Xinjiang Area Research Articles

Determining organic-inorganic fertilizer application threshold to maximize the yield and quality of drip-irrigated grapes in an extremely arid area of Xinjiang, China

Imbalanced water and fertilizer systems have limited the yield and quality of grapes in extremely arid areas. The combined application of organic (OF) and inorganic fertilizers (CF) has been proven to be one of the practical approaches to improving yield and quality. Nevertheless, very few studies have focused on the irrigation amount in organically fertilized and drip-irrigated grapes. Hence, in this study, four combined application ratios of organic and inorganic fertilizers (70%OF + 30%CF, 50%OF + 50%CF, 30%OF + 70%CF, and 0%OF + 100%CF), and four irrigation amounts (630, 675, 720, and 765 mm) were set coupling in a two-year field experiment. Generally, under four irrigation levels, combined organic-inorganic fertilizers increased soil nutrients and improved seedless white grape growth, yield, and quality. The results of the combined fertilizer application treatments showed that the content of available nitrogen (55.97–102.60%), available phosphorus (49.41–124.74%), and available potassium (60.70–124.33%) in soil increased significantly compared with those values under a single application of inorganic fertilizer. In addition, the combined application increased the length of new shoots and leaf midribs (grapes) by 3.16–11.88% and 7.35–15.15%, respectively; this application mode also significantly enhanced transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), and net photosynthetic rate (Pn). Furthermore, the grape yield increased by 6.68–19.12%, and the fruit quality notably improved (except for the index of fruit shape). Under the four irrigation amounts, two-year average yields were reported as 17.53, 20.60, 23.31, and 22.71 kg/ha, respectively. Additionally, we used four evaluation methods to assess the fruit quality and compared their correlations with the comprehensive evaluation model. And we concluded that the principal component analysis method (PCA) is best suited for evaluating drip-irrigated grapes’ quality. Then, we applied the PCA to seek proper irrigation management; the results displayed that a suitable irrigation amount of 720 mm and the ratio of organic-inorganic application of 50% organic fertilizer + 50% inorganic fertilizer is recommended. However, further research is required to investigate the effects of soluble and complete organic fertilizers application on drip-irrigated grapes.

Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Bio-elements in the Human Hair of Uyghur Communities in an Oasis Area of Xinjiang, China.

Located in central Asia, Xinjiang is characterized as a diverse environment in China, consisting of vast deserts, dotted oases, and high mountains. Due to the combined effect of climate conditions under such a diverse environment, there are large differences in human activities, living styles, and eating habits in farmland and grazing pastures between Xinjiang and other regions of China. This study aimed to investigate the variations and mechanisms of elemental distribution in the hair of Uyghur communities among different ages and genders and under different land use backgrounds in an oasis region in Xinjiang. Hair samples from 524 residents from four traditional farmland areas and two grazing pasture areas in Bai Cheng County in Xinjiang were collected, and the levels of thirteen elements were analyzed. The results indicated that the average levels of Cu, Mg, Mn, Zn, Ni, Co, Pb, Fe, Ca, Cd, Cr, As, and Se in the hair of Uyghur communities were within the background levels of Chinese and global residents' hair. Overall, the levels of elements in the hair of women residents were higher than those of men residents. The levels of elements in the human hair of the middle-aged group were higher than those of child and older-aged groups. Elements Cr and Se in the hair of grazing pastures were higher than those of farmland areas. The levels of Cd, Pb, As, and Zn in the hair of farmland areas were higher than those of grazing pasture areas. The levels of Ca, Mg, Cu, and Fe in the hair of Uyghur communities were higher than those of other ethnic groups, while the toxic elements in the hair of residents in Bai Cheng were lower than those in other regions of China. Middle-aged people were exposed to higher levels of toxic elements in their daily activities compared to elderly and child groups. Also, adult groups need much more nutrients for their growth and intellectual development compared to child and elderly groups. The change in land use from grazing pastures to farmland increased the toxic trace element concentration levels in human hair. The significant differences in the overall concentration levels of elements in human hair among the different ethnic groups and regions can be attributed to the differences in lifestyles, cultural customs, dietary habits, and internal and external exposure routes.

Research on Vegetation Cover Changes in Arid and Semi-Arid Region Based on a Spatio-Temporal Fusion Model

Vegetation dynamics in arid and semi-arid regions have an important impact on carbon cycle, water cycle, and energy exchange at local, regional, and global scales. Therefore, it is of great significance for scientists to grasp the changes of vegetation cover in arid and semi-arid regions timely and accurately. Based on this, the applicability of ESTARFM model in the complex terrain area of arid and semi-arid Xinjiang was explored using Landsat and MODIS data fusion, and the overall change characteristics of vegetation cover (FVC) and the distribution and change patterns of different terrains in the study area in the past 15 years were analyzed by combining the dimidiate pixel model, unary linear regression and digital elevation model. The results show that: (1) the NDVI data fused by ESTARFM Model has high consistency with the real NDVI data, and it can be used for subsequent FVC estimation. (2) From 2006 to 2020, the inter FVC was at a high level as a whole, and the average annual FVC showed a weak increasing trend in fluctuation; there are obvious differences in spatial distribution, which is characterized by high distribution in the north and low in the south. (3) The improved area of vegetation cover in the study area is greater than the degraded area, accounting for 52.3% and 47.7% respectively; (4) In the elevation range of 2000 to 3500 m, the FVC showed a slight degradation trend on 25° to 45° slopes and south and southeast slopes, and the rest showed a slight improvement trend. ESTARFM-based model enables monitoring of vegetation cover changes in complex terrain areas of the arid and semi-arid regions in Xinjiang over a long time series. The overall FVC level in the study area is high, and there both are serious degradation and improvement phenomena.

Effects of residual mulching films with different mulching years on the diversity of soil microbial communities in typical regions

Polyethylene mulching film plays a critical role in agricultural production. To clarify the impact of residual film and microplastics on soil microorganisms, this study examined four cotton fields with different film coverage years in typical areas of Xinjiang and analyzed the changes in soil bacterial and fungal community structure and diversity under residual film and microplastics using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the residual film in the 0–150 mm soil layers and 150–300 mm soil layers at the same sampling point had spatial distribution characteristics of 60–70% and 30–40%, respectively. The short period of the 0–10 years film mulching treatment increased the soil microbial diversity of the cotton field, whereas continuous film mulching for 25 years significantly decreased the soil microbial diversity, in which Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum and Ascomycetes was the dominant fungal phylum. The microbial diversity of the film-covered soil was lower than that of the control group. The spatial distribution of the residual film and microplastic changed the distribution of the microbial communities. The diversity of the microbial community structure of the 0–150 mm soil layers was higher than that of the 150–300 mm soil layers. The increase in residual film and microplastics had no significant effect on the diversity of the fungal community but decreased the diversity of the soil bacterial community and decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Campylobacter. In conclusion, long-term film mulching reduced the soil microbial diversity in cotton fields. This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the impact of film residues on microorganisms and the ecological environment in typical areas.

Aridity shifts the difference in carbon uptake and storage between wooded and pure grasslands from positive to negative

Woody plant encroachment in arid grasslands may reduce plant uptake and soil storage of carbon (C) with consequences for the global C cycle, yet multi-site comparative studies have not been done so far and experiments are not feasible due to the long time needed for soil organic C (SOC) to accumulate. We selected multiple grassland sites with ≥50 % or 0 % woody plant aboveground biomass in each of six vegetation types representing a gradient of increasing aridity, resulting in a comparative study design with a total of 178 pure and 106 wooded grasslands distributed over the large geographic area of Xinjiang, China. Differences between wooded and pure grasslands in SOC stocks in the top 100 cm of the soil changed from positive to negative with increasing aridity. This effect was strongest in the upper soil layers, suggesting that woody plants had perhaps not been present for long enough to leave a signal in the lower soil layers. The differences in SOC stocks were related to differences in plant belowground standing C (BGC) and these to differences in yearly plant aboveground C uptake (ANPP) between wooded and pure grasslands. At more arid sites, wooded grasslands had lower ANPP and BGC because of reduced contributions of herbaceous plants that were not fully compensated by woody plants. Considering predicted increases in aridity in the study region, our results suggest that to avoid future losses of grassland SOC stocks — which are several ten times higher than the C stored in plant organs — management should try to prevent or reduce woody plant encroachment.

Effect of crude oil self-emulsification on the recovery of low permeability reservoir after well soaking

The emulsification phenomenon exists during crude oil exploitation in the Jimsar area of Xinjiang. In the field, the emulsification mechanism and its influence on production are unclear. To clarify the self-emulsifying law of crude oil and its influence on production during soaking, this study carried out microscopic visualization displacement experiments, spontaneous imbibition displacement, and oil–water displacement experiments. Results show that oil–water contact time and water phase type affect the size of the emulsified layer between crude oil and water phase. The oil–water distribution type affects the formation mode of crude oil emulsification. After the opening of the water phase channel, crude oil mainly migrates in the form of a water-in-oil emulsion. The crude oil attached to the pore wall and stuck in the pore throats is the main source of the dispersed phase in the emulsion. When crude oil moves through pores, the high-curvature boundary changes the interfacial tension and capillary force. Thus, this case makes the crude oil easily stuck to form small oil droplets and promotes the dispersion of crude oil to form an emulsion. In the tight core, a decrease in the spontaneous imbibition ability was attained by increasing nano-emulsion concentration. However, the oil displacement effect of 0.3% nano-emulsion is better than that of the 0.6% concentration. Therefore, ensuring a certain spontaneous imbibition ability and a certain displacement efficiency is necessary. Oil recovery can be enhanced to a certain extent after self-emulsification in the pores of Jimsar crude oil. When oil displacement depends on the capillary force or driving pressure difference, the oil–water interfacial tension is not the lower, the better, and a suitable range exists. The suitable oil–water interfacial tension in this region is between 0.1 and 1 mN/m.

Assessment of ecological quality in Northwest China (2000–2020) using the Google Earth Engine platform: Climate factors and land use/land cover contribute to ecological quality

The ecological quality of inland areas is an important aspect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The ecological environment of Northwest China is vulnerable to changes in climate and land use/land cover, and the changes in ecological quality in this arid region over the last two decades are not well understood. This makes it more difficult to advance the UN SDGs and develop appropriate measures at the regional level. In this study, we used the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products to generate remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to examine the relationship between ecological quality and environment in Xinjiang during the last two decades (from 2000 to 2020). We analyzed a 21-year time series of the trends and spatial characteristics of ecological quality. We further assessed the importance of different environmental factors affecting ecological quality through the random forest algorithm using data from statistical yearbooks and land use products. Our results show that the RSEI constructed using the GEE platform can accurately reflect the ecological quality information in Xinjiang because the contribution of the first principal component was higher than 90.00%. The ecological quality in Xinjiang has increased significantly over the last two decades, with the northern part of this region having a better ecological quality than the southern part. The areas with slightly improved ecological quality accounted for 31.26% of the total land area of Xinjiang, whereas only 3.55% of the land area was classified as having a slightly worsen (3.16%) or worsen (0.39%) ecological quality. The vast majority of the deterioration in ecological quality mainly occurred in the barren areas Temperature, precipitation, closed shrublands, grasslands and savannas were the top five environmental factors affecting the changes in RSEI. Environmental factors were allocated different weights for different RSEI categories. In general, the recovery of ecological quality in Xinjiang has been controlled by climate and land use/land cover during the last two decades and policy-driven ecological restoration is therefore crucial. Rapid monitoring of inland ecological quality using the GEE platform is projected to aid in the advancement of the comprehensive assessment of the UN SDGs.

Spatial Distribution, Material Composition and Provenance of Loess in Xinjiang, China: Progress and Challenges

The loess in the arid area of Xinjiang is located at the eastern end of the Central Asia Loess Belt, and paleoclimate research about it is of great importance for understanding the mechanism of interaction of the Eurasian Westerly monsoon system and the aridity of Central Asia. This review focuses on recent progress concerning the spatial distribution, material composition and provenance of loess in Xinjiang and points out the shortcomings of and challenges to provenance and dust circulation. Field investigation and previous studies indicate that loess sediments have been mainly distributed on the river terraces and windward piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains since the late Pliocene (mainly late Pleistocene). Grain size and age data show that Xinjiang loess deposits at some locations are rapid and discontinuous or sedimentary hiatus. The Siberian High system largely controlled dust mobilization and loess accumulation in northern Xinjiang but not southern Xinjiang. In southern Central Asia, the intensity of dust activity may be determined by the Caspian Sea–Hindu Kush Index (CasHKI) and local circulation. However, there is not enough evidence that the CasHKI index can affect the Tarim Basin area. Consequently, ascertaining the driving mechanism of mid-latitude Westerly winds and the dynamic process of loess deposition in Xinjiang is a specific suggestion for critical future research. Many indicators have shown that the loess dust sources in Xinjiang are composed of mainly proximal materials plus some remote materials. Alluvial plains and local proluvial fans contributed more to loess deposition, while Central Asian deserts comprise a small proportion of loess deposition in northern Xinjiang. In future provenance research, new technologies and new methods should be continuously tested to facilitate an objective understanding of the provenance of the loess in Xinjiang.

Analysis of spatio-temporal changes and driving forces of cultivated land in China from 1996 to 2019

Cultivated land is an important prerequisite and guarantee for food production and security, and the change of cultivated land resources in China has always been concerned. National land survey is an effective way to accurately grasp the area and distribution of cultivated land resources. However, due to the differences in technical means and statistical standards at different stages, there are obvious breakpoints among the cultivated land area data of the three land surveys in China, which hinders the in-depth study of the spatio-temporal distribution of cultivated land resources in long-time series. The Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model is used to reconstruct and mine the cultivated land area data from 1996 to 2019 based on the data of the third land survey in China. The spatio-temporal variation characteristics of cultivated land area are explored by using Geographic Information System spatial analysis, and the driving factors of cultivated land change are analyzed based on Geographical Detector (GeoDetector) from the perspective of social, economic, agricultural and natural. The results show that the area of cultivated land in China decreased continuously from 1996 to 2019, with a sharp decrease from 1996 to 2004 and a slow decrease from 2005 to 2019. From 1996 to 2019, there were obvious spatial differences in the change of cultivated land area in 31 provincial units. From 1996 to 2008, the cultivated land area in 29 provinces showed a downward trend, especially in the central and northern regions such as Shaanxi, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia. From 2008 to 2019, the cultivated land area in the underdeveloped areas of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Xinjiang, Gansu and Tibet increased significantly, while the rest showed a downward trend. Factor detection found that the q values of population, regional gross domestic product grain output, the proportion of the added value of the primary industry and average slope were all more than 0.5, which had an important impact on the change of cultivated land area. The explanatory power of the interaction between factors on the change of cultivated land area is enhanced in different degrees compared with the single factor effect, which is manifested in the enhancement of bilinear or nonlinear enhancement, and the interaction of different factors promotes the change of cultivated land area. The change of cultivated land area is the result of complex interaction between factors, and is closely related to the land policy in the same period.

Branch Growth, Leaf Canopies and Photosynthetic Responses of Zizyphus jujube cv. “Huizao” to Nutrient Addition in the Arid Areas of Northwest China

Jujube is one of the main tree species found in the arid areas of Xinjiang, China. However, the nutritional requirements of central leader jujube trees are not understood. Our aim was to explore the effects of different fertilization gradients on the growth, development, and canopy formation of jujube trees to provide a basis for efficient cultivation. We measured and compared various suitable indices of jujube trees under 16 different fertilization treatments, and we confirmed the treatments suitable for cultivation by correlation and principal component analyses. The jujube tree growth indices under different fertilization treatments significantly differed (p < 0.05). The application of nitrogen fertilizer promoted the growth of branches and leaves. The soil and plant analyzer development value, light, and other traits significantly differed (p < 0.05). The leaf area index and direct transmittance coefficient significantly differed (p < 0.05). Compared with single-fertilizer application, mixed-fertilizer application significantly increased the leaf area index. Correlation analysis showed that the net photosynthetic rate of jujube leaves significantly correlated with the stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and leaf SPAD content (p < 0.01). We obtained three principal components with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 82.192%. The final ranking showed that the mixed treatment (N 460.77 g/tree, P2O5 460.77 g/tree, and K2O 588.23 g/tree) performed better. To ensure branch and leaf growth, this treatment promoted photosynthesis, enabling the growth and development of fruit trees.

Towards lithology mapping in semi-arid areas using time-series Landsat-8 data

Previous remote sensing studies have used optical images to map lithology, commonly based on a single-date product to extract spectral diagnostic features or other geology-related features to aid interpretation. Yet, the performance of time-series or multi-date optical images in lithology mapping has rarely been discussed. In this study, we employed time-series (TS) Landsat-8 products to map the lithology in a semi-arid area of Xinjiang, China. First, we extracted TS reflectance from Landsat-8 multispectral data, and then extracted TS surface moisture, greenness, and brightness via tasseled cap transformation (TCT), a method for transforming the spectral bands of optical images into components (brightness, greenness, and moisture) that can be physically interpreted. Moreover, the land surface temperature (LST) was directly extracted from Landsat-8 Collection 2 products. In total, five surface parameters (TS reflectance, TS moisture, TS greenness, TS brightness, and TS LST), were collected. Then, the rank-based non-parametric Kruskal Wallis rank-sum statistical test was applied, which demonstrated a significant difference between the TS surface parameters among different rock units. Furthermore, different combinations of the TS surface parameters were stacked separately and served as different input features for the random forest classifier. Finally, the performance of TS surface parameters in mapping lithology was evaluated. The classification results showed that (1) TS reflectance outperformed single-date reflectance for mapping rock units; (2) the combination of TS brightness, greenness, and moisture gave a comparable classification result, relative to TS reflectance; (3) TS LST performed best when only one single surface parameter was used to map lithology, and (4) the combined use of LST and all three TCT components achieved the highest accuracy (85.26%) with a kappa coefficient of 0.77. Although surface parameters derived from rock units changed inconspicuously or irregularly over time, these variations captured by TS Landsat-8 data enabled the improvement of the classification accuracy. Overall, our study illustrates the great potential and benefits of using TS Lansat-8 data to map rock units in arid domains.

Association of three insulin resistance indices with hypertension and body weight among Uyghur adults in rural areas of Xinjiang, China.

Obesity and insulin resistance are significant contributors to hypertension. There is a high prevalence of obesity among Uyghurs in the rural areas of Xinjiang, China. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between insulin resistance indices and hypertension according to different body weights in rural Uyghur residents of Xinjiang, China. A total of 12 813 local Uyghur residents were recruited for the study. Excluding those with incomplete data and those using antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, or glycemic drugs, 9577 permanent residents were eligible for the study. Three insulin resistance indicators were calculated: triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, product of fasting triglyceride and glucose (TYG), and metabolic score for insulin resistance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between the three non-insulin-based insulin resistance indices and the risk of hypertension for different body weights. TYG was significantly associated with hypertension in the normal-weight group, particularly in women. In the obese group that was obese, all three indicators were associated with hypertension. Since TYG was associated with hypertension in the groups with normal weight and obesity, it may be useful as a reference indicator for insulin resistance. This indicator may provide a basis for the identification and management of hypertension risk among adults in the Uyghur population.

Interannual variation trend of hail days in hail prone areas in Xinjiang

Hail causes significant agricultural losses in Xinjiang every year, and the study of interannual variation of hail days and its causes can provide a climatic background for hail warning and defense. This study analyzes the trends and abrupt changes in the interannual variability of hail days in the areas with frequent hail using linear trend analysis and abrupt climate change detection methods, and explains the climatic causes of these trends using atmospheric stability. The results show that areas with frequent hails in Xinjiang are located on both sides of the Tianshan Mountains and their adjacent areas, and area with the most to the fewest hail days are in the following order: Zhaosu and Bayinbruck on the Alpine Platform, Aksu region on the south side of the Tianshan Mountains, and Bortala and Kuy-Ma Basin on the north side of the Tianshan Mountains. The interannual variation of hail days in Aksu region, Bortala and Kuy-Ma Basin from 1961 - 2016 shows a linear increasing trend, but the increase is small, only 0.2 - 0.4 d per 10 a, which is contrary to the conclusion of previous studies where the number of hail days in the Chinese region showed a decreasing trend; whereas the Alpine Platforms shows a linear decreasing trend with a larger decrease of 2.5 d per 10 a. The annual number of hail days on the Alpine Platform changed abruptly in 1993 and in the Aksu region in 1978. The linear increase (decrease) in the interannual variation of the warm season modified total index leads to a linear increase (decrease) in the number of hail days on both sides of the Tianshan Mountains and on the Alpine Platform. The trend of interannual variation in the number of hail days in the hail-prone areas in Xinjiang depends on the altitude of the elevation, with a decreasing trend at higher elevations and an increasing trend at lower elevations.

OUV Analysis and Global Comparative Study of Karakoram-Pamir World Natural Heritage Potential Area

The analysis and global comparison of World Natural Heritage values are important for the assessment of World Natural Heritage and are relevant for the sustainable development of the nominated potential areas. Pamir Plateau, known as the “Spring Ridge”, with the world’s largest mountain junction—Pamir mountain junction—is known as the ancestor of mountains and the source of rivers. The nominated Karakorum-Pamir site was inscribed on the World Heritage Tentative List in 2010. In this paper, the characteristics of heritage resources in two areas of the Karakoram-Pamir heritage potential area are systematically analyzed according to the standard of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of world heritage by comprehensive analysis and geographical comparison. It puts forward that the aesthetics, geology, and biological ecology of this region are of global outstanding universal value. It is concluded that the Karakoram-Pamir Heritage Potential area meets the criteria of world natural Heritage (VII), (VIII), and (X). By comparing with 15 large mountain heritages listed in the World Heritage list, it is concluded that the Karakoram-Pamir area in Xinjiang has an OUV of world heritage and a potential of declaring world natural heritage. This study lays a scientific foundation for the declaration of Xinjiang Karakoram-Pamir as a World Heritage site.

Effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer application on growth, yield and quality of different rice varieties in arid areas of Xinjiang

AbstractNitrogen fertilizer and water are two major nutrients required for the optimal production of rice worldwide. The utilization of different irrigation techniques to save water and fertigation to maximize rice production has been the main focus. A field experiment was conducted to explore the responses of 16 rice varieties to different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer regimes. Two nitrogen treatments, 270 kg ha−1and 225 kg ha−1(ureaN≥ 46.4%), and two irrigation regimes, 8.7 t ha−1and 5.22 t ha−1, were applied three times. Plant height and the soil and plant analyser development (SPAD) values were measured throughout the growth period. The total yield and quality characteristics of the rice varieties were also determined. Based on the yield, the 16 rice varieties were divided into three groups: high yield (I), middle yield (II) and low yield (III) using cluster analysis. A positive correlation was found between the growth period and yield of these 16 rice varieties. In the water-deficient regime, the growth period of the 16 varieties was reduced by 1.68–2.93%. Furthermore, nitrogen- and water-deficient regimes had significant effects on the polishing rate, protein content and taste values of all varieties. At maturity stage under these regimes, plant height and chlorophyll SPAD values were decreased by 1.25–6.05% and 1.60–31.48%, respectively. Deficient nitrogen fertilization, along with appropriate irrigation, is an effective method for the efficient utilization of irrigation and fertilizer resources in rice-growing areas.

Plasma tumor necrosis factor-α is associated with sarcopenia in elderly individuals residing in agricultural and pastoral areas of Xinjiang, China.

BackgroundInflammatory reactions play a significant role in the occurrence and development of sarcopenia. Determining the association between specific cytokines and sarcopenia may reveal the disease’s pathophysiological mechanism(s). Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the association between sarcopenia and inflammatory cytokines among the elderly natural population in agricultural and pastoral areas of Xinjiang.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological survey of the community-dwelling older people using a multi-stage random sampling method in Mulei County in northern Xinjiang and Luopu County in southern Xinjiang from September 2017 to May 2018. Of the 2,100 participants, the statistical analyses included 1,838 participants with complete data. Comparisons of living habits, disease status, biochemical indexes, and levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia participants were made in this study.ResultsOur study revealed no significant differences (i.e., P > 0.05) in sex, age, ethnicity, smoking and drinking habits, serum renal function, total cholesterol, and diabetes in the elderly between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups in Xinjiang. However, triglyceride levels (P = 0.004), hypertension (P = 0.019), and abdominal obesity (P < 0.001) in the sarcopenia group were significantly higher than those in the non-sarcopenia group. Moreover, the levels of IL-10 (P < 0.001), IL-4 (P < 0.001), and TNF-α (P < 0.001) in the sarcopenia group were higher than those in the non-sarcopenia group after adjusting for sex, age, hypertension, blood lipid concentration, and obesity. Furthermore, after adjusting for sex, age, hypertension, obesity, and IL-10, IL-4, and IL-6 levels, an increased TNF-α level was also significantly associated with sarcopenia.ConclusionThe results of the present study suggest that an increased plasma level of TNF-α is significantly associated with sarcopenia among elderly individuals residing in Xinjiang’s agricultural and pastoral areas. Further study is still needed to determine the physiological role of “immune aging” in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia.

Implication of multifractal analysis for quantitative evaluation of mineral resources in the Central Kunlun area, Xinjiang, China

Extensive research has been conducted to evaluate mineral resource potential based on geochemical data, but this work is still challenging due to the existence of multiple evaluation solutions based on different methods. In this paper, we combine the multifractal analysis method with typical multivariate statistical methods to analyse the spatial characteristics of geochemical stream sediment data, aiming to quantitatively study the ore-forming potential of the elements in the Central Kunlun area of Xinjiang, China. An R -type cluster analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and principal component analysis are used to explore the correlations among the 12 target elements. The multifractal model is constructed using the method of moments to analyse the spatial distribution patterns of the elements, and corresponding multifractal parameters are extracted to quantitatively describe their ore-forming strengths in the study area. The results show that Co, V, Ti, Fe 2 O 3 , MgO and Cu compose a group of elements closely related to the regional geological background, while Pb, Zn, Bi, Sn, Au and Ba are potential metallogenic elements with relatively high ore-forming strengths and favourable ore-forming potential. Multifractal theory further validates and evaluates the favourable ore-forming element group obtained through conventional geochemical multivariate statistical methods, thus providing a new idea for small-scale geochemical prospecting. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Applications of Innovations in Geochemical Data Analysis collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/applications-of-innovations-in-geochemical-data-analysis

Multidimensional poverty measurement and spatial–temporal pattern analysis at county level in the arid area of Xinjiang, China

Multidimensional poverty measurement and spatial–temporal pattern analysis at county level in the arid area of Xinjiang, China

Evaluation of Global Historical Cropland Datasets with Regional Historical Evidence and Remotely Sensed Satellite Data from the Xinjiang Area of China

Global land use/cover change (LUCC) datasets are essential for quantitatively assessing the impacts of LUCC on global change, but many uncertainties in existing global datasets seriously hamper climate modeling. Evaluating the reliability of existing global LUCC datasets is a precondition for improved data quality. In this study, based on the regional historical document-based reconstructions, satellite-based data, and historical reclamation evidence for the Xinjiang area of China, the accuracy and rationality of cropland data for this area in the HYDE 3.2 and SAGE datasets were evaluated by utilizing comparative analysis regarding three aspects, namely the change tendency of the cropland area, the area of cropland, and the differences in spatial pattern. This study concluded that the amount of cropland in the Xinjiang area in the global and regional datasets shows both disparate trends and large differences in absolute values. Spatially, historical reclamation evidence indicated that agricultural cultivation in the Xinjiang area underwent expansion from south to north and from east to west over the past 300 years; however, the global datasets revealed that the cropland spatial patterns in the Xinjiang area in the historical period are similar to those in the current period. These differences are attributable to the uncertainties of the basic assumptions, per capita cropland area estimates, and reconstruction methods in the global datasets. The findings of the study highlight the necessity of regional studies on historical LUCC in the Xinjiang area.

Ecological aspiration and the income of farmers aroused by Grain for Green Project

For farmers, the more fragile the state of the ecology becomes, the more their awareness of the need for environmental protection grows. China’s Grain for Green Project (G.G.P.) policy of returning farmland to forests and grassland, as an external shock to the environment, has sparked people’s ecological aspirations. Many people have noticed the phenomenon of ecosystem degradation and overlapping poverty. Analyzing the environmental and income changes brought about by the G.G.P., and this study considers farmers’ self-selection problems due to their lack of subjective thinking regarding this initiative. Our study aims to fill this gap by using a forest–grass model to assess the level of farmers’ ecological aspirations in ecologically vulnerable areas of Xinjiang, China. This article is based on aspiration theory and a theoretical model assessing the economic impact of ecological aspiration on the G.G.P. in China. The results show that farmers’ ecological aspirations can increase their enthusiasm to participate in the G.G.P. Under counterfactual conditions, participation in the G.G.P. initially reduces farmers’ total income to a certain extent; however, in the long run, it can significantly increase the total income of farmers. When the intermediary effect is used to analyze the economic effect of ecological aspiration on returning farmland to forest, it is found that farmers’ ecological aspirations affect household income by influencing income expectations. Our findings have essential practical implications and provide an important reference for consolidating poverty alleviation efforts and effectively promoting rural revitalization. In addition, the results suggest a way to achieve the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and it is necessary for building environmental-friendly regions.