Circulation of reassortant influenza A(H7N9) viruses in poultry and humans, Guangdong Province, China, 2013.

Influenza A(H7N9) virus emerged in eastern China in February 2013 and continues to circulate in this region, but its ecology is poorly understood. In April 2013, the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented environmental and human syndromic surveillance for the virus. Environmental samples from poultry markets in 21 city CDCs (n=8,942) and respiratory samples from persons with influenza-like illness or pneumonia (n=32,342) were tested; viruses isolated from 6 environmental samples and 16 patients were sequenced. Sequence analysis showed co-circulation of 4 influenza A(H7N9) virus strains that evolved by reassortment with avian influenza A(H9N2) viruses circulating in this region. In addition, an increase in human cases starting in late 2013 coincided with an increase in influenza A H7 virus isolates detected by environmental surveillance. Co-circulation of multiple avian influenza viruses that can infect humans highlights the need for increased surveillance of poultry and potential environmental sources.This study was financially supported by 12th five-year-major-projects of China’s Ministry of Public Health. Grant No: 2012zx10004-213 and by the PREDICT Surveillance Animal Human Interface Project of GVF. Grant No: Gvf: 06-09-057-02.This is the accepted version. It'll be replaced with the final pdf when it's available

Structure and Novel Functional Mechanism of Drosophila SNF in Sex-Lethal Splicing

Sans-fille (SNF) is the Drosophila homologue of mammalian general splicing factors U1A and U2B″, and it is essential in Drosophila sex determination. We found that, besides its ability to bind U1 snRNA, SNF can also bind polyuridine RNA tracts flanking the male-specific exon of the master switch gene Sex-lethal (Sxl) pre-mRNA specifically, similar to Sex-lethal protein (SXL). The polyuridine RNA binding enables SNF directly inhibit Sxl exon 3 splicing, as the dominant negative mutant SNF1621 binds U1 snRNA but not polyuridine RNA. Unlike U1A, both RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) of SNF can recognize polyuridine RNA tracts independently, even though SNF and U1A share very high sequence identity and overall structure similarity. As SNF RRM1 tends to self-associate on the opposite side of the RNA binding surface, it is possible for SNF to bridge the formation of super-complexes between two introns flanking Sxl exon 3 or between a intron and U1 snRNP, which serves the molecular basis for SNF to directly regulate Sxl splicing. Taken together, a new functional model for SNF in Drosophila sex determination is proposed. The key of the new model is that SXL and SNF function similarly in promoting Sxl male-specific exon skipping with SNF being an auxiliary or backup to SXL, and it is the combined dose of SXL and SNF governs Drosophila sex determination

Effect of live poultry market interventions on influenza A(H7N9) virus, Guangdong, China

Since March 2013, three waves of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been detected in China. To investigate virus transmission within and across epidemic waves, we used surveillance data and whole-genome analysis of viruses sampled in Guangdong during 2013–2015. We observed a geographic shift of human A(H7N9) infections from the second to the third waves. Live poultry market interventions were undertaken in epicenter cities; however, spatial phylogenetic analysis indicated that the third-wave outbreaks in central Guangdong most likely resulted from local virus persistence rather than introduction from elsewhere. Although the number of clinical cases in humans declined by 35% from the second to the third waves, the genetic diversity of third-wave viruses in Guangdong increased. Our results highlight the epidemic risk to a region reporting comparatively few A(H7N9) cases. Moreover, our results suggest that live-poultry market interventions cannot completely halt A(H7N9) virus persistence and dissemination

Summer fruitlet thinning enhanced quality attributes of Ambrosia™ apple at harvest and after four months of cold air storage

Summer fruitlet thinning is implemented as a routine orchard practice to produce apple fruits with good quality. However, its impacts on the dynamics of fruit quality metrics during the growing season and in the postharvest storage, remain unclear. In this study, summer hand thinning on fruitlets of Ambrosia™ apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) was conducted on two dwarfing rootstocks, Malling 9 (M.9) and Budagovsky (B.9), in an organic orchard and a conventional orchard under the semi-arid climate in Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Adequate thinning (“AT”, in which 70% of fruitlets were removed) and light thinning (“LT”, in which 30% of fruitlets were removed) were implemented in randomized plots in eight weeks after full bloom. Fruit development and dry matter content (DMC) were then monitored during the growing season; fruit quality was subsequently evaluated at harvest and after four-month of air storage at 0.5 C. Relative to LT, AT enhanced fruit quality attributes in DMC, surface blush coverage and intensity, and soluble solids content at harvest. The apples with higher DMC under AT also possessed higher compositional quality and lower disorders in the postharvest stage, This study suggests that summer fruitlet thinning of Ambrosia™ apples can have significant impacts on fruit composition during subsequent on-tree fruit development, on the onset of ripening and eventually on the retention of quality and minimization of disorders over 4 months of cold air storage. This effect is found for OG and CV production systems and with both dwarfing rootstocksThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Postharvest quality implications of pre-harvest treatments applied to enhance Ambrosia™ apple red blush color at harvest.

Two approaches for enhancing red blush in Ambrosia™ apple were evaluated; 1) reflective row covers, or 2) application of foliar phosphorus-rich sprays, both applied several weeks before anticipated harvest. Two experiments were conducted, the first to evaluate a white reflective row cover versus foliar phosphorus spray and the second to evaluate two types of reflective row cover, one being made of a woven white polyethylene and the other a solid silvered Mylar®. The comparative effect these pre-harvest treatments on at-harvest fruit quality and quality after storage were assessed in both experiments. It was determined that foliar phosphorus sprays or one of the two types of reflective row covers resulted in similar enhancement of red blush colour with no negative effects on at-harvest quality. However, in the first experiment it was found that after 8 months CA storage (1 kPa O2 + 1 kPa CO2 at 0.5 °C), apples from the phosphorus foliar spray treatment developed greasiness and sooty blotch, as compared with either those from the reflective row cover or control treatments. In the second experiment, after 5 months of air storage at 0.5 °C, the apples from the silvered Mylar® reflective row cover treatment developed severe soft scald and soggy breakdown as compared with the control and white reflective row cover treatments which developed lower or very slight incidence in soft scald, respectively, and no soggy breakdown. These results indicate that when pre-harvest treatments are applied to apples, that post-storage quality effects should be evaluated.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Selection and use of LIMS

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:8321.4562(no 9) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

a particle swarm optimization algorithm for least visual path problem in raster terrain

Least visible path analysis is a basic function in terrain visibility analysis. However, existing least visible path planning is constrained to least-cost path computing on a cost surface got from visibility information of all the terrain points on digital elevation model. This kind of method ignores the overlapped part of the adjacent points' view sheds. This paper discussed the least visual path problem and proposed a particle swarm optimization algorithm using the amalgamation of view shed to find an optimal covert path. The experimental results show that the new method produces more accurate least visible paths than the traditional one does. © 2011 IEEE.IEEE Tainan Section; Huazhong University of Science and Technology; National Cheng Kung UniversityLeast visible path analysis is a basic function in terrain visibility analysis. However, existing least visible path planning is constrained to least-cost path computing on a cost surface got from visibility information of all the terrain points on digital elevation model. This kind of method ignores the overlapped part of the adjacent points' view sheds. This paper discussed the least visual path problem and proposed a particle swarm optimization algorithm using the amalgamation of view shed to find an optimal covert path. The experimental results show that the new method produces more accurate least visible paths than the traditional one does. © 2011 IEEE

a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm for shortest path with maximal visual coverage

In this paper, the shortest path planning problem with maximal visual coverage in the raster terrain is studied with the proposal of a multi-objective evolutionary planner. By using a problem-specific representation of candidate solutions and genetic operators, our planner can handle the objectives of the visual coverage and the path length and find the non-dominated solutions efficiently. Utilizing an external archive, our algorithm may effectively obtain the approximate Pareto front with wide distribution to provide multiple candidates for decision-maker. © 2011 IEEE.IEEE Tainan Section; Huazhong University of Science and Technology; National Cheng Kung UniversityIn this paper, the shortest path planning problem with maximal visual coverage in the raster terrain is studied with the proposal of a multi-objective evolutionary planner. By using a problem-specific representation of candidate solutions and genetic operators, our planner can handle the objectives of the visual coverage and the path length and find the non-dominated solutions efficiently. Utilizing an external archive, our algorithm may effectively obtain the approximate Pareto front with wide distribution to provide multiple candidates for decision-maker. © 2011 IEEE