Mongolia Of China Research Articles

Geochronology and ore genesis of the Shuangjianzishan Ag-polymetallic deposit, Inner Mongolia, China

The newly discovered Shuangjianzishan Ag-polymetallic deposit is in the southern part of the Great Xing’an Range of Inner Mongolia in NE China, and is China’s largest Ag deposit with a 21,665 t silver reserves. Three types of hydrothermal mineralization are evident: relatively early disseminated and stringer mineralization, succeeded by a breccia-hosted and younger vein-type mineralization. Preliminary studies show that the deposit might represent a mixed ore system where the early disseminated and stringer mineralization is overprinted by the breccia-hosted and vein-type mineralization.Muscovite Ar–Ar and Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb dating of zircon, and geochemical analyses were completed at the deposit. The zircon U–Pb dating for the argentiferous quartz-veins yield a crystallization age of 148 ± 1 Ma, and muscovite coexisting with sulfides yields an Ar–Ar plateau age of 147 ± 2 Ma. Both dates, being the same within error indicate that the mineralization is ca. 148 Ma, which is a date that coincides with a wide-spread ca. 159–144 Ma magmatic event in the region.Stable isotopic data (δ18OH2O and δD) collected from fluid inclusions from the quartz vein-type mineralization are characterized by systematic and small variation, and this difference reflects the higher fluid fluxes and smaller amount of rock-buffering for the quartz veins. The δ13C values of −10.6 to −14.3‰ and δ18O values of 0 to 5.1‰ for calcite from the veins indicate that the carbon in the mineralizing fluid had a mixed magmatic and highly evolved meteoric fluid source.In addition, the δ34S values of 28 sulfides range from −4.70 to 1.40‰, which are values markedly close to that of granitic rocks and the mantle, indicative of a magmatic source. Lead-isotopes values for sulfides are indicative of a mixed mantle and crustal source.Many features of intermediate-sulfidation epithermal deposits are present at Shuangjianzishan, which is therefore interpreted as an intermediate sulfidation deposit derived from a mixed source during a phase change in temperature and pressure interpreted as being related to fluid mixing and boiling.

A novel pathogenic variant in OSBPL2 linked to hereditary late-onset deafness in a Mongolian family

BackgroundTo investigate the clinical features and the underlying causal gene of a family with hereditary late-onset deafness in Inner Mongolia of China, and to provide evidence for the early genetic screening and diagnosis of this disease.MethodsFamily data were collected to draw a pedigree. Audiological testing and physical examination of the family members were conducted following questionnaire. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of 5 family members (3 patients and 2 normal control) and subjected to whole genome sequencing for identifying deafness casual genes. The pathogenic variant in the deafness gene was further confirmed by Sanger sequencing.ResultsThe family is composed of a total of 6 generations, with 53 traceable individuals. In this family,19 of them were diagnosed with post lingual deafness with the age of onset between 10 and 40 years, displaying delayed and progressive hearing loss. Patients with hearing loss showed bilateral symmetry and mild to severe sensorineural deafness. The pattern of deafness inheritance in this family is autosomal dominant. Whole genome sequencing identified a novel pathogenic frameshift mutation, c.158_159delAA (p.Gln53Arg fs*100) in the gene OSBPL2 (Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2, NM_144498.2), which is absent from genomic data of 201 unrelated normal subjects. This pathogenic variant was further validated by Sanger sequencing, and was found to co-segregate in this family.ConclusionsWhole genome sequencing identified a two-nucleotide deletion in OSBPL2 (c.158_159delAA) as the pathogenic variant for deafness in the family. Our finding expands the mutational spectrum of OSBPL2 and contributes to the pathogenic variant list in genetic counseling for deafness screening.

Monitoring Wind Turbine Gearbox with Echo State Network Modeling and Dynamic Threshold Using SCADA Vibration Data

Health monitoring of wind turbine gearboxes has gained considerable attention as wind turbines become larger in size and move to more inaccessible locations. To improve the reliability, extend the lifetime of the turbines, and reduce the operation and maintenance cost caused by the gearbox faults, data-driven condition motoring techniques have been widely investigated, where various sensor monitoring data (such as power, temperature, and pressure, etc.) have been modeled and analyzed. However, wind turbines often work in complex and dynamic operating conditions, such as variable speeds and loads, thus the traditional static monitoring method relying on a certain fixed threshold will lead to unsatisfactory monitoring performance, typically high false alarms and missed detections. To address this issue, this paper proposes a reliable monitoring model for wind turbine gearboxes based on echo state network (ESN) modeling and the dynamic threshold scheme, with a focus on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) vibration data. The aim of the proposed approach is to build the turbine normal behavior model only using normal SCADA vibration data, and then to analyze the unseen SCADA vibration data to detect potential faults based on the model residual evaluation and the dynamic threshold setting. To better capture temporal information inherent in monitored sensor data, the echo state network (ESN) is used to model the complex vibration data due to its simple and fast training ability and powerful learning capability. Additionally, a dynamic threshold monitoring scheme with a sliding window technique is designed to determine dynamic control limits to address the issue of the low detection accuracy and poor adaptability caused by the traditional static monitoring methods. The effectiveness of the proposed monitoring method is verified using the collected SCADA vibration data from a wind farm located at Inner Mongolia in China. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can achieve improved detection accuracy and reliability compared with the traditional static threshold monitoring method.

Survey data analysis of the related risk factors of echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia of China and Mongolia

Objective: The aim of the study is to analyze the risk factors of hepatic echinococcosis in mass epidemiological studies in Inner Mongolia of China and Mongolia and provide a basis for related authorities to make appropriate preventive measures.Methods: Eight areas in Inner Mongolia and Zamyn-Üüd region of Mongolia were selected as epidemiological fields. By distributing epidemiological questionnaires to local residents and performing serological examinations and abdominal ultrasound examinations, the data results were collected and analyzed to obtain the risk factors.Results: In this research, there were 7,373 cases of valid data in the area of Inner Mongolia and 1,500 cases in the area of Mongolia. The mean age of the whole survey samples was 52.86 ± 13.90, and the ratio of the female (58.35%) was much higher than that of the male (41.65%). Both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis in this study showed that the female (14.7%) had a higher risk of hepatic echinococcosis than the male (10.9%). From the perspective of profession, children, educators and medical personnel had a lower incidence, herdsmen had the highest positive rate of the disease (15.8%). Living in pastoral areas, having been to pastoral areas, eating uncooked food and drinking unboiled water, raising dogs and surrounding activities of foxes and voles can also increase the risk of positivity.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the most important risk factor of hepatic echinoccosis is unhealthy lifestyles and customs in farmers and herdsmen. It is possible to provide a basis for related authorities to make effective protective measures aiming at hepatic echinococcosis.

Effects of climate change on lake area and vegetation cover over the past 55 years in Northeast Inner Mongolia grassland, China

Previous studies indicate that vegetation and lakes in arid and semi-arid regions are closely related to climate change. However, the responses of vegetation and lakes to climate-related variables have rarely been contrastively studied. The Hulun Lake (HLL) and its surrounding grasslands in Northeast Inner Mongolia of China comprise a semi-arid region that has experienced intense climate change over the last several decades. This study aims to understand the key factors that control the variations in the lake area and vegetation cover over the last five decades in the HLL region, as well as contrastively investigate the different responses of the lake area and vegetation cover to climate-related variables. Analysis results indicate that the variations with increasing change rates in the HLL area were mainly controlled by precipitation fluctuation. Moreover, an increase or decrease in the air temperature and relative humidity could affect the response time of the HLL area to the change in precipitation. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) variations from 1990 to 1999 around the HLL region were mainly controlled by the intense local grazing rather than climatic restrictions. The fluctuation in NDVI after 1999 reflects the response of the vegetation cover to climatic change. The correlation analysis shows that the variations in the HLL area were closely related to the multi-year tendency of precipitation amount and to the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) with a long timescale. However, NDVI is sensitive to changes in short-term precipitation amount, such as seasonal precipitation, and in SPEI with a monthly timescale. The soil moisture at shallow depths (< 0.1 m) was the key root–zone soil moisture that could influence NDVI, whereas soil moisture at depths of 0.4 to 1.0 m and the HLL area were closely related and had similar responses to climatic change.

Awareness and Attitudes Regarding Industrial Food Fortification in Mongolia and Harbin.

This study assessed awareness and attitudes regarding industrial food fortification among adults in urban and rural Mongolia, and the city of Harbin, China. Between 2014 and 2017, surveys were collected from healthy men and women aged ≥18 years (182 Harbin residents and 129 urban and rural Mongolians participating in a nationwide nutrition survey in Mongolia). Survey reproducibility was assessed among 69 Mongolian participants to whom it was administered twice (summer and winter). Findings revealed that only 19% of rural and 30% of urban Mongolians, and 48% of Harbin residents were aware that industrial fortification is practiced in their countries. For most food groups evaluated, at least half of Mongolians and less than half of Harbin residents thought fortification was government-mandated (only the addition of iodine with salt is actually mandated in both countries). Fifty-five percent of rural and urban Mongolians favored mandatory fortification of foods, 14% disapproved of it, and 31% were uncertain (compared with 25%, 38%, and 37% respectively in Harbin). Upon learning that the primary purpose of adding vitamin D to milk is to prevent rickets, 75% of Mongolians but only 18% of Harbin residents favored mandatory fortification, while 42% of Harbin residents favored voluntary fortification (compared with <10% of Mongolians). In conclusion, in Mongolia and Harbin, awareness and understanding of food fortification is low, as is receptivity toward mandatory fortification. Health promotion and social marketing should be designed to create an enabling environment for increasing supply and demand of fortified foods, in support of upcoming program implementation in Mongolia and potential future legislation in northeern China.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the raccoon dogs (Canidae: Nyctereutes ussurienusis) and intraspecific comparison of three Asian raccoon dogs

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (GenBank accession number: MG256392) of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes ussurienusis) farmed in Northeast China and compared it with two previously published mitogenomes, one mitogenome of wild raccoon dog captured in Inner Mongolia of China (GenBank accession number: GU256221) and another mitogenome of Korean raccoon dog(GenBank accession number: KF709435). The N. ussurienusis mitogenome is 16,714 bp long and high similarity of 99.2% and 99.1% with Chinese wide raccoon dogs and Korean raccoon dogs. This study will contribute to understanding genetic divergence between raccoon dogs of N. procyonoides in East Asia.

Japonica w archiwaliach po Bronisławie Piłsudskim w Bibliotece PAU i PAN w Krakowie (8). Korespondencja pani Kimiko Torii do Bronisława oraz list pana Mitsugo Yokoyamy z pokładu S/S Dakota

Japonica in the Archives Left After Bronisław Piłsudski in the Cracow Pau-Pan Academic Library 8. Kimiko Torii’s Letter To Bronisław and Mitsugo Yokoyama’s Letter Written on Board S/S Dakota The present material constitutes the eighth installment of the presentation of Japanese documents preserved with Bronisław Piłsudski’s archives in the Academic Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Lettres (PAU) and Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Cracow and includes two letters in facsimile, transliteration, and interpretation in Polish. The first of them has been written in Japanese but in Roman characters (rōmaji) with few insertions in French. Its author, Kimiko Torii was the wife of the renowned Japanese ethnographer and anthropologist Ryūzō Torii who traveled extensively and conducted fieldwork in many places studying numerous cultures, the Ainu, especially the Kuril Ainu, included. Bronisław was personally acquainted with the couple – Ryuzo translated (from German) and published Bronisław’s work “The Aborigines of Sakhalin” (English translation in CWBP 1, 222–235), and Bronisław went to the railway station in Tokyo to see Kimiko off on her way to Mongolia to join her husband there – both conducted research in that country but the primary reason for Kimiko was to go on invitation from a local prince to Harqin (today in Inner Mongolia in China) to replace another Japanese lady in teaching in a school for Mongolian, primarily the prince’s, children – Misako Kawahara. Both ladies left several memoir publications each on their stay and experience accumulated in Mongolia, Kimiko coauthored also some works of academic importance with Ryuzo. Basic data on all the three persons and details concerning some of the publications mentioned have been provided. The letter is personal and, explaining circumstances, constitutes a plea for excuse for failed encounter on a snowy winter evening (beginning of February 1906) at the Toriis’. The other letter has been written by a person from Hiroshima Prefecture named Mitsugo Yokoyama who happened to board S/S Dakota on the way from Japan to the USA as a stowaway. Freezing while in hiding, he was offered a warm blanket from “a Russian” which helped him to survive. The letter does not mention the donor’s name and was probably written as sort of a statement for the captain but also as a letter of the deepest gratitude toward the “Russian”. Finding the moving letter in Cracow allows a supposition that it had been handed over to Piłsudski by its receiver. Kazuhiko Sawada succeeded in tracing the lot of the then lucky beneficiary who survived the journey and his and his family hard times in America (he had six children, five of them allegedly still alive in 2005). Some remarks on the language of the letters and on Bronisław’s nature have also been made. It is the first among all so-far published installments in the Japonica series emerging in co-authorship: Ms. Anna Grądzka prepared the tentative versions of the decipherment of the manuscript originals, and their transliterations and translations within the framework of her MA thesis in Japanese studies at Nicoalus Copernicus University in Toruń.

Non-invasive genetic analysis indicates low population connectivity in vulnerable Chinese gorals: concerns for segregated population management.

Detailed information on the size and genetic structure of wildlife populations is critical for developing effective conservation strategies, especially for those species that have suffered population decline and fragmentation due to anthropogenic activities. In the present study, we used a non-invasive approach combining fecal pellet sampling with mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA microsatellite marker analysis to monitor and compare the population structure of the Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus) in Beijing and northeast Inner Mongolia in China. Of the 307 fecal samples confirmed to be from N. griseus, 15 individuals (nine females and six males) were found in the Beijing population and 61 individuals (37 females and 24 males) were found in the Inner Mongolian population. Among these 76 individuals, we identified eight haplotypes and 13 nucleotide polymorphic sites from mtDNA and 45 alleles from 10 microsatellite loci. Spatially structured genetic variation and a significant level of genetic differentiation were observed between the two populations. In both populations, the sex ratios were skewed toward females, indicating high reproductive potential, which is crucial for population recovery and conservation of this patchily distributed vulnerable species. We suggest that managing the two populations as evolutionarily significant units with diverse genetic backgrounds could be an effective solution for present population recovery, with the possible relocation of individuals among different groups to help ensure future goral species prosperity.

Changes of stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in summer Dali-nor Lake in Inner Mongolia of Northern China

基于内蒙古高原寒-旱区达里诺尔湖（简称达里湖）相对集中的夏季大气降水、强烈的蒸发作用等典型区域气候环境特征，结合湖泊水体温度、盐度等理化指标变化，对夏季达里湖湖水、入湖河水、区域大气降水等样品中稳定氢、氧同位素（δD、δ¹⁸O）值变化进行了对比分析.结果显示：虽然整体上达里湖夏季水体并没有形成明显的物理性质跃层（如温跃层、盐跃层等），水体理化指标的空间分布相对稳定，但是夏季湖水中δD、δ¹⁸O值却随着水深增加逐渐偏负：δD值由表层水体（0~1 m）到底层水体（7~9 m）偏负约1.40‰，δ¹⁸O值由表层水体到底层水体偏负约0.27‰.达里湖夏季大气水线为δD=8.22δ¹⁸O+6.82，显示大气降水中δD、δ¹⁸O值受季风降水效应影响的同时受到区域蒸发作用影响.特别是7、8月大气降水同位素变化受降水效应的影响比6、9月更明显，而6、9月大气降水同位素变化受蒸发作用的影响比7、8月更明显.这也导致达里湖夏季上层水体受大气降水的稀释作用影响显著；伴随水深的增加，降水效应及蒸发作用的混合影响逐渐减弱，底层水体受区域地下水补给过程等因素的影响则可能更加明显，即达里湖夏季上层水体和底层水体中稳定同位素组成变化的影响因素存在差异.;As one proxy of water evolution, hydrologic cycle and water balance in lakes, the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (δD and δ¹⁸O) had been wildly utilized during lake researching. However, one problem is that a few works based on stable isotopes of lake water had been done in Cold-Arid regions of China. In this paper, to analyze the relationships of δD and δ¹⁸O and their feedbacks on precipitation process and vaporization process, totally 144 samples of lake water, river water and precipitation water had been collected in summer Dali-nor Lake, which locates in Cold-Arid area of Inner Mongolia, North China. Meanwhile, the typical physical and chemical proxies of lake water had been measured, such as temperature, salinity, pH value, and so on. By comparing the values of δD and δ¹⁸O among different types of sample, we concluded that:The values of classical physical and chemical proxies of lake water offset a certain degree following depth change, and are also a little different between different regions at the same water depth. But there are no clearly fluctuations appeared, such as thermocline and halocline, in summer Dali-nor Lake. As a whole, the characteristics of water mass are essentially stable in summer Dali-nor Lake. But, the values of δD and δ¹⁸O both become lighter and lighter following water depth changing. For example, the value of δD and δ¹⁸O are about -31.723‰ and -1.785‰ in surface water, and about -31.776‰ and -1.838‰ in bottom water, respectively. The meteoric water line is δD=8.22 δ¹⁸O+6.82 (R²=0.936, n=42), which shows that the change of δD and δ¹⁸O in precipitation had influenced both by rainfall process and vaporization process in Dali-nor Lake. The precipitation may have stronger influence on fractional distillation of δD and δ¹⁸O than evaporation process in July and August. Correspondingly, the evaporation process may have stronger influence on fractional distillation of δD and δ¹⁸O than precipitation process in June and September. As a result, the relationships of δD and δ¹⁸O in surface water and bottom water are different in summer Dali-nor Lake. The relationship in surface water is nearly with those in precipitation and river water, but the relationship of bottom water is close to those in groundwater. Resumptively, the value changes of δD and δ¹⁸O in surface water might be influenced mainly by evaporation process and precipitation process, and those might be influenced mainly by groundwater input in deeper water.

The Association between Socioeconomic Status, Smoking, and Chronic Disease in Inner Mongolia in Northern China.

The interactive associations of socioeconomic status (SES) and smoking with chronic disease were investigated with a view to expanding the evidence to inform tobacco policies and interventions in Northern China. The fifth NHSS (National Health Service Survey) 2013 in Inner Mongolia was a population-based survey of national residents, aged 15 years and older, in which multi-stage stratified cluster sampling methods were used to survey 13,554 residents. The SES was measured by scores derived from levels of education level and household annual income. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to determine the association between SES, smoking, and chronic disease adjusted by confounders. Three thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven residents (32.29%) were identified as current smokers and 3520 residents (26.01%) had been diagnosed with chronic diseases. In the males, former smoking with low SES had the highest risk of one chronic disease, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.505 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] (OR = 2.505, 95% CI: 1.635–3.837) or multiple chronic diseases (OR = 2.631, 95% CI: 1.321–5.243). In the females, current smoking with low SES had the highest risk of one chronic disease (OR = 3.044, 95% CI: 2.158–4.292). The conclusion of this study was that residents with combined ever-smoking and low SES deserved more attention in the prevention and control of chronic disease.

Mineralogical Characterization of Aeolian Sands from Inner Mongolia, China

Aeolian sand sample from Tengger desert, located in the southern part of Inner Mongolia (China) was characterized for major elemental composition and mineralogy by EPMA, XRF and XRD methods. The objective of this research was to provide data which would be a guide to aid future beneficiation of this sand, especially for the economic exploitation of feldspar and quartz which have a wide range of applications in various industries like plastic, paint, ceramics and glass industries. The elemental analysis of the sample was carried out by X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and chemical analysis while the minerals present were identified by an X-ray diffraction analyzer. The sand was discovered to contain basically SiO2 (82.43%), Al2O3 (7.68%), Na2O + K2O (4.37%) and TiO2 and Fe2O3 as the main impurities. It was also discovered that grinding of the sand is required to enhance the liberation of the minerals and the separation methods recommended are magnetic separation and flotation. It was therefore concluded that aeolian sand is a suitable source of quartz and feldspar for use in the industry.

Early Cretaceous gabbro–granite complex from central Inner Mongolia: Insights into initial rifting and crust–mantle interaction in the northern China–Mongolia basin–range tract

Coeval high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic bimodal igneous suites hold a key to monitoring important geodynamic processes and crust–mantle interactions within post-collisional to within-plate extensional settings. Here we report a unique early Cretaceous gabbro–granite complex from the poorly exposed Erenhot basin region of central Inner Mongolia, eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The mafic suite includes small syenogabbro to monzodiorite stocks, while the felsic suite mainly comprises syenogranites with minor mafic to intermediate microgranular enclaves. The former exhibits a transitional character from alkali-calcic to alkalic, notable enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and weak to moderate depletion in high field strength elements (HFSEs), and possesses low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70486–0.70537), positive εNd(t) (+2.1 − +2.6) and zircon εHf(t) (+2.3 − +9.0) values. These features suggest its derivation from low-degree melting of amphibole-bearing lherzolites in the lithospheric mantle that had been metasomatized by subducting slab-derived fluids. The host granites are magnesian, alkali-calcic and peraluminous. They show typical trace elemental features of arc-related felsic melts, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70499 to 0.70593, εNd(t) of −0.1 to +1.4, zircon εHf(t) of +4.8 to +8.3 and δ18O values from +4.53 to +6.60‰. These elemental and isotopic traits are consistent with partial melts of a mixed protolith composed of newly-underplated basaltic materials and extant older lower crust. The monzonitic enclaves are alkalic, highly enriched in LILEs and depleted in HFSEs, with variable whole-rock SrNd (ISr(t) = 0.70216–0.704678, εNd(t) = +0.2 − +1.8) and zircon Hf (εHf(t) = +0.9 − +7.1) isotopic values. These transitional compositions are compatible with hybridization processes between mantle-derived mafic magma and crust-derived felsic magma. Given its temporal coincidence with initial rifting in the regional basin formation and the closure of Mongol–Okhotsk ocean, Early Cretaceous Erenhot gabbro–granite complex could not only serve as spatial markers for relating magmatic underplating with basin formation, but also catch a unique snapshot into crust–mantle interactions within a post-orogenic extensional regime probably underpinned by lithospheric dripping and gravitational collapse after the Mongol–Okhotsk suturing.

Changes in soil microbial community response to precipitation events in a semi-arid steppe of the Xilin River Basin, China

In the context of climate change, precipitation is predicted to become more intense at the global scale. Such change may alter soil microbial communities and the microbially mediated carbon and nitrogen dynamics. In this study, we experimentally repackaged precipitation patterns during the growing season (from June to September) of 2012 in a semi-arid temperate steppe of the Xilin River Basin in Inner Mongolia of China, based on the 60-year growing season precipitation data. Specifically, a total amount of 240 mm simulated precipitation was assigned to experimental plots by taking the following treatments: (1) P6 (6 extreme precipitation events, near the 1st percentile); (2) P10 (10 extreme precipitation events, near the 5th percentile); (3) P16 (16 moderate precipitation events, near the 50th percentile); and (4) P24 (24 events, 60-year average precipitation, near the 50th percentile). At the end of the growing season, we analyzed soil microbial community structure and biomass, bacterial abundance, fungal abundance and bacterial composition, by using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene clone library methods. The extreme precipitation events did not change soil microbial community structure (represented by the ratio of PLFA concentration in fungi to PLFA concentration in bacteria, and the ratio of PLFA concentration in gram-positive bacterial biomass to PLFA concentration in gram-negative bacterial biomass). However, the extreme precipitation events significantly increased soil microbial activity (represented by soil microbial biomass nitrogen and soil bacterial 16S rRNA gene copy numbers). Soil fungal community showed no significant response to precipitation events. According to the redundancy analysis, both soil microbial biomass nitrogen and soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) were found to be significant in shaping soil microbial community. Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla in soil bacterial composition, and responded differently to the extreme precipitation events. Based on the results, we concluded that the extreme precipitation events altered the overall soil microbial activity, but did not impact how the processes would occur, since soil microbial community structure remained unchanged.

Weak sustainability is not sustainable: Socioeconomic and environmental assessment of Inner Mongolia for the past three decades

Inner Mongolia of China is distinguished by its size, expansive grasslands, and rich endowment of natural resources – particularly coal. Since China’s “Reform and Opening Up”, Inner Mongolia’s socioeconomic trajectory has resembled that of China as a whole: a rapid rise in GDP, urbanization, and human development. But behind this rosy picture, has Inner Mongolia really been on a sustainable trajectory? To address this question, we quantified the temporal patterns of socioeconomic growth, energy consumption, and food and water footprints of Inner Mongolia from 1987 to 2015. Our results show that during the past three decades Inner Mongolia’s per-capita income increased 8.5 times; urban population nearly doubled; adult literacy improved by nearly 30%; and life expectancy increased by more than 23% (about 15 years). However, this socioeconomic progress was accompanied by rapid rising environmental pressures. Between 1987 and 2015, water resource use increased four-fold, energy consumption increased approximately seven-fold, and large areas of natural grasslands were converted to agricultural, industrial, and urban land use. These impacts were exacerbated by large-scale coal production. To become more sustainable, Inner Mongolia’s development needs to better balance socioeconomic development and environmental protection, following a strong sustainability-oriented development model based on China’s new policy blueprint of “Ecological Civilization”. Towards this end, our study not only gauges the past unsustainable trajectory of Inner Mongolia, but also provides a scientific benchmark for promoting a more sustainable future for the region and beyond.

Developmental validation of the DNATyper™Y26 PCR amplification kit: An enhanced Y-STR multiplex for familial searching

The DNATyper™Y26 PCR Amplification kit, which including 26 low-medium mutating Y-STRs, is designed for Y-STR familial searching casework. The kit combines nine new Y-STR loci in addition to the 17 Y-STR loci from the commercially available AmpFlSTR®Yfiler® kit. The validation of the DNATyper™Y26 kit was performed in terms of technical index, including accuracy, stability, species specificity, sensitivity, adaptability for various samples, and mixture. Further, mutations of the 26 Y-STRs were analyzed by 1167 DNA-confirmed father-son pairs, and the results indicated that these loci had low or medium mutation rates. Furthermore, these Y-STRs loci were also tested in 1072 random male samples from Henan, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Chongqing in China, showing their high power for forensic discrimination in the Chinese population. Thus, the DNATyper™Y26 PCR Amplification kit is a powerful tool for ‘Y-STRs familial searching’ in actual sexual-assault cases, indicating its unique advantage in familial searching due to Y-STR loci with only low-medium mutation rates.

Responses of soil nutrients and biological characteristics to nitrogen deposition in Hulun Buir Grassland, China.

Studies on effects of nitrogen deposition were mainly focused on temperate grasslands in Inner Mongolia of China. In addition, there are substantial differences between the present simulation methods and the natural nitrogen deposition. A three-year experiment was carried out to compare the effects of simulation methods (common urea and slow-released urea) and nitrogen deposition rates (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 and 300 kg N·hm-2·a-1) on soil nutrients and biological characteristics in Hulun Buir Grassland. We found that simulated nitrogen deposition had significant influences on soil chemical properties, biological properties and enzyme activities. With the increases of nitrogen deposition, soil pH declined with the greatest extent of 0.2 units, while the highest concentrations of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) increased by 5-7 times and 12%-36%, respectively. There was a decline trend for soil total phosphorus (TP) and organic phosphorus (TOP). Microbial biomass and metabolic activity increased firstly and then decreased. Moderate simulated nitrogen deposition rates significantly increased soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus related enzyme activities. Compared to common urea, using slow-released urea to simulate nitrogen deposition decelerate the decline of soil pH and the increase of dissolved nutrients, and smoothed the change of microbial biomass, metabolic activity, and nitrogen hydrolyzed enzyme activities. Overall, the results confirmed that continuous nitrogen input caused the decline of soil pH and the increase of bioavailable carbon and nitrogen, and then changed microbial biomass and activity.

Development patterns and cooperation paths of tourism industry within the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor

Strengthening tourism cooperation in border areas along the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor (CMREC) are important and challenging, under “Belt and Road” (B&R) initiative. Research has constructed a tourism competitiveness evaluation model including three dimensions and based on six factors: natural resources, cultural resources, tourism market, social economy, traffic facilities, and policy support. The results show the spatial characteristics of tourism competitiveness ordered as Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei of China, Northeast China, Northwest China, Russian Siberia Federal District, Mongolia, Russian Far East Federal District, and Russian Ural Federal District. Data show that the average tourism competitiveness of the three areas in Northern China are 2.69 times those of the three Russian areas, and 1.74 times those of Mongolia; at the same time, the average tourism competitiveness of Mongolia is 1.54 times that of the three areas of Russia. Based on the evaluation result, this study proposes a theoretical framework for a competition–cooperation model for tourism within the CMREC. Cluster analysis shows that the seven areas are comprise of absolutely dominant regions, comparatively dominant regions and comparatively weak regions. Tourism strategies are proposed in this study, based on the theoretical framework for a competition–cooperation model.

First International Geographical Conference of North Asian Countries “China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor: Geographical and Environmental Factors and Territorial Development Opportunities”

This volume contains papers submitted to the First International Geographical Conference of North Asian countries on «China–Mongolia–Russia» Economic Corridor: Geographical and Environmental Factors and Territorial Development Opportunities” devoted to the analysis of fundamental scientific problems in the field of optimal ecologically oriented resource providing of the livelihoods and the quality of life of the population, the development of modern urbanized and cultural landscapes and the preservation of the natural environment in transboundary and outlying territories. The ultimate goal of the Conference is to find common ground and make constructive proposals for the solution of the geoecological problems facing the border regions, the development of methods for component and integral assessment of natural resources and the anthropogenic influence of the transboundary territories on the environment, the modernization of the economy of the regions and the transport and social infrastructure, the improvement of the population distribution systems in outlying territories as well as to establish new scientific relations and strengthen the existing international collaboration in the sphere of territorial development, and the environmental and ecological protection within the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor.The volume is intended for a wide range of researchers in the field of geography and economics, university teachers, students, and practitioners with an interest in problems of ecology, effective environmental management, and territorial development.

Comparative study of the airborne microbial communities and their functional composition in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under non-extreme and extreme PM2.5 conditions

Asian dust (AD) events increase environmental pollution and have a detrimental effect on human health. Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and containing airborne microorganisms increases during AD events due to the transportation of dust by wind from several arid regions in China. This study analyzed the bacterial and fungal communities associated with average daily PM2.5 concentrations less than (on non-event day: ND) and exceeding (on event day: ED) the air quality standard (36 μg PM2.5 m-3) set by the Korean government. The taxon compositions and functional genes of airborne microorganisms were assessed using shotgun metagenomics sequencing and metagenome rapid annotation using subsystem technology (MG-RAST) analysis. MG-RAST is an open source web application, serving as a platform that automatically analyzes uploaded metagenomes. During ND, 51% of total bacteria sequences consisted of those from Proteobacteria, which were closely related to nitrogen-fixing bacterial species. A high percentage of functional genes consisted of those genes related to nitrogen metabolism, suggesting that the airborne microorganisms are associated with environmental nitrogen cycles. During ED, 57% of total bacteria sequences consisted of those from Bacteroidetes, accompanied by high relative abundance of sequences from pathogenic species of Bacillus and Staphylococcus. Fungal sequences were mainly composed of those from the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, which include spore-forming species transported frequently by wind. The abundance of Ascomycota sequences was higher in ED (81%) than in ND (22%) samples, and mainly included those from the plant pathogens Phaeosphaeria and Pyrenophora. These findings indicated that microbial composition shifted from ND to ED samples, even at the phylum level. This switch was likely due to the sources of dust particles, with those during ED being primarily from arid regions in Mongolia and industrial regions in China. Additional studies are required to further understand the diversification of airborne microbial communities in downwind areas.