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The aeolian deposits in the North Pacific Ocean (NPO) serve as important archives for the surface processes in the arid Asian interior. Aeolian flux, which is usually based on the 'operationally defined aeolian dust' (ODED) extracted from the pelagic sediments, is a widely used paleo-proxy that reflects aridity of the source regions. However, such reconstruction of aeolian flux is subject to large uncertainty associated with the age model due to the low sedimentation rate and lack of calcareous nannofossil of the pelagic sediments. Precipitation of authigenic minerals and contribution of volcanic ash also complicate interpretation of the reconstructed ODED flux. This work extracts ODED from the sediments recovered at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) site 1208 on the Shatsky Rise in NPO. The high sedimentation rate at ODP site 1208 enables a high-resolution age model. The resulting ODED flux, which shows a progressive increasing trend over the past 25 Ma, is very different from the previous reconstructions. The study indicates that authigenic phillipsite contribute a significant portion to the sediment of 25-18 Ma, but the relative contribution of Asian dust to the ODED is roughly constant (60%~80%) over the past 18 Ma. Thus, the progressive

This study demonstrates a high prevalence rate of dry eye disease in a Mongolian population. Dry eye signs were significantly associated with dry eye symptoms.

The prevalence of pterygium in a Tibetan population at high altitude is significantly high, particularly in certain at-risk groups. The primary causative factors are related to ocular sun exposure, which are easily preventable. Public health schemes to address this serious health issue are urgently needed.

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