MicroRNA expression profiles reveal wool development and fineness regulation in Gansu alpine fine-wool sheep.

The development of wool has a complex regulatory mechanism both influenced by genetic and environmental factors. MicroRNAs (miRNA) were involved in various biological processes of animals, and may play an important role in the regulation of wool development. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed and identified the histological parameters of hair follicles, as well as the miRNAs, target genes, pathways, and Gene Ontology terms related to wool fineness regulation and wool growth and development using HE staining and RNA-Seqs methods. Both coarse (group C, mean fiber diameter (MFD) = 22.26 ± 0.69 µm, n = 6) and fine (group F, MFD = 16.91 ± 0.29 µm, n = 6) of Gansu alpine fine-wool sheep with different wool fineness were used in this study. The results showed that the primary follicle diameter and secondary wool fiber diameter in group C were significantly higher than those in group F (P < 0.05). And the number of primary and secondary hair follicles in group C was significantly lower than that in group F (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a total of 67 DE miRNAs and 290 potential DE miRNAs target genes were screened in the skin tissues of sheep from groups F and C, and some potential target genes related to wool fineness regulation were screened, such as CDH2, KRT82, FOXN1, LOC101106296, KRT20, MCOLN3, KRT71, and TERT. These genes were closely related to Glutathione metabolism, epidermal cell differentiation, keratinization, and regulation of hair cycle. Moreover, the regulatory network of miRNAs-mRNAs suggested that miRNAs (miR-129-x, novel m0079-3p, miR-2484-z, novel m0025-5P, etc.) may play a key role in the wool development and wool fineness regulation of Gansu alpine fine-wool sheep. In summary, this study expands the existing miRNAs database and provides new information for studying the regulation of wool development in Gansu alpine fine wool sheep.

Expression Localization of the KRT32 Gene and Its Association of Genetic Variation with Wool Traits.

Changes in keratin gene expression and spatiotemporal regulation determine the compositional content and cellular localization of wool keratin, thereby affecting wool traits. Therefore, keratin gene family member 32 (KRT32) was selected for a study using RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, and penta-primer amplification refractory mutation system (PARMS) techniques. The results showed that KRT32 mRNA was highly expressed in the skin and localized to the inner root sheath (IRS), outer root sheath (ORS) and dermal papilla (DP). Sequencing results identified eight SNPs in KRT32, and association analyses revealed that the variations were significantly associated with multiple traits in wool (p < 0.05), including MFD, CF and MFC. The constructed haplotype combination H2H3 has higher CF and smaller MFD than other haplotype combination (p < 0.05). In conclusion, KRT32 can be used as a candidate gene for molecular genetic improvement of wool in Gansu Alpine Fine-wool sheep.

Integrated omics analysis reveals the alteration of gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in Cervus elaphus kansuensis.

The gut microbiota is the largest and most complex microecosystem in animals. It is influenced by the host's dietary habits and living environment, and its composition and diversity play irreplaceable roles in animal nutrient metabolism, immunity, and adaptation to the environment. Although the gut microbiota of red deer has been studied, the composition and function of the gut microbiota in Gansu red deer (Cervus elaphus kansuensis), an endemic subspecies of red deer in China, has not been reported. In this study, the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome and fecal metabolomics of C. elaphus kansuensis were identified and compared for the first time by using 16S rDNA sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and LC-MS/MS. There were significant differences in gut microbiota structure and diversity between wild and farmed C. elaphus kansuensis. The 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that the genus UCRD-005 was dominant in both captive red deer (CRD) and wild red deer (WRD). Metagenomic sequencing showed similar results to those of 16S rDNA sequencing for gut microbiota in CRD and WRD at the phylum and genus levels. 16S rDNA and metagenomics sequencing data suggested that Bacteroides and Bacillus might serve as marker genera for CRD and WRD, respectively. Fecal metabolomics results showed that 520 metabolites with significant differences were detected between CRD and WRD and most differential metabolites were involved in lipid metabolism. The results suggested that large differences in gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolites between CRD and WRD, indicating that different dietary habits and living environments over time have led to the development of stable gut microbiome characteristics for CRD and WRD to meet their respective survival and reproduction needs. KEY POINTS: • Environment and food affected the gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in red deer • Genera Bacteroides and Bacillus may play important roles in CRD and WRD, respectively • Flavonoids and ascorbic acid in fecal metabolites may influence health of red deer.

Effect of alfalfa supplementary change dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio on rumen fermentation and microbial function in Gansu alpine fine wool sheep (Ovis aries).

Bodyweight loss and rumen microbial dysfunction of grazing sheep was a challenge for the sheep production industry during cold season, which were considered to correlated with under-roughage-feeding. Alfalfa is a good roughage supplementary for ruminants, which can improve grazing sheep bodyweight-loss and rumen microbial dysfunction during grass-withering period. This study evaluated the effects of alfalfa hay supplementary change dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate/neutral detergent fiber (NFC/NDF) ratios on rumen fermentation and microbial function of Gansu alpine fine wool sheep during extreme cold season. 120 ewes (3-4 yrs) with an average body weight of 28.71 ± 1.22 kg were allocated randomly into three treatments, and fed NFC/NDF of 1.92 (H group), 1.11 (M group), and 0.68 (L group), respectively. This study was conducted for 107 d, including 7 d of adaption to the diets. The rumen fermentation parameters and microbial characteristics were measured after the end of feeding trials. The results showed that the concentrations of sheep body weight, nitrogen components (Total-N, Soluble protein-N and Ammonia-N), blood biochemical indices (LDH, BUN and CHO) and ruminal volatile fatty acids (TVFA and propionate) significantly increased with an increase in the proportion of NFC/NDF ratios (p < .05), and the acetate and acetate/propionat ratio presented a contrary decreasing trend (p < .05). A total of 1018 OTUs were obtained with 97% consistency. Ruminococcus, Ruminococcaceae and Prevotella were observed as the predominant phyla in ruminal fluid microbiota. Higher NFC/NDF ratios with Alfalfa supplementary increased the richness and diversity of ruminal fluid microbiota, and decreased ruminal fluid microbiota beta-diversity. Using clusters of orthologous groups (COG), the ruminal fluid microbiota of alfalfa supplementary feeding showed low immune pathway and high carbohydrate metabolism pathway. In summary, the study suggested that there was an increasing tendency in dietary NFC/NDF ratio of 1.92 in body weight, ruminal fermentation, microbial community composition and fermentation characteristics through developing alfalfa supplementary system.

Electromagnetic Short-Term to Imminent Forecast Indices for M ≥ 5.5 Earthquakes in the Gansu-Qinghai-Sichuan Region of China.

Electromagnetic indices play a potential role in the forecast of short-term to imminent M ≥ 5.5 earthquakes and have good application prospects. However, despite possible progress in earthquake forecasting, concerns remain because it is difficult to obtain accurate epicenter forecasts based on different forecast indices, and the forecast time span is as large as months in areas with multiple earthquakes. In this study, based on the actual demand for short-term earthquake forecasts in the Gansu-Qinghai-Sichuan region of western China, we refined the construction of earthquake forecast indicators in view of the abundant electromagnetic anomalies before moderate and strong earthquakes. We revealed the advantageous forecast indicators of each method for the three primary earthquake elements (time, epicenter, magnitude) and the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the anomalies. The correlations between the magnitude, time, intensity, and electromagnetic anomalies of different M ≥ 5.5 earthquakes indicate that the combination of short-term electromagnetic indices is pivotal in earthquake forecasting.

Carbon emission change based on land use in Gansu Province.

Carbon emissions from land use change have become one of the main sources of regional carbon emissions. In order to explore the changes, 87 districts and counties in Gansu Province are taken as research objects. Based on the remote sensing data and statistical data of land use, the carbon emission coefficient method was used to investigate the spatial characteristics of land use carbon emission of each district and county in Gansu Province in recent 20 years from the perspective of carbon ecological support coefficient and per capita carbon footprint. The main results are as follows: (1) the growth of land use carbon emissions in Gansu Province from 2000 to 2020 was significant, but the growth of carbon emissions after 2010 was fast, and the growth of carbon sinks was relatively slow. (2) The ecological support coefficient of carbon emissions at county level in Gansu Province showed a trend of high in the south and low in the north, high in the east and low in the west, and this trend became more and more obvious with the passage of time. (3) Based on carbon emission, county population, and carbon ecological support capacity, the per capita carbon footprint of each county in Gansu Province was analyzed. The results showed that the per capita carbon footprint in Gansu Province was increasing, indicating that the gap between carbon emission and carbon absorption in each county was widening. By the above result, the author divides the counties of Gansu Province into three regions, low-carbon maintenance area, green development area, and ecological optimization area, and puts forward development suggestions for different regions, respectively. Therefore, this paper can also provide a theoretical reference for the formulation of carbon neutral planning measures in inland northwest China.

Characteristics of the knowledge graph of scientific and technological innovation in Gansu Province.

The knowledge graph based on research papers can accurately identify and present the latest developments in scientific and technological (S&T) innovation and is of great significance for supporting strategic decision-making relating to S&T innovation in undeveloped areas. Based on the international research papers produced in Gansu Province during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), five metrics, including the number and characteristics of papers, co-authors, main publications and their fields, major supporting institutions, and main research areas, are established herein. The results indicate that: (i) the total of 29,951 papers were published, which is about 2.89 times that in 2010-2015; (ii) Gansu Province collaborated with 149 countries/regions globally; (iii) the top 5 journals in terms of the number of papers were Medicine, Scientific Reports, RSC Advances, Science of the Total Environment, and Physical Reviews D; (iv) the funding sources were mainly from the national level; and (5) the top 5 research areas were chemistry, engineering, physics, material science, environmental science, and ecology, which accounted for 64.7% of all papers. Finally, the present study puts forward some recommendations for the decision-making process in the strategic layout of S&T innovation in Gansu Province.

[Analysis of disease burden of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2020].

Objective: Through comparative analysis of the disease burden of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2020, the main influencing factors are screened, and scientific basis is provided for rational allocation of limited health resources, precise management and policy implementation. Methods: In August 2021, survey and collect information on surviving occupational pneumoconiosis patients and dead occupational pneumoconiosis patients diagnosed in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2020, and analyze and calculate indicators such as morbidity, mortality, and disability adjusted of life years (DALY). Analyzing the influencing factors of disease burden usirrg multiple linear regression. Results: From 2010 to 2020, the average annual incidence of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province was 0.9992/100000, the average annual mortality was 0.897/100000, the cumulative case fatality rate was 25.75%, and the cumulative DALY was 28932.96 person-years. The first stage of occupational pneumoconiosis was the highest among DALY loss (19920.14 person-years), and the DALY loss was positively correlated with the stage of occupational pneumoconiosis. Among occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province, silicosis (13753.66 person-years) and coal worker's pneumoconiosis (13414.73 person-years) caused the highest disease burden, followed by cement pneumoconiosis and asbestos lung. Period, length of service, type of disease, and region are all influencing factors of DALY loss (P<0.05). Conclusion: From 2010 to 2020, the DALY losses caused by occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province showed a fluctuating decrease, with the composition of DALY mainly changing from the loss of life years due to premature death to the loss of years due to injury and disability.

How climate, landscape, and economic changes increase the exposure of Echinococcus Spp.

BACKGROUND: Echinococcosis is a global enzootic disease influenced by different biological and environmental factors and causes a heavy financial burden on sick families and governments. Currently, government subsidies for the treatment of patients with echinococcosis are only a fixed number despite patients' finical income or cost of treatment, and health authorities are demanded to supply an annual summary of only endemic data. The risk to people in urban areas or non-endemic is increasing with climate, landscape, and lifestyle changes. METHODS: We conducted retrospective descriptive research on inpatients with human echinococcosis (HE) in Lanzhou hospitals and analyzed the healthcare expenditure on inpatient treatment and examined the financial inequalities relating to different levels of gross domestic product. The livestock losses were also estimated by infection ratio. The occurrence records of Echinococcus spp. composed of hospitalized patients and dogs infected in the Gansu province were collected for Ecological niche modeling (ENM) to estimate the current suitable spatial distribution for the parasite in Gansu province. Then, we imported the resulting current niche model into future global Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenarios for estimation of future suitable habitat areas. RESULTS: Between 2000 to 2020, 625 hospitalized HE patients (51% men and 49% women) were identified, and 48.32 ± 15.62 years old. The average cost of hospitalization expenses per case of HE in Gansu Province was ï¿¥24,370.2 with an increasing trend during the study period and was negative with different counties' corresponding gross domestic product (GDP). The trend of livestock losses was similar to the average cost of hospitalization expenses from 2015 to 2017. The three factors with the strongest correlation to echinococcosis infection probability were (1) global land cover (GLC, 56.6%), (2) annual precipitation (Bio12, 21.2%), and (3) mean temperature of the Wettest Quarter (Bio12, 8.5% of variations). We obtained a robust model that provides detail on the distribution of suitable areas for Echinococcus spp. including areas that have not been reported for the parasite. An increasing tendency was observed in the highly suitable areas of Echinococcus spp. indicating that environmental changes would affect the distributions. CONCLUSION: This study may help in the development of policies for at-risk populations in geographically defined areas and monitor improvements in HE control strategies by allowing targeted allocation of resources, including spatial analyses of expenditure and the identification of non-endemic areas or risk for these parasites, and a better comprehension of the role of the environment in clarifying the transmission dynamics of Echinococcus spp. Raising healthcare workers' and travelers' disease awareness and preventive health habits is an urgent agenda. Due to unpredictable future land cover types, prediction of the future with only climatic variables involved needs to be treated cautiously.

[Spatial distribution characteristics of rare and endangered medicinal plant resources in Gansu province].

Gansu province is located at the intersection of the three plateaus(Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Inner Mongolia Plateau, and Loess Plateau) and the three river basins(Yellow River Basin, Yangtze River Basin, and inland river basin). The complex eco-environment and climate conditions here have created rich and diverse vegetation. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the spatial distribution characteristics of rare and endangered medicinal plant resources in Gansu province for formulating reasonable protection po-licies and promoting the development of medicinal plant industry. The data of rare and endangered medicinal plant resources in 87 counties of Gansu province were collected from results of the fourth general survey. The spatial distribution and the high-or low-value gathering area of rare and endangered medicinal plant resources in Gansu province were analyzed by geostatistical methods such as exploratory spatial data analysis, trend surface analysis, and Anselin Local Moran's I. The eco-environment characteristics of the high-or low-value gathering area were analyzed with the data of vegetation type, soil texture classification, annual mean temperature, annual mean precipitation, and elevation. Furthermore, the relationships of the spatial distribution and diversity with the geographical environment of rare and endangered medicinal plants in Gansu province were analyzed to provide support for the restoration and protection policy making of these plant resources.

[Analysis of the guarantee and enjoyment of patients with occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province].

Objective: To analyze the security situation of patients with occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province to lay the foundation for strengthening the security measures for patients with pneumoconiosis. Methods: In August 2020, a follow-up survey was conducted on the current patients with occupational pneumoconiosis diagnosed and surviving in Gansu Province from 1949 to 2019, to obtain the information of industrial injury insurance, employer compensation, medical insurance, subsistence allowance and so on, and analyze their distribution characteristics. The proportion of patients enjoying various security, medical insurance reimbursement and subsistence allowances was tested by chi square. Results: Among the current patients with occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province, 72.0% (5335/7410) enjoyed the benefits of work-related injury insurance, 8.2% (609/7410) enjoyed the compensation paid by the employer, 91.5% (6780/7410) had medical insurance, and 2.8% (204/7410) had no guarantee. Among the patients with occupational pneumoconiosis, 374 enjoyed the minimum living allowance, accounting for 5.05% (374/7410) ; the first diagnosis period with a high proportion of minimum living allowance was phase Ⅲ, accounting for 15.14% (43/284) . Conclusion: The proportion of medical insurance outpatient and inpatient reimbursement of occupational pneumoconiosis patients in Gansu Province is still at a low level. It is suggested that relevant departments should introduce relevant security policies for workers without fixed employers to reduce the economic burden of patients.

A cross-sectional study of the epidemic situation on COVID-19 in Gansu Province, China - a big data analysis of the national health information platform.

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, China and has rapidly spread around the world since then. This study is to explore the patient characteristics and transmission chains of COVID-19 in the population of Gansu province, and support decision-making. METHODS: We collected data from Gansu Province National Health Information Platform. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including patients with COVID-19 confirmed between January 23 and February 6, 2020, and analyzed the gender and age of the patients. We also described the incubation period, consultation time and sources of infection in the cases, and calculated the secondary cases that occurred within Gansu for each imported case. RESULTS: We found thirty-six (53.7%) of the patients were women and thirty-one (46.3%) men, and the median ages were 40 (IQR 31-53) years. Twenty-eight (41.8%) of the 67 cases had a history of direct exposure in Wuhan. Twenty-five (52.2%) cases came from ten families, and we found no clear reports of modes of transmission other than family clusters. The largest number of secondary cases linked to a single source was nine. CONCLUSION: More women than men were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Gansu Province. Although the age range of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Gansu Province covered almost all age groups, most patients with confirmed COVID-19 tend to be middle aged persons. The most common suspected mode of transmission was through family cluster. Gansu and other settings worldwide should continue to strengthen the utilization of big data in epidemic control.

Epidemiology of Coronavirus Disease in Gansu Province, China, 2020.

To determine the epidemiology of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a remote region of China, far from Wuhan, we analyzed the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Gansu Province. From January 23 through February 3, 2020, a total of 35 (64.8%) of 54 reported cases were imported from COVID-19-epidemic areas. Characteristics that differed significantly during the first and second waves of illness in Gansu Province were mean patient age, occupation, having visited epidemic areas, and mode of transportation. Time from infection to illness onset for family clusters was shorter in Gansu Province than in Wuhan, consistent with shortened durations from onset to first medical visit or hospitalization. Spatial distribution pattern analysis indicated hot spots and spatial outliers in Gansu Province. As a result of adequate interventions, transmission of the COVID-19 virus in Gansu Province is decreasing.

Epidemic features of seasonal influenza transmission among eight different climate zones in Gansu, China.

BACKGROUNDS: Seasonal influenza remains epidemic globally with a substantial health burden. Understanding the transmission patterns and epidemic features of influenza may facilitate the improvement of preventive and control measures. This study aims to assess the epidemic features of influenza among different climate zones and identify high-risk zones across Gansu province, China. METHODS: We collected weekly influenza cases at county-level between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2016, as well as climate zones classification shapefile data from Köppen-Geiger climate map. We compared the epidemic features (Frequency index (α), Duration index (ß) and Intensity index (γ)) of influenza among different climate zones. Spatial cluster analysis was used to examine the high-risk areas of transmission of influenza. RESULTS: The distribution of cases existed significant differences among eight climate zones (F-test: 267.02, p < 0.05). The highest mean weekly incidence rate (per 100,000 population) was 0.59 in snow climate with dry winter and warm summer (Dwb). The primary (relative risk (RR): 3.61, p < 0.001) and secondary (RR: 2.45, p < 0.001) clusters were located in Dwb. The highest values of α, ß and γ were 1.00, 261 and 154.38 in Dwb. The hot spots (high-high clusters) of the epidemic indices were detected in Dwb. CONCLUSIONS: This study found the variability of epidemic features of influenza among eight climate zones. We highlight that Dwb was the high-risk zone where influenza clustered with the highest incidence rate and epidemic temporal indices. This provide further insight into potential improvement of preventive measures by climate zones to minimize the impact of epidemics.

First report of cyst nematode (Heterodera elachista) on Zea mays in Gansu Province, China.

The cyst nematodes are important plant-parasitic nematodes and make detrimental economic impacts worldwide. Heterodera elachista attacks rice in Japan (Ohshima 1974), Iran (Tanha et al. 2004) and China (Ding et al. 2012) and also attacks corn in Italy (De Luca et al. 2013) and northeast China (Xiao et al. 2019). Considering this nematode can infect these two most important crops with high reproduction rates, special attention should be paid to avoid its spread to new areas by soil, water, and agricultural practices. A survey for cyst nematodes was performed in fields of corn seed for propagation in September 2018 in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, which is the biggest corn seed production base in China. One hundred seventy four samples were collected by the zig-zag method in about 25 ha corn fields. Each soil sample containing approximately 1 kg soil in total was from the mixture of 20 cores (20 cm in depth and 0.2 cm in diameter). Cysts were detected in 6 out of 174 samples using the sieving-decanting method (Byrd et al. 1983). The six samples from ~ 1.2 ha corn fields in which plants displayed symptoms of dwarf, yellow leaves and earlier wilting had an average of 14 ± 2.8 cysts per 100 g soil. The cysts (n = 30) were dark brown, spherical to lemon shape, protruding, tapered vulva with ambifenestrae separated by a vulva slit, obvious and medium-sized underbridge, few dark-brown vesicles and clear swollen protrusion around underbridge and cyst cuticle with a zigzag pattern. Morphological measurements of the cysts included body length (excluding neck) (range =359.4 to 498.6 µm, mean = 429.5 ± SD 39.3 µm), vulva slit length (34.3 to 42.8, 37.9 ± 2.5), fenestral length (31.2 to 43.8, 38.0 ± 4.4) and width (26.1 to 31.4, 29.3 ± 1.6), underbridge length (74.7 to 82.9, 78.3 ± 2.8). J2 (n = 20) had the following measurements: body length (386.6 to 454.9, 425.3 ± 21.8), stylet length (17.1 to 22.2, 19.2 ± 1.6), stylet knob width (3.4 to 4.3, 3.9 ± 0.3), tail length (50.5 to 60.5, 55.5 ± 3.3) and hyaline tail length (25.0 to 34.6, 29.1 ± 3.1). The morphological characteristics are consistent with the Italian population of H. elachista through the comparison of the measurements. DNA was extracted from a single cyst randomly chosen (n = 5) using the protocol described by Subbotin et al. (2001). The ITS-rDNA and D2/D3 fragments of the 28S rRNA were respectively amplified with universal primers pairs TW81 and AB28 (Subbotin et al. 2001) and D2A and D3B (Castillo et al. 2003), and sequenced (Tsingke Biological Technology, Beijing, China). The consensus ITS sequence (GenBank Accession No. MN699476, 1037 bp) had 98.37 to 99.60% similarity with the H. elachista from corn in Italy (KC618469) and in China (MH712504), and from rice in China (HM560778) and in Iran (AF498391). The D2/D3 sequence (GenBank Accession No. MN699477, 746 bp) exhibited 99.60 to 99.73% similarity with that of H. elachista from rice in China (JN202922, HM560842), and from corn in Italy (KC618462). This nematode population was identified as H. elachista according to the morphological and molecular features. Twenty-day-old corn seedling (cv. Tiannuo) was inoculated with 3000 J2 and eggs in a pot filled with sterile soil. Eight plants were inoculated and two uninoculated plants were used as controls. J2 were found in the stained roots at 10 d after inoculation and J4 were detected at 30 d. These inoculated plants exhibited yellowing and dwarfing similar to the symptoms observed initially in the field, and the control grew normally. After 60 d, the average of 28 cysts were detected from each inoculated plant. This is the first report of H. elachista in Gansu Province, northwest China.

The spatial differentiation of quality of rural life based on natural controlling factors: A case study of Gansu Province, China.

The laws of regional differentiation of county development and influencing factors on the quality of rural life (QRL), affect not only the vital interests of rural residents but also the scientific implementation of rural revitalization strategy. In this paper, taking 87 counties (cities, districts) of Gansu Province as the region of study, we constructed five-dimensional model of QRL index. Then, Pearson correlation, spatial coupling, geographical detector and tradeoff analysis methods were used to analyze the QRL's spatial differentiation and quantitively identify its natural controlling factors. Further, we discussed the mechanism of spatial differentiation of QRL in Gansu Province and provided recommendations for improving QRL. The results show that: (1) QRL in Gansu Province is characterized by spatial heterogeneity and agglomeration, and decreases from west to east. There are five hot spots and four cold spots of QRL. (2) Altitude, slope, precipitation, and distance to the provincial capital (DTTPC) are the natural controlling factors of spatial differentiation of QRL in Gansu Province. Their influences are quantified to be 0.19, 0.37, 0.37 and 0.20, respectively. (3) The tradeoff between QRL and precipitation is the strongest, with root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.293. The tradeoff between QRL and altitude/slope/DTTCC are of medium level and decrease successively, with values of 0.238, 0.255 and 0.2 respectively. (4) According to the different influences of natural controlling factors on QRL, Gansu Province was classified into three regional types: natural environment restricted type, resource abundance restricted type and economic location restricted type. Thus, we can improve the QRL on the basis of identifying driving mechanisms in different regions, make policies according to local conditions, and further promote the rural development.

[Prevalence and risk factors of pterygium in Han and Yugur populations in Gansu Province, China].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of pterygium in Han and Yugur populations aged 40-79 years in Gansu Province, China. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A multistage cluster sampling method with urbanization level-based stratification was employed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors of pterygium. Results: A total of 4 193 people (1 840 males, 2 353 females; 3 035 Hans, 1 158 Yugurs) aged over 40 in Gansu Province were included in the study. Among them, 391 patients (9.3%) were found to have pterygium. The prevalence of pterygium adjusted for age and sex was 9.3%. The prevalence rates of Han and Yugur participants were 8.8% (267 patients) and 10.7% (124 patients), respectively, and there was no significant difference between them (χ²=3.629, P=0.057). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the risk factors of pterygium included age (OR=3.66, 95%CI: 2.26-5.92), length of residence in the countryside (OR=2.18, 95%CI: 1.41-3.38), and education level (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.29-0.83). In the Han group, the risk factors of pterygium were age (OR=3.84, 95%CI: 2.18-6.78) and length of rural residence (OR=2.02, 95%CI: 1.23-3.33), and a higher level of education (OR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.20-0.66) was a protective factor. Older age (OR=3.11, 95%CI: 1.13-8.59) and rural residential length ratio (OR=3.28, 95%CI: 1.09-9.88) were risk factors for pterygium in Yugur population. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of pterygium in Han and Yugur populations aged over 40 in Gansu Province, China was 9.3%, with no significant difference between the two nationalities. Older age and rural residency increased the incidence of pterygium, and a higher education level was a protective factor for pterygium.(Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56:600-607).

First molecular evidence of Babesia occultans and Theileria separata infection in ticks and sheep in China.

Protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia and Theileria are significant tick-borne pathogens of domestic animals and cause economic losses to the livestock industry in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In this study, 274 blood samples and 32 tick samples were collected from four counties of Wuwei City in northwestern China in June and July in 2018. The DNA from the field samples was analyzed for Babesia or Theileria infection using specific PCR and sequencing based on 18S rRNA gene fragments. The total infection rates were 0.4% for B. motasi and T. separata (both 1/274) in sheep, 3.1% for T. annulata (1/32), 6.2% for B. occultans (2/32) and 9.4% for B. bigemina (3/32) in ticks, respectively. In particular, T. separata has been for the first time detected in sheep in China and B. occultans in Hyalomma asiaticum from Gansu Province of China.

Molecular identification and detection of Wohlfahrtia magnifica in ovine vulvar myiasis in Gansu, China.

Traumatic myiasis causes substantial economic losses to farmers worldwide. In the present study, six flocks of sheep (2261 sheep) were investigated in Gansu, China, and 207 of 552 larvae were genetically characterized based on three genes, including cyt b, EF-1α, and white gene, by polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis. A survey of sheep in China revealed that the prevalence of vulvar myiasis of six sheep flocks was 5.00% (11/220, Flock1), 4.85% (10/206, Flock2), 4.50% (9/200, Flock3), 5.00% (15/300, Flock4), 4.68% (15/320, Flock5), 0% (0/1015, Flock6), respectively. The sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that only Wohlfahrtia magnifica was detected in the field samples. This is the first report of ovine vulvar myiasis caused by W. magnifica in Gansu, China. Some prophylactic measures are strongly recommended to reduce the risk of sheep acquiring traumatic myiasis in Gansu, China.

[Formation and development of Dao-di herbs "Long" medicines].

Gansu province,which spans the Yangtze river,is in the upper reaches of the Yellow river and located at the intersection of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau,the Inner Mongolia plateau and the Loess plateau. All of these areas are highly respected by doctors of all ages as they have enriched the resources of traditional Chinese medicines. In the interaction between the heavens and the earth,the interaction between the people and the future has been passed down to the present. As one of the abbreviations of Gansu province, " Long" is not only the symbol and representative of the Gansu region,but also the symbol of the authentic medicinal materials in Gansu. This paper sorts out the evolution of the name " Long" medicines,the development status and development limitations of " Long" medicines. It is believed that although the production areas of authentic medicinal materials in Gansu have changed in different historical periods,the core varieties have been used ever since. Today,with the great development of the Chinese medicine industry,Gansu province pays attention to the limitations of the current regional and technological competitiveness in the province,and gives full play to its own advantages,which can help the " Long" medicines stand out among the medicinal materials. Furthermore,it lays the foundation for the development of the industry and the application of high quality Chinese herbal medicines in clinical practice.