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This paper analyses representations of Dharamsala, Tibetan capital in exile or capital of exiled Tibet, as a pool of signifiers for Tibetan exilic construction. Like Tibetan exile itself, Dharamsala carries the archival claim of preserving everything constructed as authentic about old Tibet. On the other hand, Dharamsala is also regarded as an avant-garde of Tibetan modernity. By focusing on Tenzin Tsundue's short story 'Kora. Full Circle' (2002) and Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam's film Dreaming Lhasa (2005), I explore various representational trends that expose the inner paradoxes and ambivalences of Tibetan exilic identities at the turn of the twenty-first century. Following Anand's model of deconstructing and analysing the etymological possibilities of the word Dharamshala, I look at the Tibetan exiled capital as a disputed centre, hosting both nostalgic narratives of reproduction and their very opposite: attempts to reformulate Tibetanness in innovative and disruptive ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-colonial interpretation of the right to self-determination has affected the minorities' autonomy struggles in China and Nepal. The Tibetans in China and the Madheshis in Nepal urge their governments to recognise their self-determination through autonomy. However, the Chinese and Nepalese governments interpret self-determination as the right to independence and hesitate to provide autonomy. Against this background, this paper examines the following question: How has the anti-colonial interpretation of self-determination determined the response of the Nepalese and Chinese governments to ethnic autonomy? It argues that the anti-colonial interpretation has encouraged the Chinese and Nepalese governments to consider autonomy as the other name for self-determination that has independence as its goal. This perception leads these Asian governments to reject ethnic autonomy. These governments thus i) question the sincerity of nationalist movements, ii) refuse the ethnonational narratives of identities and belongingness, and iii) provide limited autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ontological complexity of interpolity orders with a focus on peripheral polities in the Qing order. Existing multiculturalist studies of the Qing order emphasized diverse cultural representations of a single imperial reality, lacking an understanding of multiple realities experienced by peripheral participants. Our analysis reveals the ontological complexity—rather than cultural diversity—of the Qing order, in which multiple ontological agents experienced different lived worlds, from the encounter between Chosŏn Korean envoys and the Tibetan Panchen Lama at Emperor Qianlong's birthday ceremony. By analyzing the Chosŏn envoy member Pak Chiwŏn's travelog and Tibetan records, we argue that the Chosŏn envoys with Confucian ontology experienced the Panchen Lama as a subhuman, while the Lama experienced the envoys as ignorant lay beings. Observing this ontological dissonance, Pak Chiwŏn criticized the Qing court's appropriation of peripheral ontologies and proposed experiencing other ontologies to foreground the presence of the pluriverse in the interpolity order. Beyond the Qing, an ontological approach will help reveal heterogeneous lived worlds of interpolity orders and reconceptualize interpolity order under the condition of ontological complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (de)construction of Tibetan identity has been argued over as a crucial notion in the study of contemporary Tibet. How this ‘Tibetan-ness’ becomes engaged in the ebb and flow in the context of globalisation has become one of the most essential subject matters for Tibetan contemporary artists. Younger artists born in the 1980s and 1990s offer a diverse and original perspective of how Tibetan art (and, by extension, Tibet itself) can be represented today – their hometown, whether understood as a geographical entity or spiritual anchor, is never just a concept, but must also be seen as a homeland to which all of its inhabitants are deeply attached. This article examines this new art scene in Tibet, where the young generations are reflecting on their role as artists, confronting the tension between traditional culture and secular society, between a historically collective point of view, and a highly individualistic representative form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic plasticity is a vital biological process facilitating the persistence of organisms amid rapid environmental changes. Investigating the genetic basis of plastic traits necessitates transplantation experiments, but much of the existing research has focused on laboratory model systems. Transplant experiments in the wild may provide better understanding of how plasticity operates in the context of real-world challenges. However, performing transplantation experiments in non-model systems, such as birds, could be challenging. In this study, we aim to develop Perdix hodgsoniae (Tibetan Partridge) inhabiting the highlands of the Tibetan Plateau as a suitable system to study genetic basis underlying short-term plastic response to rapid changes in elevation. We did a first attempt of field-based transplantation experiment by exposing P. hodgsoniae individuals to extreme change in elevation from their native elevation (3,623 m) to a low elevation outside their natural distribution range (500 m). We compared changes in gene expression in these birds at different time points, pre-transplant (day 0), and post-transplant (days 3 and 22). The birds successfully survived transplantation and exhibited well-being after 22 days. We identified a total of 715 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across these time points. Our analysis revealed a genome-wide decrease in expression following the transplantation, indicating that the birds possibly exhibited stress-induced transcriptional attenuation (SITA) because of the extreme change in elevation, suggesting a broader response at the transcriptional level, possibly as a mechanism to cope with extreme changes in the environment. Our analysis further suggested that heat stress posed an immediate challenge for the birds following the transplant, as we identified changes in expression in many genes associated with heat stress response. Our findings affirm the viability of conducting transplant experiments in the P. hodgsoniae and provides initial insights into gene expression changes associated with the plastic response to rapid changes in elevation in these birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the rich history of Tibetan autobiographies, the Dalai Lama’s My Land and My People stands as an obvious landmark. Unlike traditional Tibetan autobiographical texts, which focus on narratives of spiritual realization, the Dalai Lama’s autobiography narrates a history of Tibet’s past, China’s invasion, and the uncertain future of Tibet. It is the first secular autobiography published simultaneously in both Tibetan and English. The book’s transnational distribution network, particularly through the Himalayan region, played a crucial role in introducing it to readers inside Tibet. Drawing on archival documents, oral histories, and previously unstudied sources, I present the Dalai Lama’s autobiography in the context of its secularity, multi-voiced narrative, transnational stories, and the oral communities that contributed to the book’s tremendous significance inside Tibet and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argali stands as the largest species among wild sheep in Central and East Asia, with a concerning rate of decline estimated at 30%. The intraspecific taxonomy of argali remains contentious due to limited genomic data and unclear geographic separation. In this study, we constructed a chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation for the Tibetan argali (O. a. hodgsoni), together with population genomic resequencing of 32 individuals representing four subspecies. The contig-level genome was 2.64 Gb in size, with a contig N50 length of 71.69 Mb and an estimated genomic completeness of 96.01%. Using Hi-C sequencing data scaffolding, 99.90% of initially assembled sequences were mapped and oriented onto 28 pseudo-chromosomes except the Y chromosome. Annotation uncovered 21,564 protein-coding genes and 46.38% repeat sequences. The average coverage of the population resequencing data was 23.74 with mean mapping ratio up to of 97.19%. The high-quality genome assembly and annotation of the Tibetan argali, coupled with the high-depth population genomic data, will serve as a valuable genetic resource for studies on the taxonomy and conservation of argali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With over 14 million people living above 3,500 m, the study of acclimatization and adaptation to high altitude in human populations is of increasing importance, where exposure to high altitude (HA) imposes a blood oxygenation and acid-base challenge. A sustained and augmented hypoxic ventilatory response protects oxygenation through ventilatory acclimatization, but elicits hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis. A subsequent renally mediated compensatory metabolic acidosis corrects pH toward baseline values, with a high degree of interindividual variability. Differential renal compensation between acclimatizing lowlanders (LL) and Tibetan highlanders (TH; Sherpa) with ascent was previously unknown. We assessed ventilatory and renal acclimatization between unacclimatized LL and TH during incremental ascent from 1,400 m to 4,300 m in age-and sex-matched groups of 15-LL (8F) and 14-TH (7F) of confirmed Tibetan ancestry. We compared respiratory and renally mediated blood acid-base acclimatization (PCO2, [HCO3-], pH) in both groups before (1,400 m) and following day 8 to 9 of incremental ascent to 4,300 m. We found that following ascent to 4,300 m, LL had significantly lower PCO2 (P <0.0001) and [HCO3 -] (P <0.0001), and higher pH (P = 0.0037) than 1,400 m, suggesting respiratory alkalosis and only partial renal compensation. Conversely, TH had significantly lower PCO2 (P < 0.0001) and [HCO3 -] (P < 0.0001), but unchanged pH (P=0.1), suggesting full renal compensation, with significantly lower PCO2 (P = 0.01), [HCO3 -] (P < 0.0001) and pH (P=0.005) than LL at 4,300 m. This demonstration of differential integrative respiratory-renal responses between acclimatizing LL and TH may indicate selective pressure on TH, and highlights the important role of the kidneys in acclimatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two genera associated with the scorpiofauna of China are reviewed, Razianus Farzanpay, 1987 and Reddyanus Vachon, 1972. Holotype female of Razianus xinjianganus Lourenço et al., 2010 is presumed to be lost, as well as all type material of other Chinese scorpions described before 2020. Comments are given on the species composition of genus Reddyanus with a new synonym: Isometrus (Reddyanus) tibetanus Lourenço & Zhu, 2008 = Reddyanus assamensis (Oates, 1888) syn. n. Reddyanus kanak Lourenço, 2023 is tentatively considered as a nomen dubium. An updated catalogue of scorpiofauna of China is provided, including their type locality and type depository, protonym, synonym(s), misidentification(s), Chinese equivalent name and distribution in China. Several Tibetan Scorpiops species will be addressed in a subsequent paper. Finally, a list of errata in the preceding taxonomic papers by the current author is also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be embodied within their sensorimotor experiences. For example, people tend to associate "toughness" with males and "tenderness" with females in their spoken and mental metaphors. In the current research, we investigated the role of culture in this embodied categorization of gender, focusing specifically on the role of social system and organization. Based on sociological findings that highlight the dominance of men in patriarchy, we hypothesized that Geba, a primitive patriarchal tribe in southwest China, were more likely to use the sensory experience of toughness for representations of gender categories than matched groups of Kham Tibetans. Across two studies, both groups of participants who were primed with the proprioceptive experience of toughness were more prone to categorize sex-ambiguous faces as male (vs. female) than those who received sensory feedback about the relative tenderness, which replicated prior finding in Western participants. Notably, the embodied effect of toughness on categorical judgments of gender was more pronounced in Geba Tibetans than Kham Tibetans, which suggests that social system may be an important determinant of social–categorical thinking about gender. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of cultural dynamic in accounting for embodied cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan lateral mantle flow could help to decipher the material movement mechanisms within global plate convergence zones. However, the front edge of this mantle flow is unclear. We conducted petrological, geochronological, mineralogical, geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic investigations of Quaternary intracontinental alkali basalts from southwestern Yunnan (south of 27°N) to determine the petrogenesis of the Quaternary alkali basalts in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau in particular and to trace the recent Tibetan lateral mantle flow. Alkali basalts in the region are mainly basanite and trachybasalt that erupted during the Pleistocene epoch. They possess highly incompatible elemental and radiogenic Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions similar to those of the oceanic-island basalts, consistent with melts derived from asthenospheric mantle with a low degree of partial melting. Calculated magma water contents of regional alkali basalts range from 1.32 ± 0.48 wt% to 2.23 ± 0.18 wt%, which corresponds to water content of their mantle source comprising 269 ppm to 3591 ppm, which is significantly higher than that of the normal upper mantle (i.e., 50-250 ppm). Quantitative trace-element modeling and dramatic variations in oceanic crust-sensitive indicators such as Eu/Eu*, Sr/Sr*, Ce/Pb, (Nb/Th)N-PM, and (Ta/U)N-PM indicate variable contributions of upper and lower oceanic crust to magma sources. Systematic examinations of petrological, geochemical, and geophysical evidence reveal that the temporary small-volume Quaternary volcanism in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau is unrelated to Tibetan southeastward mantle flow but is primarily attributed to stagnant Neo-Tethyan slab in the mantle transition zone. Our study offers a distinctive perspective for reconciling the geochemical features of intracontinental alkali basalts and highlights the potential role of alkali basalts in tracing the front edge of recent Tibetan lateral mantle flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of large language models (LLMs), they have demonstrated powerful capabilities across many downstream tasks. Existing Tibetan named entity recognition (NER) methods often suffer from a high degree of coupling between data and models, limiting them to identifying entities only within specific domain datasets and making cross-domain recognition difficult. Additionally, each dataset requires training a dedicated model, and when faced with new domains, retraining and redeployment are necessary. In practical applications, the ability to perform cross-domain NER is crucial to meeting real-world needs. To address this issue and decouple data from models, enabling cross-domain NER, this paper proposes a cross-domain joint learning approach based on large language models, which enhances model robustness by learning the shared underlying semantics across different domains. To reduce the significant computational costs incurred by LLMs during inference, we adopt an adaptive structured pruning method based on domain-dependent prompt, which effectively reduces the model's memory requirements and improves the inference speed while minimizing the impact on performance. The experimental results show that our method significantly outperformed the baseline model across cross-domain Tibetan datasets. In the Tibetan medicine domain, our method achieved an F1 score improvement of up to 27.26% compared with the baseline model at its best. Our method achieved an average F1 score of 95.17% across domains, outperforming the baseline Llama2 + Prompt model by 5.12%. Furthermore, our method demonstrates strong generalization capabilities in NER tasks for other low-resource languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since the diasporic dispersal of Tibetans due to the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China in 1959 and their semi- permanent settlement in India, Tibetan Buddhist practices have been undergoing several transformations. The article examines, through the lens of social capital, how the Tibetan Buddhists, once considered as the Chela —disciplined followers of the religious practices preached by Indian Buddhist masters—have assumed the mantle of Guru or a teacher in the ongoing reproduction of Tibetan Buddhism in India. The article notes that the metamorphosis of Tibetan Buddhism as key to Tibetan identity retention has latently overtaken the issue of return to their fatherland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D sub‐grid terrain longwave radiative effects (3DSTLRE), which significantly regulate the surface downward longwave radiation (SDLR) in the mountainous regions, are not described in current numerical models. We incorporated a 3DSTLRE scheme into RegCM4 to assess its influence on modeling the surface air temperature (SAT) across the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Results show that the RegCM4 adopting the parallel‐plane longwave radiative scheme significantly underestimates the SAT over TP, this underestimation of SAT is clearly mitigated by considering 3DSTLRE, with the root mean square error (RMSE) decreased by 9%. The SAT simulations are improved more noticeable over western TP than entire TP and more evident at nighttime than at daytime in different seasons. Further analysis indicates that the improvement of SAT simulations over the rugged areas of TP is primarily benefited from the improved SDLR simulations. In the absence of the 3DSTLRE scheme, RegCM4 markedly underestimates SDLR by 20 W·m−2 over the entire TP, this underestimation can be greatly reduced by 15 W·m−2 through adopting the 3DSTLRE scheme, with the RMSE reduced by more than 40% over the rugged edges of TP. The increased SDLR induced by the 3DSTLRE is mainly transformed into sensible heat flux to warm the near surface air, further leading to reduced cold bias of SAT produced by the RegCM4 without 3DSTLRE. Better representing the TP thermal condition can enhance the simulation of East Asian monsoon. Therefore, incorporating the 3DSTLRE scheme in numerical models can potentially improve the ability in simulating and predicting the East Asian monsoon. Plain Language Summary: The terrain significantly affects the surface downward longwave radiation (SDLR). Currently, most numerical models do not describe in the impact of terrain on SDLR. This research integrated the effects of terrain on SDLR into RegCM4 and revealed its effect on the model ability to simulate the surface air temperature (SAT) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) based on sensitivity experiments. Results show that the original RegCM4 significantly underestimates the SDLR and SAT in the TP. Including the impact of terrain on SDLR in the RegCM4 can improve the SDLR and SAT simulations over the rugged areas by mitigating their underestimations. The increased SDLR over the rugged areas primarily comes from the longwave radiation emitted from the surrounding terrains. The increased SDLR further warms the ground surface and generate more sensible heat flux and thereafter increased SAT. Overall, considering the impact of terrain on SDLR in numerical models may be an efficient way to improve the simulations of SAT over rugged areas. Key Points: The 3DSTLRE scheme obviously improve surface downward longwave radiation (SDLR) underestimated by the RegCM4 over the Tibetan PlateauThe improved surface SDLR simulation helps reduce the cold bias in the surface air temperature simulations of RegCM4 in the Tibetan PlateauConsidering the 3DSTLRE in numerical models may be an efficient way to improve the surface air temperature simulations over rugged areas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several environmental factors affect sleep. We investigated the sleep and sleep-related habits of preschool children living in Tibet and conducted an international comparison with those in Japan. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study using the Chinese version of the Japanese Sleep Questionnaire for Preschoolers (JSQ-P-C) and compared the results with previous data on Japanese children. Results: The sleep status of 3113 children aged 3–6 years old in Qinghai province was evaluated. The average wake time and bedtime of the Tibetan children were 7:20 ± 0:31 and 21:16 ± 0:43, respectively. Their mean nocturnal sleep duration was 10.0 ± 0.7 h. In comparing 3-year-old children, the time for which they viewed TV in Tibet was shorter (65.5 ± 44.6 min) than that in Japan (149.7 ± 76.6 min), and the mother's bedtime was earlier in Tibet (21:28 ± 2:14) than in Japan (23:20 ± 1:05). However, the bedtime and sleep duration of the Tibetan children (21:17 ± 0:37 and 10.0 ± 0.7 h) were fairly similar to those of the Japanese children (21:24 ± 1:57 and 9.8 ± 0.8 h). Conclusions: The late bedtime and short nocturnal sleep duration of Tibetan toddlers were the same as those of Japanese toddlers despite considerable differences in their lifestyle and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work focuses on the lived experiences of the Tibetan refugees in order to understand their way of life dedicated to the nation's freedom, lived only through imagination and narratives. Tibetan communities living inside and outside two Tibetan settlements, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, and Bylakuppe, Karnataka, in India, were interviewed. An analysis of 15 interviews showed that for participants, the meaning of being a true Tibetan depends on identification with the cultural and religious values specific to Tibet, perceiving their enemy as a substantial threat to Tibet's existence, and following non-violent ways to struggle for Tibet's cause. A determined sense of belonging only to a Tibet free from the atrocities of the enemy (thus not belonging to the current Tibetan Autonomous Region or anywhere else), along with challenges in exile and faith in present political strategies, motivates a phenomenon of everyday mobilization reflected in their rational life choices to free Tibet. This article contributes to a broader debate on the mobilization process for the continuity of a social movement amid statelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2022, high potential vorticity (PV) air masses significantly outflowed near South Asia along the southern periphery of the intensified Tibetan high in the upper troposphere, contributing to enhanced convection near South Asia through intensified thermodynamically unstable conditions. Convective activities near South Asia have relationships with the upper‐level PV and the advection over the region. The upper‐level northward divergent wind anomalies from South Asia due to the enhanced convection cross the Asian jet, contributing to the intensified Tibetan high. This suggests a feedback process between the intensified Tibetan high and enhanced convection near South Asia through the high PV intrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique geographical conditions in southwestern China lead to a fragile ecological balance and uneven geographical distribution of water resources. This study takes the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture as its research subject, investigating the connection between water resources and the ecological environment in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, which is of paramount importance. Given this, the current study constructs the remote sensing ecological index and water footprint for the period spanning from 2000 through 2020, analyses the coordination status of the two by using the coupling coordination degree, and then combines it with a detector to determine the primary drivers impacting the state of the ecological environment. The outcomes reveal that: (1) The ecological environment of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture gradually improved from 2000 through 2020, and the excellent ecological environment area observed within the study's scope is primarily focused in the eastern part. The poor ecological environment area is focused mainly in the northwestern part within the study's scope. (2) The total water footprint of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture has increased year by year, with agricultural water consumption comprising an immense 78% proportion, dominating the total water footprint. (3) The coupled coordination degree of the remote sensing ecological index and the water footprint shows a rising trend in general, turning from a barely coordinated stage to an intermediate coordinated stage. (4) The geodetector results show that all factor interactions were dual-factor enhancement or nonlinear enhancement, and the WET, NDBSI and NDVI factors contributed the most. The above results can provide important guidance for utilizing water resources and protecting the ecological environment in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photographs of the recto side of the manuscript fragment B121:38 in Old Uighur, which was excavated from the northern section of the Dūnhuáng Mògāo Caves, were published in the second volume of The Northern Grottoes of Mògāo Caves. Because the verso side, which contains essential information, remains unpublished—despite the publication of the recto—the manuscript's typology cannot be fully comprehended, and it has consequently not garnered substantial scholarly attention. Through site investigation, transcription, English translation, detailed annotation, and comparative analysis with parallel Tibetan texts, B121:38 is confirmed to be a balividhi fragment of Tantric Buddhist literature. This fragment comprises three parts: praise for the five ḍākas, a transference of merits, and a mantra. The findings provide compelling evidence of the prominence of Tibetan Tantrism among Old Uighurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article re-examines the history of the Mongol Empire's rule over Tibet, analyzing the complex institutional and religious relationships between the Mongol Empire and Tibet from an innovative perspective. We find that, unlike its military conquests in other parts of the world, the Mongol Empire actually formed a kind of federation with Tibet based on Buddhism. The Mongol Empire embraced Tibetan Buddhism as its state religion and venerated the head of the Sakya school as a spiritual guide. Concurrently, the establishment of the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs in the Mongol capital served as a nominal governing body over Tibet, while in reality, it ensured a significant degree of autonomy for the region. Furthermore, the leaders of the Mongol Empire felt endowed with the legitimacy to conquer the world after being blessed by Tibetan Buddhism as Mahakala, the dark incarnation of Avalokiteshvara. In addition, the article also provides a detailed account of the prosperity of Buddhism within the Mongol Empire, in terms of its economic, artistic, and philosophical aspects. The discovery of this evidence is of great significance, since it not only supports reinterpretation of the historical evolution of the Mongol Empire and Tibet, but also allows us to observe the status of Tibetan Buddhism in the Mongol Empire from a new perspective, and to explore the unexpected institutional innovations of the federation reflected in the Mongol-Tibetan relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toponyms of the Tibetan Plateau have been scarcely studied. To help address that need, this study explores cross-cultural toponymy and phonetic opacity. The investigation focuses on toponyms containing the Tibetan word 5 tza 'bird' that are used in Yulshul County in the Sanjiangyuan National Park, Qinghai Province. The research is based on personal interviews with 56 respondents and analyzing transliterations of bird-related toponyms for river, valley, and mountain names. Additionally, bird watching was used to gain important environmental insights. Twenty-nine bird-related toponyms were discovered and 59 bird species were recorded in the valley. There was no shared cognitive understanding of the toponyms Bird River and Bird Trace Valley. It is speculated that this result may be due to the coupling effect of pronunciation nuance in the local Tibetan dialect and misleading transliterations in Chinese. Overall, the findings tentatively suggest the systematic and consistent Chinese transliteration of local Tibetan toponyms related to birds is important for keeping the connotations of these toponyms alive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Chongqing University of Posts & Telecommunications (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Chongqing University of Posts & Telecommunications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents preliminary readings from an unusual Naxi manuscript in the Leiden University Libraries Naxi Dongba manuscripts collection, OR. 26.042. This manuscript is indecipherable (likely recording a Tibetan dharani), except for three sections at the beginning, middle, and end, translations of which are presented here. I propose that is the only extant Naxi manuscript to record a full phur ba (magic dagger) rite, and as such is of specific Naxiological interest. Connections can be drawn between this manuscript and Tibetan texts from Dunhuang, and thus it may represent the continuation of many centuries of written heritage in the Himalayan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dongba manuscripts are traditional Chinese texts written in pictographic Dongba script. The Dongba script likely originated in the early Tang dynasty, and no later than the Northern Song dynasty in the 11th century. The distribution of the Dongba manuscripts corresponds to the distribution of the eastern and western dialects of the Naxi ethnic group. Dongba manuscripts from different regions exhibit significant differences in character forms and writing styles, displaying regional characteristics. Dongba manuscripts are categorized into four regions based on their distribution: the first region features small characters, simple strokes, and a rustic style; the second region features round and delicate characters with even strokes; the third region mainly features three-line scripts with concise strokes and clear writing and with varying spacing; the fourth region features more annotated characters, denser lines, reduced spacing between characters, and a variety of ways to convey meaning and pronunciation. The geographical distribution of Dongba manuscripts is closely related to surrounding ethnic groups such as the Han, Tibetan, Bai, and Lisu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper presents a unique approach to the study of Chinese ethnic group conflicts, diverging from the conventional focus on external factors such as macro‐causal analysis and strategy research. Instead, it delves into the internal theme of group conflicts, namely “the logic of collective action,” and analyzes its manifestations in the Tibetan borderlands of Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan China across two distinct historical periods: the tribal society period and the contemporary era. The findings indicate that in the contemporary Tibetan borderlands of Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan, the ideological discourses of “collective responsibility” and religion as mobilizing mechanisms have tended to diminish in influence, while the structural social mentality has grown in strength. While deliberations and oaths (mengshi) still constitute the preliminary phase to collective action, the subsequent action has shifted from predominantly “armed struggle” to the combination of “struggle and negotiation (wenzheng wudou),” and the framework of collective action from “retributive justice” to “restorative (distributive) justice,” embodied in “li (precedent)” and “li (reason).” The evolution of this logic of collective action is the inevitable result of the changing mechanism of power relations following the implantation of a new political power system in Tibetan borderland society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan sheep are indigenous to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Owing to the harsh hypoxic environment in this plateau, the hemoglobin (Hb) protein in Tibetan sheep has undergone adaptive changes over time. Hb is primarily responsible for transporting O2 and CO2 between the lungs and other tissues of the body. The α subunit of Hb, encoded by the HBA gene, is a crucial component of the protein. However, whether variations in the HBA gene sequence affect the adaptation of Tibetan sheep to high-altitude hypoxia remains unclear. In this study, we sequenced the HBA gene and identified three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These SNPs were genotyped in Tibetan and Hu sheep using Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP). The results showed that the frequencies of the AT genotype and H1H2 haplotype were higher in Tibetan sheep than in Hu sheep. Individuals with the AT genotype exhibited higher P50 levels, whereas those with the H1H2 haplotype exhibited lower PO2 and SaO2 levels. The higher P50 levels indicated that O2 was more readily released from oxygenated Hb into the tissues, with the lower PO2 and SaO2 levels facilitating this process. These findings indicate that variations in the HBA gene sequence contribute to enhancing O2 transfer efficiency in Tibetan sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Antarctic, Arctic, and Tibetan Plateau—recognized as the Earth's three poles characterized by extremely harsh environments—lichens prevail in the ecosystem and play crucial roles as pioneer species. Despite their importance, studies investigating the spatial distribution patterns of lichen attributes are scarce due to a lack of appropriate datasets. To bridge this gap and enhance our understanding of the growth preferences of lichens in these areas, here we present a geospatial dataset encompassing key attributes of lichens, such as color type and growth form, for over 2800 lichen species and 170,000 in-situ lichen records. The dataset facilitates the creation of the first spatial distribution map illustrating the variation of lichen attributes across different latitudes and longitudes. This can serve as a foundational resource for studies on the relationship between lichen types and their growing environment, which is a vital scientific question in the ecology domain. Additionally, it can contribute to the development of specialized remote sensing technique tailored for lichen monitoring, which is currently lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Science & Technology of Food Industry is the property of Science & Technology of Food Industry Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study addresses the challenges of low accuracy and high computational demands in Tibetan speech recognition by investigating the application of end-to-end networks. We propose a decoding strategy that integrates Connectionist Temporal Classification (CTC) and Attention mechanisms, capitalizing on the benefits of automatic alignment and attention weight extraction. The Conformer architecture is utilized as the encoder, leading to the development of the Conformer-CTC/Attention model. This model first extracts global features from the speech signal using the Conformer, followed by joint decoding of these features through CTC and Attention mechanisms. To mitigate convergence issues during training, particularly with longer input feature sequences, we introduce a Probabilistic Sparse Attention mechanism within the joint CTC/Attention framework. Additionally, we implement a maximum entropy optimization algorithm for CTC, effectively addressing challenges such as increased path counts, spike distributions, and local optima during training. We designate the proposed method as the MaxEnt-Optimized Probabilistic Sparse Attention Conformer-CTC/Attention Model (MPSA-Conformer-CTC/Attention). Experimental results indicate that our improved model achieves a word error rate reduction of 10.68% and 9.57% on self-constructed and open-source Tibetan datasets, respectively, compared to the baseline model. Furthermore, the enhanced model not only reduces memory consumption and training time but also improves generalization capability and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the struggles of second‐generation Tibetan refugees under an exclusionary Indian citizenship regime. Confronted with a national orthodoxy that entwines legal status, entitlements, and national identity, Tibetans respond by "disaggregating" citizenship. First, stateless Tibetans, born in India to refugee parents, won legal appeals by demonstrating that Tibetan nationality was no bar to Indian citizenship. In response, Indian authorities demanded that Tibetans give up refugee entitlements and remove themselves from their national space and political community in exile as the price of Indian citizenship. This article explores the diverse responses of Tibetans to the citizenship‐on‐offer: some aspiring for it, some accepting it, and others actively rejecting it. These responses illustrate strategies refugees employ to navigate citizenship regimes that often render them liminal. Refugees act both to mitigate the precarity of statelessness and to preserve their identity, community, and political aspirations against erasure. In doing so, they not only disrupt the national orthodoxy of states that negates refugee experiences but also reveal the incompleteness and contradictions of citizenship regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on historical temporality has explored what time meant to people in the past. Going further, how did historical actors' perception of time shape their experience of events? Jean and Francis Kingdon-Ward, two British travellers, lived through a major earthquake on India and Tibet's mountainous frontier in 1950. Their numerous published and unpublished narrative accounts showed that the earthquake severely disrupted their physical environment, inducing powerful emotions and changing their sense of the passage of time. Comparisons with other accounts by British and some Indian survivors of mid twentieth-century earthquakes in South Asia showed that others, too, felt that earthquakes disrupted their sense of linear, well-ordered time. This article develops Barbara Adam's concept of timescapes to emphasize how a temporal subject-position is made up of feelings and thoughts. It draws on psychological research on the relationship between emotion and time-perception to reveal a temporal subjectivity that extended through and beyond a moment of extreme stress, and was closely connected to place. New insights are offered for scholarship on the histories of emotions, subjectivity and the environment, putting emotions more firmly into our understanding of historical time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the interaction(s) between the communist state of China and Tibetan Buddhism. It will focus on the issue of reincarnation of tulkus or rinpoches, who are hierarchs in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This tradition is turning into a major site of contestation between the Tibetans and the party state. When the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) marched into Tibet, they encountered a unique socio-political system, defined by many as a theocracy. As a belief system, Buddhism has a hegemonic hold over the Tibetans. Moreover, Tibetan Buddhism's influence is present in the Himalayan belt, a space contested by postcolonial India and China. However, the focus will be on the different modes of interaction between the Tibetan Buddhist elites and the CCP. While the majority of this contact between them is described as a conflict, the article will highlight moments of cooperation and co-option. The process will be understood through the idea of 'binding the deities', which was an important mode of the 'Buddhicisation' of Tibet and the Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary and oral hygiene habits among integrated migrant cultural minorities can vary and could impact susceptibility to caries. Aim: This study aimed to assess and compare the oral health status of Tibetan schoolchildren living in the Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe, India, stratified by type of residence. Design: A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted among Tibetan schoolchildren attending nine schools in the Bylakuppe region. Results: The study population consisted of 916 children aged 5–17: 702 (76.6%) living in secular houses (LSH) and 214 (23.4%) living in monasteries (LM). The prevalence of dental caries was 70.9%, and the mean value of decayed, missing, filled teeth for mixed and primary dentition (DMFT*; dmft) of LSH children (1.56 ± 2.34/1.74 ± 2.66) was higher than of LM ones (1.14 ± 2.34/0.83 ± 2.80; p <.001). DMFT for LM children (1.46 ± 2.04) was slightly higher than for LSH children (1.38 ± 1.96; p >.05). Among the sample, 99.1% had a good simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) and LM children showed higher rates of good values (99.5% vs. 98.2% in LSH children). Most children needed preventive/routine dental treatment, whereas 16.6% needed urgent dental treatment. In 4.5% of children, oral mucosal lesions were present. Conclusion: This study confirms the high need for dental treatment in the children of the Tibetan settlement investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how Tibetans in the cultural region of Amdo experienced urbanization as a social process when it began intensifying in the region in the early 2000s. By using five pieces of Tibetan fiction as ethnographic data, this article looks at the process of urbanization from the angle of class, analyzing the formation of the urban Tibetan class in relation to social spaces in cities, and its structural position in society. This article further explores the subjectivity of urban Tibetans through the discourse and quoted speech of characters in fiction. In doing so, the article demonstrates that urbanization is occurring as a social process, and Lishaypa, or government workers, react to urbanization intensively as a class. This results in a new social demarcation being established among Tibetans, one based on urban residence and in which urban residents place themselves above rural villagers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thick crust of the southern Tibetan and central Andean plateaus includes high-conductivity, low-velocity zones ascribed to partial melt. The melt origin and effect on plateau uplift remain speculative, in particular if plateau uplift happens before continental collision. The East Anatolian Plateau (EAP) has experienced similar, more recent uplift but its structure is largely unknown. Here we present an 80 km deep geophysical model across EAP, constrained by seismic receiver functions integrated with interpretation of gravity data and seismic tomographic, magnetotelluric, geothermal, and geochemical models. The results indicate a 20 km thick lower crustal layer and a 10 km thick mid-crustal layer, which both contain pockets of partial melt. We explain plateau uplift by isostatic equilibration following magmatism associated with roll-back and break-off of the Neo-Tethys slab. Our results suggest that crustal thickening by felsic melt and mafic underplate are important for plateau uplift in the EAP, Andes and Tibet. Partially molten middle and underplated lower crust may control isostatic plateau uplift, with uplift duration corelated to middle crustal thickness, which determines the height and crustal thickness of the Anatolian, Tibetan and Andean plateaux [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the unmined textual history of one of Tibet's most influential historiographies, the Pillar Testament (bKa'-chems-ka-khol-ma), usually dated to the eleventh or the twelfth century. Drawing on previously known and unknown witnesses, the article compares a variety of narratives across most extant redactions. In doing so, it finds that the redaction chiefly consulted by scholars to date is an expanded and contaminated version that is notably later than previously assumed. Instead, another and heretofore largely neglected witness emerges as the most archaic extant redaction. The textual comparisons spotlight a wide range of alterations in the work's narratives and thus demonstrate how perceptions of early Tibetan historical episodes shifted over time. Such changes affected remembrance of Sino-Tibetan imperial relations, the origins of Buddhism and writing in Tibet and the genealogy of its emperors, among other things. The article concludes by critically discussing the witnesses' dating and the hope we may place in the hunt for the work's illustrious but elusive original. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that facial recognition among racial groups exhibits not only an other‐race effect but also an other‐ethnicity effect within the same racial group. To explore differences in facial recognition and visual scanning patterns due to the other‐ethnicity effect, behavioural and eye‐movement data were used to investigate the other‐ethnicity effect in the facial perception of Tibetan and Han Chinese individuals and whether the visual scanning patterns varied between them. Behavioural data revealed an other‐ethnicity effect on facial recognition of Tibetan and Han individuals. Eye‐movement data indicated that Tibetan and Han individuals fixated more on the eye and mouth regions when recognising Han faces and on the eye and nose regions when recognising Tibetan faces. The other‐ethnicity effect appeared to influence facial recognition in Tibetan and Han individuals, who adopted similar visual scanning patterns when scanning the faces of individuals of their own ethnicity and those of other ethnicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there have been concerted efforts to integrate Tibetan Buddhist monastic education into the Indian university system since the 1960s, the attainment of academic accreditation has tended to require significant curricular trade-offs. The majority of Tibetan Buddhist monastic colleges have therefore eschewed the potential advantages of academic accreditation—including greater opportunities for monastic graduates in universities and other secular contexts—in order to preserve the rigour of traditional scholastic programmes. However, through its affiliation to the University of Mysore in 2022, the Geluk monastery of Sera Je is now able to award accredited Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees even without making significant changes in practice to its traditional curriculum and pedagogy. This article examines the structure and content of Sera Je's new programmes and contextualises what may prove to be a landmark development against the backdrop of previous attempts to negotiate the boundary between Tibetan Buddhist monastic education and university education in India. It suggests that the accreditation of research programmes raises further challenges in addition to those associated with the accreditation of taught programmes. Nonetheless, the urgency of solving these longstanding issues appears to have been heightened by a developing crisis in Tibetan Buddhist monastic recruitment. In investigating the topic of academic accreditation, this article throws light on an issue that has driven notable evolutions in Tibetan Buddhist monastic education in India but has previously received little scholarly attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of language is one of the most critical elements in communicating COVID-19 public health mandates globally. This study aims to explore how Tibetans in the multilingual Kham region came to understand COVID-19 and develop health choices. To accomplish this goal, we used a culture-centered approach to examine how the words/phrases of COVID-19 influence Kham Tibetans' agency [the ability to develop actions (or lack thereof)] to work on the infectious disease and the pandemic management policy in China. This analysis explores the interactions among social structure, culture, and agency in the creation of transformative practices for negotiating the digital biomedical environment. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with Tibetans in the Kham region, we illustrate that the dialogical praxis to co-construct languages significantly impacts Tibetans' deliberate agency, the capacity to act that is conscious or intended, to work on COVID-19 and the pandemic-control policy. Plain Language Summary: Language is one of the most important elements in communicating COVID-19 public health mandates globally. The purpose of this study is to understand how Tibetans in Southwest China understand COVID-19 and develop health choices. Therefore, we use the framework of a culture-centered approach to examine how words/phrases of COVID-19 influence Kham Tibetans' ability to develop actions to cope with pandemic management policies in China. This study analyzes how the interaction between social structure and traditional Tibetan cultural values enable and/or limited Tibetans' health actions. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with Tibetans in the Kham region, we present the hybrid indigenous languages that are culturally appropriate and can effectively communicate COVID-19 mitigation. This study provides insights for practical implications in constructing the form and content of health messages in a public-health crisis in indigenous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: In languages with within-word segmentation cues, the removal or replacement of these cues in a text hinders reading and lexical recognition, and adversely affects saccade target selection during reading. However, the outcome of artificially introducing visual word segmentation cues into a language that lacks them is unknown. Tibetan exemplifies a language that does not provide visual cues for word segmentation, relying solely on visual cues for morpheme segmentation. Moreover, previous studies have not examined word segmentation in the Tibetan language. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of artificially incorporated visual word segmentation cues and basic units of information processing in Tibetan reading. Methods: We used eye-tracking technology and conducted two experiments with Tibetan sentences that artificially incorporated interword spaces and color alternation markings as visual segmentation cues. Conclusions: The results indicated that interword spaces facilitate reading and lexical recognition and aid in saccade target selection during reading. Color alternation markings facilitate reading and vocabulary recognition but do not affect saccade selection. Words are more likely to be the basic units of information processing and exhibit greater psychological reality than morphemes. These findings shed light on the nature and rules of Tibetan reading and provide fundamental data to improve eye movement control models for reading alphabetic writing systems. Furthermore, our results may offer practical guidance and a scientific basis for improving the efficiency of reading, information processing, and word segmentation in Tibetan reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Word stress is a structural property of increasing prominence. An established line of scholarship regarding word stress exists both in terms of theory and description in the Lhasa Tibetan (LT) language. Unlike LT, no such scholarly works are available that focus on Dharamshala Tibetan (DT), a dialectal variety spoken by Tibetan refugees living in the Dharamshala area in Himachal Pradesh, India. The current work aims to provide a systematic and concise theorisation of DT word stress based on the data collected from field in terms of parameters like culminativity, location of the head, direction, and quantity sensitivity. Optimality Theory is used to offer a theoretical judgment behind the analysis. A majority of DT words contain a trochaic, weight-insensitive, left-to-right stress pattern. The degenerate foot is accepted. Very few instances of words with an iambic stress pattern were found during the fieldwork. Similarly, few words containing heavy syllables are available in the word stress pattern inventory of DT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Like many diasporas, the Tibetan diaspora has also had cataclysmic events and migratory movements and wish to return to their exiled homeland one day. In their countries of settlement, they face various challenges as they try to cope with their loss and adapt to a new environment. Purpose: This study aims to attempt to explore the socio-political construction of the mental health issues and coping strategies of the members from different generations of the Tibetan diaspora in India using the social ecological model as the theoretical framework. This study further aimed to provide suggestions based on findings to inform culturally sensitive care. Design/methodology/approach: Using the snowball sampling method, 20 Tibetans residing in North India were interviewed about their socio-political experiences. The obtained narratives were analyzed using thematic content analysis framework by Braun and Clarke (2006). Findings: Findings suggest that several socio-political conditions shape the mental health issues of the Tibetans that are inclusive of the acculturative stress, distress, intergenerational trauma and negative affectivity. A range of coping strategies, including spiritual-religious coping, collective coping and nostalgic coping emerged from the analysis. Research limitations/implications: This study has few limitations that must be considered to accurately interpret the findings. First, the sample size is small and hence may not be an accurate representation of the entire Tibetan diaspora. Second, the study uses self-reported data that may be subject to personal biases. Third, having been conducted in a specific socio-political context, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to other settings or to the members of the Tibetan diaspora elsewhere. Practical implications: The findings of the study will help spread awareness about mental health issues within the Tibetan diasporic community. The study will also help the mental health professionals to recognize the need for culturally responsive approaches to care. It also highlights the need to use the benefits of traditional healing practices, spirituality and cultural identity. The findings also will be relevant to developing interventions that are effective at individual, interpersonal, community and societal levels. The tailored interventions should address political issues surrounding the Tibetans, emphasize on their education and support cultural activities that can be essential for identity affirmation of these individuals. Originality/value: Shifting focus: Instead of viewing mental health solely through a psychological lens, it recognizes the powerful influence of political and social forces on their well-being. Generational lens: It explores how different generations within the diaspora grapple with the complexities of exile and its impact on their mental health. Unveiling coping strategies: It goes beyond the diagnosis, showcasing the diverse coping mechanisms used by Tibetans, including spiritual practices, collective support and even nostalgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background and aims H-type hypertension is essential hypertension combined with high homocysteine, and both synergistically increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of H-type hypertension in Tibetan plateau population and correlation with MTHFR C677T gene. Methods and results A multi-stage cluster random sampling method was used to select the research subjects in Tibet Autonomous Region from June 2020 to November 2021. Among Tibetans, the incidence of H-type hypertension accounted for 84.31% of hypertensive patients. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, uric acid (UA), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were risk factors for the prevalence of H-type hypertension, the OR (95% CI) was 1.083(1.073–1.094), 1.002(1.001–1.004), 1.240(1.050–1.464) and 2.274(1.432–3.611), respectively. MTHFR C677T TT genotype patients with H-type hypertension OR (95% CI) was 1.629(1.004–2.643). Based on this, a nomogram model was established, and the reliability of the model was proved by area under ROC curve, Brier score and average absolute error. The model’s results indicate that for every five years of age, the score increases by 6 points; for a 2mmol/L increase in TG, the score increases by 5.5 points; for a 1mmol/L increase in LDL-C, the score increases by 10 points; and individuals with the TT genotype receive 8 points. The higher the score, the greater the risk of disease. Conclusion The MTHFR C677T TT genotype is a risk locus for Tibetan patients with H-type hypertension, with age, TG, and LDL-C were identified as risk factors for the disease.

The detailed sedimentary sequence and tectonic deformation characteristics of the Qingshuihe Basin and its surrounding areas in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau have provided significant insights into the stages and intensity of lateral orogenic plateau expansion during the Mid-to-late Cenozoic. Several key unconformities and a tectonically induced river terrace have been identified, shedding light on the timing, scale, and tectonic response of the Tibetan Plateau’s growth into northwestern China. The identified unconformities include the ~ 16.5 Ma parallel unconformity (U1) between the Qingshuiying and Zhangenpu formations, the ~ 7.6 Ma slight-angular unconformity (U2) between the Zhangenpu and Ganhegou formations, the ~ 2.77–1.04 Ma slight- to high-angular unconformity (U3) between the Ganhegou and Yumen formations, and the ~ 0.135 Ma high-angular unconformity (U4) between the Yumen and Salawusu formations. A ~ 5–4 ka Holocene river terrace of the Qingshuihe River has also been identified. These unconformities and the river terrace provide evidence for a stepwise northeastward expansion model of the Tibetan Plateau. The U1 disconformity signifies the outward expansion of the orogenic plateau into its northeastern margin through uplift rather than shortening, possibly subsequent to the removal of the mantle lithosphere. The angular unconformities U2, U3, and U4 indicate synchronous crustal shortening across the Tibetan region and its northeastern margin, with U3 representing the most intense lateral expansion of the plateau. The Holocene river terrace represents the most recent tectonic event associated with the northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau in the study area, shaping modern landforms and topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, a number of sacred Tibetan ritual musical instruments fashioned from human tissue were donated to Northumbria University, England. After lengthy consultation with stakeholders, the university took the decision to accept the donation in order to store and care for these objects in a culturally respectful manner. This process involved working closely with the Tibetan diaspora in exile to manage, research and provide access in a culturally sensitive way until such time as they might be returned to their communities of origin. Framing the university's decision were current and ongoing debates within the heritage sector regarding the ethics of storing, researching and displaying human remains, especially where they belong to cultures from beyond the Global West. However, the cultural and ritual status of these objects, not to mention their geographical origin, is such that they do not fall easily into the same defined status as other historical human remains in western heritage collections. We present here ongoing work to build transparent and sensitive collections and research policies specifically around two Tibetan ritual thöd-rnga skull drums, traditionally used in the Chöd (gCod) ritual practised in Tibetan Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhism. We situate our work within the complex discourse on caring for contested objects in the UK in the midst of the restitution and decolonisation agendas, before considering the objects themselves as material artefacts, and the ethics of caring for and researching these objects within the context of a university collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article surveys the academic literature on Tibetan Buddhist monastic education, covering both its development inside Tibet prior to 1959, when the fourteenth Dalai Lama fled into exile, and its revival and adaptations since that time. Academic works on monastic education before 1959 examine important landmarks from the 11th until the 20th centuries, including the innovative approaches pioneered at Sangpu Neutok, the contributions of Sakya Paṇḍita, the rise of Geluk monastic education, and the later development of non‐Geluk shedras in the Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu orders. There are also notable academic debates concerning the valid application of the category of 'scholasticism' to traditional Tibetan Buddhist educational contexts. In general, traditional Geluk monastic education has been more thoroughly researched than the monastic education of the other orders, though recent studies have started to correct this imbalance. The literature on contemporary monastic education discusses several adaptations to traditional approaches, including the award of degrees modelled on those at secular universities, the expansion of curricula to include modern subjects such as science, and the establishment of unprecedented educational programmes for nuns. Contemporary developments in the subcontinental nations of India, Nepal and Bhutan have, however, received greater academic attention those in the Tibetan regions of China. Thus, while the academic field is quite vibrant, with a wide range of publications on several important topics, a number of research gaps remain that could be fruitfully filled by subsequent research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continental rejuvenation results from the tectonic reactivation of crustal structures and lithospheric reworking by mantle flow. Geochemical observations and field mapping have traditionally provided the primary evidence for the secular evolution of crustal composition and tectonic processes during continental rejuvenation. Nonetheless, the impact of continental rejuvenation on the observed present-day strain rate and orogenic-scale lithospheric structure has not been well constrained. The pre-existing E-W–trending Central China Orogenic Belt has been overprinted by the N-S–trending Central Longitudinal Seismic Belt and constitutes the intracontinental West Qinling Syntaxis in central China, where the tectonic setting changes eastward from contraction to extension. Combining updated global positioning system data and high-resolution crustal seismic tomography, we reveal a modern continental rejuvenation process within the West Qinling Syntaxis in central China. The northward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau’s weak lithospheric layer (middle-lower crust and lithospheric mantle) of southwestern China relative to the rigid Sichuan Basin/Ordos Block of the eastern West Qinling Syntaxis results in regional dextral shearing that shapes the Central Longitudinal Seismic Belt and defines the eastern Tibetan Plateau margin. The pre-existing E-W–trending Central China Orogenic Belt has been preserved above the brittle-ductile transition zone, and the northward movement of the deep lithospheric layer drives the deformation of the upper crust in the West Qinling Syntaxis. Our results, along with previous studies, suggest the presence of an intracontinental lithospheric interchange structure in central China. The continental rejuvenation of the West Qinling Syntaxis results from a combination of fault reactivation in the upper crust (Stage I, Eocene–Oligocene) and reworking of the deep lithosphere (Stage II, middle–late Miocene) related to the plateauwide shift in stress accommodation ultimately driven by the redistribution of mass outward from the central Tibetan Plateau. At present, the transition zone between the high- and low-velocity anomalies along the Central Longitudinal Seismic Belt not only shapes the landscape boundary but controls the size and recurrence interval of earth-quakes within the West Qinling Syntaxis in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's western borderlands, heavily non-Han in population, were still weakly territorialized in the Republican period. In 1950, the arrival of the People's Liberation Army in northern Sichuan – then a largely Tibetan space locally managed by rgyal (kings) and lamas – began a multi-decade confrontation with Tibetan indigeneity. The purpose of this article is to determine why the Party government, despite generous financial inputs, has had more difficulty integrating and transforming this ethnic group than almost all the other 54 minorities (minzu). Four widely differing efforts can be distinguished at four conjunctures in the People's Republic: 1) the establishment of the new "autonomous" prefecture of Aba in the "United Front" of the 1950s; 2) violent Maoist social revolution between 1958 and 1968; 3) a Chinese tourist boom beginning in the 1990s; and 4) policies of ethnocultural assimilation since 2013. The first and third modes of territorialization could be described as administrative and neoliberal, and both accommodated Tibetan indigenous elements in what may be called non-state territorialization. The second and fourth have in different ways been authoritarian and assimilative, with the state aiming to make Tibetans, with other non-Han minzu across China, thoroughly Chinese in culture and identification. Despite successes in objective territoriality – in making Aba a state space – the party-state cannot easily superimpose a Chinese identity on Aba and other Tibetans. Some of its actions – the early naming of a "Tibetan" minzu and sharp policy swings in religion and education – have tended to strengthen, not undermine, distinct Tibetan identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilemmas of territoriality beset the modern Chinese state at the rupture with empire in 1912, critically in the northwestern borderlands where Mongol and Tibetan declarations of independence threatened disaggregation of the imperial territory. In response the new Republican government took up the late Qing's practice of "consolidating the borders" (shibian) by establishing provinces in the empire's Inner Asian dependencies (fanshu) to integrate them by direct administration into the Chinese state. This paper examines one such project of Chinese state-making at the frontiers: the construction of Qinghai Province in the region of the Qing dependency situated between Gansu Province and Central Tibet. It adopts a historical-geographic approach to the state's instrumentalization of administrative categorization and construction in Qinghai's Tibetan and Mongol territories, a protracted undertaking carried out with heavy reliance on military coercion. Making the province evolved through interplay of national state and regional sub-state interests, driven by the Sino-Muslim Ma regime who acted as key agents on the ground, but located within the Republican political-administrative structure. In 1949, the CCP eliminated the Republic and the Ma regime but retained the province, dynamically restructuring its interior administration under regional nationality autonomy in recognition of the region's Tibetan, Mongol and other non-Han populations. Qinghai's significance for Chinese states in the first half of the 20th century lay in centrist calculations of national security and territoriality. As the first Chinese province on the Tibetan Plateau, its construction was, in essence, concerned with sovereignty, providing a political-administrative means to alter wider regional geopolitics in the interests of the Chinese state. Ongoing re-categorization of territorial administrative units inside the province suggests an unfinished project of state territorialization, as anxieties over instability in the northwestern regions of the PRC intensify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]