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Livestock husbandry is vital to economy of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China. However, there have been few surveys of the distribution of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne pathogens affecting domestic animals at these locations. In this study, 3,916 adult ixodid ticks infesting domestic animals were collected from 23 sampling sites during 2012-2016. Ticks were identified to species based on morphology, and the identification was confirmed based on mitochondrial 16S and 12S rRNA sequences. Ten tick species belonging to 4 genera were identified, including Rhipicephalus turanicus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Rh. bursa, H. asiaticum asiaticum, and Rh. sanguineus. DNA sequences of Rickettsia spp. (spotted fever group) and Anaplasma spp. were detected in these ticks. Phylogenetic analyses revealed possible existence of undescribed Babesia spp. and Borrelia spp. This study illustrates potential threat to domestic animals and humans from tick-borne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on a sample selection rule and a Back Propagation (BP) neural network, a new model of forecasting daily SO2, NO2, and PM10 concentration in seven sites of Guangzhou was developed using data from January 2006 to April 2012. A meteorological similarity principle was applied in the development of the sample selection rule. The key meteorological factors influencing SO2, NO2, and PM10 daily concentrations as well as weight matrices and threshold matrices were determined. A basic model was then developed based on the improved BP neural network. Improving the basic model, identification of the factor variation consistency was added in the rule, and seven sets of sensitivity experiments in one of the seven sites were conducted to obtain the selected model. A comparison of the basic model from May 2011 to April 2012 in one site showed that the selected model for PM10 displayed better forecasting performance, with Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values decreasing by 4% and R² values increasing from 0.53 to 0.68. Evaluations conducted at the six other sites revealed a similar performance. On the whole, the analysis showed that the models presented here could provide local authorities with reliable and precise predictions and alarms about air quality if used at an operational scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Remote sensing has become an important method for monitoring urban thermal environment, but, it is still difficult to analysis the spatio-temporal change of urban thermal environment quantitatively only by ground surface temperature (or brightness temperature). Three indexes on urban thermal environment monitoring are proposed in this paper: heat island intensity, heat field intensity index and heat island proportion index. Based on MODIS surface temperature products and FY3A/MERSI data of two years, urban thermal environment is monitored by remote sensing method in Beijing. The empirical results verify that three indexes proposed in this paper are meaningful in monitoring of urban heat island. It can not only monitor the intensity and changes of the urban heat island in Beijing effectively, but also, it is positive to carrying out meteorological operations in city thermal environment monitoring. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill (Saururaceae) as used for folk medicine in the treatment of various diseases like edema, and jaundice in China. It mentions that the biological studies shows that the extracts of the S. chinensis has shown various effects which include anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, and vasorelaxant and inotropic. It states that the findings also show the compounds that comprise S. chinensis including diterpenes, lignans, and lipids.

The article offers information on the chemical elements present in the roots of Actinidia chinensis (A. chinensis) collected from Jiangxi Province, China. It mentions that eight phenolic compounds and six constituents were discovered from the roots of A. chinensis for the first time including Tachioside, Vanillic acid, and Isotachioside. It cites that physical and spectroscopic data of the compounds were compared in order to identify them with those already reported in the literature.