A Study on the Chess Culture of Ethnic Minority Groups in Gansu Province

As a region inhabited by large populations of ethnic minority groups, Gansu province boasts rich ethnic cultural resources which reflect traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage that had taken shape thousands of years ago. Among these are various ethnic folk chess games. They are time-honored with many types such as the “Fang” chess of the Hui ethnic group, the “Jiu” chess of the Tibetans, the “King and Ministers” chess, the Mongolian chess, the Mongolian military chess, etc. These games embody distinctive ethnic and regional characteristics, as well as the cultural elements of a particular ethnic minority group. It is of great significance, therefore, to study the ethnic chess by collecting, documenting and comparing different types of related chess. The paper explores ways to standardize, protect and promote them scientifically in joint efforts, and draws a conclusion that examining their significance in the present era and the ethnic characteristics is the key to understanding the profound culture behind the chess.

An epidemiology study of bronchial asthma in the Li ethnic group in China

Objective:To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of bronchial asthma in the Li ethnic group in Hainan,China.Methods:This study employed a stratified random sample design using custom-designed questionnaires.Subjects with asthma-like symptoms were first identified by two rounds of surveys and then confirmed by respiratory physicians using pulmonary function test,bronchial dilation test and challenge test.Demographic data,information on family history of asthma,history of allergies,smoking habits,domestic cooking fuel and other potential risk factors were collected.Logistic regression was performed to evaluate risk factors for asthma.Results: The prevalence of asthma in the Li ethnic group was 3.38%,much higher than the national average level in China.Aging,agriculture industry(the rubber industry in particular),rural residence,family history of asthma,history of allergies,cold air,inhalation of dust and irritant gases,smoking,domestic cooking fuel and living environment were associated with increased risk of asthma.Conclusions:The high prevalence of asthma in the Li ethnic group highlights the importance of asthma prevention and treatment in this population.Risk factors indentified in this study warrant special attention.Elevating public awareness about asthma in local communities will benefit the prevention of the disease.

Origin and controlling factors of chlorite coatings—an example from the reservoir of T_3x Group of the Baojie area,Sichuan Basin,China

The study of the chlorite coatings always attracts scholars in China and other countries because the chlorite coatings play an important role in the preservation of residual primary pores in sandstone reservoirs.At present,the study of the origin and the controlling factors is relatively few.The occurrence,time of formation,genesis,controlling factors,and the mechanism of chlorite coatings inhibiting quartz overgrowths were studied in detail with thin section and SEM analysis.Samples were from the sandstone reservoirs of the T3x Group in the Baojie area,the transitional zone from the middle to the south of Sichuan Basin.The results indicate that the chlorite coatings on the walls of the pore spaces are oriented perpendicular to grain surfaces in the form of isopachous(even-thickness) grain-coating,while the chlorite coatings at the contacts between adjacent detrital grains are arranged with a preferred orientation tangential to the surface of detrital grains.The chlorite coatings were formed in the eogenetic stage.They were formed by recrystallization of Fe-rich clay films during the syndepositional period,and chlorite cements would be recrystallized after the coatings’ formation.The formation of chlorite coatings was mainly controlled by the depositional environment,provenance conditions,and diagenetic environment.The presence of chlorite coatings could result in the preservation of primary pores in deeply buried sandstone reservoirs by effectively inhibiting quartz overgrowths and the development of compaction and pressure solution.

Correlation between the Xba Ⅰ polymorphism of apoB gene and serum lipid profiles in Li ethnic group

Objective:To study correlation between the Xba I polymorphism of apoB gene and plasma lipid profiles in Li ethnic group.Methods:Total 1S1 cases of healthy Li people were recruited randomly by cluster sampling and 200 Han people were recruited as control;blood was drawn to analyze Xba I polymorphism distribution of apoB gene and serum lipid levels.Results:There were lower serum total cholesterol(TC)and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels in serum of Li people;while,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),X^-/X^-genotype and X^+allele frequencies exhibited higher levels than Han people.Interestingly,HDL-C level was reduced,while LDL-C level was enhanced in subjects carrying heterozygous(X^-/X^-)genotype compared to homozygous(X^-/X^-)genotype.Additionally,there were no difference in serum level of triglyceride,TC,apoprotein A(apo A)and apoprotein B(apo B)between Li and Han people,the same results were showed between X^-/X^+and X^-/X^-genotype carriers.Conclusions:XbaⅠpolymorphism of apoB gene is correlated to the profiles of serum lipid level,X^-/X^+genotype carriers are phenotyped with higher LDL-C level and lower level of HDL-C in Li ethnic group.

THE STUDY OF POPULATION GENETIC RELATION AMONG TEN ETHNIC GROUPS IN NORTHWEST CH INA

Objective To investigate the genetic relation am on g ten ethnic groups in northwest China. Methods Allele frequ encies of six STR(short tandem repeat ) loci in D13S1358, VWA, FGA, D5S818, D13S 317, and D7S820 were collected from Lasa Tibetan, Changdu Tibetan, Xi'an Han, G ansu Dongxiang, Gansu Yugu, Xinjiang Uygur, Ozbak, Kirgiz, Sibe, Ningxia Hui by the results of State Key laboratory, Forensic Science Department, school of medi cal, Xi'an Jiaotong University and internet biological information data bank, a nd compared with that of the Mongolian, Zhuang in China, and White and Negro in USA. The polymorphism index (H, DP, PPE, PIC) and genetic distance, then the phy logenetic tree of all population were reported. Results The res ulting tree topology exhibited strong geographic and racial partitioning consist ent with that obtained with HLA and classical genetic polymorphisms. Conclusion The results suggest that forensic STR loci may be particular ly powerful tools and provide the necessary fine resolution for the reconstructi on of recent human evolutionary history.

Analysis of the Features of the Vernacular Plank Houses of the Qiang Ethnic Group in Southern Songpan County: A Case Study of Xiaoxinggou

The Qiang ethnic group in southern Songpan county lives in vernacular plank houses(VPHs) with an architectural tradition that dates to the period of the ancient Di people.VPHs are now mainly constructed in settlements of ethnic groups such as Baima Tibetans, Amdo Tibetans, and the Qiang people living in Wenxian county, Longnan city of Gansu province, and Maoxian, Lixian, Wenchuan, and Beichuan of Sichuan province respectively.Although VPHs of the Qiang people living in southern Songpan share many similarities with those of adjacent Tibetans in structure, construction, and spatial layout, they feature the Qiang people's unique architectural culture, and reflect a style transition from VPHs in the north to blockhouses in the south.The VPHs, as represented by those in Xiaoxinggou, play a significant role in the diversified architectural culture of this ethnic group.Their unique cultural value is worthy of further exploration and protection.

Endogamous marriage and the prevalence of hemoglobin E in ethnic groups of northern Thailand

Objective:To investigate the impact of the endogamous marriage culture on the prevalence of the hemoglobin E(HbE) recessive variant.Methods:The prevalence of the hemoglobin E(HbE)recessive variant was determined by dot-blot hybridization in 4 endogamous villages(1 Mlabri and 3 Htin ethnic groups) in comparison with 9 other nearby non-endogamous populations.Results:Although the overall HbE prevalence in the population studied(8.44%,33/391)was not significantly different from that of the general southeast Asian population,a high prevalence and individuals with homozygous HbE were observed in two villages,the Mlabri from Wiang Sa district and the Htin from Thung Chang district of Nan province(26.3%and26.9%,respectively).The low HbE allelic frequency noticed in some endogamous populations suggests that not only endogamy but also other evolutionary forces,such as founder effect and HbE/β-thalassemia negative selection may have an effect on the distribution of the HbE trait.Conclusion:Our study strongly documents that cultural impact has to be considered in the extensive prevalence studies for genetic disorders in the ethnic groups of northern Thailand.

ANALYZING HLA HAPLOTYPE OF THE LOCI HLA-A,-B, AND-DRB1 IN MONGOLIA ETHNIC GROUP

Objective To investigate HLA-A,-B and -DRB1 allele and HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotype frequencies in Mongolia ethnic group. Methods HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 allele and haplotype in the Mongolia ethnic group were investigated based on 93 individuals by PCR- sequence-based typing (SBT) method. Results Twenty-one alleles were detected for HLA-A, 44 for HLA-B, and 26 for HLA-DRB1. The most frequent alleles were HLA-A*2402(0.2097), HLA-B*1302(0.0699), and HLA-DRB1*0701(0.1237). The most common HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotype were A*3001-B*1302-DRB1*0701, A*0101-B*3701-DRB1*1001, followed by the A*0201-B*4601-DRB1*0901, A*2402-B*4801-DRB1*1101, A*2402-B*5201-DRB1*1501, A*3201-B*3503-DRB1*1301, and A*3303-B*5801-DRB1*0301, which were also presented in Chinese populations. Conclusion The data can be used in forensic and paternity tests to estimate the frequency of a DNA profile or anthropologic research. The characteristics of the distribution of HLA alleles revealed that Mongolia ethnic group is characterized by northern Mongolian Chinese.

Indigenous Knowledge on Soil Classification of Ethnic Groups in Luang Prabang Province of the Lao PDR

The objectives of this study were to demonstrate ethno-scientific elicitation techniques in retrieving indigenous knowledge at village-level, and to document the indigenous soil classification systems of different ethnic groups in Luang Prabang province in the Lao PDR. The study area comprised three villages – Nambo, Huaymaha and Thapo, in the Phonxay district of Luang Prabang province. Three ethnic groups were covered by the study – Hmong, Khmu and Lao Loum. All three ethnic groups used soil color as main criteria for soil classification. However, even within the same ethnic group, sometimes different villages have differences in the way they classify soils; this was apparent for the Hmong ethnic group in the villages of Huaymaha and Nambo. A significant difference of the Lao Loum ethnic group from the other two, was the emphasis used in classifying soil types according to their water holding capabilities. In contrast, the Khmu and Hmong classified many soil types in relation to their rock content (‘with rock’ or ‘pure rock’ sometimesbeing used). The results of the study suggest that the ethnic groups classify the soils in relation to their potential for different types of agricultural production.

3D Morphological Study of the Indian Arthritic Knee: Comparison with Other Ethnic Groups and Conformity of Current TKA Implant

Background: Studies have shown that there are striking variations in knee morphology between Asian and Western population. However, most of the existing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) implants are designed to suit the anatomy of Western population. Our study investigated anthropometry of Indian arthritic knees and compared them to international ethnic groups. Methods: Computed tomography was used to create 3D knee models and obtain anthropometric data of distal femur and proximal tibia of Indian arthritic knees. Femoral measurements included mediolateral length, medial and lateral anteroposterior length, medial and lateral condylar width and aspect ratio. Tibial measurements included mediolateral length, medial, lateral and central anteroposterior length and aspect ratio. A preoperative virtual implantation using Western TKAimplants was carried out to visualize anatomical conformity. Results: Statistical analysis results showed that Indian males had significantly larger femoral and tibial mediolateral and anteroposterior width than Indian females;however, femoral and tibial aspect ratio was similar for both. In case of females, significant difference was observed between medial and lateral condylar widths. When compared to knee anthropometry of other ethnic groups, femoral and tibial aspect ratio of Indian knees was found to be similar to the Asian population and different from the Western population. The virtual implantation showed overhang of the femoral component in both lateral and medial regions. Conclusion: Morphological mismatch between Western and Indian knees established the fact that Western implants have drawbacks when implanted in Indian patients. The study also provided a basis for designing gender-specific TKA implants for the Indian population.

The Research of Value of Female Costume in Ethnic Group Construction Based on the Social Gender

The social gender theory is a historical analysis method which is benificial to explore the system of human organization activities around ＂male＂or ＂female＂ activities. Historically, the process of human socialization is also a process of social gender institutionalization. Therefore, the paper tried to analyze the connotation of ethnic women＇s costume from the social gender perspective to help people realize further the women＇s state in sexism society and value in ethnic group constructing and developing. Firstly, the paper sets forth the characteristic of ＂group＂ of ethnic people female costumes. The next, the paper explored the costume how to set up a system of ethic standard in inner group so as to maintain the social order. Subsequently, the paper points out, with the rapid evolution of society, more and more ethnic people men participate cities construction and outer social activities Consequently, most of minority men wear modem clothing instead of their traditional clothing, only women still insist in wearing the traditional clothing. Finally, according to research above, the authors consider that ethnic people female costumes emerge strong gender content which reflects more constraints rather than equality between men and women. Besides, it is certain that women have irreplaceable value in ethinc group construction and development.

The Polymorphism of the HLA-DRB1 Locus of the Guangxi Zhuang People and Its Comparison with the Main Surrounding Ethnic Groups

To explore genetically the origin, migration and relationship of the Zhuang people in Guangxi province with the main surrounding Chinese and the ethnic groups in Southeast Asia, the distributions of the HLA-DRB1 locus among the populations in these regions were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction—sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) technique among 265, healthy, randomly selected and unrelated Zhuang adults, aged 17-32, whose families had lived in Guangxi province for more than 3 generations. Every allelic frequency was comparatively analyzed with that of some main Chinese and Southeast Asia populations. It was found that 13 HLA-DRB1 alleles were detected among these 265 selected individuals, but other 13 alleles failed to be discovered by using the 23 pairs of primers designed in the present study. The most common alleles were HLA-DRB1*1501, HLA-DRB1*1601/2 and HLA-DRB1*1401/4 with the allele frequencies of 0.291, 0.198 and 0.106 respectively. Although alleles of HLA-DR1*0701/2, HLA-DRB1*08 and HLA-DRB1*1306/1406 could be detected also, but their frequencies were rather very low. The overall allele distribution profile on HLA-DRB1 of Zhuangs was much closed dramatically to those of Buyis, Northeast Thais, Dai Lues, Southern Hans and Singapore Chinese, but was more far away from that of northern Hans and Hanai Kinhs, as compared to the representative ethnic groups in Southeast Asia. In addition, the blank of HLA-DRB1*1502 was a characteristic allele for Zhuangs was commonly detected in Southeast Asia, especially in Thais. It is concluded that a very close genetic relationship exists between Zhuangs and Buyis on the basis of their extremely similar background on HLA-DRB1 locus.

Comparison of the Perception of English Learning Between Ethnic Group Students and Han Students

This paper has analyzed the discrepancies of the perception of English learning between ethnic students and Han studens in a trilingual language context.The research results will be expected to broaden our understanding of the ethnic group students in the minority regions,and to provide some empirical references and implications for teachers.

Diet Culture of the Lhoba Ethnic Group

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The Study of the Language Functions in the Benzhu Worship of the Bai Ethnic Groups in Dali,Yunnan

The Benzhu worship is a traditional folk activity of the Bai ethnic group in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Prov?ince, which has long history with colourful culture. When the sacred ceremonies are held, Bai villagers always get together to celebrate. In the Benzhu worship, language plays significant functions, including the performative function, recreational function, emotive function and interpersonal function.