Bioboard

Part 1: Theoretical Approaches to and Socio-Cultural Perspectives in Crisis Communication Cornelius B. Pratt Part 2: The Phases of Crisis Communication Amiso M. George Part 3: Case Studies Africa Egypt Social Media Stoke a Political Revolution in Egypt Olugbenga C. Ayeni Kenya Wooing Tourists Back After A Civil Strife: The Kenyan Example Bitrus P. Gwamna Nigeria Crisis in Nigeria's Banking and Financial Industry: Government Actions Reassure Skittish, Jittery Publics Wole Adamolekun Kunle Ogedengbe and Cornelius B. Pratt South Africa Hotspot: South Durban Basin, South Africa-The ENGEN Oil Refinery Explosion Chris Skinner Asia China China's Sanlu's Infant Formula Proves Fatal Weidan Cao China & France Olympic Torch Protests in France, Reactions in China: Carrefour Learns About International Crises W. Timothy Coombs India Corporate Fraud in India: Satyam in the Spotlight Monika Vij Japan (Disaster) A Triple Disaster in One Fell Swoop: Rethinking Crisis Communication in Japan After March 11 Isaac A. Blankson, Sorin Nastasia and Min Liu Japan (Toyota) Delays, Denials, Recalls and Apologies: Fixing the Dent in Toyota's Image Amiso M. George Thailand Bringing the Government Down': Managing Thailand's Political Crisis Cornelius B. Pratt and Ronald Lee Carr Australia Victoria Burning: Confronting The 2009 Catastrophic Bushfires in Australia Christopher Galloway and Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo Europe England 'Climategate': UK Climate Researchers' Emails Casts Doubt on Scientific Support for Global Warming Doug A. Newsom Eurozone Eurovision 2010: A Security Breach Endangers Europe's Largest TV Show Alfonso Gonzalez-Herrero France An Exceptional Fraud at Societe Generale Thierry Libaert Germany The Love Parade In Duisburg: Lessons From A Tragic Blame Game Andreas Schwarz Russia Turnaround in Russia: Crisis Communication Campaign During the 2008 War in South Ossetia Alexander G. Nikolaev Middle East Iran Iran's Twitter Revolution' from a Publics Relations Standpoint Chiara Valentini and Dean Kruckeberg Lebanon Risk Perception and Change Management: Strategic Efforts to Restore Lebanon's Tourism Sector Ali Kanso, Joseph Ajami and Abdul Karim Sinno North America Mexico Rosarito Beach: Mediated Reality and the Rebranding of a Mexican Border City Robert Brown USA No Walruses in the Gulf: BP's Need for Effective Issues Management Ashli Quesinberry Stokes South America Chile The 2010 Chilean Mining Accident: The Triumph of Transparency and Calm Leadership Emmanuel C. Alozie Colombia 'Nothing Will be the Same Everything Will be Better': Floods in Colombia's Atlantico State Jaime S. Gomez and Soledad Leal Tying it All Together: Social Media and Revolution Crisis and Kairos: Social Media Activists Exploit Timing to Support Anti-Government Protests Jacqueline Lambiase

The paper reviews higher education and university-based research in the Asia-Pacific, focusing principally on the ”Confucian” systems of Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong China, Taiwan and Singapore. These systems exhibit or have exhibited a special developmental dynamism-one still playing out in all systems except Japan-and created a distinctive model of higher education provision. The Confucian Model is rapidly pluralizing global power in higher education because in some respects it works more effectively than system designs in North America, the English-speaking world and Europe. The model rests on (1) a tendency to universal participation in tertiary education partly financed by high and growing levels of household funding of tuition, sustained by the private duty to invest in education in the context of social competition mediated by examinations; (2) accelerated public investment in research and ”world-class” universities, and (3) strong nation-state shaping of priorities and behaviours. The Model has downsides, e.g., in relation to social equity in participation, and the tendency to top-down governmental interference in university autonomy and academic creativity. But together with economic growth in the context of low tax regimes, the Confucian Model enables these systems to move forward-rapidly and simultaneously-in relation to each and all the goals of mass tertiary participation, university quality, and both the quantity and quality and science-based research in higher education.

Part One: Multicultural Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Issues * Multicultural Education: Dimensions and Paradigms, James A. Banks * Critical Multiculturalism and Education, Stephen May * Worldwide Population Movements, Diversity, and Education, Stephen Castles * Globalization, Immigration, and Schooling, Marcelo Suarez-Orozco and Carola Suarez-Orozco Part Two: Multicultural Education and Diversity Across Nations * Multicultural Education in the United States: Historical Realities, Ongoing Challenges, and Transformative Possibilities, Sonia Nieto * Multicultural Education Policy in Canada: Competing Ideologies, Interconnected Discourses, Reva Joshee * Multicultural Education in Australia: Two Generations of Evolution, Christine Inglis * Multicultural Education in the United Kingdom, Sally Tomlinson * From Intercultural Education to the Inclusion of Diversity: Theories and Policies in Europe, Cristina Allemann-Ghionda * Multicultural Education in South Africa, Crain Soudien * Multicultural Education in Japan, Yasu Hirasawa Part Three: Race, Intergroup Relations, and Schooling * Critical Perspectives on Race and Schooling, David Gillborn and Deborah Youdell * The Nature and Origins of Children's Racial Attitudes, Rebecca S. Bigler and Julie Milligan Hughes * Modifying Children's Racial Attitudes, Frances E. Aboud * Education Programs for Improving Intergroup Relations between Palestinians and Jews in Israel, Zvi Bekerman * Multicultural Education for Young Children, Patricia G. Ramsey Part Four: Culture, Teaching, and Learning * Cultural Influences on Learning, Carol D. Lee * Socialization, Literacy, and Empowerment, Thor Ola Engen Part Five: The Education of Indigenous Groups * Connecting the Circle in American Indian Education, Donna Deyhle and Karen Gayton Comeau * Indigenous Education in Peru, Maria Elena Garcia * The Struggle to Educate the Maori in New Zealand, Wally Penetito Part Six: Citizenship, Immigration, and Education * Diversity, Group Identity, and Citizenship Education in a Global Age, James A. Banks * Education, Integration, and Citizenship in France, Eva Lemaire * Citizenship Education in France and England: Contrasting Approaches to National Identity and Diversity, Audrey Osler and Hugh Starkey * Democracy, Antiracism, and Citizenship Education in England and Sweden, Hugh Starkey and Audrey Osler * Diversity and Citizenship Education in Bulgaria, Hristo Kyuchukov Part Seven: Language, Culture, Identity, and Education * Language, Culture, and Identity Issues Across Nations, Suzanne Romaine * Language Policies and Language Education in Francophone Africa: A Critique and a Call to Action, Hassana Alidou * Language Education Policy in Multi-Ethnic Malaysia, Saran Kaur Gill Part Eight: Religion, Culture, Identity, and Education * Cultural Diversity, Muslims, and Education in France and England: Two Contrasting Models in Western Europe, Nasar Meer, Valerie Sala Pala, Tariq Modood, and Patrick Simon * Religion, Culture, Language, and Education in India, Reva Joshee and Karen Sihra * Islamic Religious Education and Muslim Religiosity in Singapore, Mukhlis Abu Bakar * Religion, Ethnicity, and Identity in Indonesian Education, Joel C. Kuipers and Ella Yulaelawati Part Nine: The Education of Ethnic and Cultural Minority Groups in Europe * Migrant Minority Groups in Germany: Success and Failure in Education, Sigrid Luchtenberg * The Education of Ethnic, Racial, and Cultural Minority Groups in Spain, Teresa Aguado * Ethnic and Cultural Groups and Educational Policies in Russia, Isak D. Froumin and Andrei Zakharov Part Ten: The Education of Ethnic and Cultural Minority Groups in Asia and Latin America * The Education of Ethnic Minority Groups in China, Gerard A. Postiglione * Social Inequality as a Barrier to Multicultural Education in Latin America, Martin Carnoy * Achieving Quality Education for Indigenous Peoples and Blacks in Brazil, Petronilha Beatriz Goncalves e Silva and Sonia Stella Araujo-Olivera * The Education of Ethnic Minority Groups in Mexico, Sonia Stella Araujo-Olivera and Petronilha Beatriz Goncalves e Silva

Select Vaccines Achieves Key Milestone in Manufacturing Mesoblast's Cells Show Long-lasting and Sustained Effect in Knee Osteoarthritis Anadis Partners with Garden State Nutritionals (GSN) for on its Milk-derived (colostrum) Bioactive Products Starpharma Holdings Signs Research Agreement with Unilever for Dendrimer Technology China Medical Technologies Develops Prostate Cancer Reagent Chindex Opens United Family Healthcare Center in Wuxi Transgenomic Opens Pharmacogenomics Laboratory in China Ranbaxy Introduces Biogeneric Product for Osteoporosis Patients Avesthagen and DuBiotech to Enter into a Joint Venture Cellworks and Institute of Life Sciences Cooperates in the Areas of Oncology and Infectious Diseases Cell Genesys and Takeda Announce Global Alliance for the Development and Commercialization of GVAX Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer Commonwealth Biotechnologies and New Zealand Pharmaceuticals Enter into Drug Discovery and Development Strategic Alliance A*STAR's Bioprocessing Technology Institute and Raven Biotechnologies to Develop New Medicine of the Future AWAK and UCLA Sign Agreement for Peritoneal-based Automated Wearable Artificial Kidney Sartorius Stedim Biotech Opens New Technical Support Center in Singapore Rockeby Awarded First Middle East Tender for Bird Flu Test Kits Carl Zeiss Opens Imaging Demo Facility in Singapore PerkinElmer Opens New Center in Singapore CordLife Opens Southeast Asia's Largest Cord Blood Bank in Singapore Oncolys BioPharma Ties Up with Medigen Biotech for Telomelysin

Migratory aquatic birds play an important role in the maintenance and spread of avian influenza viruses (AIV). Many species of aquatic migratory birds tend to use similar migration routes, also known as flyways, which serve as important circuits for the dissemination of AIV. In recent years there has been extensive surveillance of the virus in aquatic birds in the Northern Hemisphere; however in contrast only a few studies have been attempted to detect AIV in wild birds in South America. There are major flyways connecting South America to Central and North America, whereas avian migration routes between South America and the remaining continents are uncommon. As a result, it has been hypothesized that South American AIV strains would be most closely related to the strains from North America than to those from other regions in the world. We characterized the full genome of three AIV subtype H11N9 isolates obtained from ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres) on the Amazon coast of Brazil. For all gene segments, all three strains consistently clustered together within evolutionary lineages of AIV that had been previously described from aquatic birds in North America. In particular, the H11N9 isolates were remarkably closely related to AIV strains from shorebirds sampled at the Delaware Bay region, on the Northeastern coast of the USA, more than 5000 km away from where the isolates were retrieved. Additionally, there was also evidence of genetic similarity to AIV strains from ducks and teals from interior USA and Canada. These findings corroborate that migratory flyways of aquatic birds play an important role in determining the genetic structure of AIV in the Western hemisphere, with a strong epidemiological connectivity between North and South America.

Between 2 December 2023 and 15 March 2024, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) outbreaks were reported in domestic (227) and wild (414) birds across 26 countries in Europe. Compared to previous years, although still widespread, the overall number of HPAI virus detections in birds was significantly lower, among other reasons, possibly due to some level of flock immunity in previously affected wild bird species, resulting in reduced contamination of the environment, and a different composition of circulating A(H5N1) genotypes. Most HPAI outbreaks reported in poultry were primary outbreaks following the introduction of the virus by wild birds. Outside Europe, the majority of outbreaks in poultry were still clustered in North America, while the spread of A(H5) to more naïve wild bird populations on mainland Antarctica is of particular concern. For mammals, A(H5N5) was reported for the first time in Europe, while goat kids in the United States of America represented the first natural A(H5N1) infection in ruminants. Since the last report and as of 12 March 2024, five human avian influenza A(H5N1) infections, including one death, three of which were clade 2.3.2.1c viruses, have been reported by Cambodia. China has reported two human infections, including one fatal case, with avian influenza A(H5N6), four human infections with avian influenza A(H9N2) and one fatal case with co-infection of seasonal influenza A(H3N2) and avian influenza A(H10N5). The latter case was the first documented human infection with avian influenza A(H10N5). Human infections with avian influenza remain rare and no sustained human-to-human infection has been observed. The risk of infection with currently circulating avian H5 influenza viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b in Europe remains low for the general population in the EU/EEA. The risk of infection remains low to moderate for those occupationally or otherwise exposed to infected animals.

NCEP reanalysis data were analyzed in order to provide distribution of global wind resource and wind speed in the surface layer for the years 2000-2009. Wind speed at 10 m above ground level (AGL) was converted to wind speed at 80 m above the ground level using the power law. The global average 80 m wind speed shows a maximum value of at the storm track region. High wind speed over the land exists in Tibet, Mongolia, Central North America, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina. Wind speed over the ocean increased with a large value in the South China Sea, Southeast Asia, East Sea of the Korea. Sea surface wind in Western Europe and Scandinavia are suitable for wind farm with a value of . Areas with great potential for wind farm are also found in Eastern and Western coastal region of North America. Sea surface wind in Southern Hemisphere shows larger values in the high latitude of South America, South Africa and Australia. The distribution of low-resolution reanalysis data represents general potential areas for wind power and can be used to provide information for high-resolution wind resource mapping.

To the Editor: In 2005, a large population of wild migratory birds was infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus (H5N1) in the Qinghai Lake region of western People’s Republic of China, resulting in the death of ≈10,000 birds (1,2). On the basis of phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, the virus was classified as clade 2.2 according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Subsequently, viruses from this clade were found in Mongolia, Russia, Europe, and Africa along the migratory flyways of birds (3,4). This unique distribution of the same clade of HPAI virus (H5N1) through different migratory routes indicates that migratory birds might play a global role in virus dissemination (3,4). In 2006, viruses from the same clade were isolated in the Qinghai Lake region (3). Analysis of viral outbreaks along migratory flyways demonstrated a similar outbreak pattern for the past 4 years (2006–2009) (5). During that period, clade 2.2 avian influenza virus (H5N1) was isolated in China, Mongolia, Russia, Germany, Egypt, and Nigeria; all viruses were closely related to the Qinghai Lake virus. Despite the broad distribution of clade 2.2 viruses in migratory flyways, few isolates of clade 2.2 viruses in local domestic poultry were reported, especially in China (6). Outbreaks of these viruses were reported in poultry in Africa (7). The reason these viruses rarely cause outbreaks in poultry is unknown. During May–June 2009 and 2010, several dead migratory birds were found in the Qinghai Lake region. Nine HPAI viruses (H5N1) were isolated in 2009 and 2 were isolated in 2010 from great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), brown-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), great black-headed gulls (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus), great-crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus), and bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) and serotyped as described (3). HA genes from all 11 isolates were subsequently amplified by using reverse transcription–PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of HA sequences and an additional HA gene sequence from the 2009 Qinghai Lake subtype H5N1 virus isolate from a great crested grebe (from the National Avian Influenza Virus Reference Laboratory, Harbin, China) (GenBank accession no. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:CY063318,term_id:301015462,term_text:CY063318}}CY063318) showed that HA genes from all 12 viruses clustered as clade 2.3.2 (Figure); none clustered with clade 2.2 viruses. Additionally, the HA cleavage site in the new isolates is PQRERRRKRG, which is identical to that of clade 2.3.2 viruses. In clade 2.2, the cleavage site is PQRERRRKKRG. Figure Bootstrapped (1,000×) maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of hemagglutinin genes of avian influenza viruses (H5N1), People’s Republic of China, 2009–2010. Viruses isolated from the plateau pika near Qinghai Lake are indicated ... A bootstrap (1,000×) maximum likelihood tree (8) also demonstrated that Qinghai 2009 and 2010 virus isolates are closely related to those isolated in Mongolia and Uvs Nuur Lake in 2009, as reported by Sharshov et al. (5). Qinghai Lake and Uvs Nuur Lake, which are found along the migratory flyway in central Asia, are major lakes for bird migration and breeding. Many birds fly from Qinghai Lake to Uvs Nuur Lake in the spring. If one considers isolation date and bird species infected, viruses isolated in Mongolia and Russia and our isolates were likely transmitted between the 2 lake regions by bird migration. Moreover, HA sequences are closely related to viruses isolated from wild birds in Hong Kong and Japan during 2007–2008, which are the most recent isolates of clade 2.3.2 viruses before isolation of 2009 Qinghai Lake viruses. These results indicate that viruses in the Qinghai Lake region may be transmitted by wild birds along the migratory flyway in eastern Asia. However, there is no evidence that avian influenza virus (H5N1) is transmitted from eastern Asian (inner China or across the Himalayas) to the Qinghai Lake region. The 2009 and 2010 Qinghai Lake viruses are related to various viruses isolated from plateau pikas near Qinghai Lake (9). In 2007, clade 2.2 and clade 2.3.2 viruses were isolated from plateau pikas, but no clade 2.3.2 viruses were found in aquatic birds. Wild birds, pikas, and other animals near Qinghai Lake share the same environment, and viruses may be transmitted across species. However, surveillance data are limited for wild animals near Qinghai Lake. Therefore, further investigations need to be conducted to clarify relationships among birds, animals, and influenza viruses near Qinghai Lake. Our results and those of Sharshov et al. (5) show that in 2009 HPAI virus (H5N1) began infecting birds along the migratory route near Qinghai Lake and changed from clade 2.2 viruses to clade 2.3 viruses. New outbreaks of HPAI viruses (H5N1) along this migratory flyway should be investigated.

Birds within the orders Charadriiformes (shorebirds, gulls) and Anseriformes (waterfowl) are reservoir hosts for avian influenza (AI) viruses, but their role in the transmission dynamics of AI viruses is unclear. To date, waterfowl have been the predominant focal species for most surveillance and epidemiological studies, yet gulls, in particular, have been shown to harbor reassortant AI viruses of both North American and Eurasian lineages and are underrepresented in North American surveillance efforts. To address this gap in surveillance, 1346 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) were sampled during spring and fall migrations and at three breeding sites in 2017 across Minnesota. Results indicate noticeable age-cohort dynamics in AI virus prevalence within ring-billed gulls in Minnesota. Immunologically naïve juveniles represented the cohort with the highest prevalence rate (57.8%). Regardless of age, more gulls had AI virus detected in oropharyngeal (OP) than in cloacal (CL) swabs. The high AI virus prevalence within ring-billed gulls, particularly in immunologically naïve birds, warrants further targeted surveillance efforts of ring-billed gulls and other closely related species.

Background: Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by A strain of the influenza virus. Some strains are highly contagious causing rapidly a fatal disease in poultry. The strains are known as HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza). Until year 1997, direct transmission of HPAI to humans was not known. During the last large outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in South-East Asia in 2004, the virus was transmitted to relatively low number of humans with a high mortality rate. The measures were taken to contain the outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in South-East Asia. However, there is a possibility that the disease might spread to other parts of the world. There is also a certain degree of concern regarding more intensified spread from birds to humans and frequent interhuman transmission. Conclusions: In our paper, we present the recommended infectious control precautions in health care facilities with possible or confirmed case of HPAI H5N1, control measures in case of outbreak of HPAI in poultry in Slovenia and recommendations for travellers to the affected areas.

Prior to the emergence of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 (Gs/GD) H5N1 influenza A virus, the long‐held and well‐supported paradigm was that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks were restricted to poultry, the result of cross‐species transmission of precursor viruses from wild aquatic birds that subsequently gained pathogenicity in domestic birds. Therefore, management agencies typically adopted a prevention, control, and eradication strategy that included strict biosecurity for domestic bird production, isolation of infected and exposed flocks, and prompt depopulation. In most cases, this strategy has proved sufficient for eradicating HPAI. Since 2002, this paradigm has been challenged with many detections of viral descendants of the Gs/GD lineage among wild birds, most of which have been associated with sporadic mortality events. Since the emergence and evolution of the genetically distinct clade 2.3.4.4 Gs/GD lineage HPAI viruses in approximately 2010, there have been further increases in the occurrence of HPAI in wild birds and geographic spread through migratory bird movement. A prominent example is the introduction of clade 2.3.4.4 Gs/GD HPAI viruses from East Asia to North America via migratory birds in autumn 2014 that ultimately led to the largest outbreak of HPAI in the history of the United States. Given the apparent maintenance of Gs/GD lineage HPAI viruses in a global avian reservoir; bidirectional virus exchange between wild and domestic birds facilitating the continued adaptation of Gs/GD HPAI viruses in wild bird hosts; the current frequency of HPAI outbreaks in wild birds globally, and particularly in Eurasia where Gs/GD HPAI viruses may now be enzootic; and ongoing dispersal of AI viruses from East Asia to North America via migratory birds, HPAI now represents an emerging disease threat to North American wildlife. This recent paradigm shift implies that management of HPAI in domestic birds alone may no longer be sufficient to eradicate HPAI viruses from a given country or region. Rather, agencies managing wild birds and their habitats may consider the development or adoption of mitigation strategies to minimize introductions to poultry, to reduce negative impacts on wild bird populations, and to diminish adverse effects to stakeholders using wildlife resources. The main objective of this review is, therefore, to provide information that will assist wildlife managers in developing mitigation strategies or approaches for dealing with outbreaks of Gs/GD HPAI in wild birds in the form of preparedness, surveillance, research, communications, and targeted management actions. Resultant outbreak response plans and actions may represent meaningful steps of wildlife managers toward the use of collaborative and multi‐jurisdictional One Health approaches when it comes to the detection, investigation, and mitigation of emerging viruses at the human‐domestic animal‐wildlife interface.

Australia — Cochlear's Inventor Professor Graeme Clark Wins Top Research Prize. Australia — Biotech Projects Receive a Solid Share of ARC Funding. Australia — Australia Commits A$25 Million to Tackle Malaria in the Pacific. Australia — Western Australia to Get A$200 Million Worth of Research Hubs. Australia — Australian Government Funds Pharmaceutical Partnerships Program. China — New Diabetic Eye Disease Center in Beijing. China — Akzo Nobel to Open Two Chemical Plants. China — China Tightens Controls on Blood-Based Medicines. China — China Donates US$8 Million to WHO. China — Establishment of Eight New State Key Labs at CAS Approved. China — SFDA Approves Second Phase Trials for Bird Flu Vaccine. Hong Kong — Asia to Test Injectable Drug for Bird and Human Flu. Japan — Japan Investigates More Flu Drugs for Inducing Abnormal Behavior. Japan — Japan and South Korea to Launch First Joint Clinical Study of Cancer Drug. India — Senate Committee Approves Bill that would Reauthorize American Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Malaysia — Malaysia Plans New Law to Regulate Genetically Modified Foods. New Zealand — New Zealand Researchers Use Bacterial Enzymes to Boost Chemotherapy. New Zealand — New Zealand Government Tests Pandemic Action Plan. Singapore — Singapore University Plans to Set up Bioengineering Research Center. Singapore — Singapore and Indonesia to Join Forces in the Battle Against Bird Flu. Singapore — Singapore to Set Up New Legal Framework to Protect Personal Data of Biomedical Research Participants. Taiwan — Pingtung Biotech Park Opens in July. Thailand — Abbott Makes New Offer of US $1 000 per Person for HIV/AIDS Drug. Vietnam — Vietnam Reports New Bird Flu Outbreak.

The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is one of the most widely distributed terrestrial mammals, and its distribution and ecology in Europe and North America are largely well described. However, the distribution of grey wolf in southern China is still highly controversial. Several well-known western literatures stated that there are no grey wolves in southern China, while the presence of grey wolf across China has been indicated in A Guide to the Mammals of China, published by Princeton University Press. It is essential to solve this discrepancy since dogs may have originated from grey wolfs in southern China. Therefore, we systematically investigated Chinese literatures about wild animal surveys and identified more than 100 articles and books that included information of the distribution of grey wolves in China. We also surveyed the collections of three Chinese natural museums and found 26 grey wolf skins specimens collected across China. Moreover, we investigated the fossil records of wolf in China and identified 25 archaeological sites with wolf remains including south China. In conclusion, with the comprehensive summary of Chinese literatures, museum specimens and fossil records, we demonstrate that grey wolves does distribute across all parts of the Chinese mainland, including the most southern parts of China.

Avian influenza viruses pose a threat to wildlife and livestock health. The emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds and poultry in North America in late 2021 was the first such outbreak since 2015 and the largest outbreak in North America to date. Despite its prominence and economic impacts, we know relatively little about how HPAI spreads in wild bird populations. In January 2022, we captured 43 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in Tennessee, USA, 11 of which were actively infected with HPAI. These were the first confirmed detections of HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in the Mississippi Flyway. We compared movement patterns of infected and uninfected birds and found no clear differences; infected birds moved just as much during winter, migrated slightly earlier, and migrated similar distances as uninfected birds. Infected mallards also contacted and shared space with uninfected birds while on their wintering grounds, suggesting ongoing transmission of the virus. We found no differences in body condition or survival rates between infected and uninfected birds. Together, these results show that HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infection was unrelated to body condition or movement behavior in mallards infected at this location during winter; if these results are confirmed in other seasons and as HPAI H5N1 continues to evolve, they suggest that these birds could contribute to the maintenance and dispersal of HPAI in North America. Further research on more species across larger geographic areas and multiple seasons would help clarify potential impacts of HPAI on waterfowl and how this emerging disease spreads at continental scales, across species, and potentially between wildlife and domestic animals.

Global political and economic developments shape both the demand for minerals and primary metals and their supply. Overall, demand has moved broadly in step with economic activity over the past 30 years. Notwithstanding the collapse of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, demand grew more rapidly in the second half of the period than the first. The performance of individual products within this general trend largely reflects the specific nature of their main end uses. The geographic center of demand has shifted away from the mature industrial economies of North America, Western Europe, and Japan toward the newly industrializing countries of the Pacific Rim, China, and India. Mine production rose with demand, but not always in precise step. New capacity was required not just to meet demand, even where that was static, but also to offset the continuing effects of ore depletion. There were also changes in the location of production in response to geopolitical forces, the depletion of ore reserves, and the changing economics of extraction and processing. The number of mines contracted, especially during the 1990s, and the scale of mining operations was increased in order to achieve the requisite cost savings. Prices fluctuated in response to changing balances between supply and demand, trending downward from the early 1970s until the early 2000s. Most products witnessed at least one sharp price spike during the period, usually with continuing repercussions. Prices picked up from 2003, but generally not back to their earlier peak in real terms. Profitability varied according to the products concerned. In many years the average rates of return on capital employed have been insufficient to cover the risks involved.