HPV Infection among Uygur Women in a Rural Area of Hetian Prefecture,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

It is not clear how HPV infection is prevalent among Uygur women in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China and whether the distribution of HPV infection is related with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia （CIN） incidence among them. A study including 883 Uygur women were conducted from 2006 to 2007 in Hetian Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.

Gravity and magnetic field characteristics and regional ore prospecting of the Yili ancient continent, West Tianshan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

Gold,iron,copper,lead-zinc and other mineral exploration in West Tianshan,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,has made remarkable progress in recent years.However,due to the dispute on the tectonic division of West Tianshan,the ore-controlling factors and the regional metallogenic laws are controversial.The authors analyze regional gravity data and notice that the high-value region corresponds to the Yili ancient continent,thus the southeastern boundary of the Yili ancient continent is delineated.Comparative analysis of gravity,aeromagnetic and geologic data reveals that the Tulasu basin,where some medium to large epithermal gold deposits locate,lies above the Yili ancient continent;the Yili Carboniferous-Permian rift extends in E-W direction,numbers of copper deposits have been found in the mid-west section of the rift which lies above the Yili ancient continent,whereas few copper deposits have been discovered in the east section which is outside the Yili ancient continent.Accordingly,the Yili ancient continent may be rich in gold,copper and other metal elements;the metal-bearing hydrothermal solution moves up with the activity of magmatism,and deposits in the favorable places(the Tulasu basin and the Yili Carboniferous-Permian rift),forming numerous small and medium gold,copper deposits,as well as some large and super-large gold deposits.Therefore,the tectonic-magmatic hydrothermal zone above the Yili ancient continent should be the prospective area for epithermal gold and copper polymetallic deposits.

Xinjiang Opens Its Door to the World——An interview with Wang Lequan,Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Xinjiang is a good place, with pastureland to the north and south of the Tianshan MountainThe Gobi Desert has been changed into fertile fields, irrigated by melting snows.

Molecular and serological surveillance of Getah virus in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,2017–2020

The Getah virus(GETV),a mosquito-borne RNA virus,is widely distributed in Oceania and Asia.GETV is not the only pathogenic to horses,pigs,cattle,foxes and boars,but it can also cause fever in humans.Since its first reported case in Chinese mainland in 2017,the number of GETV-affected provinces has increased to seventeen till now.Therefore,we performed an epidemiologic investigation of GETV in the Xinjiang region,located in northwestern China,during the period of 2017-2020.ELISA was used to analyze 3299 serum samples collected from thoroughbred horse,local horse,sheep,goat,cattle,and pigs,with thoroughbred horse(74.8%),local horse(67.3%),goat(11.7%),sheep(10.0%),cattle(25.1%)and pigs(51.1%)being positive for anti-GETV antibodies.Interestingly,the neutralizing antibody titer in horses was much higher than in other species.Four samples from horses and pigs were positive for GETV according to RT-PCR.Furthermore,from the serum of a local horse,we isolated GETV which was designated as strain XJ-2019-07,and determined its complete genome sequence.From the phylogenetic relationships,it belongs to the Group III lineage.This is the first evidence of GETV associated to domestic animals in Xinjiang.Overall,GETV is prevalent in Xinjiang and probably has been for several years.Since no vaccine against GETV is available in China,detection and monitoring strategies should be improved in horses and pigs,especially imported and farmed,in order to prevent economic losses.

A New Species of Ginkgo with Male Cones and Pollen Grains in situ from the Middle Jurassic of Eastern Xinjiang,China

Well-preserved Ginkgo pollen organs are analyzed from the Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation of the Turpan–Hami Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwestern China, and are described as a new species, Ginkgo hamiensis Z.X. Wang et B.N. Sun sp. nov. The immature male cones are cylindrical and catkin-like, with two longitudinal stripes on the stalk. The pollen sacs are shaped like a long oval with two pollen sacs fused together for each microsporophyll, and the microsporophyll tip is a triangular cystidium. The pollen grains are oblong or fusiform and monocolpate; both ends are blunt or sharp. By comparison with previously reported fossil records of Ginkgo plants, we determined that the current fossils are different from all other reported species; thus, the present fossil is referred to as a new species of Ginkgo. The reproductive organs of the Ginkgo fossils described herein can provide valuable information for the study of Ginkgo plants. Further, there are two probable evolutionary trends in the Ginkgo pollen cones. One trend is that the number of pollen sacs changed from three or four during the Jurassic and Cretaceous to two at the present day; the other is that the number of pollen sacs has remained two from the Middle Jurassic to the present day. In addition, the pollen cones described herein are similar to the pollen cones of the extant Ginkgo, which strongly indicates that the morphology of Ginkgo plants may have remained highly conserved over millions of years.

Eden in the Xinjiang Mountains

Nature's greatest splendors are often secreted in the remotest of spots. This is certainly true of Kanas Lake, deep in the Altay Mountains of northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This area of sublime, and as yet unsullied, natural beauty is home to 2,000 people of the Tuwa ethnic minority. The ancestry of these herder-hunters is unclear. Certain anthropologists believe that they are descended from Genghis Khan's "Mongol hordes" that swept through on their 13th century rampage of Central Asia and Europe. Others argue that they are the posterity of Siberian migrants, and cousins to the Tuvan people of Russia.

Native Medicinal Plant Richness Distribution Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Xinjiang, Northwest China

Objective To comprehensively map the distribution patterns of native medicinal plants of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China; To find the environmental determinants and to give suggestions for the conservation planning of medicinal plants in Xinjiang region. Methods Firstly, we compiled the distribution data of native medicinal plants at a county level in Xinjiang region, including the source plants of Chinese Materia Medica （CMM）, Uygur Medicine （UM）, and Kazak Medicine （KM）; Secondly, we divided the distribution data into grid with a resolution of 0.1~ x 0.1~ and overlaid it on the topography and climate data in Arcgis 10.0; Finally, we analyzed the correlations of medicinal plant richness and environmental variables with ordinary least square （OLS） regressions and partial regressions. Results UM has more non-native species in Xinjiang region than KM. The species richness of medicinal plants is high in Altay Mountains, western Tianshan Mountains, and part of Kunlun Mountains. The richness of medicinal plants is highly correlated with the vascular plant species richness and climate, and further, the independent effects of vascular plant species richness are higher than the independent effects of climate. The whole plant, root ＆ rhizome, and seed ＆ fruit are more frequently used than stem and leaf for CMM in Xinjiang region. Conclusion The distribution patterns of medicinal plants are concordant with vascular plant species, which could be carefully considered in the conservation planning of this region. Taking full advantage of current nature reserves is a low-costing approach to the conservation of medicinal plants although they were not originally established for medicinal plant protection. Nevertheless, it is urgent to further study the distributions and protection status of medicinal plants in the nature reserves of Xinjiang region.