Search Results (425)

Solanum rostratum is a globally regulated invasive species, known for its detrimental impacts on local biodiversity, human and livestock health, and agricultural productivity. This study employed the Biomod2 ensemble modeling framework to analyze the geographic distribution of S. rostratum in China, identify key environmental factors limiting its spread, and provide a scientific basis for its management and control. By integrating species distribution data with multiple environmental variables, we predicted the potential geographic distribution of this species. Pearson correlation analysis and variance inflation factor (VIF) testing were applied to identify significant environmental variables constraining its spread, including precipitation seasonality (bio15), mean temperature of the wettest quarter (bio8), precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio18), isothermality (bio3), precipitation of the driest month (bio14), and human footprint. Three Biomod2-based ensemble models (EMmean, EMca and EMwmean) were based on the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), true skill statistic (TSS), and Kappa coefficient. Of these, EMca demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy. The model identified highly suitable habitats for S. rostratum primarily in semi-arid and semi-humid regions with high human activity, including the Northeast Plain, bounded by the Greater Khingan, Lesser Khingan, and Changbai Mountains; the northern North China Plain extending to the Shandong Hills and Yellow River basin; and the Junggar Basin extending to the Altai Mountains. These regions should be prioritized for future monitoring and control efforts. This study provides both empirical data and theoretical insights to accurately delineate potential invasion zones of S. rostratum, enhancing surveillance and guiding effective prevention and control strategies. Full article

(1) Since its introduction to China, pine wilt disease (PWD) has caused severe damage to coniferous forests in affected regions. The disease continues to expand northwestward, posing a significant threat to the ecological security of Xinjiang. (2) This study employed the maximum entropy (MaxEnt, version 3.4.4) model to predict potential areas for PWD transmission and suitable habitats for its vector insect, Monochamus saltuarius (Gebler, 1830). By integrating these results, the potential occurrence areas of PWD in Xinjiang were identified. (3) Human activities were the primary drivers of PWD spread, with factors related to scenic areas and overall human influence playing key roles. Altitude and isothermality were the main limiting factors for the vector insect. Potential PWD occurrence areas were identified, covering approximately 88% of the total coniferous forest area in Xinjiang. (4) High-risk regions include Urumqi City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, and Altay Prefecture. This study clarifies potential transmission routes and analyzes high-risk areas, providing a scientific basis for forestry authorities to implement targeted prevention and control measures. Full article

This article provides the first comprehensive description and assessment of environmental changes in a unique natural transboundary region—South-Eastern Altai, which is located in the arid territories of Russia and Mongolia. This region of Asia is rightfully included in the high-mountain Third Pole (Roof of the World). In three key areas, Tsambagarav Massif (Mongolia), Mongun-Taiga Massif, and North-Chuya Ridge (Russia), the following are considered: (1) the latest dynamics of glaciers from the early 1960s (beginning of regular instrumental observations) to the present day; (2) climate change and land use systems; and (3) the characteristics of the biota and the causes of its dynamics. The article concludes with a consideration of (4) population adaptation models. Full article

Centorus rufipes (Gebler, 1833) is the only tenebrionid beetle commonly found in late Pleistocene deposits of southern western Siberia. It is assumed that the reasons for its success during the Last Glacial Maximum could have been its cold resistance and/or the relatively mild conditions of its habitat, the shores of salt lakes. The cold resistance parameters of C. rufipes and their overwintering conditions were studied near Kusgan Lake (Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia). Adults and larvae of this species used a supercooling mechanism to protect themselves from sub-zero temperatures and did not tolerate freezing, just like other steppe species of Tenebrionidae. The supercooling point (SCP) for most of the individuals was around −31 °C. Measurements of low lethal temperatures (LLT) showed that 50% of individuals died after 2 days of exposure to −27 °C. The measured SCP and LLT were at least 5 °C lower than darkling beetle species from the Chuya Depression of the Altai, which is known for its extreme winter temperatures. Thus, the hypothesis of increased cold resistance of C. rufipes was confirmed. No warming effect of its salt lakeside habitats was detected. Full article

In this work, we present the Snow Depth and Snow Water Equivalent Dataset for specific areas located in the East Kazakhstan Region that can be exploited to monitor and understand water resource dynamics in mountain regions. The present dataset represents a georeferenced collection of snow depth, snow density, and derived snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements obtained through manual snow surveys. Snow survey observations were conducted during field campaigns in the East Kazakhstan Region during the period of maximum snow accumulation from 27 February to 6 March 2025. Snow survey sites were selected to maximize coverage of diverse landscape settings and snow accumulation conditions. In total, 111 snow survey sites were established across the East Kazakhstan Region, and 2331 snow depth measurements and 555 snow density measurements were collected. In post-field (laboratory) processing, snow water equivalent (SWE) was calculated for all snow survey sites based on measured snow depth and snow density values. Full article

Ice cores retrieved from the Third Pole provide invaluable information about past and present environmental changes. Here we present, for the first time, a continuous tritium and plutonium isotope profile of the Puruogangri ice field, Tibetan Plateau, China, for the last 70 years. The age-depth profile has been composed by different time anchors such as the onset of thermonuclear weapon tests, the so-called bomb peak of tritium, the Chernobyl event, and the time of ice coring. The accumulation rate of ice calculated from the age-depth relation shows a decrease after 1963. It was 57, 15, and 22 cm/year in the periods of 1954–1963, 1963–1986, and 1986–2023, respectively. The concentrations of plutonium isotopes (²³⁹Pu: up to 2.7 fg/g) are slightly lower than those of the Belukha ice core, Siberian Altai, Russia, and almost the same as the Miaoergou glacier, eastern Tien Shan, China. Contrary to this latter ice core profile, the Puruogangri plutonium profile reflects that the Chinese weapon test started in 1966. This is confirmed by the tritium time series as well. ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atomic ratios vary between 0.14 and 0.23, with an average of 0.177 ± 0.024. The overall obtained local fallout of ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu is 13.2 and 9.0 Bq/m² (4.0 and 1.1 ng/m²), respectively. Full article

Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) is a major pest of alfalfa. We combined mitochondrial COI and CytB gene sequences to characterize the genetic diversity of 20 geographic populations of H. postica across Xinjiang, China, and to elucidate their lineage relationships at both regional and global scales. We found that Nucleotide diversity (Pi) was markedly higher in western Xinjiang populations (Pi > 0.016), specifically Wusu (0.023), Tekes (0.023), Jinghe (0.023), Wenquan (0.021), Bole (0.021), Habahe (0.020), Nilka (0.020), Tacheng (0.019), Toli (0.018), Altay (0.017), Emin (0.016), Xinyuan (0.016), and Zhaosu (0.016), whereas central Xinjiang populations exhibited substantially lower diversity (Pi < 0.014), including Shawan (0.014), Qitai (0.011), Jimsar (0.007), Urumqi (0.004), Hutubi (0.003), Fukang (0.001), and Manas (0.001). Pairwise F_ST analysis revealed pronounced genetic divergence between the western Xinjiang group (Altay, Bole, Wenquan, Tacheng, Emin, Toli, Nilka, Xinyuan, Tekes, Zhaosu) and the central Xinjiang group (Qitai, Urumqi, Fukang, Habahe, Hutubi, Jimsar, Shawan, Manas). At the global level, H. postica can be divided into two major phylogroups: the Western and Eastern lineages. All Xinjiang populations belong to the Eastern lineage. Haplotype network analysis identified two distinct sublineages, western and central Xinjiang, with H2 and H26 as their respective dominant shared haplotypes; both are unique to China. Both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic trees robustly support the central Xinjiang lineage as a distinct clade. Neutrality tests provided strong evidence of recent demographic expansion across the Xinjiang H. postica population as a whole (Fu’s Fs = −21.987, p < 0.05), with particularly pronounced signals in Hutubi (HTB: Tajima’s D = −1.966, Fu’s Fs = −0.781, p < 0.05), Jimsar (JMSE: Tajima’s D = −2.176, Fu’s Fs = −0.962, p < 0.01), and Wenquan (WQ: Fu’s Fs = −11.159, p < 0.01). Our results reveal a clear phylogeographic split within Xinjiang H. postica populations, comprising western and central sub-lineages, with the western sub-lineage likely representing ancestral lineage. The western Xinjiang sub-lineage appears to be shaped primarily by mountainous topography, whereas the central Xinjiang sub-lineage likely results from the combined effects of piedmont plain geography and infection with the endosymbiont Wolbachia strain wHypera4. Full article

This study investigated the distribution patterns of zooplankton species composition and functional groups, their correlations with aquatic environmental factors, and the mechanisms underlying community stability under the influence of regional barriers in arid areas of Xinjiang, China. The aim was to elucidate the ecological processes driving zooplankton communities in artificial aquatic ecosystems in Central Asia. A systematic survey was conducted on water environmental parameters and zooplankton community structures across 10 artificial water bodies, including the southern foot of the Altai Mountains and both northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains. The survey encompassed physical and nutrient indicators, and the results revealed significant spatial variation among water bodies across regions. Artificial water bodies in the southern Altai Mountains and northern Tianshan Mountains exhibited substantial fluctuations in temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). In contrast, water bodies in the southern Tianshan Mountains showed less variation in nutrient indicators. Zooplankton identification results indicated marked differences in zooplankton communities across regions, which were further confirmed by cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). A total of 19 dominant zooplankton species were identified across the three basins, classified into 6 functional groups. The composition of zooplankton functional groups also varied considerably, which may be closely associated with significant fluctuations in nutrient indicators of aquatic environmental factors across regional barriers. Additionally, there were specific differences in zooplankton diversity among the three basins: the SA region ranged from α-mesosaprobic to polysaprobic and β-mesosaprobic; the NT region was classified as β-mesosaprobic; and the ST region ranged between β-mesosaprobic and lightly polluted. These results may be attributed to differences in regional barriers and glacial meltwater conditions. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that environmental factors collectively explained 71.1% of the variation in species distribution. Exploring the zooplankton species composition and their relationships with aquatic environmental factors under different regional barriers provides a scientific basis for regional water resource management and environmental protection. Full article

Cannabidiol (CBD), the primary bioactive element of cannabis, has shown promise in alleviating pain and inflammation, although mechanisms in periodontal inflammation are not fully understood. To improve its limited solubility and mucosal permeability, the developed chitosan-based mucoadhesive hydrogel incorporating CBD-loaded PLGA nanospheres (CPN hydrogel) was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, particle size, rheological, swelling, and diffusion analyses, followed by biological evaluations, including wound-healing and RT-qPCR-based anti-inflammatory assays. The improved CPN hydrogel had a homogeneous shape, better viscoelastic behavior, and sustained drug release. Over 90% of CBD was released within 96 h, and Franz cell experiments showed improved permeability (124.1 μg/cm² after 72 h). The gellan gum-based mucosal substrate significantly increased adhesion (1137.33 ± 142.25 s) compared to the control groups. Antioxidant studies indicated 73.65% DPPH radical scavenging, whereas antibacterial tests showed more than 99% suppression of Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, in vitro studies validated its wound healing and the downregulation of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. The results indicate that the CPN-loaded chitosan hydrogel has extended mucosal retention, strong antibacterial activity, and steady release of CBD. This underscores its significant potential as a targeted treatment for inflammatory oral diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Full article

Background: Sheep (Ovis aries) exhibit significant diversity in adipose tissue deposition, which influences meat quality, environmental adaptation, and economic value. Tail fat, in particular, varies widely among breeds, yet the transcriptomic basis of this variation remains incompletely understood. This study aims to systematically compare the transcriptional profiles of five adipose depots across five sheep breeds to identify molecular mechanisms underlying fat deposition and tail phenotype divergence. Methods: We analyzed 250 publicly available RNA-seq samples from five adipose tissues (caul, subcutaneous, perirenal, intermuscular, and tail fat) of five sheep breeds (Altay, Tibetan, Merino, Wadi, Small-tailed Han). Data were processed using FastQC, STAR, and featureCounts. Differential expression analysis was performed with DESeq2, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Breeds were grouped into three tail phenotypes: fat-tailed, short fat-tailed, and thin-tailed. Cross-tissue and phenotype-specific pathway analyses were conducted to identify key regulatory genes. Results: Transcriptional divergence was most pronounced in subcutaneous and intermuscular fat, while tail fat exhibited both conserved and phenotype-specific pathways. Fat-tailed breeds showed enrichment in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and lipid biosynthesis genes (TAFAZZIN, GPAM, COQ family). Short fat-tailed breeds were characterized by extracellular matrix remodeling genes (MMP9, MMP12, MMP19). Thin-tailed sheep lacked these pro-lipogenic and structural remodeling pathways. A dual-axis model of tail fat development is proposed to explain phenotypic diversity. Conclusions: This study reveals that distinct molecular mechanisms underpin tail fat phenotypes in sheep: fat-tailed breeds prioritize metabolic efficiency, short fat-tailed breeds rely on ECM remodeling, and thin-tailed breeds lack these enhancements. The identified candidate genes may serve as potential targets for molecular breeding strategies aimed at optimizing fat deposition and adaptive traits in sheep. Full article

Alcohol enters the brain through the blood–brain barrier and causes neuronal damage in various ways, additionally long-term and heavy drinking also leads to both structural and functional changes in the central nervous system. Currently, there is a lack of specific therapeutic approaches for alcohol-induced nerve injury. Opuntia milpa alta polysaccharides (MAPs) have various physiological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects, but it is not clear how they protect against alcohol-induced nerve injury. In this study, firstly, we structurally characterized homemade MAPs and analyzed the relevance of MAPs in protecting against alcoholic neuronal cell injury and ferroptosis. The results showed that MAPs consisted of nine different monosaccharides and uronic acids. High performance gel permeation chromatography analysis showed that MAPs were homogeneous heteropolysaccharides with an average molecular weight of 8.79 × 106 Da. Fourier infrared spectroscopy showed that they had sulfated pyranopolysaccharides with uronic acids and both α-glycosidic and β-glycosidic bonds were present. Specific signals of these sugars were observed in 1H and 13C NMR spectra. Favorable thermal stability was manifested up to 256 °C. The MAPs had a three-stranded helical structure and a low overall crystallinity. Iron staining showed that alcohol caused significant brown deposition in cells. MAPs significantly ameliorated alcohol-induced cellular damage, reduced iron deposition, and orchestrated the expression of proteins associated with ferroptosis. These results suggest that MAPs protect against alcohol-induced neurological damage, possibly by impeding the onset of cellular ferroptosis. Full article

The Altai Mountains rank among the world’s most notable and valuable archaeological regions. Within the sprawling Altai Mountains area, burial mounds (kurgans) of past civilizations, which are sometimes well preserved in permafrost, are a particularly precious trove of archaeological insights. This study investigates the application of deep learning-based object detection techniques for automatic kurgan identification in high-resolution satellite imagery. We compare the performance of various object detection methods utilizing both convolutional neural network and Transformer backbones. Our results validate the effectiveness of different approaches, especially with larger models, in the challenging task of detecting small archaeological structures. Techniques addressing the class imbalance can further improve performance of off-the-shelf methods. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing deep learning techniques to automate kurgan identification, which can improve archaeological surveying processes. It suggests the potential of deep learning technology for constructing a comprehensive inventory of Altai Mountain kurgans, particularly relevant in the context of global warming and archaeological site preservation. Full article

The complex microbiota of cheese starters plays a key role in determining the structure and flavour of the final product, primarily through their acid-forming capacity, protease activity, and exopolysaccharide synthesis. However, the specific microbial communities underlying the unique qualities of artisanal cheeses remain poorly understood. This study presents the microbiological and molecular genetic characterisation of the microbiome isolated from an artisanal cheese starter in Kosh-Agach, Altai, Russia. Metagenomic analysis of this starter revealed the presence of three bacterial genomes corresponding to those of Lactococcus lactis. Pure cultures from this starter were obtained by sequential subculture, and seventeen colonies displaying distinct characteristics on differential media were selected. Genome sequencing was performed for each colony. Bioinformatic analysis based on the rpoB gene grouped the isolates into three clusters, each corresponding to a distinct strain of Lactococcus lactis subsp. diacetilactis. This classification was further confirmed by microbiological and microscopic analyses. A notable finding was that none of the strains produced the characteristic aroma compounds of L. l. subsp. diacetilactis, namely, diacetyl and CO₂. The functional properties and metabolic characteristics of this starter consortium are discussed. Full article

Equine theileriosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria equi, represents a significant economic threat to the equine industry. In Xinjiang, China, an endemic area for this disease, systematic research on the genetic diversity of T. equi has been notably lacking. The aim of this study was to obtain molecular epidemiological data pertaining to the parasite in selected regions of Xinjiang, China, and analyze the genetic characteristics (including 18S rRNA, EMA-1, and COI genes) and genotype distribution patterns of isolates from these regions, providing a scientific basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies. Blood samples were collected from 440 horses across four regions (Altay, Ili, Tacheng, and Urumqi) and subjected to PCR assays. Positive samples were sequenced for phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses, and genetic diversity indices were calculated. The overall infection rate of T. equi was 38.41% (169/440), with Tacheng having the highest prevalence (86.27%) and Altay the lowest (20.88%); these regional differences were statistically significant. Phylogenetic analysis identified two genotypes of the 18S rRNA gene: genotype E (predominant) and genotype A. All EMA-1 sequences clustered exclusively within genotype A. Notably, all COI gene sequences formed a monophyletic group, exhibiting closer genetic relationships to isolates from France and Senegal. This study presents the first comprehensive genotyping of T. equi in Xinjiang based on three target genes and constructs an associated haplotype network. The analysis identified 18S rRNA genotype E and EMA-1 genotype A as the predominant genotypes. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of T. equi was found to be higher in Urumqi than in the other regions studied. Full article

Flash drought (FD) is an extreme climate event that intensifies within days and exerts severe socio-environmental impacts. Its onset and evolution remain difficult to predict. Here, we quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of FD across northern Xinjiang from 1961 to 2023 and identify the dominant driving factors. We apply linear trend detection, wavelet analysis, change-point detection, random forest (RF) modeling, and Pearson correlation. Results show that winter is becoming significantly wetter, whereas the annual signal and the other three seasons exhibit drying trends. After 1980, both FD frequency and FD duration increased; the longest single event lasted 40 days. Spatially, FD is concentrated in the Ili River Valley and the Altay region; the Akdala station recorded the highest count (nine events). Duration, rather than frequency, peaks on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, where the maximum length reaches 40 days. RF importance ranks the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) as the leading driver (20.9%), followed by air temperature (17.8%); the sunspot index contributes only 6.1%. Full article