Climate and topography regulate the spatial pattern of soil salinization and its effects on shrub community structure in Northwest China

Soil salinization may affect biodiversity and species composition,leading to changes in the plant community structure.However,few studies have explored the spatial pattern of soil salinization and its effects on shrub community structure at the ecosystem scale.Therefore,we conducted a transect sampling of desert shrublands in Northwest China during the growing season(June–September)in 2021.Soil salinization(both the degree and type),shrub community structure(e.g.,shrub density and height),and biodiversity parameters(e.g.,Simpson diversity,Margalf abundance,Shannon-Wiener diversity,and Pielou evenness indices)were used to assess the effects of soil salinization on shrub community structure.The results showed that the primary degree of soil salinization in the study area was light salinization,with the area proportion of 69.8%.Whereas the main type of soil salinization was characterized as sulfate saline soil,also accounting for 69.8%of the total area.Notably,there was a significant reduction in the degree of soil salinization and a shift in the type of soil salinization from chloride saline soil to sulfate saline soil,with an increase in longitude.Regional mean annual precipitation(MAP),mean annual evapotranspiration(MAE),elevation,and slope significantly contributed to soil salinization and its geochemical differentiation.As soil salinization intensified,shrub community structure displayed increased diversity and evenness,as indicated by the increases in the Simpson diversity,Shannon-Wiener diversity,and Pielou evenness indices.Moreover,the succulent stems and leaves of Chenopodiaceae and Tamaricaceae exhibited clear advantages under these conditions.Furthermore,regional climate and topography,such as MAP,MAE,and elevation,had greater effects on the distribution of shrub plants than soil salinization.These results provide a reference for the origin and pattern of soil salinization in drylands and their effects on the community structure of halophyte shrub species.

Predicting changes in the suitable habitats of six halophytic plant species in the arid areas of Northwest China

In the context of changes in global climate and land uses,biodiversity patterns and plant species distributions have been significantly affected.Soil salinization is a growing problem,particularly in the arid areas of Northwest China.Halophytes are ideal for restoring soil salinization because of their adaptability to salt stress.In this study,we collected the current and future bioclimatic data released by the WorldClim database,along with soil data from the Harmonized World Soil Database(v1.2)and A Big Earth Data Platform for Three Poles.Using the maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model,the potential suitable habitats of six halophytic plant species(Halostachys caspica(Bieb.)C.A.Mey.,Halogeton glomeratus(Bieb.)C.A.Mey.,Kalidium foliatum(Pall.)Moq.,Halocnemum strobilaceum(Pall.)Bieb.,Salicornia europaea L.,and Suaeda salsa(L.)Pall.)were assessed under the current climate conditions(average for 1970-2000)and future(2050s,2070s,and 2090s)climate scenarios(SSP245 and SSP585,where SSP is the Shared Socio-economic Pathway).The results revealed that all six halophytic plant species exhibited the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values higher than 0.80 based on the MaxEnt model,indicating the excellent performance of the MaxEnt model.The suitability of the six halophytic plant species significantly varied across regions in the arid areas of Northwest China.Under different future climate change scenarios,the suitable habitat areas for the six halophytic plant species are expected to increase or decrease to varying degrees.As global warming progresses,the suitable habitat areas of K.foliatum,S.salsa,and H.strobilaceum exhibited an increasing trend.In contrast,the suitable habitat areas of H.glomeratus,S.europaea,and H.caspica showed an opposite trend.Furthermore,considering the ongoing global warming trend,the centroids of the suitable habitat areas for various halophytic plant species would migrate to different degrees,and four halophytic plant species,namely,S.salsa,H.strobilaceum,H.glomeratus,and H.capsica,would migrate to higher latitudes.Temperature,precipitation,and soil factors affected the possible distribution ranges of these six halophytic plant species.Among them,precipitation seasonality(coefficient of variation),precipitation of the warmest quarter,mean temperature of the warmest quarter,and exchangeable Na+significantly affected the distribution of halophytic plant species.Our findings are critical to comprehending and predicting the impact of climate change on ecosystems.The findings of this study hold significant theoretical and practical implications for the management of soil salinization and for the utilization,protection,and management of halophytes in the arid areas of Northwest China.

Spatiotemporal variability of rain-on-snow events in the arid region of Northwest China

Rain-on-snow(ROS)events involve rainfall on snow surfaces,and the occurrence of ROS events can exacerbate water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability in the arid region of Northwest China(ARNC).In this study,using daily snow depth data and daily meteorological data from 68 meteorological stations provided by the China Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Information Centre,we investigated the spatiotemporal variability of ROS events in the ARNC from 1978 to 2015 and examined the factors affecting these events and possible changes of future ROS events in the ARNC.The results showed that ROS events in the ARNC mainly occurred from October to May of the following year and were largely distributed in the Qilian Mountains,Tianshan Mountains,Ili River Valley,Tacheng Prefecture,and Altay Prefecture,with the Ili River Valley,Tacheng City,and Altay Mountains exhibiting the most occurrences.Based on the intensity of ROS events,the areas with the highest risk of flooding resulting from ROS events in the ARNC were the Tianshan Mountains,Ili River Valley,Tacheng City,and Altay Mountains.The number and intensity of ROS events in the ARNC largely increased from 1978 to 2015,mainly influenced by air temperature and the number of rainfall days.However,due to the snowpack abundance in areas experiencing frequent ROS events in the ARNC,snowpack changes exerted slight impact on ROS events,which is a temporary phenomenon.Furthermore,elevation imposed lesser impact on ROS events in the ARNC than other factors.In the ARNC,the start time of rainfall and the end time of snowpack gradually advanced from the spring of the current year to the winter of the previous year,while the end time of rainfall and the start time of snowpack gradually delayed from autumn to winter.This may lead to more ROS events in winter in the future.These results could provide a sound basis for managing water resources and mitigating related disasters caused by ROS events in the ARNC.

Ecological Network Resilience of Shiyang River Basin: An Arid Inland Watershed of Northwest China

Due to the uncertainties posed by climate change,resilience has become an increasingly important variable for evaluating regional ecosystem stability.The assessment of Ecological Network Resilience(ENR)is crucial for establishing mitigation strategies and sustainable socioeconomic development in arid regions.Shiyang River Basin is an arid watershed in Northwest China with complex characteristics,its ENR and spatial differentiation characteristics in 2020 were investigated in this work based on the Complex Adaptive System(CAS)theory.The results indicated that the mean Ecological Network Resilience Index(ENRI)value for the Shiyang River Basin was 0.390 in 2020,and the mean values in the southern mountainous,middle oasis,and northern desert regions of the basin were 0.598,0.461,and 0.237,respectively,demonstrating evident spatial differences.Additionally,the ENR of the basin exhibited distinct distribution characteristics across different dimension,whereas the trend of the integrated ENR of the basin was consistent with that of elemental,structural,and functional resilience,indicating the constructed three-region ENR model based on the logical relationship of element-structure-function was suitable for evaluation of the ENR in arid inland river watersheds.Furthermore,strategies for enhancing regional ENR were proposed from the perspective of adapting to climate change.

Effect of CO_(2)flooding in an oil reservoir with strong bottom-water drive in the Tahe Oilfield,Tarim Basin,Northwest China

The dissolution and diffusion of CO_(2)in oil and water and its displacement mechanism were investigated by laboratory experiment and numerical simulation for Block 9 in the Tahe oilfield,a sandstone oil reservoir with strong bottom-water drive in Tarim Basin,Northwest China.Such parameters were analyzed as solubility ratio of CO_(2)in oil,gas and water,interfacial tension,in-situ oil viscosity distribution,remaining oil saturation distribution,and oil compositions.The results show that CO_(2)flooding could control water coning and increase oil production.In the early stage of the injection process,CO_(2)expanded vertically due to gravity differentiation,and extended laterally under the action of strong bottom water in the intermediate and late stages.The CO_(2)got enriched and extended at the oil-water interface,forming a high interfacial tension zone,which inhibited the coning of bottom water to some extent.A miscible region with low interfacial tension formed at the gas injection front,which reduced the in-situ oil viscosity by about 50%.The numerical simulation results show that enhanced oil recovery(EOR)is estimated at 5.72%and the oil exchange ratio of CO_(2)is 0.17 t/t.

Comprehensive applicability evaluation of four precipitation products at multiple spatiotemporal scales in Northwest China

Precipitation plays a crucial role in the water cycle of Northwest China.Obtaining accurate precipitation data is crucial for regional water resource management,hydrological forecasting,flood control and drought relief.Currently,the applicability of multi-source precipitation products for long time series in Northwest China has not been thoroughly evaluated.In this study,precipitation data from 183 meteorological stations in Northwest China from 1979 to 2020 were selected to assess the regional applicability of four precipitation products(the fifth generation of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF)atmospheric reanalysis of the global climate(ERA5),Global Precipitation Climatology Centre(GPCC),Climatic Research Unit gridded Time Series Version 4.07(CRU TS v4.07,hereafter CRU),and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission(TRMM))based on the following statistical indicators:correlation coefficient,root mean square error(RMSE),relative bias(RB),mean absolute error(MAE),probability of detection(POD),false alarm ratio(FAR),and equitable threat score(ETS).The results showed that precipitation in Northwest China was generally high in the east and low in the west,and exhibited an increasing trend from 1979 to 2020.Compared with the station observations,ERA5 showed a larger spatial distribution difference than the other products.The overall overestimation of multi-year average precipitation was approximately 200.00 mm and the degree of overestimation increased with increasing precipitation intensity.The multi-year average precipitation of GPCC and CRU was relatively close to that of station observations.The trend of annual precipitation of TRMM was overestimated in high-altitude regions and the eastern part of Lanzhou with more precipitation.At the monthly scale,GPCC performed well but underestimated precipitation in the Tarim Basin(RB=-4.11%),while ERA5 and TRMM exhibited poor accuracy in high-altitude regions.ERA5 had a large bias(RB≥120.00%)in winter months and a strong dispersion(RMSE≥35.00 mm)in summer months.TRMM showed a relatively low correlation with station observations in winter months(correlation coefficients≤0.70).The capture performance analysis showed that ERA5,GPCC,and TRMM had lower POD and ETS values and higher FAR values in Northwest China as the precipitation intensity increased.ERA5 showed a high capture performance for small precipitation events and a slower decreasing trend of POD as the precipitation intensity increased.GPCC had the lowest FAR values.TRMM was statistically ineffective for predicting the occurrence of daily precipitation events.The findings provide a reference for data users to select appropriate datasets in Northwest China and for data developers to develop new precipitation products in the future.

Identification and virulence test of a new pathogen that causes verticillium striping on rapeseed in northwestern China

Five stems of rapeseed with abundant black microsclerotia were collected from Huangyuan County of Qinghai Province,China,and fungal isolates were obtained from the stems.They were identified based on morphology,molecular features and specific PCR detection.The results showed that the 10 fungal isolates belonged to Verticillium longisporum lineage A1/D3.One of the 10 isolates(HW7-1)was tested for virulence on three species of rapeseed,including B.napus Zhongshuang 9,B.rapa Qingyou 9 and B.juncea Tayou 2 by conidia inoculation of HW7-1 on roots of young seedlings.Control seedlings were inoculated with V.dahliae conidia or water alone.The seedlings of these treatments were transplanted in culture mix and incubated in a growth chamber(20℃).Results suggested that the control seedlings of three cultivars appeared quite healthy,while the seedlings inoculated with HW7-1 turned yellowing leaves,seedling stunting or even death after 22 days post-inoculation.V.longisporum was re-isolated from he yellow leaves,thus fulfilling Koch's postulates.Moreover,compared to the control treatments,inoculation with HW7-1 caused flowering delay and seed yield reduction on Tayou 2 with production of microsclerotia on the stems.To our knowledge,this is the first report of V.longisporum lineage A1/D3 on rapeseed in northwestern China.

Short-term Association of Meteorological Elements on COVID-19 Pandemic in a Semi-arid City of Northwest China,2021-2022

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outbreak in late 2019 significantly impacted global health.The virus’s rapid spread,with its long incubation period and high infection level,caused substantial disruption to regular social frameworks,production,and lifestyles^([1]).COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through close contact,long-range contaminants,and airborne routes.

U-Pb zircon geochronology of basaltic pyroclastic rocks from the basement beneath the Xisha Islands in the northwestern South China Sea and its geological significance

As one of the micro-blocks dispersed in the South China Sea(SCS), the basement of the Xisha Islands has rarely been drilled because of the thick overlying Cenozoic sediments, which has led to a confused understanding of the pre-Cenozoic basement of the Xisha Islands. Well CK-1, a kilometer-scale major scientific drill in the Xisha Islands in the northwestern SCS, penetrated thick reefal limestone(0–888.4 m) and the underlying basement rocks(888.4–901.4 m). In this study, we present the zircon U-Pb ages of basement basaltic pyroclastic rocks from Well CK-1 in the Xisha Islands of the northwestern SCS to investigate the basement nature of the Xisha microblock. The basement of Well CK-1 consists of basaltic pyroclastic rocks on the seamount. The zircon grains yielded apparent ages ranging from ca. 2 138.9 Ma to ca. 36 Ma. The old group of zircon grains from Well CK-1 was considered to be inherited zircons. Two Cenozoic zircons gave a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of(36.3 ± 1.1) Ma,Mean Squared Weighted Deviations(MSWD) = 1.2, which may represent the maximum age of the volcano eruption. The Yanshanian inherited zircons(116.9–105.7 Ma and 146.1–130.2 Ma) from Well CK-1 are consistent with the zircons from Well XK-1, indicating that the basement of Chenhang Island may be similar to that of Well XK-1. We propose that the Xisha micro-block may have developed on a uniform Late Jurassic metamorphic crystalline basement, intruded by Cretaceous granitic magma.

The impact of typhoons on the biogeochemistry of dissolved organic matter in eutrophic bays in northwestern South China Sea

Highly productive estuaries facilitate intense decomposition of dissolved organic matter(DOM) as a carbon source.However,the specific impacts of typhoons on DOM decomposition in eutrophic bays remain unclear.To address this issue,we investigated the spectral characteristics of DOM before and after Typhoon Ewiniar in Zhanjiang B ay,a eutrophic semi-enclosed bay in the northwestern South China Sea.The results revealed that intense microbial decomposition of DOM occurred during the pre-typhoon period because high nutrient inputs facilitated the mobilization of DOM in the bay.However,the intrusion of external seawater induced by the typhoon diluted the nutrient levels in Zhanjiang B ay,reducing the impact of microbial decomposition on DOM during the post-typhoon perio d.Nevertheless,the net addition of DOM occurred in Zhanjiang Bay during the post-typhoon period,possibly because of the decomposition of particulate organic matter(POM) and desorption of particulate matter.In addition,an increase in apparent oxygen utilization,a decrease in DO saturation and the reduced level of Chl a indicated that organic matter(OM) decomposition was enhanced and OM decomposition shifted to POM decomposition in Zhanjiang Bay after the typhoon.Overall,our study highlighted the shift in the intense OM decomposition from DOM to POM decomposition before and after typhoons in eutrophic bays,providing new insights into the response of typhoons to biogeo chemistry.

Integrity and Size of Green Spaces Are Critical for the Functional Di-versity of Birds:Evidence from the Eastern and Northwestern Regions of China

Urbanization often changes bird species richness and affects the functional diversity.Therefore,understanding these changes helps city planners improve green space design and land use planning.Our study used multiple datasets to explore the effects of land-scape patterns and natural environments on the functional diversity of birds in urban parks and campuses in the eastern and northwest-ern regions of China.Firstly,we used the data to calculate birds of the functional richness(FRic),functional evenness(FEve),and func-tional divergence(FDiv)of 68 urban spaces in the eastern and northwestern regions of China.Further,we established generalized linear models of natural factors,human factors,and functional diversity.Results showed more bird species with unique traits were in the north-western region.This may be because the earlier urbanization in the eastern region filtered out urban-sensitive species,leaving behind urban adapters.Moreover,we found that the fractal dimension index was the most significant positive factor of FRic in the eastern re-gion but the most significant negative factor of FDiv.Elevation was the most significant negative influence factor of FEve in the eastern region,but it was the most potent positive influence factor of FRic in the northwestern region.Population density had a significant posit-ive effect on FDiv in the northwestern region.However,green space areas significantly negatively impacted FEve in the northwestern region.In addition,birds in parks in both regions had more functional traits than those on campuses,possibly because of the larger green space in parks,which may contain more fragments of native vegetation and reduce human interference.Our study suggests that pre-serving more original vegetation and reducing human disturbance in cities can increase the functional diversity of urban birds and im-prove urban ecosystem functions.

A case study of continental shelf waves in the northwestern South China Sea induced by winter storms in 2021

This study aims to investigate characteristics of continental shelf wave(CSW)on the northwestern continental shelf of the South China Sea(SCS)induced by winter storms in 2021.Mooring and cruise observations,tidal gauge data at stations Hong Kong,Zhapo and Qinglan and sea surface wind data from January 1 to February 28,2021 are used to examine the relationship between along-shelf wind and sea level fluctuation.Two events of CSWs driven by the along-shelf sea surface wind are detected from wavelet spectra of tidal gauge data.The signals are triply peaked at periods of 56 h,94 h and 180 h,propagating along the coast with phase speed ranging from 6.9 m/s to18.9 m/s.The dispersion relation shows their property of the Kelvin mode of CSW.We develop a simple method to estimate amplitude of sea surface fluctuation by along-shelf wind.The results are comparable with the observation data,suggesting it is effective.The mode 2 CSWs fits very well with the mooring current velocity data.The results from rare current help to understand wave-current interaction in the northwestern SCS.

中国戏曲对外传播中的媒介形象建构——基于China Daily相关英文报道的分析

本研究收集China Daily2019至2022年有关中国戏曲的英文报道,自建英文语料库,从语篇层面进行分析发现,China Daily建构的中国戏曲形象主要表现为历史悠久、种类丰富、底蕴深厚、认可广泛、官方重视、传播主体多元化、受众年轻化、传播形式创新化、“戏曲+旅游”融合发展、戏曲助力乡村振兴等特征,为对外展示真实、立体、全面的中国发挥了积极作用。

The Concurrent Record-breaking Rainfall over Northwest India and North China in September 2021

Extremely heavy rainfall occurred over both Northwest India and North China in September 2021.The precipitation anomalies were 4.1 and 6.2 times interannual standard deviation over the two regions,respectively,and broke the record since the observational data were available,i.e.,1901 for India and 1951 for China.In this month,the Asian uppertropospheric westerly jet was greatly displaced poleward over West Asia,and correspondingly,an anomalous cyclone appeared over India.The anomalous cyclone transported abundant water vapor into Northwest India,leading to the heavy rainfall there.In addition,the Silk Road pattern,a teleconnection pattern of upper-level meridional wind over the Eurasian continent and fueled by the heavy rainfall in Northwest India,contributed to the heavy rainfall in North China.Our study emphasizes the roles of atmospheric teleconnection patterns in concurrent rainfall extremes in the two regions far away from each other,and the occurrence of rainfall extremes during the post-or pre-monsoon period in the northern margins of monsoon regions.

主流媒体短视频传播中的国家形象建构研究——以中国网短视频节目《中国三分钟(China Mosaic)》为例

以中国网账号发布在境外社交媒体平台Facebook上的节目《中国三分钟(China Mosaic)》为例,使用Python工具软件抓取得到评论数据样本,能很好地分析海外受众对主题类型的关注偏向和态度取向。从整体上看,海外受众对我国国家形象呈现出积极认可的态度,主要表现为:高度肯定我国的经济实力和科教发展成果,赞许我大国外交所起到的作用和经济建设成就,向往中华优秀传统文化等。但由于意识形态、东西方认知的差异,在海外受众的评论中也存在一些杂音,需要我们理性对待、主动消弭。在对外传播中,要用海外受众乐于接受的话语表达方式、共通的符号,从大处着眼、小处入手讲述中国故事,掌握议题设置的主动权,传播好中国声音。

Long-term improvements in water conservation functions at Qilian Mountain National Park, northwest China

Water conservation is one of the most important ecosystem functions.This study uses the InVEST model to examine the water conservation function of the Qilian Mountain National Park(QMNP),an important water supply area in northwest China.We analyzed the spatiotemporal water conservation patterns of QMNP from 1988 to 2019.It showed that the water conservation capacity in QMNP has increased over the past 32 years,reaching a peak of 6.495×108 m3 in 2019.The area with an increased water conservation capacity is 12 times larger than the area with a reduced capacity.We also examined how climatic,land-use,vegetation coverage,and topographical factors influence water conservation functions.We found that precipitation is the main climatic factor in water conservation.The water conservation function also varies with land-cover type,with forests having the highest capacity,followed by grasslands.Lastly,topographical factors,including altitude and slope,also shape the spatial patterns of water conservation functions in QMNP.

First report of Leptosphaeria sclerotioides on Brassica napus in Northwestern China

In 2020,diseased seedlings of winter oilseed rape(Brassica napus)with cankered taproots as well as abundant sclerotium-like structures in the soil surrounding the roots were found in Longxi County of Gansu province of northwestern China.A fungus with production of pycnidia was isolated from the diseased roots,and it was identified based on morphological characteristics,molecular phylogeny(ITS,LSU)and PCR detection with the specific primers.The fungus was identified as Leptosphaeria sclerotioides Gruyter,Aveskamp&Verkley[anamorph:Phoma sclerotioides(Preuss)ex Sacc.].Re-inoculation of isolates of P9 and P10 of L.sclerotioides on winter oilseed rape(B.napus cultivar‘Zhongshuang No.9’)in Wuhan caused formation of abundant sclerotium-like structures in soil surrounding the roots,but failed to produce root cankers as those observed in Gansu possibly due to lack of long peroid of low-temperature conditioning in Wuhan.In spite of this,plant height,pod number and seed yield of oilseed rape were significantly reduced in the treatment with L.sclerotioides P9 and P10,compared to the control treatment.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first report of L.sclerotioides on B.napus in China and the finding broadened our understanding about the natural distribution of this psychrophilic fungus.

Correction to:Modelling the response of larch growth to age,density,and elevation and the implications for multifunctional management in northwest China

In Table 3 of the published version,“Parameters fi tted for tree height and DBH growth models of Eq.(6)”,the parameters letter mismatched the corresponding values.Hence,the authors regret that this may lead to mistakes in the tree height and DBH simulation based on the model Eq.(6).The correct Table 3 with exact parameter values is listed as follow.

How do the landslide and non-landslide sampling strategies impact landslide susceptibility assessment? d A catchment-scale case study from China

The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of the sampling strategy of landslide and non-landslide on the performance of landslide susceptibility assessment(LSA).The study area is the Feiyun catchment in Wenzhou City,Southeast China.Two types of landslides samples,combined with seven non-landslide sampling strategies,resulted in a total of 14 scenarios.The corresponding landslide susceptibility map(LSM)for each scenario was generated using the random forest model.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and statistical indicators were calculated and used to assess the impact of the dataset sampling strategy.The results showed that higher accuracies were achieved when using the landslide core as positive samples,combined with non-landslide sampling from the very low zone or buffer zone.The results reveal the influence of landslide and non-landslide sampling strategies on the accuracy of LSA,which provides a reference for subsequent researchers aiming to obtain a more reasonable LSM.

Epidemiological and clinical features,treatment status,and economic burden of traumatic spinal cord injury in China:a hospital-based retrospective study

Traumatic spinal cord injury is potentially catastrophic and can lead to permanent disability or even death.China has the largest population of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury.Previous studies of traumatic spinal cord injury in China have mostly been regional in scope;national-level studies have been rare.To the best of our knowledge,no national-level study of treatment status and economic burden has been performed.This retrospective study aimed to examine the epidemiological and clinical features,treatment status,and economic burden of traumatic spinal cord injury in China at the national level.We included 13,465 traumatic spinal cord injury patients who were injured between January 2013 and December 2018 and treated in 30 hospitals in 11 provinces/municipalities representing all geographical divisions of China.Patient epidemiological and clinical features,treatment status,and total and daily costs were recorded.Trends in the percentage of traumatic spinal cord injuries among all hospitalized patients and among patients hospitalized in the orthopedic department and cost of care were assessed by annual percentage change using the Joinpoint Regression Program.The percentage of traumatic spinal cord injuries among all hospitalized patients and among patients hospitalized in the orthopedic department did not significantly change overall(annual percentage change,-0.5%and 2.1%,respectively).A total of 10,053(74.7%)patients underwent surgery.Only 2.8%of patients who underwent surgery did so within 24 hours of injury.A total of 2005(14.9%)patients were treated with high-dose(≥500 mg)methylprednisolone sodium succinate/methylprednisolone(MPSS/MP);615(4.6%)received it within 8 hours.The total cost for acute traumatic spinal cord injury decreased over the study period(-4.7%),while daily cost did not significantly change(1.0%increase).Our findings indicate that public health initiatives should aim at improving hospitals’ability to complete early surgery within 24 hours,which is associated with improved sensorimotor recovery,increasing the awareness rate of clinical guidelines related to high-dose MPSS/MP to reduce the use of the treatment with insufficient evidence.