Xinjiang Province Of China Research Articles

Taklimakanibacter deserti gen. nov., sp. nov. and Taklimakanibacter lacteus sp. nov., isolated from desert soil.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, milk-white coloured, non-motile, short rod-shaped bacteria, designated as strains SYSU D60010T and SYSU D60012T, were isolated from sand samples collected from the Taklimakan Desert of Xinjiang Province in China. Both strains were positive for oxidase, catalase and nitrate reduction, but negative for amylase, H2S production, hydrolysis of gelatin and cellulase. Strains SYSU D60010T and SYSU D60012T grew well at 28 °C, at pH 7 and had the same NaCl tolerance range of 0-1 % (w/v). The major fatty acids (>5 %) of strains SYSU D60010T and SYSU D60012T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c), iso-C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C16 : 0 and iso-C18 : 1 2-OH. Q-10 was the only respiratory ubiquinone. Strains SYSU D60010T and SYSU D60012T showed high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Aestuariivirga litoralis SYSU M10001T (94.2 and 94.1 %), Rhodoligotrophos jinshengii BUT-3T (92.0 and 91.9 %) and Rhodoligotrophos appendicifer 120-1T (91.8 and 91.7 %), and the genomes were 7.4 and 5.8 Mbp in size with DNA G+C contents of 62.8 and 63.0 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics indicated that these two strains represent a novel genus and two novel species within the family Aestuariivirgaceae. We propose the name Taklimakanibacter deserti gen. nov., sp. nov. for strain SYSU D60010T, representing the type strain of this species (=KCTC 52783T =NBRC 113344T) and Taklimakanibacter lacteus gen. nov., sp. nov. for strain SYSU D60012T, representing the type strain of this species (=KCTC 52785T=NBRC 113128T).

Identification of potential core genes in pseudoexfoliation using bioinformatics analysis and retrospective analysis of 84 patients with this disease.

Pseudoexfoliation (XFS) is a common cause of glaucoma in nowadays. Because of XFS causing irreversible blindness secondary to glaucoma (XFG), this study aims to identify the current prevalence of XFS among Xinjiang Province of China, and identify the hub genes involved in XFS. A retrospective chart review was conducted from 2007 to 2019 for patients aged 50 and older. All patients with XFS or XFG diagnosed by slit lamp exam were identified through chart review. Of the 84 patient charts available for review, 50% of the patients identified as male, with a mean age of 67years. The top ten genes evaluated by connectivity degree in the PPI network were identified. The results showed that Tyrobp was the most outstanding gene, followed by Ptprc, Fcgr3, Itgb2, Emr1, Cd68, Syk, Fcerlg, Hck, and Lyz2. All of these hub genes were downregulated in XFS. Our findings show a considerably biomarkers of XFS for diagnosis and treatment.

Morphological and chemical identification of Ephedra sinica at Xiaohe Cemetery in Lop Nor, Xinjiang associated with burials from 3261 B.P.

Ephedra, a group of mysterious hallucinogenic medicinal plants, has been used in China for a long history. As the excavation work proceeded at Lop Nor, Xinjiang Province of China where the ancient residents attributed to an ancient and isolated autochthonous Asian gene pool used to live, Ephedra was unearthed from Xiaohe Cemetery. The unearthed Ephedra was dated by 14C radiometric dating and identified as E. sinica by morphological, microscopical observation in combination with ultra performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Based on the identified chemicals and general aromatic characteristics of the plant, Ephedra may be one of the earliest plants potentially used for corpse embalming or religious worship.

First record of cyst nematode (Heterodera filipjevi) on winter wheat from Shanxi Province in North China.

Heterodera avenae, H. filipjevi, and H. laptipons are considered to be the major cyst nematode pathogens affecting most cereals and causing severe crop losses (Smiley and Yan 2015). In China, H. filipjevi was first recorded in Xuchang, Henan Province (Peng et al. 2010). Recently, H. filipjevi has been found in Anhui, Hebei, Shandong and Xinjiang provinces of China (Cui et al. 2021). To further understand the latest occurrence and distribution of H. filipjevi in China, a survey of cyst nematodes was conducted in the wheat planting area of Shanxi Province of North China from June 2018 to November 2020. White female cysts (5.8 ± 2.99 cysts per plant) were found on wheat roots in the sandy soil, and wheat was displaying symptoms of dwarfing, yellowing, and had few tillers in Licheng of Changzhi (N36°32´010´´, E113°27´039´´; N36°29´050´´, E113°23´023´´; N36°29´035´´, E113°22´020´´) and Zezhou of Jincheng (N35°33´057´´, E112°56´020´´) in Shanxi Province, and second-stage juveniles (J2s) were obtained from 13 soil samples using the sieving-decanting method. Four of the 13 samples were identified as H. filipjevi on the basis of morphological and molecular studies of female cysts and J2s. Morphologically, the cysts were lemon shaped and featured a pronounced vulval cone. The color ranged from light to dark brown. The white female shell was covered with a white crystalline layer. The vulval cone was bifenestrate with horseshoe-shaped bullae numerous and distinct, and a strongly developed underbridge. The main measurements (mean ± SD, range) of cysts (n = 13) were as follows: body length including neck 780.5 ± 53.9 μm (692 to 843 μm); body width 527.3 ± 55.5 μm (435 to 620 μm); length/width ratio 1.50 ± 0.21 (1.20 to 1.93); fenestra length 55.5 ± 4.1 μm (49 to 61 μm); fenestra width 24.8 ± 2.2 μm (21.1 to 28.8 μm); vulval slit length 9.0 ± 0.7 μm (7.8 to 9.6 μm); and underbridge length 66.8 ± 5.0 μm (61 to 77 μm). The measurements of J2s (n = 13) were as follows: body length 554.4 ± 23.4 μm (520to 587 μm); stylet length 22.7 ± 0.7 μm (21.5 to 23.8 μm); tail length 61.0 ± 5.5 μm (51.2 to 68.9 μm); and hyaline tail terminus length 37.3 ± 2.7 μm (33.4 to 42.3 μm). These morphological measurements are within the range characteristic of H. filipjevi (Peng et al. 2010). Genomic DNA was extracted from individual cyst (n = 6) and the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence was amplified using the universal primers TW81 and AB28 (Joyce et al. 1994). The PCR test for each sample was repeated five times. The obtained ITS sequences (GenBank accession No. OQ421499 to OQ421502, 1054 bp) showed more than 99.5% similarity to those of H. filipjevi from the United States (GU079654 and KP878490), Turkey (KR704304 and KR704292), and China (MW789611, KY448473 and KT314234). The results were confirmed again by the species-specific primers HfF1 and HfR1of H. filipjevi and the target PCR fragments of 646 bp were obtained (Peng et al. 2013). The pathogenicity of H. filipjevi was verified by infesting winter wheat (Triticum aestivum 'Wenmai 19') and studying nematode developmentand reproduction with growth chamber (Cui et al. 2015). Eggs were hatched at 14-16°C, and freshly hatched J2s were used to inoculate wheat plants when the roots were approximately 1-centimeter long. Fifteen wheat plants were inoculated with 200 J2s, and three wheat plants without J2s were set as controls (Cui et al. 2021). Parasitic J2s and third- and fourth-stage juveniles were found in roots stained with acid fuchsin at 5, 15, and 25 days after inoculation (DAI), adult females were detected at 50 DAI, and a mean of 23.7 cysts per pot were extracted at 70 DAI (Cui et al. 2015). The morphological and molecular characteristics of the new cysts were identical to those of the H. filipjevi cysts from the original field samples, and no cysts formed in the control groups. Wheat is the main food and economic crop in Shanxi, and H. filipjevi, a potential threat to cereal crop production in Shanxi, should arouse sufficient attention. H. filipjevi is major cyst nematode pathogens of wheat and shows high prevalence in China. The loss of wheat production due to H. filipjevi is as high as 32.3% when the initial density ≥ 64 eggs/mL in soil (Li 2018). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of H. filipjevi in Shanxi Province of North China.

Quantitative analysis of phenylpropanoids in Rhodiola rosea from different producing areas

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) grows worldwide, particularly in Europe, North America and several Asia countries like China and Kazakhstan. As a functional food and medicinal herb and broadly used in healthy foods and beverages, R. rosea possesses antioxidant, antifatigue, anti-ageing, inhibitory effects of inflammation, anticancer and other pharmacological properties. More than 90 species of Rhodiola are distributed in Asia and North America, and, in particular, China is the main producing area with more than 70 species, among which R. rosea is a major one. Same as other plants, the bioactive components of R. rosea vary with growing location and conditions. Phenylpropanoids in R. rosea are a group of main bioactive phytochemicals and their contents are usually used as a quality indicator. Hence it is of great importance to characterize phenylpropanoids in R. rosea from different sources to ensure their effectiveness and efficacy. In this study, 18 R. rosea samples from Kazakhstan and 4 regions of China were collected and further characterized for their contents of rosavin, rosarin and rosin, the major biomarkers of R. rosea quality and pharmacological effects. ANOVA analysis showed significant differences among different regions. As an example, the content of total rosavins in R. rosea from Kazakhstan was more than three times that from Bazhou, Xinjiang province of China.

Comparative Study of Camel Milk from Different Areas of Xinjiang Province in China.

Xinjiang province is the main camel feeding area in China with a large square, and camel milk from different areas have different qualities. By now, there are few reports about the quality of camel milk from different areas of Xinjiang province in China. In this study, seven batches of camel milk and one batch of cow milk were collected, and the contents of fat, protein, lactose, total solid, and nonfat milk solid of these milk samples were determined, as well as the contents of lysozyme and vitamin C. All samples were scored and compared by principal component analysis score and comprehensive weighted multi-index score. As the results, camel milk from different areas showed different contents of fat (4.62%-7.02%), protein (3.34%-3.95%), lactose (3.85%-4.79%), total solid (13.59%-17.00%), nonfat milk solid (8.55%-9.73%), vitamin C (12.10-41.25 μg/mL), and lysozyme (8.70-22.80 μg/mL), as well as different qualities. This variation would help people to know more about quanlity of camel milk in Xinjiang province. Camel milk from Jeminay showed the best quality, and then followed by camel milk from Fukang, Changji, and Fuhai, while cow milk showed the lowest score. Therefore, Jeminay is the most suitable place for grazing camels. Our findings show the different qualities of camel milk in different distribution areas of Xinjiang province, and provide an insight for the evaluation of camel milk. In the present study, only seven components in camel milk were determined, many other factors, such as cfu, mineral, and other vitamins, have not been considered.

Determination of endogenous phenolic compounds in honey by HPLC-MS/MS

To achieve the highly selective, sensitive, and universal analysis of endogenous phenolic compounds in honey, 24 phenolic compounds were simultaneously analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Honey samples were extracted using ethyl acetate and 0.01 mol/L hydrochloric acid aqueous solution in two stages and cleaned by hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced columns. The 24 analytes exhibited good linearity, with coefficients of determination (R2) higher than 0.99. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.2–1.0 and 0.6–3.0 μg/kg, respectively; the recoveries were 71.5%–115.2%, and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were both <10%. Nine phenolic compounds, namely, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, vanillic acid, hyperoside, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and gallic acid, were detected and quantified in honey samples collected from the Xinjiang province of China. The results show that the method was simple, highly sensitive, and accurate as well as suitable for the simultaneous analysis of endogenous phenolic compounds in honey samples.

Evaluation and Projection of Surface PM2.5 and Its Exposure on Population in Asia Based on the CMIP6 GCMs.

This paper evaluates the historical simulated surface concentrations of particulate matter small than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) and its components (black carbon (BC), dust, SO4, and organic aerosol (OA)) in Asia, which come from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). In addition, future projected changes of surface PM2.5 and its components, as well as their exposure to population, under the different Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios are also provided. Results show that the simulated spatial distribution of surface PM2.5 concentrations is consistent with the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) and Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). The model spreads are small/large over the regions with low/high climatic mean surface PM2.5 concentrations, i.e., Northern Asia/Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Xinjiang Province of China. The multi-model ensemble of CMIP6 reproduces the main features of annual cycles and seasonal variations in Asia and its sub-regions. Under the scenarios of SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, compared to the present-day period of 1995–2014, annual mean surface PM2.5 concentrations are projected to decrease in Asia, with obvious differences among the scenarios. Meanwhile, the magnitudes and timings of changes at the regional scale are quite different, with the largest decreases in South Asia (SAS). Under SSP3-7.0, the increase of surface PM2.5 concentrations in SAS is the largest, with the increase value of 8 μg/m3 in 2050; while under SSP370-lowNTCF, which assumes stronger levels of air quality control measures relative to the SSP3-7.0, the decreases of surface PM2.5 concentrations in SAS, East Asia (EAS) and Southeast Asia (SEAS) are the largest. The characteristics of seasonal trends are consistent with that of the annual trend. The trends in the concentrations of surface PM2.5 and its components are similar. The population-weighted average values of surface PM2.5 concentrations are projected to decrease in Central Asia (CAS), EAS, North Asia (NAS), and SEAS, and it indicates that the surface PM2.5 concentrations over the most populated area of Asia will decrease. In SAS, because of its large population, the impact of air pollutants on human health is still disastrous in the future. In summary, the surface PM2.5 concentrations over the most area of Asia will decrease, which is beneficial to air quality and human health; under SSP370-lowNTCF, the reduction of short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) will further improve air quality.

Comparative analysis of two flow decomposition approaches and their applications in diagnosing water vapor in extreme precipitation events over Xinjiang province, China

Water vapor flux divergence under the terrain-following coordinate system is decomposed into slow and fast manifolds with the adoption of the Barnes filter method and the synoptic approach based on the Helmholtz theorem in this study. The performances and applications of both methods are evaluated in precipitating events over the Xinjiang province in China when traditional analysis fails to capture the evolutions of extreme precipitations caused by multi-scale systems and complicated terrains. A blizzard with a short duration under weak moisture environments and a persistent torrential rainfall event with abundant water vapor in the summer are selected as test examples for comparative analysis of the relationships between water vapor divergence and precipitation characteristics with the adoptions of both traditional synoptic diagnosis and two decomposition methods. It is found that divergent areas of the total water vapor flux divergence at the middle and high levels are blocked by false convergence at the low levels as the precipitation weakens in both cases, which leads to the failure of traditional synoptic diagnoses. Meanwhile, the two decomposition methods can provide superior indicators for extreme precipitation, especially before rainfall decreases or terminates. The synoptic approach performs better than the Barnes filter method as the latter sharply decreases in accuracy as the complexity of the flow fields and moisture conditions increase. Remedies for relieving this problem are proposed before being used for further applications.

The Spatio–Temporal Variation of Spring Frost in Xinjiang from 1971 to 2020

Under the background of intensifying global change, the frequent occurrence of agrometeorological disasters has an adverse impact on the social economy. Low-temperature weather in spring is one of the main agrometeorological disasters in Xinjiang. Studying the spatial and temporal characteristics of low temperatures in spring in Xinjiang is of great significance. However, research on the spatiotemporal variation of spring frost in arid areas is currently lacking, which limits our understanding of the occurrence and development mechanism of typical disastrous weather events in arid areas. Therefore, on the basis of the daily meteorological data of 40 meteorological stations in the Xinjiang Province of China from 1971 to 2020, we studied the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of spring frost in Xinjiang through trend analysis, the Mann–Kendall test, Kriging interpolation, and wavelet analysis. Results showed that the frequency of spring frost had the spatial trend from Northern Xinjiang to Southern Xinjiang. The occurrence frequency of spring frost in the entire and northern region of Xinjiang had an upward trend, whereas that in Southern Xinjiang showed a downward trend. Severe and moderate spring frost events mainly occurred in Xinjiang. The duration of spring frost had the characteristics of Northern Xinjiang to Southern Xinjiang. The spring frost in Northern Xinjiang mainly occurred in April, and that of Southern Xinjiang was in March. Obvious 15-, 10-, and 20-year oscillation cycles were observed in the occurrence frequency of spring frost in the entire, southern, and northern regions of Xinjiang, respectively. This study can provide a useful reference for the prediction and research corresponding to the occurrence mechanism of spring frost in arid areas.

First Report of Grapevine Kizil Sapak Virus in Grapevine in China.

Grapevine Kizil Sapak virus (GKSV) is a novel member of the family Betaflexiviridae classified into the proposed genus Fivivirus within the subfamily Trivirinae. It was first discovered in USA from a grapevine originating from Turkmenistan (Al Rwahnih et al. 2019) and later in France from a grapevine accession from Iran (Marais et al. 2020). In October 2019, an asymptomatic grapevine cv. 'Crimson Seedless' (native to USA) was collected from Xinjiang province in China and analyzed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Ribosome-depleted RNA preparations were used for library synthesis followed by HTS on an Illumina HiSeq X-ten platform. A total of 29,141,024 cleaned reads were obtained, and 7,878 contigs were generated using CLC Genomics Workbench 9.5 (QIAGEN). One long contig (7,328 bp) showed 88.2% nucleotide (nt) identity with the sequence of GKSV-127 (MN172165) via Blastx, with an average coverage of 284-X. Bioinformatic analysis of the remaining contigs showed the presence of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 4, Grapevine rupestris vein feathering virus, Grapevine fabavirus, grapevine yellow speckle viroid-1 (GYSVd-1), GYSVd-2 and Hop stunt viroid in the sample. The presence of GKSV was checked by RT-PCR using the primer GKSV-F/R (Al Rwahnih et al. 2019); the 1,240 bp PCR product was cloned using a pTOPO-T vector (Aidlab, China) and sequenced. In pairwise comparison, the obtained nt sequences shared 92.6 to 95.2% identity to the corresponding HTS sequence, confirming the presence of GKSV in the sample. The complete GKSV genome sequence was obtained as two pieces of overlapping DNA sequence using primers GKSV-20A/20B (5'-TAGTCTGGATTTCCCTACCT/5'-CTCCCTAAACTGATTTGATG) and GKSV-25A/25B (5'-GCCACTGGTGAATGAAAAGA/5'-CTAAATGAATGGGCAGGTAT) designed based on the HTS-generated sequence. The 5' and 3' termini were determined by rapid amplification of cDNA ends using SMARTer RACE 5'/3' Kit (Takara, Dalian, China). The complete genome of GKSV isolate CS (MW582898) comprised 7,604 nt (without the polyA tail) and shared 77.8 to 89.2% identities with the other nine reported GKSV isolates, among which it shared the highest nt identity (89.2%) with GKSV-127. In phylogenetic analysis based on complete or nearly complete genome sequences of representative members of Betaflexiviridae, GKSV-CS clustered with the nine known GKSV isolates, forming a subclade with GKSV-127 (Supplementary Fig. 1). To determine the incidence and distribution of GKSV in China, 476 grapevine samples of 75 cultivars were collected from 20 provinces and tested by RT-PCR using primers GKSV-F/R (Al Rwahnih et al. 2019) and Vini-F1/R1 (Marais et al. 2020). The results showed that 0.42% (2 of 476) of the samples tested positive with both primers, including samples GKSV-CS and a 'Black Monukka' grape (native to India) also sampled from Xinjiang. Both PCR products of 'Black Monukka' were cloned and sequenced (MZ311588 to MZ311602) and they showed 85.1 to 88.9% nt identities to the GKSV-CS sequence. This is the first report of GKSV infecting grapevine in China. Although the pathogenicity of GKSV is yet to be determined, it has been found in several countries such as USA (Al Rwahnih et al. 2019), France (Marais et al. 2020) and China (this study). Both positive samples in this study were collected from Nanjiang region in Xinjiang province, indicating the sporadic occurrence of GKSV in this area.

Fungal pathogens associated with black foot of grapevine in China

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are the most destructive diseases in grape-growing regions worldwide. Black foot is one of the important GTDs affecting young vineyards and nurseries. This disease has not been reported in China. During 2017 and 2019, field surveys were carried out in the Guangxi, Hebei, Ningxia, Shanxi, and Xinjiang provinces of China. Incidence of plants with black foot symptoms was 0.1% to 1% in the surveyed vineyards. Plant samples with poorly developed shoots and canes, chlorotic leaves, and necrotic trunks or roots were collected from the five provinces. In total, 50 fungal isolates were obtained from symptomatic tissues. Based on morphological and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, five species were identified as Cylindrocladiella lageniformis, Dactylonectria torresensis, D. macrodidyma, D. alcacerensis and Neonectria sp.1. Pathogenicity was assessed using young, healthy detached green shoots of grapevine ‘Summer Black’ and potted 3-month-old ‘Summer Black’ cuttings. Inoculated detached shoots developed necroses after 7 d, and inoculated cuttings after 80 d. Fungi were re-isolated from necrotic lesions. Among the five species, D. macrodidyma was the most aggressive. This is the first report of C. lageniformis, D. torresensis, D. macrodidyma, D. alcacerensis, and Neonectria sp. 1 associated with black foot in China. This study has enhanced knowledge of the fungi associated with black foot in China, and will assist development of control measures for this disease.

Characteristics of diurnal variations of warm-season precipitation over Xinjiang Province in China

Aimed at improving knowledge regarding the diurnal cycle of warm-season rainfall in northwestern China, this study investigated the diurnal variations of warm-season precipitation with different durations in Xinjiang Province, China, using an hourly gauge–satellite merged precipitation product during 2008 to 2019. Results show noticeable diurnal variations with distinctive regional features. The primary peak is in the early evening. Rainfall events with duration less than 3 h occur more often across the whole of Xinjiang and contribute more than half of the precipitation amount over its northern and southern peripheries, while rainfall events with duration more than 7 h over the Tianshan Mountains are responsible for the primary peak in the diurnal variations of warm-season precipitation.摘要降水日变化受大气热力,动力过程以及复杂地形影响, 演变特征复杂且区域差异显著. 本文采用中国气象局发布的中国地面与CMORPH融合逐小时降水产品 (2008–2019年), 分析了新疆省暖季降水日变化特征. 研究结果表明: (1) 新疆大部分地区降水主峰值发生在清晨; (2) 持续时间超过三小时的降水事件是新疆地区主要降水事件, 贡献了南疆和北疆一半以上的降水量; (3) 在新疆中部 (天山地区) , 暖季降水日变化峰值主要由持续时间超过7小时的降水事件贡献.

Remote sensing strategies to characterization of drought, vegetation dynamics in relation to climate change from 1983 to 2016 in Tibet and Xinjiang Province, China.

Due to various land cover changes, vegetation dynamics, and climate, drought is the most complex climate-related disaster problem in Tibet and Xinjiang, China. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the performance of the AVHRR Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the temporal and spatial differences of seasonal vegetation dynamics by correlating the results with rainfall and temperature data of NASA's MERRA to examine the vegetation dynamics and droughts in Tibet and the Xinjiang Province of China. Our method is based on the use of AVHRR NDVI data and NASA MERRA temperature and precipitation during 1983-2016. Due to the dryness and low vegetation, NDVI is more useful to describe the drought conditions in Tibet and Xinjiang of China. The NDVI, TCI, VHI, NVSWI, VCI, TVDI, and NAP from April to October increased rapidly. While the NDVI, TCI, VHI, NVSWI, NAP, TVDI, and VCI are stable every month in September, again improve in October, and then confirm downward trend in December. The NDVI, TCI, VHI, NVSWI, NAP, VCI, and TVDI monthly values indicate that Tibet and Xinjiang province of China suffered from severe drought in 2006, 2008, and 2012 which were the most drought years. For monitoring drought in Tibet and Xinjiang province of China, the NDVI, TVDI, NAP, VCI, and NVSWI values were selected as a tool for reporting drought events during different growing seasons. Seasonal values of TVDI, NDVI, NAP, NVSWI, and VCI confirmed that Tibet and Xinjiang province of China suffered from severe drought in 2006, 2008, and 2012 and led the durations of severe drought. The correlation between NDVI, TCI, VHI, NAP, TVDI, and VCI showed a significantly positive correlation, while the significantly negative correlation between NVSWI and NDVI showed a good indication for the assessment of drought, especially for the agricultural regions of Tibet and Xinjiang province of China. This shows that the positive sign to support NAP, NVSWI, and TVDI is good monitoring of the drought indexes in Tibet and the Xinjiang province of China.

Protective effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. leaves against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in Rat Schwann Cells (RSC-96) through regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Background: As a special medicinal plant in Xinjiang province, Elaeagnus angustifolia L. plays an important role in windbreak and sand fixation. Its leaves are widely used in the field of traditional Chinese medicine treatment, mainly including diarrhea, dysentery, coronary heart disease and arrhythmia. Objective: In this study, our primary goal was to understand the mechanism of action of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. leaves (EALs) in protecting Rat Schwann cells (RSC-96) against H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Materials and Methods: The study material, EALs, was collected from Xinjiang Province in China. RSC-96 cells were stimulated by H2O2. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used in the detection of cell viability, and the cellular apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed by flow cytometry. The level of nerve growth factor (NGF) was assayed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of p-Akt BAX, PI3K, Bcl-2, and Akt was analyzed by Western blot. In addition, we detected the expression level of NGF. Results: According to our results, its levels were increased after stimulation with H2O2, but the levels of ROS and apoptosis were found to be reduced. Simultaneously, after induction with H2O2, the expression of Bcl-2, PI3K, p-Akt, and Akt was increased due to the presence of EALs extract, but the expression level of BAX was reduced. According to our results, EALs protects RSC-96 cells from hydrogen peroxide stress and its antiapoptotic and antioxidant effects are mainly mediated through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: EALs extracts protected RSC-96 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress by exerting antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects through PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

An Analysis of the Construction Effectiveness of International Science and Technology Cooperation Bases and Cooperation Capacity of International Science and Technology in Xinjiang Province of China

An Analysis of the Construction Effectiveness of International Science and Technology Cooperation Bases and Cooperation Capacity of International Science and Technology in Xinjiang Province of China

Petrography and Geochemistry of the Carboniferous Ortokarnash Manganese Deposit in the Western Kunlun Mountains, Xinjiang Province, China: Implications for the Depositional Environment and the Origin of Mineralization

AbstractThe Upper Carboniferous Ortokarnash manganese ore deposit in the West Kunlun orogenic belt of the Xinjiang province in China is hosted in the Kalaatehe Formation. The latter is composed of three members: (1) the 1st Member is a volcanic breccia limestone, (2) the 2nd Member is a sandy limestone, and (3) the 3rd Member is a dark gray to black marlstone containing the manganese carbonate mineralization, which, in turn, is overlain by sandy and micritic limestone. This sequence represents a single transgression-regression cycle, with the manganese deposition occurring during the highstand systems tract. Geochemical features of the rare earth elements (REE+Y) in the Kalaatehe Formation suggest that both the manganese ore and associated rocks were generally deposited under an oxic water column with Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS)-normalized REE+Y patterns displaying characteristics of modern seawater (e.g., light REE depletion and negative Ce anomalies). The manganese ore is dominated by fine-grained rhodochrosite (MnCO3), dispersed in Mn-rich silicates (e.g., friedelite and chlorite), and trace quantities of alabandite (MnS) and pyrolusite (MnO2). The replacement of pyrolusite by rhodochrosite suggests that the initial manganese precipitates were Mn(IV)-oxides. Precipitation within an oxic water column is supported by shale-normalized REE+Y patterns from the carbonate ores that are characterized by large positive Ce (&amp;gt;3.0) anomalies, negative Y (~0.7) anomalies, low Y/Ho ratios (~20), and a lack of fractionation between the light and heavy rare earth elements ((Nd/Yb)PAAS ~0.9). The manganese carbonate ores are also 13C-depleted, further suggesting that the Mn(II) carbonates formed as a result of Mn(III/IV)-oxide reduction during burial diagenesis.

Rhizopus arrhizus (syn. R. oryzae) Causing Sunflower Head Rot in Hebei Province, China

<i>Rhizopus arrhizus</i> (syn. <i>R. oryzae</i>) Causing Sunflower Head Rot in Hebei Province, China

Comparative analysis of ankyrin (ANK) genes of five capripoxviruses isolate strains from Xinjiang province in China

BackgroundSheeppox and goatpox are both economically important animal diseases in which pathogens are goatpox virus (GTPV) and sheeppox virus (SPPV). They can’t cause cross-species infection between sheep and goats in general. But in recent decades, the infection of sheep by goatpox or goats by sheeppox has been reported. The literature has indicated that the occurrence of these cases has a significant and direct relationship with mutations of ankyrin genes families (ANK genes 010,138,140,141.2,145) located in two-terminal regions of capripoxvirus genomes. So it is very important to decipher these nucleotides and their coding amino acid sequences of the five genes regarded as host range and virulence factors for effective prevention and control of capripoxvirus diseases.MethodsIn this study, all the ankyrin genes of three goatpox virus, two sheeppox virus, and one GTPV vaccine strains from Nanjiang areas of Xinjiang province of China during 2010–2011 were collected, amplified, cloned and sequenced. The sequence of every ankyrin genes has been compared with not only sequences from six viruses but also all sequences from three species of capripoxvirus genus from Gene bank, and every ANK gene’s mutated nucleotides and amino acids have been screened, and the relationship of genetic evolution among different virus strains has been analyzed, as well as the domain architecture of these genes was forecasted and analyzed.ResultsThe six capripoxvirus strains can be well-distinguished GTPV and SPPV based on five ANK genes’ sequence identicalness except for GTPV-SS strain, which showed higher identicalness with SPPV. The ANK gene sequence of the GTPV-SS strain was 100% identical with SPPV-M1 (ANK138,140,145) and SPPV-M2 (ANK138,145), respectively. Phylogenetically, these six capripoxvirus strains were also grouped into the same cluster of India reference strains in lineages and showed extreme identical conservative or variable regions with India capripoxvirus isolates by sequence alignment. Moreover, for the functional domains, these ANK genes of capripoxvirus except for ANK gene 145, are identical in size, and ANK genes 145 of SPPV are usually 100 bp (approximately 30 aa) longer than those of GTPV and eventually form a PRANC domain at C-terminus.ConclusionsThe isolated strain of GTPV-SS may be a cross-species infection or the collected material was contaminated, and the inferred Capripox outbreak in Xinjiang in 2010 can be introduced from India. ANK genes 138,140,141.2 and 145 of capripoxvirus can be used as the target genes to identify GTPV and SPPV. Moreover, the four ANK genes determining the host range are more significant than the ANK gene 010. These ANK genes play combining roles for their function.

Isolation and characterization of endophytic bacteria for controlling root rot disease of Chinese jujube.

Fusarium oxysporum is the primary pathogen causing root rot disease that severely affects cultivation of jujube fruit in the Xinjiang province of China. The aim of this study was to identify endophytic bacteria in healthy jujube organs that could effectively suppress F. oxysporum growth. Different plant organs (leaves, twigs and roots) were collected from healthy Chinese jujube cultivated in southern Xinjiang province of China. The endophytic bacterium Brevibacterium halotolerans JZ7 was selected for its strong antagonistic activity and growth-promoting characteristics. Gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry analysis showed that acetoin, 2,3-butanediol and fenretinide were the three dominant volatile organic compounds produced by strain JZ7. Fenretinide strongly suppressed spore germination of F. oxysporum in vitro. Pot experiments showed that strain JZ7 colonized both the roots and rhizosphere soil of Chinese jujube and significantly reduced F. oxysporum level in jujube rhizosphere soil. We demonstrated that B. halotolerans JZ7 can be developed into a biological control agent to combat root rot disease of Chinese jujube in the Xinjiang province of China. The suggested strategy for biological control of jujube root rot disease is fully in accordance with the current principles of sustainability.