Southwestern Region Research Articles

Identification of key areas for Territorial Ecological Restoration: focusing on ecological security and restoration potential

Implementing Territorial Ecological Restoration is a crucial approach to achieving ecological stability and regional sustainable development, and it also serves as an important measure for promoting the coordinated development of socioeconomic and ecological environments in the Yellow River Basin. However, effective identification of key areas for Territorial Ecological Restoration remains challenging in planning ecological restoration projects. This study focuses on ecological security and restoration potential, taking Linxia Prefecture in the ecologically fragile area of the upper Yellow River as an example. By evaluating six types of ecosystem services in this area, utilizing morphological spatial pattern analysis models and circuit theory, we identified the structural elements of ecological security patterns and assessed the potential for ecological restoration, identifying key areas for regional ecological restoration.The findings indicated that (1) 13 ecological patches were identified in total, predominantly distributed in the southwest and central regions of Linxia Prefecture. 25 ecological corridors were identified, demonstrating a high level of spatial coherence in terms of significance and connectivity, establishing a closely integrated ecological security network primarily in the southwest of Linxia Prefecture. (2) Thirteen ecological pinch points and seventeen ecological barrier points have been identified, concentrated in the central and southwestern regions of Linxia Prefecture. (3) Based on the characteristics and urgency of key areas for Territorial Ecological Restoration, they are classified and graded as “point-line-surface” and “primary-very important-important.” The primary restoration areas of the point type are mainly located in the central part of Linxia Prefecture, while the primary restoration areas of the line and plane types are mainly in the southwestern part of Linxia Prefecture. This paper emphasizing a holistic approach that prioritizes ecosystem integrity and social support to guide targeted restoration strategies across various ecological features, ultimately aiming for sustainable regional development and maximizing restoration benefits in ecologically fragile areas.

Genealogy in social media: navigating time and space

ABSTRACT Driven by the increasing use of social media by people seeking to reconstruct family histories and preserve historical, cultural, and societal legacy, genealogy-based online communities are experiencing a surge in popularity. This study explores how trauma-affected communities use online communities to reconstruct their identities and histories, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of these groups in the digital age. Based on the theory of Knowledge Co-Creation, this paper presents a novel conceptual framework designed to categorize the content in such communities. This framework is composed of two axes. The first axis, ‘Time,’ reflects the evolving character of participants’ involvement, starting with an exploration of immediate family history and gradually expanding to encompass a broader interest in ancestral and communal history of the past. The second axis, ‘Space,’ explores the interplay between online interactions and offline activities. To demonstrate the applicability of this framework, the paper focuses on the case study of the WhatsApp community dedicated to collaborative research of the descendants of annihilated Jewish communities of the Upper Silesia region of southwestern Poland.This research contributes to the literature on digital genealogy and online communities by offering a structured approach to analyzing the dynamics of trauma-affected populations engaging in collaborative genealogical research.

Exploring Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Future Extreme Precipitation, Runoff, and Flood Risk in the Hanjiang River Basin, China

The hydrological cycle is altered by climate change and human activities, amplifying extreme precipitation and heightening the flood risk regionally and globally. It is imperative to explore the future possible alterations in flood risk at the regional scale. Focusing on the Hanjiang river basin (HRB), this study develops a framework for establishing a scientific assessment of spatio-temporal dynamics of future flood risks under multiple future scenarios. In this framework, a GCMs statistical downscaling method based on machine learning is used to project future precipitation, the PLUS model is used to project future land use, the digitwining watershed model (DWM) is used to project future runoff, and the entropy weight method is used to calculate risk. Six extreme precipitation indices are calculated to project the spatio-temporal patterns of future precipitation extremes in the HRB. The results of this study show that the intensity (Rx1day, Rx5day, PRCPTOT, SDII), frequency (R20m), and duration (CWD) of future precipitation extremes will be consistently increasing over the HRB during the 21st century. The high values of extreme precipitation indices in the HRB are primarily located in the southeast and southwest. The future annual average runoff in the upper HRB during the near-term (2023–2042) and mid-term (2043–2062) is projected to decrease in comparison to the baseline period (1995–2014), with the exception of that during the mid-term under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. The high flood risk center in the future will be distributed in the southwestern region of the upper HRB. The proportions of areas with high and medium–high flood risk in the upper HRB will increase significantly. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the area percentage with high flood risk during the future mid-term will reach 24.02%. The findings of this study will facilitate local governments in formulating effective strategic plans for future flood control management.

The measurement of agricultural disaster vulnerability in China and implications for land-supported agricultural resilience building

Climate change has recently induced an increase in natural disasters worldwide, which has affected agriculture, a sector highly sensitive to climatic alterations. The paper measures agricultural disaster vulnerability of China in the period 2000–2020 by establishing vulnerability assessment system, and examines how agricultural infrastructure correlates with agricultural disaster vulnerability by constructing grey relational analysis model. Research results indicate that China's agricultural disaster vulnerability presents an overall decreasing trend during the research period. This is mainly attributed to the decreased disaster exposure and increased adaptability to disaster. Spatially, the agricultural disaster vulnerability in the northeastern, central and southwestern regions of China is higher than other regions. Agricultural transportation and communication infrastructure are found to be more influential to agricultural disaster vulnerability followed by irrigation and power facilities. Implications are proposed to enhance agricultural resilience to climate disasters in China.

Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Sex in Mexico: A Multi-Institutional Collaboration.

Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In Mexico, there is a high burden of liver cancer mortality in rural states, affecting both women and men equally. Thus, we aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) by sex in Mexico. Demographic and clinical information was extracted retrospectively from the medical records of patients with HCC initially treated (2015-2022) at institutions participating in a national survey across the country. The male-to-female ratio was calculated at the national and regional levels, and the results were stratified by sex. Among 697 HCC patients, the age at diagnosis was 65.4 ± 11.9 years and 20% were diagnosed at ≥75 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1, ranging from 1:1 in the northwestern and southwestern regions, to 2.1:1 in the western region. The proportion of cirrhosis was similar between the sexes; however, the etiology of cirrhosis differed: cryptogenic cirrhosis was higher in women and alcohol consumption was higher in men. Men had a higher proportion of advanced HCC, poor/undifferentiated tumors, and ≥4 nodules than women. HCC in the Mexican population affects both men and women at a 1.4:1 male-to-female ratio. This unique proportion by sex could be explained by the differences in the prevalence of risk factors across our heterogeneous country.

Assessment of Item Parameter and Model-Data Fit of 4IR Teachers' Effectiveness Scale in Secondary Schools

In secondary schools in Southwest Nigeria, the Fourth Industrial Revolution Chemistry Teachers Effectiveness Scale (4IRCTES) items were evaluated for discrimination item parameter and model-data fit to the underlying construct. In this study, a descriptive survey research design was employed. The survey encompassed 4,986 Chemistry teachers in the southwestern region of Nigeria. 35 Chemistry teachers made up the study’s sample. 4IRCTES was the instrument utilised to collect the data. Research question two was based on the absolute overall model-data fit, or M2 statistic, whereas research question one used the Multidimensional Graded Response Model (MGRM) of the Item Response Theory (IRT) to analyse the item parameter (item discrimination). Result showed that items of 4IRCTES discriminated well between teachers with low effectiveness and teachers with high effectiveness. Finally, in the study, result showed that the MGRM of the IRT is the substantial model-data fit for the 4IRCTES. The study concluded that the 4IRCTES items effectively distinguished between teachers who were ineffective and those who were effective.

Error management culture and college students’ self-development: The serial mediating roles of grit and learning from failure

ABSTRACT Fostering college students’ appropriate attitudes and behaviours towards errors and failures holds significant benefits for their future-oriented career development, such as self-development. Based on Conservation of Resources theory (COR), this study aims to set a linkage between error management culture (EMC) and college students’ self-development via grit and learning from failure. The sample for this study comprised 192 respondents from three universities located in the central, northern, and southwestern regions of China. The results indicate that: (1) EMC predicts college students’ self-development; (2) grit and learning from failure mediate the relationship between EMC and self-development serially. The findings contribute to the literature by shedding light on the significance of EMC as a predictor of self-development, elucidating the underlying mechanism, and recognising the long-term benefits of learning from failure.

Multi-Scale Analysis of Water Purification Ecosystem Service Flow in Taihu Basin for Land Management and Ecological Compensation

This study investigates the spatial correlation and service flow of supply and demand for water purification ecosystem services at multiple scales (i.e., the Taihu Lake Basin, sub-basin, and county) by quantitatively assessing the supply–demand relationship of nitrogen and phosphorus and introducing the SPANS algorithm to characterize the service flow paths. Through quantitative analysis, the supply–demand relationship between nitrogen and phosphorus was evaluated, and the SPANS algorithm was introduced to characterize the service flow paths. The results show that the water purification ecosystem services in the southwestern region and around Taihu Lake exhibit a good supply–demand balance, while a significant supply–demand deficit is observed in the northern and southeastern regions. Service flow analysis indicates that surplus areas are primarily concentrated in hilly and urbanized central regions, whereas deficit areas are mainly located in non-urban centers. Based on these findings, ecological compensation suggestions are proposed, including dynamic adjustment, differentiated compensation, cross-city collaboration, and guidance of social capital participation, to promote continuous improvement in water quality and sustainable development within the basin.

Antioxidant activities of Saudi honey samples related to their content of short peptides

This study explored the effect of geographical and floral origins on the antioxidant activities of Saudi honey samples related to their content of short peptides originated from honeybee proteins. The studied antioxidants were the total protein concentration, catalase activity, phenolic acids and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity assays included were the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and Ascorbic acid Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (AEAC). The studied honey samples were obtained from the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia, namely Asir (65) and Jazan (25). The floral origins of the honey samples were Acacia (51), Ziziphus (4) and polyfloral (35). The LC/MS technique was used to detect the short peptides and the mascot database was used to identify the short peptides, their precursor proteins and the protease enzymes that produce them. Jazan honey was characterized by high number of short peptides. The short peptides were originated from honeybee proteins by the action of proteases from the honeybees and bacteria. The antioxidant activity of the honey samples increase with the increase of their content of short peptides and proteins. The amino acids type and sequence of the short peptides qualify them to act as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertension, immunomodulatory and cholesterol lowering peptides.

Numerical simulation of deposit-landslide instability induced by water level decrease: a case study of RS deposit in Lancang River

Changes in reservoir water level often trigger landslides along the reservoir banks, which are common geological hazards that significantly affect the construction and operation of hydropower projects. In this paper, the stability of the RS reservoir landslide in the southwestern region of China is investigated. A discrete element seepage analysis model is constructed based on the theory of changes in the infiltration surface of the deposit caused by water level drawdown. The model is then embedded into a continuous-discontinuous three-dimensional numerical simulation method to systematically investigate the influence of reservoir water level decrease on the stability of the RS deposit. The results indicate that, under the condition of a sudden drop in reservoir water level decrease, the deposit experiences destabilization failure. Its sliding velocities are mainly influenced by seepage forces and gravity, while sliding displacements are influenced by seepage forces and topographic conditions. The landslide process shows distinct stratification characteristics. The portion of the deposit that slides into the river channel is mainly distributed between an altitude of 2655 m and 2870 m. The research results provide a scientific basis for studying the mechanism of slope failure and landslide disaster chain under the condition of reservoir water level lowering.

Decoding China's new-type industrialization: Insights from an XGBoost-SHAP analysis

Integrating machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence offers superior interpretability for indicator selection compared with traditional evaluation models. This study utilizes the XGBoost-SHAP model to assess the influencing factors, development trends, and spatiotemporal evolution of China's new-type industrialization. The results demonstrate that digitalization emerges as the most critical factor, contributing 41.23% to the weight of indicators, followed by innovation drive at 34.31%, greenization at 16.38%, and aspects of servitization and fusion. China's new industrialization level shows a positive trend, with an accelerated growth rate post-2020, despite significant regional disparities in industrial indices. A spatiotemporal evolution identified a three-tier regional distribution: the eastern coastal, central plain, and western plateau regions. Notably, the improvement in new-type industrialization has expanded from coastal to inland regions, with significant progress observed in the southwestern region, represented by Sichuan Province. Additionally, the analysis revealed that China's level of new industrialization is converging toward the Hu Huanyong Line, suggesting that it may be influenced by population distribution density and natural environmental factors. The research results provide a scientific basis and decision-making guidance for evaluating the dynamics of China's new industrialization.

MEXICAN INTEROCEANIC CORRIDOR: TOWARD A LIKELY SOCIALLY INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE REGION IN SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO

Mexican Interoceanic Corridor or Tehuantepec's Transisthmian Corridor (along with the Mayan Train) represents one the two largest iconic and challenging Mega Projects implemented in Southwestern Mexico, funded by Mexican Government, in the same so-called “Macrosouth region” or just Macrosouth, here on, (integrated by three economic subregions, namely, South-Pacific, Southern and South-western regions). Despite both projects ultimately aim to foster economic growth in such a region, the former aims to stimulate growth through an increased tourism flow from the wealthy Mayan Riviera zone toward the Gulf of Mexico's long-lagged region by railroad through the Mayan Train recently inaugurated by President Lopez Obrador,vid AMLO(Dec 22, 2023).Although the main focus of our attention here, namely, the Interoceanic Corridor, given its geoeconomic and geo strategic relevance for the country since it is expected to skyrocket Mexican exports and commercial activity through this facility and thus fostering economic growth throughout the Corridor stripe and spread it out throughout its neighboring regions such as those above referred in the coming years given its previlegious geographic location under the global context in which Mexico is currently immersed. Accordingly, the article aims to assess and highlight the socio economic relevance of the Mexican Corridor megaproject and its likelihood to achieve by this means simultaneously economic growth and people's well-being in this region as an expected consequence of the intensive commercial thorugh its operation and industrial activity generated by the production of ten industrial parks to be implemented along the Corridor (backed by a host of full-fledged refurbished and renewed productive infrastructure around it) such as railway itself and road transport and port facilities along the end lines of the Corridor stripe (and the entire Macroregion) focused on supporting the expected massive commercial flow of merchandise and concomitant export boom back and forth through the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, shortly. Furthermore, all these significant public investments, unlike prior neoliberal investment priorities in the past, these new investments are nurtured upon a framework of a socially inclusive and sustainable strategy tailored by the Mexican government for the Corridor zone to promote simultaneously economic growth and people’s well-being in the Transismithian stripe in the years to come. However, the challenge for the Mexican state, through its policymakers, is to achieve such an equilibrium between economic growth and population well-being in this region under a sustainable environmental context. Accordingly, in short, the purpose of this article is to explore the likelihood of Mexico attaining the above-referred equilibrium and implementing a socially inclusive strategy within a long-time deprived and lagged region from the rest of the country such as the Transisthmian Corridor stripe and its neighboring regions, such as the South-Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, in the foreseeable future along with its likely perspectives and socioeconomic and environmental implications.

Orthohantavirus diversity in Central-East Argentina: Insights from complete genomic sequencing on phylogenetics, Geographic patterns and transmission scenarios.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), characterized by its high fatality rate, poses a significant public health concern in Argentina due to the increasing evidence of person-to-person transmission of Andes virus. Several orthohantaviruses were described in the country, but their phylogenetic relationships were inferred from partial genomic sequences. The objectives of this work were to assess the viral diversity of the most prevalent orthohantaviruses associated with HPS cases in the Central-East (CE) region of Argentina, elucidate the geographic patterns of distribution of each variant and reconstruct comprehensive phylogenetic relationships utilizing complete genomic sequencing. To accomplish this, a detailed analysis was conducted of the geographic distribution of reported cases within the most impacted province of the region. A representative sample of cases was then selected to generate a geographic map illustrating the distribution of viral variants. Complete viral genomes were obtained from HPS cases reported in the region, including some from epidemiologically linked cases. The phylogenetic analysis based on complete genomes defined two separate clades in Argentina: Andes virus in the Southwestern region and Andes-like viruses in other parts of the country. In the CE region, Buenos Aires virus and Lechiguanas virus clearly segregate in two subclades. Complete genomes were useful to distinguish person-to-person transmission from environmental co-exposure to rodent population. This study enhances the understanding of the genetic diversity, geographical spread, and transmission dynamics of orthohantaviruses in Central Argentina and prompt to consider the inclusion of Buenos Aires virus and Lechiguanas virus in the species Orthohantavirus andesense, as named viruses.

Assessment of VOCs emission inventory in Seoul through spatiotemporal observations using passive and online PAMS measurements

We have conducted a quantitative analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Seoul from September 2022 to June 2023, employing passive air samplers (PAS) at 25 sites and continuous monitoring at five photochemical assessment monitoring stations (PAMS). Comparing VOCs concentrations and compositions from PAS and PAMS during the same time periods, we found that most VOCs showed no significant difference (p-value >0.05) between the methods, except for olefins, which were overestimated by 24 % in passive sampling, confirming PAS as an effective tool for assessing the spatial distribution of VOCs species over large areas. Throughout Seoul, median values of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) concentrations collected with passive samplers remained stable with a standard deviation of 1.22 ppbv, typically ranging from 11 to 13 ppbv, except for an increase during winter in the southwestern regions of the city, where intense industrial and vehicular emissions are reported in the current Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) emissions inventory. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis using the passive data revealed general consistency in the spatial distribution of area and road emissions when compared with CAPSS emission inventory, although localized discrepancies were observed. In quantitative assessments of TVOCs comparing PAS observations with emission-based models, modeled values were within 1.5 times the interquartile range of observed PAS concentrations over Seoul. However, the lack of detection of emission hotspots in southeastern Seoul in the PAS data, coupled with the omission of photochemical loss in our dispersion-only models, indicates that the current CAPSS emission inventory may significantly underestimate actual ambient VOCs levels, especially in summer.

Testing a spaceborne passive‐microwave severe hail retrieval over Argentina using ground‐based dual‐polarization radar data

AbstractPassive‐microwave hail detection methods rely on the scattering signal produced by large ice hydrometeors. Recently, passive‐microwave hail retrieval methods have been trained by pairing Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) data with United States surface hail reports to present a global hail climatology. In particular, Southeastern South America (SESA) stands out as a hotspot for hail occurrence, more specifically northeastern Argentina. However, the analysis performed with the available ground hail reports in Argentina shows some differences from the available ground hail reports in Argentina, as it locates the most frequent hail storms in the southwestern (Mendoza and Córdoba) and northeastern (Misiones) regions of SESA. To assess the retrieval from a regional perspective, we take a case study approach and focus on polarization‐corrected temperature features (PCTFs) with a detected . We mainly rely on polarimetric weather radars and a hydrometeor identification algorithm (HID) as a proxy for ground truth. Results indicate that the hail retrieval responds mainly to low 37‐GHz polarized corrected (brightness) temperatures (PCTs) and large PCTF area, while HID outputs show that high probabilities of hail also correspond to abundantly suspended graupel. The observed passive‐microwave hail detection hotspot could be influenced by mesoscale convective systems with deep columns of graupel‐sized frozen hydrometeors, common in northeastern Argentina.

Evaluation of a Postbiotic on Salmonella enterica Prevalence, Serotype Diversity, and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Subiliac Lymph Nodes of Cull Dairy Cattle

This study aimed to determine whether the farm-level use of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based postbiotic was associated with Salmonella prevalence and concentration, serotype diversity, and antimicrobial resistance in the subiliac lymph nodes (LN) of cull dairy cows. In collaboration with two commercial processing plants in the Southwestern (SW) and Northeastern (NE) regions of the U.S., cull dairy cattle lots processed in the same week from dairy farms that fed or not the postbiotic were sampled. Up to 20 LN were collected from dairy cattle from each supplier farm at least once every season. Samples were analyzed for Salmonella by culture and quantitative PCR methods, and isolates were subjected to serotype identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Although a numerically lower prevalence was observed, the preharvest administration of the postbiotic was not significantly associated with Salmonella prevalence in cull dairy cattle. However, Salmonella prevalence significantly varied by region; the SW region showed a higher prevalence than the NE region. Whereas dominant Salmonella serotypes included Montevideo, Mbandaka, Muenster, Cerro, Meleagridis, and Anatum, the probability of isolating a dominant serotype did not significantly vary by feed additive status (FAS) or region, but varied by season. Up to 34 isolates (out of 391) exhibited resistance to each antimicrobial, with the highest number of isolates exhibiting resistance to streptomycin and ciprofloxacin; however, this did not significantly vary by FAS, season, or region. The precise reasons for the lack of effectiveness of the postbiotic in reducing Salmonella burden are unknown; however, varied administration durations of the postbiotic due to culling at different lactation cycle stages or during dry periods may have hindered its impact, especially if dairy cows were culled early. Other factors may include dietary components, farm management practices, and external environmental influences.

Study of the Weddell Sea Anomaly Using Novel Satellite Altimeter TEC Maps

AbstractThe Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA) is a phenomenon of unique intensity and geographic extent that occurs in December (Southern Hemisphere summer) over the southeastern Pacific and southwestern Atlantic oceans regions. Historically, the classic definition of the WSA refers to a situation in which the midnight NmF2 (or TEC) values are greater than the noon NmF2 (or TEC) values. However, several articles published in the last decades have shown that the WSA is a much more complex phenomenon, and its definition might need to be reformulated. This paper presents a phenomenological description of the WSA using a novel type of vertical Total Electron Content (TEC) maps, obtained from altimeter satellite TEC data. The focus of this study is on the possible connection between the WSA and the unexpected expansion and contraction periods observed on the Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly (EIA) throughout the Southern Hemisphere. The data analysis revealed that the WSA is only one of a number of observed anomalies. Furthermore, we show a significant correlation between the behavior of the EIA and the Y component of the geomagnetic field, which maximizes in the WSA region. We then present a possible hypothesis for interpreting these results.

Assessing White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) concurrent with Vibrio spp. in various Penaeus monodon aquaculture farms at southwestern region of Bangladesh

This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) in giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798) aquaculture systems (extensive, improved-extensive, and semi-intensive) in the south-western region of Bangladesh. This research employed real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantification cycle (Cq) values for identification of WSSV and AHPND in shrimp samples and Vibrio spp. was identified through biochemical tests on water and soil samples (n=72 for each) from different aquaculture systems. The results of the study indicated significant difference (p < 0.05) in nitrate and ammonia levels across the various aquaculture systems, highlighting the critical need for rigorous water quality monitoring and management. Extensive aquaculture exhibited the highest prevalence of WSSV (40%) and AHPND (33%) positive samples, whereas semi-intensive aquaculture had the lowest prevalence, with 22% WSSV-positive and 20% AHPND-positive samples. Biochemical analysis identified three Vibrio spp. such as V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, and V. parahaemolyticus - with significantly higher concentrations in extensive aquaculture compared to semi-intensive. Notably, V. vulnificus was more abundant (0.9×103 cfu/ml) in the soil of extensive aquaculture, while it was less prevalent in water. In conclusion, this study underscores that the risk of WSSV and AHPND was greater in extensive aquaculture due to inadequate management.

Beta-Thalassemia Haplotypes in Southwest of Iran

Background: Thalassemia is a widespread disease affecting people across various ethnicities and regions. In comparison to previous studies conducted in different regions of Iran, such as those in Lorestan and Sistan-Baluchestan, this study highlights unique mutation patterns prevalent in the southwestern population, emphasizing the genetic heterogeneity in this region. The identification of common mutations of beta-thalassemia in various ethnic groups within the nation is regarded as a practical solution for thalassemia prevention and prenatal diagnosis. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective observational study, the medical records of 545 patients with various types of beta-thalassemia (silent, minor, intermediate, and major), referred to the center at Baqaei 2 hospital over a 14-year period (2008–2022), were examined. The age range of patients spanned from a 2-month-old fetus to a 34-year-old individual. Their mutations and thalassemia types were determined and confirmed using molecular methods, including PCR-ARMS (polymerase chain reaction-amplification refractory mutation system) and sequencing. The results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The study examined 545 patients and identified 81 types of mutations. The most frequent mutations observed were CD36-37(-T)/N, IVSII-1/N, and IVS1-110(G&gt;A). The study also noted population heterogeneity, reflected in the wide range of mutations found in the region. Among the patients, 6 had the silent form of beta-thalassemia, 488 had the minor form (464 patients and 24 fetuses), 9 had the intermediate form (8 patients and 1 fetus), and 42 had the major form (26 fetuses and 16 adults). Conclusion: The identification of prevalent beta-thalassemia mutations facilitates disease control and prevention programs and is crucial for the identification of various beta-thalassemia gene mutations. This should be re-evaluated periodically. Observing a wide range of beta-thalassemia genotypes in the southwestern region of Iran suggests gene flow; thus, identifying these genotypes is instrumental in preventing and controlling the disease.

The coordinated relationship and interactive response between urban quality of life and eco-efficiency in China

It is crucial to clarify the interaction mechanism between quality of life (QOL) and eco-efficiency (EE) to achieve high-quality urban development. This study investigated the complex and dynamic interaction and coupling process between QOL and EE. By constructing two evaluation index systems, this study obtained the values of QOL and EE levels in 282 cities from 2008 to 2020. Then, the interactive relationship between QOL and EE was investigated from two perspectives: static coupling and dynamic coupling. The different development types were classified according to the regional differences between them. The results show that: (1) From 2008 to 2020, the value of QOL gradually increased, while the EE exhibited a “V-shaped” change. Medium to high levels of QOL were located in cities in the eastern coastal area, while low levels were distributed in the western, central and northeastern regions. Furthermore, medium to high levels of EE were distributed in cities in the eastern coastal and southwestern regions, whereas low levels were found in the central and northwestern regions; (2) Overall, the coupled coordination of QOL and EE got better from 2008 to 2020, showing that the relationship between them was close and that the coordination gradually got better. Consequently, the spatial change of the coupled coordination was more pronounced, the number of mildly uncoordinated cities was gradually decreasing, urban development was shifting from uncoordinated to coordinated, and the clustering characteristics of the coupled coordination degree were consistent with the spatial change characteristics; (3) Moreover, there was a Granger causality relationship between QOL and EE. This means that the degree of their mutual influence increased over time, while their development became less dependent on inertia, with obvious interaction characteristics; and (4) The values of integrated QOL and EE were separately clustered and combined with the type of coupled and coordinated urban development based on their development stage. Therefore, the research area was divided into three types: “optimization and upgrading,” “continuous improvement,” and “cultivating development.”