increased, and the lower lip moved forward; (5) the chin protuberated. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed significant differences in the main distribution areas between age group 4-6 years and 12-15 years, even though there was a lot of overlap in the three age groups. Allometric analysis showed that the sagittal plane of the face aged 4-6 years and 7-11 years changed in the following way as the size increased: the forehead became vertical and the upper lip turned to be smaller. Additionally, as the size increased in age group 12-15 years, the most prominent landmark of the forehead became more conspicuous, and the bridge of the nose got more upturned. These may reflect the common morphological features and growing development of the facial sagittal plane of Chinese children.

The effectiveness of using a WeChat account to improve exclusive breastfeeding in Huzhu County Qinghai Province, China: protocol for a randomized control trial

BackgroundAn exclusive breastfeeding rate in the first 6 months of life of at least 50% is one of the six World Health Organization global nutrition targets for 2025. However, the exclusive breastfeeding rate in China is quite low and decreasing which makes it urgent to explore effective ways to reverse the current downward trend. As mobile technologies have rapidly developed, mobile communication apps such as WeChat (one of the largest social networking platforms in China) are well accepted and have the potential to improve health behaviors in a convenient way. The current paper describes the study protocol of a WeChat intervention that aims to promote breastfeeding in rural areas in China.MethodsThe study is designed as a randomized controlled trial in rural Qinghai Province, China. Women who are 14–36 weeks pregnant will be randomized to routine antenatal and postnatal care, or routine care plus the WeChat breastfeeding education. pregnant women with a severe disease and complications of pregnancy or HIV-1 will be excluded. Breastfeeding knowledge and promotion information will be delivered to the intervention group through a WeChat official account from 3 months pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. The outcome assessments are conducted at baseline through face-to-face interviews, and at one week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months postpartum by telephone interviews. The primary outcome is difference in the exclusive breastfeeding rate at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum between the intervention group and the control group. Secondary outcomes include the overall duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding across the first 6 months postpartum; mothers’ knowledge of breastfeeding; the proportion of early initiation of breastfeeding; and the timing of the introduction of solid food to infants. Intention-to-treat-analysis will be used. Survival analysis will be used to compare the overall duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding between groups.DiscussionThis study is the first effort to promote exclusive breastfeeding through WeChat in China. Our results will provide scientific evidence for the effect of health education through WeChat on breastfeeding. Thereby this may offer a comprehensive intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding in China and other settings.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry –ChiCTR1800017364. Registered 26 July 2018. http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29325

Illumina-based sequencing analysis of pathogenic microorganisms in dental caries patients of different Chinese ethnic groups.

ObjectiveTo analyze the pathogenic community diversity of dental caries patients from Tu, Hui, Tibetan, and Han Chinese ethnic groups.MethodsForty saliva samples were collected from the following patients with dental caries: Tu from Huzhu County (n = 10), Hui from Ping’an County (n = 10), Han from Xining city (n = 10), and Tibetan from Yushu (n = 10). High-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes (V3-V4) was performed using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform.ResultsBased on 97% similarity clustering, operational taxonomic units of Tu, Hui, Tibetan, and Han ethnic groups were 181, 210, 38, and 67, respectively. In Tu patients, 11 phyla, 19 classes, and 89 genera were identified, compared with 13 phyla, 21 classes, and 113 genera in Hui patients, two phyla, four classes, and 21 genera in Tibetan patients, five phyla, nine classes, and 34 genera in Han patients, and four phyla, five classes, and 12 genera from the control group. The main pathogens of dental caries included Veillonella, Aggregatibacter, Leptotrichia, Bacteroides, Granulicatella, Streptococcus, and Prevotella.ConclusionThe pathogenic microorganisms of dental caries differ greatly among Tu, Hui, Tibetan, and Han ethnic groups. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the effective prevention and treatment of dental caries in different Chinese populations.

Prevalence and causes of anaemia in children aged 6–23 months in rural Qinghai, China: findings from a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo investigate the current situation of anaemia among children aged 6–23 months in a rural county in China, and to explore the influencing factors and the main causes of anaemia.DesignA...

青海省互助县农作物物候对气候变化的响应&lt;br&gt;Response of Crops to Climate Change across Huzhu County of Qinghai Province

青海省互助县农作物物候对气候变化的响应&lt;br&gt;Response of Crops to Climate Change across Huzhu County of Qinghai Province

Chemical constituents of Saussurea superba

Saussurea superba Anthony belongs to the Compositae family and is one of the major medicinal plants in China. Its roots have long been used as folk medicine to treat influenza, pharyngeal swelling, measles, urticaria, and food poisoning [1]. The present research deals with the isolation and elucidation of compounds 1–20 from the whole plant of S. superba. The compounds isolated were identified as follows: stigmast-1,4-dien-3-one (1) [2], stigmast-4-en-3-one (2) [3], 6 -hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one (3) [3], -sitosterol (4) [3], sitosterol-5-en-3 ,7 -diol (5) [3], 3 -hydroxystigmast-5-en7-one (6) [3, 4], 5,6 -epoxy-5 -sitostan-3 -ol (7) [5], 5,6 -epoxy-5 -sitostan-3 -ol (8) [12], 5 ,8 -epidioxy-24(S)methylcholesterol-6,22-dien-3 -ol (9) [6], lupeol (10) [7, 8], -amyrin (11) [9], 3 -hydroxy-urs-12-en-11-one (12) [10], luteolin (13) [11], luteolin-3 -O-D-glucopyranoside (14) [12], umbelliferone (15) [13], scopoletin (16) [14], skimmin (17) [13, 15], scopolin (18) [13, 15], 2-hydroxy-4-acetoanisole (19) [16], and phenylacetic acid (20) [17]. These compounds were characterized by spectral data and comparison with those reported in previous work. Plant Materials. The whole plant of Saussurea superba was collected in Huzhu county, Qinghai province, P. R. China, in August 2002. It was identified by Dr. Huan-Yang Qi. The voucher specimens (2002002) were deposited in the Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. R. China. Extract, Isolation, and Purification. The dried plant material (2.0 kg) was powdered and extracted with 95% of industrial ethanol at 60 C for 24 h and then evaporated. The residue (120 g) was mixed with 500 mL water and extracted with petroleum ether, EtOAc, and n-butanol, respectively, to yield three parts (A, B, and C). Part A (30 g) was chromatographed on a silica gel column, eluting with petroleum ether (60–90 C)–acetone (v/v = 30:1, 20:1, 15:1, 10:1, 5:1, 3:1, 1:1, each about 3.0 L), to give four fractions (A1–A4) after concentration at reduced pressure. Fraction A1 was applied to a silica gel column, eluting with petroleum ether–EtOAc (v/v, from 30:1 to 25:1), to yield compounds 19 (600 mg), 4 (168 mg), and 10 (20 mg). Fraction A2 was eluted on a silica gel column with CHCl3–acetone (40:1) to give compounds 1 (7 mg ) and 3 (5 mg) after purified by pre-TLC. Compounds 2 (27 mg) and 11 (4 mg) were subsequently crystallized from fraction A3, eluting with CHCl3–acetone (20:1). Fraction A4 was eluted on a silica gel column with CHCl3–EtOAc (15:1) to afford a crude mixture of 5, 9, and 6 (10 mg) and 12 (3 mg). The mixture was processed by pre-TLC to give crystals 5 (2 mg) and 9 (7 mg). Part B (20 g) was eluted on a silica gel column with petroleum ether–EtOAc (6:1) and petroleum ether–acetone (v/v, from 10:1 to 7:1) to afford compounds 13 (14 mg), 15 (1 g), and 16 (14 mg), and then by pre-TLC (petroleum ether–EtOAc, 8:1) to give white solids 20 (120 mg), 7 (2 mg), and 8 (2 mg). Part C (54 g) was applied to a silica gel column, eluting with a CHCl3–CH3OH gradient to yield 14 (272 mg), 17 (19 mg), and 18 (7 g), respectively.

Report on the surveillance results of endemic fluorosis in Qinghai Province in 2007

Objective To investigate the fulfillment of improved water measures for endemic fluomsis and to find out the trend of prevalence in Qinghai Province in order to provide scientific basis and technical support for the government to formulate control strategies for endemic fluorosis.Methods Usage and management of reforming water facilities in Huzhu County were generally surveyed.Yanya Village,Caijiabu Town,Huzhu County was chosen as the surveillance spot.The household drinking water was surveyed.The dental fluorosis and urine fluoride content of children aged 8-12 years and adult above 16 years were examined.Skeletal fluorosis of adult was checked.The fluomsis content in drinking water and urine was determined with F-ion selective electrode method.The dental fluowsis was examined with Dean index.Skeletal fluorosis was diagnosed according to eountry standard(GB 16396-1996.WS 192-1999).Results The rate of water-improving was 60%(36/60)in Huzhu County.The mean of fluoride content in drinking water Was 1.25 mg/L The prevalence rate of dental fluorosis of children aged 8-12 years was 90.20%(46/51);that of adult was 88.89%(48/54).The dental fluorosis index of children was 1.77,that of adult was 2.95.The prevalence rate of skeletal fluorosis was 98.15% indicated by clinical data,18.87% by X-ray.The ufine fluorosis content of children was 2.27 mg/L,that of adult was 2.00 mg/L.Conclusion The disease condition of endemic fluorosis in Qinshai is serious,defluofidation is slow in effect. Key words: Endemic disease; Fhioresis; Epidemioiogieal surveiHance; Outcome assessment

A new sand mite of the subgenus Digenualea from Qinghai, China (Acari: Trombiculidae: Neotrombicula)

Abstract A new species of the subgenus Digenualea of the genus Neotrombicula Hirst was described from Myospalax baileyi Pallas in Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, China.