Search

THIS INTRODUCTORY MANUAL OF SPOKEN TIBETAN IS INTENDED FOR THE ADULT STUDENT WITH SOME KNOWLEDGE OF LINGUISTICS. THE FIRST OF THE ELEVEN UNITS IN THIS TEXT DEALS WITH ASPIRATION, POINTS OF ARTICULATION, VOWELS, TONES, CONSONANT FINALS OF MONOSYLLABIC WORDS, AND STRESS. FOLLOWING UNITS INTRODUCE FURTHER SYNTACTIC FEATURES OF THE LANGUAGE, PRESENTED IN CONTEXTUAL SENTENCES AND ACCOMPANIED BY NUMEROUS EXPLANATORY NOTES. UNITS CONSIST GENERALLY OF A GRAMMAR SECTION, EXERCISES, AND A VOCABULARY LISTING, WITH OCCASIONAL CONVERSATIONAL DIALOGUES WHOSE CONTEXT PROVIDES SOME BACKGROUND IN TIBETAN CULTURE. THE TIBETAN IN THE TEXT AND THE ACCOMPANYING TAPES IS BASED ON THE SPEECH OF AN EDUCATED NATIVE TIBETAN FROM LHASA. A ROMANIZED TRANSCRIPTION IS USED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT. THE TRADITIONAL TIBETAN-SCRIPT COUNTERPARTS OF ALL THE ROMANIZED FORMS USED ARE LISTED IN THE APPENDIX. THIS MANUAL IS PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98105. (AM)

Twenty‐four‐hour urine collection is the gold standard method for the evaluation of salt intake, but it is often impractical in large‐scale investigations, especially in resource‐poor areas. Methods for the estimation of 24‐hour urinary sodium excretion (USE) using a spot urine sample have been established, but have not been validated in Chinese Tibetans. Therefore, the authors aimed to evaluate the Kawasaki, Tanaka, and the International Cooperative Study on Salt, Other Factors, and Blood Pressure (INTERSALT) formulas for the prediction of 24‐hour USE in Chinese Tibetan adults. The authors analyzed the bias, correlation, agreements between estimated values and measured values, and the relative and absolute differences and misclassification at the individual level for the three methods in 323 Tibetan participants from the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China. The mean biases between the measured values and the estimated 24‐hour USE using the Kawasaki, Tanaka, and INTERSALT methods were 5.4 mmol/day (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.8–10.1 mmol/day), −40.8 mmol/day (95% CI: −44.6 to −36.9 mmol/day), and −57.1 mmol/day (95% CI: −61.9 to −52.4 mmol/day), respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficients for the relationships between the measured values and the estimated 24‐hour USE were 0.43 (Kawasaki), 0.38 (Tanaka), and 0.27 (INTERSALT), respectively (all p

By tracing the evolution of linguistic models for state education in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China, this chapter shows that bilingual education policies in the TAR oscillated between Chinese-led and Tibetan-led models since the 1950s. By presenting the rise and fall of specific linguistic models under a social and historical light, the study demonstrates that Tibetan students’ underperformance in subjects like English and Maths today is historically given and economically driven. In other words, the educational landscape as we see in Tibet today is socially constructed and represents competing interests of different groups. With English added to the mix, the complexity of language education policies in the TAR has increased. Upon interviewing students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds from across the TAR and looking into their past and present schooling experiences, the authors argue that the dynamics between linguistic models and linguistic capital in the TAR articulate ethnic sentiments, leadership preferences, and the myriad ways in which Tibetans responded to the authority exercised by the leadership.

Identifying effective transformations to reduce poverty and approach rural sustainability is at the core of the first sustainable development goal of the United Nations. This article offers scientific support for continued efforts in sustaining rural development and livelihood resilience. Many studies have examined drivers of livelihood transition from farming to non-farm activities, especially participation in tourism against the backdrop of rural tourism development. However, few studies have identified ways to measure the level of tourism participation or have discussed how household-level capital influences decisions regarding tourism participation made by Tibetan ethnic households. This article assesses the role of livelihood capital in the adoption of tourism activities at the household level in Jiaju Tibetan Village, an ethnic region that is experiencing struggling agricultural business and developing tourism sector. Using household survey data, this study presents an ordinal logistic regression model to identify the determinants of the household tourism participation level. The results showed that households’ tourism participation was influenced by physical capital (e.g., proximity to major roads, odds ratio = 2.83 at p = 0.024; fixed capitals, odds ratio = 101.19 at p = 0.039), human capital (e.g., availability of family labor, odds ratio = 0.25 at p = 0.004; availability of skilled member, odds ratio = 2.91 at p = 0.002), and social capital (e.g., relatives in governmental sectors, odds ratio = 5.22 at p = 0.044; government payments, odds ratio = 8.78 at p = 0.04), while the influence of financial capital was not significant. The proximity to major roads, availability of skilled members, fixed assets, and direct and indirect support from the government to households were significantly and positively associated with tourism participation level. The effects of household labor availability and annual family income remain unclear. Overall, household livelihood capital plays a critical role in the enhancement of tourism participation in Jiaju Tibetan Village. Our findings have implications for understanding the shift of on-farm occupation to off-farm activities in tourism and for the pursuit of policies contributing to poverty reduction and rural revitalization in China as well as to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is thought to be the most prevalent chronic joint disease, especially in Tibet of China. Here, we aimed to explore the integrative lncRNA and mRNA landscape between the OA patients of Tibet and Han. Methods The lncRNA and mRNA expression microarray profiling was performed by SurePrint G3 Human Gene Expression 8x60K v2 Microarray in articular cartilage samples from OA patients of Han nationality and Tibetans, followed by GO, KEGG, and trans-regulation and cis-regulation analysis of lncRNA and mRNA. Results We found a total of 117 lncRNAs and 297 mRNAs differently expressed in the cartilage tissues of Tibetans (n = 5) comparing with those of Chinese Han (n = 3), in which 49 lncRNAs and 158 mRNAs were upregulated, and 68 lncRNAs and 139 mRNAs were downregulated. GO and KEGG analysis showed that several unreported biological processes and signaling pathways were particularly identified. LncRNA-mRNA co-expression analysis revealed a remarkable lncRNA-mRNA relationship, in which OTOA may play a critical role in the different mechanisms of the OA progression between Tibetans and Chinese Han. Conclusion This study identified different lncRNA/mRNA expression profiling between OA patients of Tibetans and Han, which were involved in many characteristic biological processes and signaling pathways.

Aim To measure and evaluate the distribution and possible contributing factors of seven bone metabolism‐associated biomarkers in Tibet, a plateau province of China. Methods A total of 1615 individuals were recruited from Tibet at three different altitudes. The levels and possible contributing factors of serum calcium, serum phosphorus, ALP, 25OHD, PINP, CTX, and PTH were evaluated. Results In total, 1246 Tibetan adults (males: n = 543) were eventually enrolled in this study. Multiple linear regression recognized age, sex, altitude, and BMI as the major effect factors. The levels of ALP, PINP, and CTX in males continuously decreased with age; however, those in females increased after approximately 39 years of age. Males had higher 25OHD levels (23.9 vs. 15.4 ng/ml) but lower levels of serum phosphorus (1.12 vs. 1.19 mmol/L) and PTH (41.3 vs. 47.4 pg/ml) than females. Before the age of 50, males had higher levels of calcium, ALP, PINP, and CTX than females, and the opposite trend was observed after the age of 50. The highest levels of serum calcium and phosphorus and the lowest levels of PINP and CTX were found in the Shigatse/Lhasa region, suggesting a better bone metabolism status. Compared with reports from plain areas of China, significantly higher levels of PINP (65.3 vs. 49.36 ng/ml) and CTX (0.46 vs. 0.37 ng/ml) were recorded in Tibetan adults. Conclusion A more active bone turnover status was found in Tibetan adults than in individuals from the plain areas of China., The distribution and possible contributing factors of seven bone metabolism associated biomarkers including serum calcium, serum phosphorus, ALP, 25OHD, PINP, CTX, and PTH were evaluated for Tibet, a plateau province of China.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical fitness index (PFI) and body mass index (BMI) of Tibetan children and adolescents in different high-altitude areas in Tibet, China. Methods: Using the stratified cluster sampling method, 3819 Tibetan children and adolescents from three different high-altitude areas including Nyingchi, Lhasa and Nagqu in the Tibet area of China were given grip strength, standing long jump, sitting forward bend, 50 m running and endurance running tests. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the physical fitness index in different high-altitude areas. In addition, the method of curve regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between PFI and BMI. Results: In general, the level of PFI in Nagqu, Tibet, China was lower than that in Nyingchi and Lhasa, and the levels of girls were generally lower than those of boys. The proportions of malnourished, normal, overweight and obese Tibetan boys in high-altitude areas were 11.8%, 79.7%, and 8.5%; those of girls were 3.3%, 82.3%, and 14.4%, respectively. The curve regression analysis showed that the model fitting of male Nyingchi, Lhasa, Nagqu and female Nyingchi, Lhasa, Nagqu were all significant (F values were 29.697, 34.709, 37.500, 9.123, 9.785, 6.939, p < 0.01). The relationship between BMI and PFI generally showed an inverted “U” curve relationship. Conclusion: The negative impact of overweight and obesity on physical fitness of Tibetan boys in high-altitude areas is significantly higher than that of girls, and the negative impact of overweight and obesity on physical fitness of boys in Lhasa and Nyingchi area is more significant than that in the Nagqu area. In the future, attention should be paid to Lhasa and the occurrence of overweight and obesity among Tibetan boys in Nyingchi area in order to prevent the sharp decline of physical fitness and promote the physical and mental development of Tibetan children and adolescents in high-altitude areas.

Background Western China has undergone substantial sociodemographic change, yet little is known about the health status of ethnic minority populations living in these areas. Methods We report findings from two cross-sectional surveys conducted with female Tibetan nomads living in rural areas of Western China/Eastern Tibet. We present results of descriptive analyses of data collected from reproductive-aged females who attended community health fairs in 2014 (n = 193) and 2016 (n = 298). Results On average, sexual debut preceded marriage among study participants, with fertility near replacement levels (2.7 and 2.1 in 2014 and 2016, respectively). Contraceptive use was common, and dominated by use of IUDs and female sterilization. Although over three-quarters (76%) of 2016 survey participants reported ever having at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptom, there was low awareness of STIs (59%) and action to prevent STIs (21%). Younger women (, Plain English Summary Western China has undergone substantial sociodemographic change, yet little is known about the health status of ethnic minority populations living in these areas. We report findings from two cross-sectional surveys conducted with female Tibetan nomads living in rural areas of Western China/Eastern Tibet. We present results of descriptive analyses of data collected from reproductive-aged females who attended community health fairs in 2014 (n = 193) and 2016 (n = 298). On average, sexual debut preceded marriage among study participants, with fertility near replacement levels (2.7 and 2.1 in 2014 and 2016, respectively). Contraceptive use was common, and dominated by use of IUDs and female sterilization. Although over three-quarters (76%) of 2016 survey participants reported ever having at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptom, there was low awareness of STIs (59%) and action to prevent STIs (21%). Younger women (less than 40 years old) were more likely to report having had had an STI symptom, as compared to women over 40 years old (84% versus 71%; p

The present study reports a rare case of Taenia saginata infection, which was initially diagnosed as acute cholecystitis in a Tibetan patient at the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau pastoral area, China. A 45-year-old female was initially diagnosed with acute cholecystitis at a hospital in China. She had a slight fever, weight loss and constipation and complained of pain in the upper abdomen and left back areas. Increase of monocyte, eosinophil and basophil levels were shown. Taenia sp. eggs were detected in a fecal examination. An adult tapeworm approximately 146 cm in length, whitish-yellow color, was collected from the patient after treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. The adult tapeworm had a scolex and proglottids with genital pores. The scolex was rectangular shape with 4 suckers and rostellum without hooklet. The cox1 gene sequence shared 99.5-99.8% homology with that of T. saginata from other regions in China. The patient was diagnosed finally infected with T. saginata by morphological and molecular charateristics.

Background Home garden is identified as a kind of small-scale land-use system which is used to manage and cultivate useful plants by local people, and home gardens can provide various plant products and services. Investigating home gardens was regarded as an effective way to understand the biodiversity-related local knowledge and culture of native people in Ethnobiology and Ethnoecology. Home garden is important in less developed and remote areas. The grand canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo is designed as one of the biodiversity hotspots of China, and it is one of the most remote regions of China, because of the rough traffic conditions. The aim of the present study is to collect, record, and document the plants and their local knowledge and functions in the local home gardens, then attempt to answer the question: “why local people selected these plants?” Material and methods The study area was in Beibeng Township of Motuo County in the grand canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo. Observation and semi-structure interviews with informed consent were used to collect data in field study. All information was collected and organized, then documented based on “ethno-species” as a fundamental unit. All of the information of local use and knowledge were organized as the list of “use-report” for quantitative analysis, and the local uses of plants were merged into 14 use categories. Frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), cultural importance index (CI), and cultural value index (CV) were used in quantitative analysis. Besides, the Jaccard Index was used to compare the similarity in plant species selection among different communities. Results A total of 78 home gardens in the 9 communities of Beibeng Township were visited, and 196 ethno-species were collected. These ethno-species were identified into 188 Botanical taxa. A total of 87 home garden owners as informants were interviewed in the present study, and they provided 625 use-reports to us. The top 5 important plants were Su-lan-tsao (Dendrobium nobile), Sa-ga (Zingiber officinale), Soe-lu (Capsicum annuum), Snying-pa (Citrus medica), and Kham-pu (Prunus persica), according to the quantitative analysis. The most citied use-category was “vegetable,” followed by “ornamental plant,” “medicine,” and “fruit.” The altitude might be the most important impact factor of the plant diversity and composition of home gardens, and the traffic conditions, local terrain, also impact the plant diversity and composition of home gardens. Conclusion In remote areas such as the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, the plants in home gardens are important sources of plant products such as foods, herbal medicines, and fibers to support daily lives. The local home gardens in Tsang-la communities had high diversity of plants, and these plants provided many functions and services to support daily lives of local people. Local plant knowledge, including the features, life forms, habits, habitats, and use values of plants, were the summary of the understanding of local people to their surrounding plant worlds. Local people selected appropriate plants to cultivate and manage in their home gardens under the guidance of the local plant knowledge. That is the answer to the question “why local people selected these plants?”

Objectives: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is an identified carcinogenic pathogen of human gastric cancer. China is not only one of the countries with high incidence and mortality of gastric cancer, but also a high infection area of Hp. As a multi-ethnic country, China may have a diverse prevalence of Hp infection among ethnics. This meta-analysis tends to compare the prevalence of Hp infection between Tibetan and Han ethnics, the results may provide evidence for targeted screening and eradication of Hp in China. Methods: The following databases will be searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Technology Periodical Database (VIP), China National Knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), and WanFang databases. Studies which reported the prevalence of Hp infection between Tibetans and Hans in China are eligible. Two reviewers will independently screen studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias of included studies. The prevalence of Hp infection between Tibetan and Han ethnics will be compared by meta-analysis. Heterogeneity tests and meta-analyses will be conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 12.0 softwares. Meanwhile, subgroup analysis, publication bias and sensitivity analysis evaluation will be performed where applicable. Results: This study will be reported in compliance with the PRISMA statement. This systematic review will not be submitted for any ethical approval since no privacy health information will be included. The findings will be published through peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations. Prospero Registration Number: CRD42019121192. Conclusions: Our study will provide us evidence for tailored strategy and robustness of Hp screening and eradication among Tibetans.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and profile of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) among children with TB in Sichuan province of China.Methods: From January 2015 to December 2018, microbiological culture-confirmed child TB cases (agedResults: Of 317 culture-confirmed child TB cases, 16.7% (53/317) were aged under 5 years old. 54.9% were Tibetans, and 31.9% had clear history of contact with TB patients. More than half (53.9%) weren’t vaccinated by Calmette–Guérin bacillus (BCG). 30% (n=95) were diagnosed as severe TB, and 92.4% (n=293) were new cases. The ratio of severe TB in BCG vaccinated group was significant lower than that observed in unvaccinated group (pConclusions: This was the first investigation on the epidemiological characteristics and profiles of DR-TB among child TB cases in Southwest of China. Our findings indicated a potentially high risk of TB infection to Tibetan children in the concentrated Tibetan communities of Sichuan.

(1) Background: The devastating Ms 7.1 earthquake struck Yushu city, China, in 2010, leading to serious consequences and damage in the central Tibetan Plateau. This study aimed to assess school adaptation and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of adolescent survivors five years after the Yushu earthquake. (2) Methods: A large-scale, school-based mental health survey was conducted 5 years after the earthquake among Tibetan students in the city of Yushu using the Adolescent&rsquo, s School Adaptation Scale (ASAS) and the PTSD Checklist. (3) Results: A total of 1976 questionnaires were collected. A total of 30.7% of Tibetan adolescents had poor school adaptation and 19.5% were estimated as having probable PTSD. Logistic regression showed that females (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.60&ndash, 0.89), senior students (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.39&ndash, 0.59), and those who participated in post-disaster reconstruction (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.54&ndash, 0.85) were less likely to have poor school adaptation, while a positive association was observed among those buried under a collapsed building (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.04&ndash, 2.09) and those who experienced bereavement (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.27&ndash, 2.45). Students who had experienced bereavement were also more likely to have PTSD (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.12&ndash, 2.28). (4) Conclusions: The post-traumatic effects of the Yushu earthquake on Tibetan adolescents were severe and long-lasting. Sustainable long-term mental health services to help adolescents to restructure their mental health are necessary.

With participation in ecotourism, eco-immigrant communities in the Three Rivers’ Source area attempt to use abundant cultural resources in Tibetan region to make their own development path. As an example, the villagers of Kunlun eco-immigrant has attempted to develop tourism by producing and selling Mani stone (a Tibetan stone engraved of sacred Buddhist formulae). However, this practice is queried by some Tibetan intellectuals, community members, and relevant scholars. Besides, the complexity of Tibetan culture also has some negative effects on the project. Therefore, the project does not run smoothly. In the terms of protecting traditional Tibetan culture, in this essay, phenomenon mentioned above will be analyzed in three aspects: acculturation theory, stereotype and influences of interest structures. Avec la participation de l'écotourisme, les communautés éco-immigrants de la zone de la Source des Trois-Rivières tentent à utiliser les ressources culturelles abondantes de la région tibétaine pour faire leur propre voie de développement. A titre d'exemple, les villageois de Kunlun éco-immigrant a tenté de développer le tourisme en produisant et en vendant les pierres-Mani (une pierre tibétaine gravée de formules bouddhistes sacrées). Cependant, cette pratique est interrogée par certains intellectuels tibétains, membres de la communauté, et des universitaires concernés. En outre, la complexité de la culture tibétaine a aussi des effets négatifs sur le projet. Par conséquent, le projet ne fonctionne pas correctement. Dans les termes de protection de la culture traditionnelle tibétaine, dans cet essai, phénomène mentionné ci-dessus sera analysé sous trois aspects: la théorie de l'acculturation, les stéréotypes et les influences de structures d'intérêt.

This study uses China's Inter-Census Survey 2005 to analyse the extent migration behaviour among 14 large ethnic minority groups and the Han majority. Results show that the probability to migrate to all types of destinations varies by province of origin, decreases by age, and in most cases, by expected income at the origin. Furthermore the probability to migrate is found to typically increase by length of education and decrease for females by the number of children. In most cases investigated, a minority ethnicity reduces migration probabilities for people registered in rural China. This is particularly the case for persons belonging to the Uyghur and Tibetan ethnic groups, but also for the Mongolian, Bai, Yao and Tujia groups. In contrast, Korean and Hui have a higher probability of migration than the majority. For people with an urban hukou there are fewer examples that minority ethnicity affects probability to migrate.

While there have been increasing numbers of reports of human-wolf conflict in China during recent years, little is known about the nature of this conflict. In this study, we used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to investigate local villagers’ perceptions of wolves in Jiuzhaigou County, western China. We sampled nine villages with more frequent reports of wolf depredation to the local government, but included three villages near alpine pastures in which reports of depredation were less frequent. We sampled 100 residents, a subset of the local population who were more likely to have had experience with wolves. During the preceding three years, most families of the respondents grazed livestock on alpine pastures, and most of them reported that their livestock suffered from depredation by wolves. The mean value of the reported annual livestock loss rates was considerably higher in villages that reported depredation more frequently than in those with less frequent reports of depredation. Most respondents in the more frequently depredated villages perceived an increase in wolf populations, whereas many in the less frequently depredated villages perceived a decrease in wolf populations in their areas. People’s attitudes towards wolves did not differ significantly between these two village categories. The majority of the respondents were negative in their attitude to wolves, despite a prevalent Tibetan culture that favors the protection of wildlife. People’s negative attitude was directly related to the number of livestock owned by their family. Those with a larger number of livestock were more likely to have a negative attitude towards wolves. Factors such as village category, ethnicity, age and education level did not influence people’s attitudes to wolves. We suggest that improved guarding of livestock and provision of monetary support on human resources and infrastructure may mitigate human-wolf conflicts in this region.

Introduction Surmang, Qinghai Province is a rural nomadic Tibetan region in western China recently devastated by the 2010 Yushu earthquake; little information is available on access and coverage of maternal and child health services. Methods A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in August 2004. 402 women of reproductive age (15-50) were interviewed regarding their pregnancy history, access to and utilization of health care, and infant and child health care practices. Results Women's access to education was low at 15% for any formal schooling; adult female literacy was Conclusions While China is on track to achieve national Millennium Development Goal targets for maternal and child health, women and children in Surmang suffer from substantial health inequities in access to antenatal, skilled birth and postpartum care. Institutional delivery, skilled attendance and cesarean delivery are virtually inaccessible, and consequently maternal and infant morbidity and mortality are likely high. Urgent action is needed to improve access to maternal, neonatal and child health care in these marginalized populations. The reconstruction after the recent earthquake provides a unique opportunity to link this population with the health system.