Avian H9N2 and 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza viruses can infect pigs and humans, raising the concern that H9N2:pH1N1 reassortant viruses could emerge. Such reassortants demonstrated increased replication and transmissibility in pig, but were still inefficient when compared to pH1N1. Here, we evaluated if a reassortant virus containing the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of A/quail/Hong Kong/G1/1997 (H9N2) in the A/California/04/2009 (pH1N1) backbone could become better adapted to pigs by serial passaging.

Lions (Panthera leo) feed on diverse prey species, a range that is broadened by their cooperative hunting. Although humans are not typical prey, habitual man-eating by lions is well documented. Fathoming the motivations of the Tsavo and Mfuwe man-eaters (killed in 1898 in Kenya and 1991 in Zambia, respectively) may be elusive, but we can clarify aspects of their behaviour using dental microwear texture analysis. Specifically, we analysed the surface textures of lion teeth to assess whether these notorious man-eating lions scavenged carcasses during their depredations.

Lignin, one of the most abundant renewable feedstock, is used to develop a biocompatible hydrogel as anti-infective ointment. A hydrophilic polyoxazoline chain is grafted through ring opening polymerization, possess homogeneous spherical nanoparticles of 10–15nm. The copolymer was covalently modified with triazole moiety to fortify the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities. The hydrogel was capable of down regulating the expression level of IL-1β in LPS induced macrophage cells, and to cause significant reduction of iNOS production.