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Novel reassortant 2.3.4.4B H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses circulating among wild, domestic birds in Xinjiang, Northwest China

  • Zhang, Qian;Mei, Xindi;Zhang, Cheng;Li, Juan;Chang, Nana;Aji, Dilihuma;Shi, Weifeng;Bi, Yuhai;Ma, Zhenghai
    • Journal of Veterinary Science
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.43.1-43.10
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    • 2021
  • Background: The H5 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) of clade 2.3.4.4 circulate in wild and domestic birds worldwide. In 2017, nine strains of H5N6 AIVs were isolated from aquatic poultry in Xinjiang, Northwest China. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the origin, reassortment, and mutations of the AIV isolates. Methods: AIVs were isolated from oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs of poultry. Identification was accomplished by inoculating isolates into embryonated chicken eggs and performing hemagglutination tests and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The viral genomes were amplified with RT-PCR and then sequenced. The sequence alignment, phylogenetic, and molecular characteristic analyses were performed by using bioinformatic software. Results: Nine isolates originated from the same ancestor. The viral HA gene belonged to clade 2.3.4.4B, while the NA gene had a close phylogenetic relationship with the 2.3.4.4C H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) isolated from shoveler ducks in Ningxia in 2015. The NP gene was grouped into an independent subcluster within the 2.3.4.4B H5N8 AIVs, and the remaining six genes all had close phylogenetic relationships with the 2.3.4.4B H5N8 HPAIVs isolated from the wild birds in China, Egypt, Uganda, Cameroon, and India in 2016-2017, Multiple basic amino acid residues associated with HPAIVs were located adjacent to the cleavage site of the HA protein. The nine isolates comprised reassortant 2.3.4.4B HPAIVs originating from 2.3.4.4B H5N8 and 2.3.4.4C H5N6 viruses in wild birds. Conclusions: These results suggest that the Northern Tianshan Mountain wetlands in Xinjiang may have a key role in AIVs disseminating from Central China to the Eurasian continent and East African.

Characterization of Agronomic Traits and Evaluation of Lignan Contents in Asian and African Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Germplasms (아시아 및 아프리카 원산 참깨(Sesame indicum L.) 유전자원의 농업형질과 리그난 함량 평가)

  • Sookyeong Lee;Jungsook Sung;Gi-An Lee;Eunae Yoo;So Jeong Hwang;Weilan Li;Tae-Jin Yang
    • Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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    • v.36 no.4
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    • pp.413-434
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    • 2023
  • Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an ancient oilseed crop, which is usually cultivated for its seeds. Sesame breeding aims to achieve high seed yield and quality, along with resistance to biotic or abiotic stresses. It is estimated that sesame is originated from Asia or Africa continent. In this study, we characterized 10 agronomic traits and evaluated lignan contents in 165 sesame germplasm originated from Asia or Africa, to select high-yield or high-lignan content accessions. Sesame germplasm showed diverse phenotypes and highly variable lignan contents (sesamin: 0.5-12.6 mg/g, sesamolin: 0.1-3.5 mg/g, lignan: 1.1-16.1 mg/g). Based on originated continent, there are significant difference in agronomic traits, but no in lignan content. Correlation analysis revealed that yield-related agronomic traits were negatively related with lignan contents. Also, PCA analysis showed that most agronomic traits and lignan contents were principal components explaining diversity of whole sesame germplasm. Sesame germplasm was clustered into three groups based on agronomic traits and lignan contents. Finally, we selected high-yield (IT29416, IT167042, K276848, K276849) and high-lignan candidate accessions (IT169254, IT170031, IT169250, IT154876, IT170034), respectively. These accessions are expected to be valuable resources for breeding of high-yield and high-lignan contents functional cultivars.

Possibility of Establishing an International Court of Air and Space Law (국제항공우주재판소의 설립 가능성)

  • Kim, Doo-Hwan
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.139-161
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    • 2009
  • The idea of establishing an International Court of Air and Space Law (hereinafter referred to ICASL) is only my academic and practical opinion as first proposal in the global community. The establishment of the International Court of Air and Space Law can promote the speed and promote fairness of the trial in air and space law cases. The creation of an ICASL would lead to strengthening of the international cooperation deemed essential by the global community towards joint settlement in the transnational air and space cases, claims and would act as a catalyst for the efforts and solution on aircraft, satellite and space shuttle's accidents and cases and all manpower, information, trial and lawsuit to be centrally managed in an independent fashion to the benefit of global community. The aircraft, satellite and spacecraft's accidents attributes to the particular and different features between the road, railway and maritime's accidents. These aircraft, satellite and spacecraft's accidents have incurred many disputes between the victims and the air and space carriers in deciding on the limited or unlimited liability for compensation and the appraisal of damages caused by the aircraft's accidents, terror attack, satellite, space shuttle's accidents and space debris. This International Court of Air and Space Law could hear any claim growing out of both international air and space crash accidents and transnational accidents in which plaintiffs and defendants are from different nations. This alternative would eliminate the lack of uniformity of decisions under the air and space conventions, protocols and agreements. In addition, national courts would no longer have to apply their own choice of law analysis in choosing the applicable liability limits or un-limit for cases that do not fall under the air and space system. Thus, creation of an International Court of Air and Space Law would eliminate any disparity of damage awards among similarly situated passengers and shippers in nonmembers of air and space conventions, protocols, agreements and cases. Furthermore, I would like to explain the main items of the abovementioned Draft for the Convention or Statute of the International Court of Air and Space Law framed in comparison with the Statute of the International Court of Justice, the Statue of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Statute of the International Criminal Court. First of all, in order to create the International Court of Air and Space Law, it is necessary for us to legislate a Draft for the Convention on the Establishment of the International Court of Air and Space Law. This Draft for the Convention must include the elected method of judges, term, duty and competence of judge, chambers, jurisdiction, hearing and judgment of the ICASL. The members of the Court shall be elected by the General Assembly and Council of the ICAO and by the General Assembly and Legal Committee of the UNCOPUOS from a list of persons nominated by the national groups in the six continent (the North American, South American, African, Oceania and Asian Continent) and two international organization such as ICAO and UNCOPUOS. The members of the Court shall be elected for nine years and may be re-elected as one time. However, I would like to propose a creation an International Court of Air and Space Law in extending jurisdiction to the International Court of Justice at the Hague to in order to decide the air and space convention‘s cases. My personal opinion is that if an International Court on Air and Space Law will be created in future, it will be settled quickly and reasonably the difficulty and complicated disputes, cases or lawsuit between the wrongdoer and victims and the injured person caused by aircraft, satellite, spacecraft's accidents or hijacker and terrorists etc. on account of deciding the standard of judgment by judges of that’s court. It is indeed a great necessary and desirable for us to make a new Draft for the Convention on a creation of the International Court of Air and Space Law to handle international air and space crash litigation. I shall propose to make a new brief Draft for the Convention on the Creation of an International Court of Air and Space Law in the near future.

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